Thursday, October 9, 2014

Getting Ready for Halloween!

I'm not a Halloween super fan.  My parents didn't let us trick-or-treat and there's few kids in the neighborhood today...but there's something about the coming of fall that makes me want to pull the skeletons out of the closet.  I'm especially looking forward to the Book of Life.  It brings a beautiful love story to life while teaching about the Day of the Dead.  So I think this years theme is chosen!  Now I just need to find real sugar skulls.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NZK4Y1S

Friday, August 8, 2014

My Favorite Splurge



I love my Brother CS600i so much that I bought it twice!  I taught myself to sew (with the help of a couple youtube videos and calls to my mom) on this machine.  I never knew how wonderful it was until I tried sewing on other machines.

The first thing I made was a skirt.  This is one of the easiest things to make because skirts are generally 1 or 2 pieces (for a simple skirt).  I even made it with an invisible zipper.  To be honest, I had to rip out the seams once or twice in order for the zipper to look good, but that was due to my lack of experience.  Brother includes a zipper foot with the machine that makes it so easy!

Next I tackled a dress.  And then pants!  Whoa, pants are a lot harder.  You have to get the fit right and that overlaying flap is difficult to get right when your a newbie.  But buttons are a cinch.  The Brother CS6000i has an automatic button hole feature that is the best thing since sliced bread.  I didn't know how difficult button holes were to make until I tried to do it on another machine.

Why did I use another machine, you ask?  Well I had moved to the UK and loved my Brother so much I took it with me in the hopes it would work with a currency converter.   NOPE!  So I figured I would just get a cheap replacement that would work.  (I had to make my bridesmaid dress for a wedding I was going to be in.)  And that's where all the stark contrasts became apparent.  Brother has so many options, is so easy to use, and makes sewing fun!  When I moved back to the US I had to get another one to replace the one I broke.

It's got 60 stitches to choose from for making clothes, stuffed animals, quilts or whatever your heart desires.  It also comes with 9 different foot attachments - some I haven't even tried yet!  It's not industrial strength, but for all your home needs, this Brother has you covered.

Check it out!