A Whirlwind Week...

After a whirlwind week traveling in Oregon presenting “America Sews On The Road Shows”, today, Herb and I are sitting in airports trying to get back home to Cleveland. It seems a huge snowstorm has hit Cleveland and the airport is closed. There are six Continental “red eye” flights from the west coast every night and as of now only two are still on the boards to go. They flew us from Portland to Seattle this morning and we are “holding our breath” hoping the Seattle to Cleveland “red eye” goes tonight. A “red eye” flight is one that departs between 10pm and 1am and arrives at your destination between 5am and 7am. I’m sure you understand why travelers on these flights have “red eyes”.

Many people think a job like mine that is constant travel is really glamorous!? The fun of travel wears off very quickly but Herb and I love my job so the travel is the means to do it and to meet and share with people who love to sew all over the world. It was pretty funny to see Herb on the floor in front of the ticket counter rearranging all the suitcases this morning to try to get them each near 50 pounds! This is another challenge of air travel today. When we opened them up the ticket agent could not believe we had very few clothes and 3 ½ suitcases full of quilts, pillows, felting, embroidery and “sew” much more! I almost ended up giving a demonstration right there! She saw one of the books and said “Husqvarna Viking! Tell you what, if you give me a new Husqvarna Viking, I’ll pay for your excess baggage weight! I have had a Husqvarna Viking for years but now I really want that new one that embroiders!” The wonderful world of sewers!

Right after Puyallup, we visited good friends and my nieces in Poulsbo and Sammamish. Little Bailey, my 1 year old grandniece smiled the whole time we were there! I really wanted to tell my nieces about why I am working on genealogy but must keep it a secret from everyone a little longer. I had a wonderful e-mail from a gentleman this week with the ship logs from my Great Grandfather’s trip from Sweden to America. He clarified that the names were not changed as immigrants entered this country and the ship manifests always showed their name for immigration however many people “Americanized” their names as a part of their embracing their new country, America.

We drove South to present programs in Oregon. More than 125 people came to the Hillsboro Fair Grounds for the America Sews Road Show hosted by Hillsboro Sew and Vac and Viking Distributing. The event was held in the Cloverleaf Building so I shared how I learned to sew in 4-H when I was 10 and what fun it was to exhibit at the Lake County Fair and to win a trip to the State Fair with the black gingham shirtwaist dress I had sewn.

Here is Holly in her embroidered sweater! Love the “walk away” embroidery on the back!


The ladies poured in and enjoyed home made cookies and goodies before the program started. It was exciting to share the joy of sewing on the Husqvarna Viking Designer SE Limited Edition and to tell them about the special added value package and the $1,000. shopping spree! A number of the attendees went home with new Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machines and Huskylock sergers! I autographed all the new Husqvarna Viking sewing machines to their new owners, however, many who purchased the Designer SE Limited Edition are thinking about the 1 year full exchange/upgrade offer where they can exchange their Designer SE Limited Edition for the new Husqvarna Viking top-of-the-line and get the full amount they paid for their Designer SE Limited Edition. I did not personalize their name, only autographed Happy Sewing, Sue Hausmann and the date so that when their Designer SE Limited Edition is “adopted” by a wonderful new owner they will have the autograph too!

Be sure to ask your Husqvarna Viking Dealer about the value added package, shopping spree and 1 year upgrade/exchange. It is offered at all participating US Husqvarna Viking stores. Many stores already have started their a list for priority delivery of the new top-of-the-line Husqvarna Viking and another list of customers ready to “adopt” the exchanged Designer SE Limited Editions! Be sure to get on one of the lists at your store!

Everyone loved the new Air Ease Hoop that makes hooping effortless, automatically pulls the fabric taut and completely eliminates hoop burn. All the Husqvarna Viking Designer owners were absolutely thrilled to know that all their hoops will fit on the new Husqvarna Viking top-of-the-line coming in June. Did you know there are 10 different hoops for the Husqvarna Viking Designer Series of sewing and embroidery machines? Each one has a special purpose and every one of these hoops will slide right on your new Husqvarna Viking top-of-the-line!


From Hillsboro, we drove to Salem for a program at Whitlocks Sewing Center. We did visit a couple of antique stores on the way and I have some really cute new toy sewing machines to share!

About 100 people “poured in” to the downtown Salem store. We travel with a camera and projector so Herb was in the balcony “shooting” the event so people could see the techniques and the projects well.

Sherry wore this fabulous denim shirt and jeans embroidered with Designs from the Mega Richilieu Embroidery Collection. She cut out the cutwork and Richilieu Bars on the shirt but did not cut out on the jeans because –to quote Sherry “I did not want cellulite poking out of the cutwork”!



It was fun to sign all the new Husqvarna Viking sewing machines and Huskystar ER10 Needle Felting/Embellishing/Punching Machines before people took them home. We decided the Huskystar ER10 does not use thread or a bobbin so it is really not a sewing machine, it is a notion or sewing tool so there is no need to worry about your husband thinking you have bought another sewing machine!

Leslie brought this fabulous quilt for Sew and Share! She created it for her daughter as a special gift to celebrate Laura’s lifetime love of reading and her accomplishment of getting two masters degrees in the same week of June 2006. Leslie asked her daughter to send a list of her favorite books and all 124 books in the quilt titled My daughter the bibliophile” were stitched lovingly on Leslie’s Husqvarna Viking Designer SE with lettering, numbers, and a fabulous label created in Husqvarna Viking Embroidery Software.

The Husqvarna Viking Fab-U-Motion with Stitch Regular was the hit of the day. Many of the quilters and sewers had been doing free motion quilting and were suffering from neck and shoulder aches and uneven stitches! Because so many are planning to buy the new top-of-the-line, they asked if the Husqvarna Viking Fab-U-Motion they were buying would be compatible with the new top-of-the-line and it will! So if you have been thinking about free motion quilting and free motion artistry and want it to be easier than ever before, visit your local Husqvarna Viking store and experience the joy of quilting with the Fab-U-Motion with Stitch Regulator by Quilter’s Cruise Control!

Next week we will be traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hagerstown, Maryland, and on Saturday morning will present a live special event on Arkansas Public Television from 6am to 12noon. Fun!

Until next time,
Happy Sewing!
Sue H