1. A sewing machine for my daughter. She is turning 8 next month and is interested in learning to sew, but I don't really want her learning on my machine. Do you have any recommendations? I am thinking about this Janome Hello Kitty machine.
2. A Nikon d500. For the past few years I have been using my beloved Nikon d7000. It has served me well, but the d500 will take better photos in low light, it has a tilting touchscreen, and can automatically transfer photos to your phone.
3. Some yardage of this Vintage Picnic Extra Wide print in Navy. This would work with so many color combos, it is so cute, and it is 108" wide so you wouldn't have to piece together your backing fabric.
4. Sommer by Sarah Jane. This collection is adorable, and I particularly love these two prints. My sister is having twin girls this summer and I think these fabrics might be perfect, especially because I made a baby quilt for my sister's now 3 year old daughter using one of Sarah Jane's other collections.
5. A pink Olfa cutting mat. Someone is selling one on Amazon for a ridiculous $95 and I can't find one anywhere else. Does anyone know where you can buy these?
6. Speaking of pink, have you seen this Dream Pink batting from Quilter's Dream? Ten percent of the sale of the Dream Pink batting is donated to metastatic breast cancer research. Plus, it's pink.
7. Some Habitat prints. This collection is a few years old, but the more I see it the more I love it. I have used it before but I have used up pretty much every little leftover scrap. I may have to buy a little more (and it's on sale!).
8. A little of this Bluebird print. I picked up some small cuts from a few of the prints in this collection, but somehow I overlooked this one. What was I thinking?
9. Birch Organic Firefly Dots. I think I am going to need this entire collection. If you are looking to build a good stash of basic, versatile prints, this would be a great place to start.
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I've heard good things about the Janome Hello Kitty Machine! I have a "big girl" Janome and I love it.
ReplyDeleteWe have the Janome Hello Kitty, and we have so many problems with the top thread getting tangled in the bobbin. I spend more time re-threading than my 7 year old daughter does sewing. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWe have the Janome Hello Kitty, and we have so many problems with the top thread getting tangled in the bobbin. I spend more time re-threading than my 7 year old daughter does sewing. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWe have that problem too! I didn't expect it from the reviews I read!!
DeleteWe have that problem too! I didn't expect it from the reviews I read!!
DeleteLots of lovelies on your list! I thought about buying a mini Janome for my son last Christmas, he's 7 and been sewing on my Brother and vintage Singer machines for several years now. Several sewing friends advised me against it and instead advised me to put my money into a basic full sized machine for him because firstly he's had no problems to date learning on full sized machines and secondly not only will he will not outgrow a full sized machine but a bigger machine is more likely to let him grow as a sewer. In the end I didn't purchase one for Christmas - we bought a new house instead - so he'll get a machine for his birthday now and it will be installed in the new sewing room next to mine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.havelssewing.com/cutting-mat-self-healing-2-sided-32122.html
ReplyDeleteNot sure of the brand.
aliexpress.com has pink cutting mats in different sizes ranging from $ 8-25
ReplyDeletethey ship from china (for free). although I have not bought a cutting mat I have bought many things from aliexprss. including sewing machine needles, pins and rulers.
It is the retail version of alibaba (which recently did an IPO on the NYSE)
I don't think of myself of being all things girly and pink, but I do pretty much love that pink cutting mat! As far as a sewing machine for kids, I've heard really good things about this one - it comes in a bunch of fun colors and has a guard on the foot to keep fingers from going underneath it, but I don't think it's mini sized, it seems to be a pretty good balance between kid and adult machine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VU0650I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1U6OE84QB55P6&coliid=I3LH3ZP8LH53MY&psc=1
Right know would be have a new sewing machine.
ReplyDeleteWe bought that machine for our granddaughter and tho she is too young to use it by herself, her mommy LOVES it and hasn't reported any problems whatsoever...
ReplyDeleteI JUST sold my daughters hello kitty machine~was used like twice! Hope you can find one~sew cute :)
ReplyDeleteI bought a Brother CS6000i when I first started quilting. I love it and have never had problems with it. I think it is in approximately the same price range. It has 60 stitches, needle up/down, and mine came with a walking foot, too. I still take it to workshops because it is so light and easy to transport.
ReplyDeleteErica, I would recommend a Pfaff Passport 3.0. It is a great little machine. Not a "kid" machine, but a compact machine with built in IDT (Integrated Dual Feed Technology), has lots and lots of decorative stitches, and uses all the regular Pfaff feet. Small enough for little hands, but still grown up enough that she will not outgrow it in just 3 short years when she's 11, and maybe not so into Hello Kitty :-) Plus, it's a great portable sewing machine for mom, too, when needed!
ReplyDeleteJust last weekend I saw the pink cutting mat at my Joann's (Peru, IL). Didn't look at the price, as I am boycotting pink.
ReplyDelete