Getting to know my new machine

This time, I didn't read the manual cover to cover, I figured out from the last one that some things I can just look up. The spool is in a different place on this machine, it is under a little door. Threading it is a bit different but not too bad.
I like that the presser foot comes up much higher than on my Kenmore. This should be good for certain things (like the slipcover I still want to sew...).
I went about making a stitch sampler, just like I did with the old one. Screwed up the very first time. Surprise! After that, it was smooth sailing, even when I messed up big time, this thing didn't miss a beat.
VERY nice, even stitching, with little effort from me (the feed dogs on this one really do all the work!). Changing from stitch to stitch is no problem at all.
All sorts of cool stitches on this one. I even did cherry blossoms and they turned out OK.
Couldn't get a clear picture of this, but I embroidered my son's name. I had to program the machine to do this, which took about 30 seconds to learn.
Embroidered my name. I could clean it up and remove the extra thread, I might just to see how it looks.

This machine is AWESOME! It is quieter than the old one, quicker, stitches are extremely even and hard for even me to screw up. I love the huge sewing table, it helps things stay flat.

Final banner and Starting Over

I haven't been around much lately, as you can see. Bad blogger! I have been really busy with work/family/extended family drama. Here it is, the banner, hung up on the entrance to our kitchen on the day of Jack's birthday! I like how it turned out but I wish I had used a pattern. I think it would take a LOT less time now that I have done it once.
I got a new sewing machine! My mom got the Rolls Royce of sewing machines, a Bernina Virtuosa, on Ebay as an early Christmas gift. She gave her old good backup machine to me, and is taking the Kenmore I have been using to work so she can repair donated clothes there (she is a school nurse).

So here is my new machine!
I haven't tried it yet, but I do like the look of it. It has every stitch under the sun, and each button is marked with its stitch. On the Kenmore, there was a code to punch in (more or less). I am excited to try this one, Mom says it is a very good machine, and she would know.

Here is an attachment mom sent along with it. A large sewing area can only be a good thing. That whole "table" is detachable.
She also sent along a book on making a good sewing space with a little or a lot of room. I will have to give this a look, I have a VERY small sewing area. It is a corner of our living room, on our old, small kitchen table, with only a few totes to hold my stuff.
I am going to try out the new machine sometime this weekend, and possibly make those fleece longies I have been meaning to make. I have never tried to take anyone's measurements, let alone my squirmy toddlers!

So close, yet so far (Banner part 97)

Didn't get the A taken care of, but I finished what I could. Birthd.

I didn't finish the binding becuase I need to add the others. End is in sight.