My machine

This post is all about my sewing machine so for those of you who don't sew or could care less about my machine, feel free to click on over to facebook or YouTube.

This meme came from Sew Mama Sew and since I recently bought a brand spanking new machine after working on a dinosaur that was made the year I was born, I had to participate.

What brand and model do you have?
Brother Innovis 40

How long have you had it?
about 6 months

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
$400

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
Mostly bags, clothing, softies

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I sew almost every day

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
Absolutely love it, it was a major upgrade from my previous machine.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
The button hole feature is awesome. Love the auto backstitch feature as well. And the free arm which my dinosaur did not have.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Not really, but the Brother needle is offset to the left of center as the default and that took some getting used to.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
I had been sewing everything on a solid steel White machine made in 1973 that I found at a thrift store for $25. It worked well, but not up for the amount of use I was giving it. Plus, it didn't have any cool features or a free arm, so it was time to upgrade. In the 6 months or so I've had it, I have made many things including 6 tutus for a school play, many bags, and a shirt for myself.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Absolutely. Brother makes a great product for a great price, but I would recommend going through a dealer to make sure you are getting the top of the line machines, not to mention great service. I went to Leabu's in Ann Arbor.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
Think about what features you really NEED. I wanted a bunch of fancy stuff, like embroidery, but just didn't think I would use it enough to justify the cost. And really, how many decorative stitches do you need??

Do you have a dream machine?
I wouldn't mind an embroidery machine someday, but for now my Brother is perfect.

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

As many of you probably know, my adorable sister, Julie, went to Africa in the winter with a West African dance group and wound up falling in love and getting engaged!!! Well, her hope is that he will be able to come to the states and they will get married by the end of summer. Now wouldn't this be the PERFECT dress for her??

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I so have to win this for her. Anyone who knows her personality and style would understand why this is awesome.

Here is a picture of her and my Lily
And one with her and her honey:

In Italian!

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Lily got a duo with her best friend in the spring sing in Italian! Aren't they adorable??
Lily_SpringSing_2009
Originally uploaded by magwilky

spring fun!

It is FINALLY starting to feel a little like spring in these parts. Thankfully. We had a very nice Easter at my mom's in Ohio despite the fact that my girls woke us up at 5:30am to see what the Easter Bunny brought!













Shawn and I took Friday off and headed to Ohio early with a stop at the NASA research center. It was kind of a bust, nothing that cool. Oh well, it was free if you could tolerate the security searches!









On Saturday we colored eggs and found a random Easter Bunny at a garden center that Chloe would not have anything to do with. That kid is afraid of everything! Saturday night, with mom mom to babysit, we went out with a few of my friends to celebrate Kelley's birthday (no pics of that). Sunday morning started early, too early, but the kids were excited to see their candy and hunt for eggs. The Easter Bunny also made a scavenger hunt for the girls to find their baskets.






And here is my dilemma. I am starting to think that Lily is very skeptical about the Easter Bunny and Santa and it seems some of her classmates don't believe any more either. She is not the type of kid to bring it up or question me too much about it. Should I bring it up with her? I feel sort of dishonest by not letting her in on the secret, but that is the magic of the holidays and I am reluctant to take that away. Anyone out there been through this? Is this thing on?

Spring sewing
I have still been doing some sewing in my very limited free time. 2 bunnies for my girls made with scraps from this great pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. They were quite easy and I think pretty cute. Chloe has been sleeping with hers.


I also made some aprons for my girls that I have been intending to make for over a year. I made up the design myself and they seem to be a hit.










I'm working on some other things, including a shirt for myself, hopefully to enter in Spring Top Week here. I have never made myself any clothes, so hoping it turns out well.






Next weekend, one of my best buds, Amy (who moved to Florida) and I are taking the Megabus to Chicago for a girls weekend. Can't wait!

One year

One year ago today.

I love making bags!

Just a quick post with some bags I made for my sisters. These were Christmas presents that they didn't get until March (I suck). They are from a pattern by Sandi Henderson that I think is awesome. They went together so easily. There are 2 patterns, this is the gathered bag. I also made 2 straight bags for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law but forgot to take pics (doh!) At least theirs made it out on time. (Please don't mind my horrible photography skills)






Now, if I could just find the time to make one for myself!

Sewing and other stuff

I really wish I was clever enough to come up with witty titles for my posts, but alas, I am not, so utilitarian it is.

First order of business: I got a Brand Spanking New Sewing Machine! I am so excited and have delusions that I can complete twice as many projects in half the time with this baby. I did some research on the internet and decided to go with a Brother because it was in my price range and many people thought it was a great machine. I went to an authorized dealer and tried out a few and loved the embroidery/sewing combo. Then I thought how much embroidery would I really do and is it worth the cost? So I stuck with the sewing only model, which is still a major upgrade from my 1973 White machine and didn't blow my budget. Seeing as how I have 6 (yes 6) tutus to sew for Lily's school play, it couldn't have come at a better time.

In other exciting news, Lily will be traveling with my mom to Seattle in May to visit my sister, her Auntie Juju. Unfortunately, she will have to miss a little school, which I debated for a while, but you can't replace the fun and excitement of a grown-up trip that she will remember forever. It will be hard to have her away from me for a week, but it will be a trip of a lifetime for Lily and for my mom. Although, when I told her she said, "It isn't for 2 months, oh" and went back to watching TV. I am just hoping it won't be too hard on her little sis being left behind.

At the end of February, Lily's school had a week off (and they will have another week in April, what is up with that??) Since Daddy was in Mexico for work, I took the girls on a mini vacay to Cleveland to visit my mom and Kelley. We had a great trip, unfortunately not well documented in photos (I need to get better about this). We went to the Great Lakes Science Center, B. A. Sweetie candy store and just chilled. I also got a night out with my girlfriends. It was really great. Below are some pics from the Science Center. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of the girls with Kelley or my mom. Oops.


This is a bit of a side note, but these cake pops are incredible and I wish I had Bakerella's talent (and patience) to make these for my girls.Happy Spring!!