Friday, September 26, 2008

More from the road

Greetings! It is “sew” good to bring you another “blog” of travels and visits across the country and talking with many happy Husqvarna Viking owners!

First, I am so embarrassed. Thanks "sew" much to Aisicha from Vienna, Austria for correcting me on the name of the city we visited-- Salzburg, Austria!! I apologize to all my Austrian friends and my friends from France for such a huge error!! Special apology to you Aischa as Salzburg was your birthplace and what a beautiful place it is!We did also visit Strasbourg, France on our trip and for some reason I have these two (Salzburg and Strasbourg) words "switched" in my brain and always seem to say or write the wrong one! Aischa, I am very grateful you corrected this in your post. I also commend you on your kindness in the way you corrected me. We can all learn from your wisdom and kindness! Too often, people get angry or annoyed and "come at" someone for an error such as this. I "sew" appreciate your letting me know!

I enjoyed Robin’s post on this too. “Sue, neither place to be confused with Strasburg, Pa. which is named for Strasbourg in France :) It's in the heart of PA Dutch Amish country where loads of German settlers came but is named for the hometown of the French traders who founded it!” Thanks Robin.

I really enjoy the posts and comments. Keep them coming. Did you like the Santa Hat Purse project last time? (Thanks again to Pat from Summerville!) It is such a fun gift to make and to give! Be sure to make one for yourself.

A quick update on where we have been------

The bridge above across the Snake River in Twin Falls, ID was just down the street from our hotel. It is a favorite spot for parachute jumpers and the Saturday we were there was the day that “jumpers” from all over the country come to this bridge to jump!

However, while the parachutists were jumping off the bridge, more than 130 people gathered at the hotel for an America Sews on the Road presentation.

I loved the dessert after lunch! A Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond cake and it was delicious!

Our next stop was Madison, Wisconsin for the Quilt Expo. I love this picture of Husqvarna Viking Educator Barbara Rezac vacuuming the booth! Husqvarna Viking Educators are such special people and have many talents. Barbara and I took turns demonstrating the fabulous Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond and it was fun to see several people take their Designer Diamond home to enjoy! One family, mother, 2 daughters, and a granddaughter went right home to stitch and embroider together on Saturday night. It was neat to see how Grandma’s new Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond was bringing such an intergenerational experience!


I love this picture of Herb. He loves the Husqvarna Viking Huskystar ER10 Needle Felting/Embellishing/Punching machine and is punching fabric into denim to show the ladies you can “felt” just about anything! By the way, if you have been wanting a Huskystar ER10 for embellishing but don’t think you need another sewing machine, this is not a sewing machine! There is no top thread or bobbin and no presser foot to lower. Five barbed needles punch into fibers to create fantastic creative options for all ages. So just think about it as bringing home a new tool for your creative hobby! And if there are young people in your life, they absolutely love this tool and the needle guard means they can not get their fingers under the needle. Many youngsters punch out pictures!

At this Quilt Expo, Husqvarna Viking provided Sapphire machines in a classroom. The students loved the exclusive Sensor System. Many had no idea that top-of-the-line features such as the Sensor System, Sewing Advisor, largest sewing surface, dual lights, and “sew” much more were available on a Husqvarna Viking at a very affordable price. The Sapphire 830 is the perfect machine for a daughter, friend, really anyone just getting started in their sewing and/or quilting hobby.



















This quilt was on display at the Quilt Show in the Young People division and was designed and created by 15 years old Toni from Onalaska, Wisconsin. She and her mother and dad came into the booth and as we visited I learned that Toni created this quilted wall hanging on her own Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and her Husqvarna Viking Fab-U-Motion with Stitch Regulator! She designed the quilt from a picture she took of flowers and hopes to create a pattern to sell. She says her mom took her to a quilting class to make traditional quilts and she decided she liked this style better. I’ve asked her to consider coming onto America Sews to present her quilt and I’m hopeful she will.

Speaking of guests on the show, we are getting ready to tape in December and have great guests lined up! One of our special guests will be the winner we drew to come present a Quick Project on America Sews. Winner Betty from Wanatah, Indiana and her Husqvarna Viking dealer, Sue, will tape a Quick Project with us!
Our next stop was Central, South Carolina. We were on a country road and our GPS could not find the store and we had no phone service. I asked Herb to pull over so I could study the map then looked up and Heirlooms and Comforts Quilt Shop and Husqvarna Viking Center was right across the road from where we stopped! Here owners Bobby and Sara Ballentine and their people are getting ready for the America Sews on the Road Show at a local college the next day.
As the ladies arrived for the program, the beautiful Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond on the front table was embroidering in the huge Majestic Hoop. They came up to the table in groups and could not believe the huge hoop and Ultimate Interactive Screen showing the design! What fun!! I’ve found I have to be really careful to clear the area around my Designer Diamond and to pull it away from the wall and not to sit too close to the front. The Majestic Hoop is so large it can bump into the wall or you before you know it!










Billy and Sara welcome the group and invite them back to the store after the event.

















This group from one guild drove over an hour to attend.


I’m standing at the back of a mini van autographing the Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond purchased that day by this very happy lady!! Wow, don’t you love her smile! This is how you feel when you have a Husqvarna Viking sewing and embroidery machine! The gal in the blue blouse was one of two sitting in the back of the van on a long trip to the event.








Next stop was Tulsa, Oklahoma for the America Sews on the Road Show event with Sewing Machines of Tulsa. These three ladies were the first to arrive that morning and each had made a special handbag to show.



We had a great turn out in Tulsa and the ladies were excited about all the projects and techniques. Embroidery sure is a wonderful way to share the joy of sewing.

Thanks to Terry Zike from one of the Viking Sewing Gallery Stores for sending in the Yarn Couched Trivet project below. This would be a really fun project to create for the autumn season! Project for you!

I’m off to travel across the country to the SewFest meetings for Husqvarna Viking Dealers! Next blog I’ll have news on some exciting new accessory feet and more! Be sure to watch!
Until then,Happy Sewing!
Sue H



Yarn Couched Trivet
By Terry Zike, Viking Sewing Gallery 146

Husqvarna Viking has developed a wonderful new set of feet called the Yarn Couching Feet Set. These feet create beautiful embroideries and automatically guide yarn fibers for easy couching. The new Spangle Yarn stitches beautifully and looks fabulous to ad texture, you will have “SEW” much fun! This fall trivet could be a placemat, centerpiece, whatever you’d like. The touch of tapers and Pictograms make this Husqvarna Viking embellishment special.

Sewing Supplies:
Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machine with Sensor System
Fab-U-Motion with Stitch Regulator by Cruise Control
14” x 10” Piece Insul-Bright
14” x 10” Fabric for Top
18” x 22” Backing
Yarn Couching Foot Set #413 03 76-46
Spangle Yarn Kit #620079996
Thread to Match Yarn color
Bobbin Wound With Thread to Match The Backing Fabric
Dual Feed Foot
Open Toe Foot #412 80 09-45
Fabric Marking Pen
Left Edge Topstitch Foot #412 78 42-45
Clear Marking Ruler
Rayon Thread for Stems And Pictograms
Quick and Easy Mitred Binding Tool #140 00 280

Center top fabric over the trivet template pattern on the last page and trace design onto the fabric with fabric marking pen. Place trivet fabric on top of the Insul-Bright piece. Put the backing/binding piece right side down on the table and center the trivet with Insul-Bright on top.

Set up Fab-U-Motion with Stitch Regulator by Cruise Control on your Husqvarna Viking machine. Thread with thread to match the color of the yarn. Lift the carrying handle on the machine and insert the yarn guides in the holes. Consult the instructions or CD that came with the feet for complete set up instructions. The couching yarn will travel through the openings on the guides. Thread yarn through the couching foot with the hole closest in size to your yarn (Spangle yarn uses foot 1). Thread from top to bottom of the foot using the yarn threader included with the feet. Bring yarn under and through the opening on the right side of the machine. Snap on the Yarn Couching Foot. Set your machine for free motion. Select straight stitch, drop the feed teeth. Select free motion floating.

Start stitching, following the arrows so you stitch in a continuous design. Free motion stitch over the pumpkin lines, keeping the yarn coming in relaxed from behind. Consider this a continuous design. You may decide to work on the smaller pumpkin first so the lines from the larger pumpkin will cover any raw edges.

Select the taper stitch C33 and reduce the width to 4.0. Snap on the Open Toe Foot. Change to rayon decorative thread on top for the branch. Stitch branch. Touch the reverse button one time about 3/8” before the desired end to automatically taper the end.
Select the triple straight stitch A08 to stitch the stem on the leaves. Change the thread to the leaf color. Stitch the stems.

Touch PROG to create your “leaves”. Touch . Select the small taper stitch C03 and then the small rounded bottom C05 (mirror image end to end ). You should also program in a and . So the leaves stitch individually, tie off and stop. Select repeat and stitch your leaves.

Thread machine with sewing thread. Snap on the A foot.

To create the binding, follow the instructions in your Quick and Easy Mitred Binding Tool

Snap on your Left Edge Topstitch Foot. Stitch down the binding with a straight stitch or use a small blanket stitch or pin stitch. Select and use the Stitch Positioning feature to move the position of the stitch to make the “bar” of the stitch sew exactly in the “ditch” of the binding seam.