Quilting and Sewing

Naomi Janome

I had to make a trip this morning to the local fabric store to pick up fabric for a new quilt I'm working on, a quilt I designed with Electric Quilt 7 (on my punch list to master in 2014).  While at the store I checked out the Janome sewing machines and the 7700 QCP caught my eye.  The harp space, the space to the right of the needle, is an awesome 11.5 inches, I could probably roll up a sleeping bag in there.

Back at Valerys Gallery, as I was cutting and piecing quilt blocks all I could think about was that sewing machine.  I even thought of a name...Naomi...Naomi Janome, corny...I love it!  I compared their price with prices online,  their price was lower and the store services the Janome machines.  I called hubby, I called the store, shut down Valerys Gallery for lunch, drove to Keene and picked up Naomi!

Naomi

She sat in the box in my craft room at home until I closed up the shop.  I was a tad bit more excited about getting the two blocks of the quilt I designed done than playing with Naomi.  But when I got home at 5:30, I said hello to hubby and headed for the craft room.  My old standby Singer "Slant-o-Matic" got swept aside to make room for the new.  I have two old Singer machines, a White I bought from a school's overstock, a vintage Kenmore I haven't checked out yet, my mom's old Brother machine, and a newer White quilting machine, they'll come in handy when I start having sewing classes otherwise I'd just be a hoarder of sewing machines.

I digress, I went through the user guide front to back, wound a bobbin, threaded her up and took her for a spin.  (I tried out the needle threader...in the dark...very nearly, the guide says "shut the machine off", WHAT!, no light and I'm farsighted, I cheated and turned it back on, I've had a needle in my finger before and I'm sure my finger will never let that happen again!  The needle threader worked like a charm.)  She's so quiet I may nod off in that capacious harp space. Alas, dinner calls.

Goodnight, Naomi

Keep calm and dream on!

Val

Pin keeps

Pin keeps or pin cushions are used to store straight pins and sewing needles.  Most are weighted in some fashion. According to Victorian folklore, a tomato placed in a new home would bring prosperity, if a tomato was not to be had one was made from a ball of fabric. The most popular form of a pincushion to this day is the tomato.

A little history lesson and you may ask "what's that got to do with Valerys Gallery?"

I created a pin keep in the shop today!  The thought was in my head last week when I spotted and purchased a sweet little 5 1/2 inch oval porcelain frame.  It would make an adorable pin keep.  Here's a picture of the frame.

No glass and no backing, just an oval frame.

I added a poof of blue faux suede stuffed with batting to the center, circled it with some of my sweet grandmother's pop beads (my grandmother wore pop beads to bed every night, she was a very glamorous lady) and interspersed a few blue glass beads.  I added a lace and crochet flower (from Michael's) to the top, wrapped the base with ribbons and added some rosebuds. A piece of felt was added to the bottom.  And ta-da!

A sweetly, shabby pin keep.  It won't bring the prosperity of a tomato pincushion but will dress up any sewing room don't you think?

Keep calm and craft on!

Val