Lemon Tree Tales

Prize from Bloggers Quilt Festival

Back in April, Amy of Park City Girl hosted the Bloggers Quilt Festival. I was one of the fortunate random winners from all the 579 entrants and won a $10 gift certificate from Wish Upon a Quilt. After taking a look at their store I finally decided upon the Bali Bowls Pattern which arrived a few weeks ago. It's a bowl that you make using cotton clothesline and fabric strips. Doesn't it look like a fun thing to make? Thank you Amy and Wish Upon a Quilt!

Red Colorblocks

Nine more colorblocks, this time in reds. This brings us to a grand total of 25! That leaves 15 to go.

Now before you think that it's been nothing but quilt blocks here let me tell you a little of the other activities at Casa di Limone. Racing season is in full swing so on any given day we're either packing or unpacking for a race event. The next one will be in Portland, our farthest racing event ever. I hope that we'll have plenty of rain tires just in case it's wet on race day. This will be our first time at this race track. I wonder what it'll look like.

I'm also working on a doll for the Hoffman Challenge. And if that's not enough there's been meetings galore: book club to discuss The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell, a new quilting bee gathering, and clay club at Rachel's house. This all in between trips to grocery stores and doctors' appointments. So far the only tangible evidence to show for this activity are full cupboards and these colorblocks. Hopefully there will be more exciting things to show you soon.

Purple Colorblocks

Eight more colorblocks completed for the Summer Block Swap ... this time in purple. Just 24 more to go! Another great tool that I've been using is the Olfa 12" lazy susan cutting mat that I bought from Michaels a while back. Gotta love those 40% off coupons.

Now if only I weren't so doggone clumsy. I slipped and fell on the garage floor while taking out the recycling. Ugh! So add a bruised knee and shoulder to the recovery list.

Pink Colorblocks

I've made eight pink colorblocks for the Summer Block Swap. I cut all my strips and then laid out the block arrangements. Then it was just string pieced. I took Margaret's advice and didn't press them until they were completely sewn. Then I sprayed on Mary Ellen's Best Press (I like the scent free one the best!) to make them nice and flat before trimming them to size. My new quilting gadget is this 6 1/2" square ruler by Omnigrid. It's great for truing up all these blocks. Nothing worse than receiving blocks of various sizes in a swap. Back to work now, just 32 more blocks to make.

What's on the cutting table?

Lots, and lots of fabrics waiting to be ironed and then cut out for the color blocks swap. Some of these are just waiting to be folded and put away. Guess I'll be busy for a little bit.

Patio Set Redo

I was inspired by Kathleen of Liquid Sky Arts to add a little color to my backyard. I'm a slow painter, but finally over the last several weeks I've spray painted my formerly black patio set with a pretty cobalt blue metallic paint. Today I bought one of those inexpensive market umbrellas to add a little shade. I like the tan fabric but I think that the deep brown wood and that brass need to be changed. It needs some pretty paper lanterns hanging from the umbrella.

In the meantime, with sun protection, I can finally go outside during the days and enjoy the fresh air without turning a bright shade of red. Hmm, plenty of lemons on the tree. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Yes, I do believe that there's a pitcher inside that's begging for some fresh lemonade.

Bernina Aurora 440QE Sewing Machine

Sew,Mama,Sew! has declared June to be the Sewing Machine month. I am a sewing machine junkie and have quite a few: Bernina Nova (my first one), Singer Featherweight 222K (as seen here), Elna no.1 Grasshopper, the Singer 185J and my serger. But there is one machine that I use 99.9% of the time and that's my Bernina Aurora.

What brand and model do you have?
Bernina Aurora 440 QE (Quilter's Edition)

How long have you had it?
3 1/2 years

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
$2700 plus tax (which in California was a pretty hefty addition)

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc)?
I've used it to make small quilts (mini ones and baby quilts), some children's clothing, purses, cloth dolls and their clothing, miscellaneous projects, oh, and once to attach some safety gear to my husband's fire retardant racing suit.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does this machine get?
It depends on how many deadlines I have. It varies from 5 hours a day for a few days in a row, to just a couple days a week of 1-2 hours.

Do you like/hate/love your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love my sewing machine. It's one of the best ones that I've ever owned and sewed on. Sadly I'm not really one of those people who name their cars, computers or sewing machines. Yet my husband has found a moniker for my car. Perhaps I should enlist his help with the sewing machines.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
Needle stop up or down, reverse button, speed control, automatic buttonhole (the easiest way to make a buttonhole ever!), ease of changing feet (because I change quite a few during one sewing project), bobbin winder, 180 stitches!, fantastic walking foot, cool white light, BSR (Bernina Stitch Regulator which allows me to free motion quilt with pretty fantastic results), and a new goodie - Needle Punch Accessory (it's like having an embellisher machine without the added space). One of these days I'll drill a hole in my sewing table so that I can try out the presser foot knee lift. I've heard great things about that function.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Nothing really. It didn't fit into my sewing table (an older style one that I bought on craigslist) because it's a newer machine. However I have found a solution to that problem by using a wooden extension table that now makes it a perfect fit. Not to mention much more inexpensive than ordering one of those fancy sewing furniture that the shops all advertise.

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!
Nothing too exciting. One day my husband had looked up the Berninas on their website and asked me which one that I wanted to buy. (He knew that I had wanted to upgrade to a newer machine.) The next day I dropped him off at the airport for a business trip and then I drove directly to the store and bought it.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Yes! It's a fantastic machine, solid manufacture and one of the few sewing machine companies that still is owned/operated by the original founders.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
Reliability, ease of changing feet, smooth tension, and quality technicians to service them in case of hiccups. Always bring a sample of what you like to sew when test driving machines. In my case I had been looking (drooling) at them for over a year before I bought it.

Do you have a dream machine?
No, I already have it. But one day I would like to buy the embroidery attachment that goes with the Aurora.

N. Rene West of Fembellish Journal has a much better list of all the cool things that she loves about the Aurora over here.

Dotee Doll by Linda Misa

Remember my little dotee doll that I made for a Doll Street Dreamers swap? This past weekend I received one made by Linda Misa of Tact-Ilse. She has such a sweet little face that's both embroidered and painted. She has a new home up on my inspiration board.

a little closeup on her face:

Cloth Doll Artistry by Barbara Willis

My copy of Barbara Willis' new book Cloth Doll Artistry arrived the other week. Since then I've been looking at every page in delight. Quarry Books did a fantastic job of presenting Barbara's Victorian Parisian flea market style from showing her dolls to photographing the basic supplies needed for each project. There are three dolls complete with pattern pieces and instructions. The first is a sweet "paper" doll. The word paper is in quotes because that's just the beginning. Barbara layers her dolls with luscious fabrics, trims, laces and findings. The other two dolls are 3-D cloth dolls; one with a flat face and the other one with Barbara's trademark knit fabric sculpted face.

I've been fortunate to take two classes from Barbara in person (here and here) and those sculpted face instructions are just as clear as if Barbara was in your studio gently guiding you along. In addition to all those goodies there are gallery guest artists showcasing how they've interpreted Barbara's patterns. Another must have for your doll making library.

Gorgeous journal from Calamity Kim

Boy was I surprised when I got the mail yesterday. There was a lovely package .. most unexpected .. a sweet gift from Calamity Kim. Ohhhhh does she know how to wrap a gift. Look at how charming this was. I almost didn't want to open it.

Look, do you see what's peeking out from the ribbon? Here's a closer look:

Finally the suspense was killing me, I had to rip it open. As the paper tore off I began to grin because this is what I uncovered:

Yes, it's one of her collaged journal beauties. This one has some of her Alice in Wonderland Spoonflower fabric! Ohhh and just take a look at all those bookmarks.

Here's the back with some of Jane Sassaman's bright caterpillar fabric:

And to top it off, Calamity Kim even glued in this fabulous marbled paper in the inside cover. I love the colors ... it reminds me of water, and did you see the bee fabric?

I snuck a peek underneath and saw that the composition notebook's original cover has been decorated as well. Thank you soooo much Calamity Kim!!! It's perfect in every way.

Oh alright, I know you want to see the chicken again. Here she is: