I'm SEW Excited!

This newbie quilter has been a busy little bee, so I thought I would update you on what I've been working on since my quilting class last Thursday night.  Our homework this week was to get all of our fabric strips cut out - these are 2.5" strips the entire width of the fabric.  It was very slow going because I only had the straight ruler, until quilter exraordinaire Helene let me borrow her Shape Cut.  Gals, if you don't have one of these, you need one!  It sped up my cutting by 3 times over at least.  Just line up the fabric and then zip, zip, zip and you're done.

On Thursday, we'll start sewing these strips together and then cutting them into 2.5" x 4.5" squares.  I still need to pair up the fabrics and decide what I want to go together, but that's the fun part.

Which brings me to why I'm so excited!  My old Brother sewing machine and I have been eyeing each other warily as the sewing date approaches.  It's about 17 years old and works just fine, but it is just a straight sewer with no bells and whistles and....well....I'm a little afraid that I'll have problems with trying to quilt with it because it's not very powerful.  I think it was a $49 jobbie from Walmart, if I remember correctly.  It's been useful, but now it's going in the yard sale because I just broke down and bought this!

The Janome DC2012

I used my Chase Amazon card points and got it for a steal!  It's ultra-lightweight and has 50 built-in stitches, including multiple button holes, serge stitches, and simulated handstitching.  The best thing about it?  Clear bobbin case and an automatic needle threader (I'm not getting any younger, you know.)  I put alot of research into a beginning machine for general sewing\quilting and kept coming back to the DC2012 because of the great reviews.  Then I asked in the quilting class and the instructor and everyone else said:  "buy a Janome".  Even the expert quilter with the Bernina said I'd be happy with it.

It just arrived last night and J. and I unpacked it.  Tonight, I'll be trying it out for the first time so that I don't look like a complete idiot in class tomorrow.  And once I've had time to work with it for awhile, I'll post a review for you.

Are you working on sewing project that you'd like to share?  Have any thoughts on the Janome or a recommendation for a product that would make sewing projects easier?  I'd love to hear from you.  Leave me a comment!

Find out what other folks are making over at this week's Country Homemaker Hop.