Bernina Club: Reverse Applique

Today was our first Bernina Club meeting for the year. We were looking at the technique of reverse applique and using various threads to decorate including metallic and 12wt threads. Bobbin Drawing was also shown. All the designs were different which was fantastic to see.

   

     

    

Bernina Club: These are an all day, hands on class  offered to only those who have purchased a Bernina Sewing Machine from Berrima Patchwork. We offer these classes as part of the on going service and education to those who have supported us with the purchase of their Bernina Sewing Machine from Berrima Patchwork. If you are interested in purchasing a Bernina Sewing Machine we are always more than happy to assist in finding the right machine for your needs.

Show and Tell

Time for some show and tell from Berrima Patchwork. Dianne has been busy again, this time finishing up her Bernina Club projects. This table runner was for our Cup Cake Applique Class. In this class we used Fusible Thread by Superior Threads and sewed around each of the appliques and then ironed the appliques onto the background fabric. The Fusible thread eliminates the need to use vliesofix and doesn't give the applique that "stiff" feel to it. The appliques then were decorative with an assortment of embellishments and threads.

 Our next show and tell is a bag that Jan brought into the shop over the weekend. When Under The Australian Sun (designed by Leesa Chandler for Robert Kaufman) arrived in the shop, Jan fell in love with the fabric and every so often she turns up with a project made up in it. This is a bag that she made up and is so proud that it doesn't have one hand stitch on it! (Jan only sews on machine) I love the hexagons on the bag and will have to find out just how you sew them all together by machine. We can't wait to see Leesa's new Under The Australian Sun II Fabric Collection, which will be unveiled at the Houston Quilt Market later this month, I have heard that it contains butterflies!

Bernina Club: Crazy Patchwork Stool

Today at Berrima Patchwork we had another fun filled Bernina Club Day. The students were working creating a crazy patchwork stool. The top of the stool was made using the basic crazy patchwork method of piecing and then was embellished with a variety of threads including a 12wt Sulky, King Tut threads and Supreriors' Metallic Threads. We then used a selection of couching methods to sew on thick braid, ribbons and decorative thick threads.

Below are a selection of the finished stool tops.

Dianne's and Gaye's Finished Stool Tops

Iain's and Jan's Finished Stool Tops

 

Kerry's Finished Stool Top and a sample stool that we made for the a frog loving friend.

A Sample Stool Top we made for the class

Attach the legs and you have a finished stool

Show and Tell: Bernina Club

The ladies last week in Bernina Club brought in some of their finished work. It is always great to see finished pieces as everyone's work is always different.

These are some bags that the ladies made from the Bobbin Class. These bags were made using shirring elastic. Don't they look great. I have made the pictures large so you can make out the detail on the bags. Dianne even put a zipper in the top of her bag. Often people use shirring on dresses but in the club I wanted to create a small project that used the method but gave it a "modern" spin on it.

Also in the couching class we worked on a pillow. Using a design already printing onto the fabric the ladies placed a thicker thread in their bobbin (we do this as the thread will not go through the needle) Different threads were used including DMC Stranded Cotton, Razzle Dazzle by Superior Threads and others. These are two of the pillow that were made on the day. The first one was sewn using the Stranded Cotton - what a great effect, the second was sewn using the Razzle Dazzle thread. The Bernina Sewing Machine make it easy to Bobbin Draw as you can easily change the tensions on the bobbin case. The ladies on the day got to play with the tension on these bobbin cases.

Bernina Club: Free Motion Couching

Last Sunday we had our latest Bernina Club. We were using the foot #43 which is a Free Motion Couching Foot. This is a great foot to use when you which to free motion a cord, ribbon or other types of thick threads onto an item. As the cord goes through the foot all you need to do is simply sew - make sure that the cord does go through the foot and isn't too thick!
We first all made a pillow case which feature the cord sewn onto using a persons name or the words dream. In the second half of the class we worked with several different fibres/cords and used several of the cording feet that Bernina makes. Various different methods of cording was explored with a free for all on the cords and designs. Here are some photos of the finished products

Bernina Club - Aurora Borealis Cushion

Today's Bernina Club Class featured a great project - Aurora Borealis Cushion which the Bernina Circular Embroidery Foot was used.
The Bernina Circular Embroidery Foot is one of my favourite feet and it is always great when we have the opportunity to use this foot. The cushion's designed is based around the Drunkard Path pattern. Here are some samples of the blocks as they were sewn together.

Dianne used some decorative ric rak around her block.

 

Two of Sandra  Blocks

 

Kerry's Block

  

Christine working on her 820. As it has a large stitching area, her blocks feature a larger decorative stitches (up to 9mm across). The Bernina 820 also has a large selection of stitches to choose from.

Once all the blocks are cut up, this is what the finish products look like. They then just need to have a back to them and to insert a pillow and they are all done.

This is Sandra's Pillow top ready to be sewn together

Dianne's Pillow top got re-designed after we tried two different layouts

 

Christine's cushion top all stitched up, just needs it borders add and backing and all done.

Today we had the bonus some of the ladies brought in their finished work from the previous Bernina Club Classes. It is always great to see these projects finished. Most of the projects are nearly completed in the class - so when the ladies go home they only have a small amount of work to do to complete the projects. Bernina Club projects are all achievable and small projects so that they don't take a long time to complete, however you learn new skills and techniques in the class. The projects are also great as presents. The class fee includes the starter kit for the project which is why the samples are in similar fabrics.

These are Dianne's pieces from the Ruffle Bag Class and Zipper Class

This is Christine's Bag from the Zipper Class and her bag from the Ruffle Bag Class

  

And lastly this is Sandra's Bag from the Ruffle Bag Class

Next month's Bernina club we will be doing Bobbin Drawing using the new Razzle Dazzle Threads and also Shirring - which is using elasticated thread in the bobbin.

March Bernina Club: Ruffle Bag

This month in Bernina Club we were using the Ruffler Attachment #86 and the Edge Foot #10 to create this fun bag. Upcoming clubs including Zipper Feet, Free Motion Couching and we will be using the Circular Embroidery Attachment once again.

This is what the Ruffler looks like on the machine. It is starting to become one of my favourite feet. I've been putting ruffles on all the cushions I have been making lately.

Bernina Dealer Weekend

I have just returned from a fun filled two and half day of sewing! Rarely do I get to sew so much in the space of a short period. Each year some of the Bernina Dealers get together and sew. In total there were 12 of us from 11 different Bernina Dealer Shops within NSW. We each had to come up with a project that could be complete within a 2 hour time, which can then be used for our Bernina Club. We sewed our hearts out! On Friday sewing began at 5pm (bums needed to be on seats at this time according to the email that Thea sent us!) and then we continued until 9.30 that night. After a sleepless night (when I got to bed I was so hyper that I couldn't sleep) we started again at 8am and I didn't leave until 10.50pm. The next morning once again we started at 8am and sewed until 4.30pm. It was an exhausting weekend but a great deal of fun, a great experience and opportunity to meet and network with the other Bernina dealers. So now I have a head full of ideas for the upcoming Bernina Clubs - stay tuned.

This was my Project for the weekend:

A photo from the Friday night of sewing.

Berrima Patchwork - Airing of the Quilts

We have just held our Airing of the Quilts and Sale. It was a very busy day and it was great to see some many familiar faces and many new ones. Over the pass year we expanded the shop which meant there was one less room to hang all the quilts, despite this we had more quilts to show this year. In total there were over 50 quilts on display, display of upcoming class projects and Bernina Club projects.