Holiday Sewing, New Sewing Machine, Secret Handbags & The Birds and the BEES!

11/27/2013 08:44:00 AM

My new Christmas coffee table runner. 

I've been having some great fun with my new sewing machine. This is a cute and table runner I made from an old charm pack I got years ago.  All it needed was some binding and my Juki zipped through it like lightening.

Yes, that's right, I have another machine. My Pfaff Ambition 1.5 and I are on a break. That's right, the Brain has be kicked to the curb and designated "back up" machine. I know, our relationship is only 1 year old, but although I have heard raving reviews about the IDT, mine was not quilting great for me and it always pushed the top layer. So frustrating!! I changed the presser foot tension, I pinned and pinned AND spray basted at the same time. Still sliding. Also, being a bag maker, I needed a better motor that would go through anything and I got that with my new Juki TL2010Q. Love her!

Pinky and the Brain are still part of my life and will be used often. Pinky for heavy leather, the Brain for free arm, zig zag, button holes and every other stitch. But, after reading review after review about this great straight stitch, mechanical, Juki - I knew I had to have one.

Sara from Sew Sweetness's sewing machine review tipped me over the edge and put me on the google search war path. Yes, I am keeping up with the Joneses, or Saras. Being in Canada, I could not order from Sew Vac Direct, but after much searching, I did find a machine at Sewing and Embroidery Warehouse out of Winnipeg.  The call was made, and after requesting a discount and extra bobbins, the lovely ladies in sales sent me out the machine the same day and I had it from Winnipeg 3 days later. I have to say, my life has changed.  It just.. is.. wow!!

Secret Handbags:
After finally setting up my "Bag Makers Sewing Supplies" section in my website shop, I am finally able to get to some sewing today. I am working on a bag pattern for a Spring issue of a Canadian quilting magazine.  It's a bit of a secret.... and I'm pretty excited about it because: a) I love the bag and b) I am going to be in a magazine! Whoop!

I've already made one sample and I'm working on another to send while doing instructions.  Instructions will mostly be digital diagrams, so not too many photos to take and that's good because the lighting is terrible today. Here is poor quality teaser:


OH my gosh I have to tell you what happened this morning.  It's hard having a husband working away because I can't just run and tell him something when I want to, but this is cute so you will have to hear it.

I was working on this blog post this morning before my son woke up for school and after I got him up, I put it aside and got him off to school.  Now I am back at it, with a smile on my face because that kid is so darn funny and OH MY we need to teach him about the birds and the bees.  I am just NOT READY!

My girls are 21 and 23 and on their own and poor Jace (8) is on his own here. He was saying he wished he had a brother, because he is bored and this is the conversation that happened:

Me:    "Well hon, Daddy and I wanted you to have a brother or sister and we really tried but we just couldn't."  Immediately I knew that this was going to lead to more questions because I didn't phrase that one quite right.  I thought that it was time I was straight with him.  I need to provide him with a little more knowledge, but not too much quite yet.

Jace:  "Well why not?"
Me:    "Well, I was just too old to have more kids."
Jace:  "How do you make the baby anyway?"
Thoughts:  Crap, Crap... darn it... I am not ready for this 10 minutes before he is supposed to get on the school bus, or ever. Delay, delay... deal with this later.  Oh darn, I have put this off long enough!
Me:    "....stammer..... uh....uh... well the Mom and Dad make it together."
Thoughts:  Ooops bad, bad.  No time for this!! Ack.  Please don't ask, please don't ask!
Jace:   "Do you drink special baby juice?"
Me:     "What?!"  pause.... gulp.... "Drink it? No, you don't drink it."
Thoughts:  Why did I say that?
Jace:    "What?!"
Thoughts:  Oh my!  What am I going to say now?
Jace:    "Can I have an orange in my lunch? Can you peel it?"
Me:      "Yes, I'll send a Christmas napkin with it! How about cookies!"

I did not handle that well. Again.
Can any of you recommend an age appropriate reproduction book for me to read to him??  I can't do this!

Okay, I am going to fill my hardware orders and SEW!!

  Janelle

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7 comments

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. P.S. This where do babies come from book got good reviews:
    http://www.amazon.com/Where-Do-Babies-Come-From/dp/0758614101/

    I was lucky to grow up on a farm, so I had a pretty good idea about where baby cows, pigs, lambs, etc. came from -- so it was not a difficult stretch to figure out where human babies came from.

    Good luck!!

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  3. haha.. my four year old asked me recently about how babies come out of their mommies tummy.. luckily after a few moments he continued to ask questions like why people sweat and a whole bunch of questions..

    Congrats on the getting published in a magazine..so exciting! looking forward to seeing the bag!

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  4. So I started reading this an hour ago and since then I've been reading Juki reviews! What are you doing to me Janelle?! ;) Glad you love your new machine...sounds like a lot of fun! I'm still undecided on my Pfaff. The sneaky peek of your new bag looks great! Love the colours!

    And as for your son, I have nothing to offer! Roman just turned 3 and I haven't even contemplated ever having to have 'the talk'...oh god!

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  5. Congrats on your new machine!! Too bad I have no sugestions for your birds and bees. My two daughters are 23 and 24 and I already forgot how I approach it. I do know that as they grew I told them a bit at a time. Good luck. Oh, Have you notice you're the fourth blogger I know with new sewing machine?! Sara (sew sweetness), Liz (moments), Christine (ChrisWDesigns) There's a bug bitting all over the world! LOL

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  6. I just about choked on my coffee laughing as I read your "thoughts". Douglas and Thomas are four and three - I hope I have enough time to come up with a good response before it happens because I can't for the life of me remember how I explained things when my older three were kids (although I remember clear as can be my now 21 year old bringing up the subject while I was driving her home from dance class) ha ha!

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  7. Not all Shot guess handbags score personalization on the fix pulls. Also, the kind "Speculation by Prizefighter" is the upscale edition so your adjudge on depict two is wrong. Finally, application in the bags would never be leather - fair cloth or satin. Thanks for protecting the kind!!!

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The contents of this blog, including text, original photos and ideas are the sole property of the author. If you intend to use my text or images, please link back to this blog and give credit to Emmaline Bags & Patterns. A notification email would be greatly appreciated too! Please do not ever republish an entire post, any tutorials, or post photos of my family. Thank you, Janelle