New Baby!

Not my picture but same machine!!

I'm a lucky girl!  Hubby wanted to get me something nice for my birthday (on the 22nd) so he offered to get me a new laptop.  Wow!  A computer of my own that I wouldn't have to share with him (the one in our bedroom) or the kids (in the family room).  I was really excited until I started thinking . . . do I really need one?!  I mean, if we're going to spend that much money, (we were looking at a Mac), I could get something I really want.

Then I quilted the star quilt below.  Now folks, I'm PROUD of that quilt.  First of all it's finished and in the momma's hands and the baby's not in grad school.  Second, I've been working on my quilting and free motion techniques and I've improved to the point that I'm not embarrassed to show it to others or give it away.  

Still . . .

I started dreaming about the Bernina BSR.  My machine is very nice, a Viking Lily 550 with quilting stitches and I have the plexiglass table and all that good stuff. But, that BSR would be dreamy, right?  So I mentioned it to hubby.  Now he's a biker (bicycle, not Harley) and we've had a new bike every year to every other year it seems.  All the kids and I have NICE bikes.  Most of them are TREK's.  He told me he wanted me to get something I really want.  It can be my anniversary gift, too.  (25 years in June!).

I tried out the new Viking Sapphire 870.  Nice, bigger bed, it was ok.  I almost got a Viking Quilt Designer II with all the embroidery stuff (I don't embroider at the moment) which would have been within $100 of the Bernina 440 QE without the embroidery module.  The thing I didn't like about the Sapphire was that I couldn't upgrade or "add" an embroidery module.

To make a long story short, I was sold after 5 minutes of sewing on the Bernina. The BSR is a dream.  Even though I didn't feel I could afford the embroidery package, I can add it later.  They were on sale and are supposedly going up in price as of May 1st because of the economy.  I bought one!

I pieced 110 triangles to squares for step two of the Orange Crush quilt and it was a dream.  I could tell the difference immediately.  I have a really busy weekend but I'm planning on holing up in the sewing room on Monday and playing all day.  

CHUNKY BOOK page for Craftster swap.  This is for my good buddy and former college roomie rackycoo.  It has a bunch of hidden meaning from our college days and the theme of the swap is "The creative life".

I'm off to visit my oldest dd at Ohio University for Mom's weekend and then we are coming back tomorrow for second dd's prom.  Big weekend = no sewing until Monday.  I'm sure I'll dream up several projects that I HAVE to do by then.

Piecefully, Jenni