This summer I got serious about learning to sew. And for the past few weeks my spare time was spent on the cutest little girl. Well, girls.

I was excited to be an official “pattern tester” for this pattern. I’ve never done anything like this before and it was fun. Anyway, the Kit, Chloe and Louise doll pattern is now available in the Wee Wonderfuls shop if you were interested!

I think when my babysaurus is a little older and I can make up all three dolls we’ll have to have a backyard tea party and invite all our friends. How I look forward to these sorts of things.

It is what it is. My first pieced quilt top. Simple, just squares, because that was challenge enough what with the issues I had. Fact: I am not a fan of my mother’s sewing machine. Another fact: I picked up the new one today. Here’s to hoping for play time later.

If you are as suddenly obsessed with blankets and quilts as I am (and oh, I want to knit and crochet and sew just about every blanket or quilt I have seen in the last few days, it’s a sickness), you might like to poke around this nice lady’s blog. She calls it Crazy Mom Quilts because while she is a mom that quilts, she is CRAZY! She makes quilts like I used to knit socks. Which is to say many.

Also I think the babysaurus is anti blog, because every time I get a chance to sit and type and let my mind wander, she wants to eat. C’est le vie.

Friday was Wonder Hubby’s birthday and I decided in my infinite wisdom to call up all his friends last minute for a surprise get together of sorts. And I finally chose a new sewing machine-a Bernina 440. I want to discuss my methods for choosing a machine because it seems that so many people want to be told this kind of info when they are out looking, as I did and was. Soon, hopefully! Thank you all for your kind words on the Lizard Ridge. I hope to get back to you.. maybe if the kiddo will go down for a nap today! As you can see above, she is quite sleepy.

It is seamed. Now to figure out how to back it with something.

Interestingly enough, Singer 6110 was purchased by my mother in 1982 in this very state. That is interesting to me because my father was in the Navy and we’ve lived quite a few places. It may not be interesting to you. I sometimes live a sheltered life.

So, Singer 6110 has been around 26 years in this family. Singer 6110 became my sewing machine officially three years ago when my mom bought a new machine. A few months ago, I finally had it serviced and sliced up some fabric into squares for some attempts at this “sewing” deal. As a side note, rotary cutters are Way. Fun.

Let’s go back for just a moment, to the days of yore when I was a young thing and my mom was Way Into Crafting, Particularly Sewing. If you had asked me I would have told you mom HATED sewing. She always cursed at her projects. She complained about never being able to sew anything straight. (As a side note, she never owned a rotary cutter until a few years ago-probably would have made it Way Fun for her then). Long story short-that All Changed when the new machine came into her life (it’s a Brother, if you wonder). And thus beings my trials with Singer 6110.

They say all machines have a personality-I would have to agree. Singer 6110 is a man. A man that jerks you around, has sudden mood swings, and anger management issues. He snarls thread. He eats fabric. He bends his needles at a whim. It has been a nightmare trying to sew anything with Singer 6110. For example, the tension was too tight. One assumes that by adjusting the tension knob a bit might help fix the problem. In fact, it does not-it Makes It Worse. Which, by Singer 6110 standards, is Improvement!

Since I’m 98% sure that I am into this Sewing thing (the growing fabric stash seems to be an indicator) but I’m not yet ready to make a sewing machine purchase of Immense Proportions, I think I’m going to be looking into a small, somewhat inexpensive model to get me through the lean months and provide enough power for all I’m able to sew at the moment-straight lines. And someday, maybe someday, I can pass on This Future Machine to my daughter safe in the knowledge that it will not bring the kind of pain to her life that Singer 6110 has wrought upon that of my mother and I.