Advanced
The mere mention of advanced can set me into a panic. This word is frequently coupled with classes, skills, a medical diagnosis and age. Perhaps it keeps popping up because the SEDOSO (Senior Executive Director of Studio Operations) and I are spending many days this summer visiting and discussing more than a dozen continuum of care communities. What has surprised me, despite some similarities, is how very different they are. I wish we could combine the best features of each into one perfect place. Like many things in life, we will have to settle for close enough. Our advanced age is a deciding factor to get beyond deliberation and put our name on a waiting list or two.
Bernina 990 Progress?
When I wasn’t off touring CCRCs, I was in the studio testing out some of the more advanced features of my new Bernina 990. The week started well. I felt confident. Unfortunately, my confidence ebbed yesterday when I spent far more time picking out stitches than actually stitching. Admittedly, I was working, or not working depending on my perspective, on letting the machine “quilt ” a motif using metallic thread. It started out well, then the thread broke. When I free motion quilt, this is frustrating, but no big deal. I simply rethread the machine, back track a tad, and move forward. However, after rethreading, the machine “leapt” to some random position. I was unable to start where I left off. Since the work is hooped and fixed, I couldn’t seem to get the hooped work back to where it left off.
OK, enough whining. This small 8″ x 8″ quilt, tentatively titled A Rose By Any Other Name, was created by me using only the Bernina 990. It is actually a sampler of techniques I was eager to try. I started by using the embroidery feature to quilt, place and size one of the 50 or so motifs available. Next I free motioned some small stippling to allow the motif to stand out a tad. After that I appliquéd the rose, using my favorite method – the blind hem stitch. I love that I can store my blind hem stitch settings (how wide and long the stitch is) in my personal folder. Finally, because I just couldn’t resist having some fun, I chose a bee amongst the embroidery options and placed and sized them around the quilt.
A Big Day!
When I bought the Bernina 990, I also bought the Horn Luxe Plus Sewing Cabinet.
A big shout out to SEDESO. He has handled numerous phone calls and negotiations in oder to get said cabinet to our home. It arrives today. In the interim, I have been sewing with the Bernina 990 perched on top of a my previous sewing cabinet. Unfortunately, because of the size differential between the 1260 and the 990, my old cabinet couldn’t be retrofitted. The good news is the new cabinet is designed specifically for the 990. The embroidery attachment is to the right of the drawers and the hoops have a designated storage section on the far right. Various “flaps” can be folded up and down to expand the work surface. I love that the machine can be raised and lowered at the flip of a switch. Now that’s an advancement I am delighted with.
Rainbow Scrap Challenge
I wish I could say I advanced my 2024 Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt, but I didn’t. I was having too much fun experimenting with my new machine. Maybe next week.
Question of the Week
How do you relate to the term advanced beginner?
I’m linking up to the following posts:
Love your projects and so awesome that your cabinet is arriving! Happy Stitching! 🙂
Thank you, Pat. I am counting down the minutes.
I don’t know which I love more about your flower, the fabrics you chose for the leaves or those sweet bumble bees with the very neat stitching. All of it is lovely. And what a neat cabinet you will have. I wonder if that would be the answer to my disorganization. Two other things…think we should have our names on a few lists too, like do that pronto. And I think of myself as somewhat of an advanced beginner though kind of tentative on the meaning of advanced like how far exactly. 🙂
I had fun selecting green scrap bag fabrics for the leaves and rose petals. It allowed me to cut up some of those awkward scraps left behind from other appliqué projects.
We live in the ‘burbs of Boston. Because it is a high density population with many Baby Boomers who were professionals (academic, medical, legal, engineering and tech) the competition for spots at CCRCs is fierce, especially if you need space for a studio. 🙂 The wait time is typically 4 to 10 years. Then there is the issue of passing physical, cognitive and financial tests at the time a unit does become available.
I’ve often wondered what an Advanced Beginner means, too, Jocelyn. Also, it seems you leap directly from there to professional or advanced. It doesn’t really matter. Still since courses are frequently listed by skill level versus the actual skills needed it would be helpful to have things better defined. Also, one can vary depending on the skill. I still consider myself an amateur when it comes to needle turn appliqué, but I am skilled a precision piecing.
That is a pretty piece, Gwyned! Amazing that your new machine could do all those things. I’ve never tried a blind hem stitch for applique – makes me wonder if my Pfaff has that feature. I’m so impressed with your approach to moving to the CCRC and I do hope you find the one that best fits your hopes. I can relate to the “advanced beginner” label in so many parts of my life. I have enjoyed playing golf since I was in my 30s, but my skills on the course have never really progressed beyond advanced beginner. Good thing I play with friends who are at the same level!
Your Pfaff probably does have a blind hem stitch. It looks like this: _ _ _ ^ _ _ _ ^. The running stitch goes on the background fabric and the bite or point goes on the piece being appliquéd. The trick is to shorten the length so it can go around curves and shorten the width so it only takes a tiny bite into the piece being appliquéd. I know many people like to use satin or blanket stitch for their appliquéing by machine. It has the advantage and disadvantage of adding an extra design element.
My guess is your golf game continues to improve. It’s just when you have being doing something for a while, habits form and learning curve is far less steep. What is most important is you and your friends clearly enjoy the opportunity to play together.
I’m impressed with your advancing skills with your new machine, sounds like you are having fun along with some frustrations. The rose is lovely but those bees are so cute! Enjoy organizing the new cabinet, happy stitching!
I am having fun, Gretchen. I don’t miss school, but I love learning. Tackling a new machine is a joy. I am always making discoveries of what can be done.Since an embroidery machine is total new to me there is lots to learn, such as how to hoop my work and set up the machine to run a combination of designs. For example, I could have sized and placed all three bees using the software. Then the machine would have done the black in all three bees, before I needed to return to rethread to yellow and start the machine again.
Those bees are adorable, aren’t they? I’m glad you like them.
Your sweet little rose is adorable, I love all these machine features that allow you to make so pretty stitches and embroideries. The new cabinet looks like a wonderful one, it’s nice to have a specific place to keep the frames and other special items.
An advanced beginner reminds me of the language levels according to the European standard (A1, A2, sometimes even A2+, B1, …), these are motivating levels of learning that show progress!
I’ve had many of the stitches on my 30 year old machine, but this is the first time I’ve explored a machine embroidery and quilt motifs to play with. I’m only limited by imagination and skill level.
The cabinet should be great once it is set up. We are experiencing a slight hiccup in that department, but hope to have it resolved this coming week.
Interesting to compare advanced beginner to a language learner. I am an avid language learner with the aid of Duolingo. Currently I am focusing on español. I’ve reached a score of 19, which I suspect falls under A1. Not quite a newbie, but not an advanced beginner.
Wow, what a wonderful machine!! I think your sample is exquisite! I need to go back to the beginning on my long arm and do the tutorials to learn the true proper way to do some of the functions. Maybe someday when I don’t have anything pressing to do. LOL! Like that’s ever going to happen? Advanced Beginner, I would say is someone confident enough to execute most steps of a process, but not quite skilled enough to alter the steps to suit their vision of the outcome. If that makes sense?
It truly is an amazing machine. I feel very fortunate to be able to have and still have the cognitive skills to learn it. I love that Bernina has a Skill Hub with progressive lessons from how to set up the machine to combining embroidery motifs. When I get stuck I return to the Skill Hub and rewatch the relevant video.
Personally, I am of the opinion that there is no right or wrong way to do things, if the end result doesn’t damage the machine and you get what you want.
I love you definition of an Advanced Beginner. It is such a key leap to go from following steps by rote, to doing your own thing.
You are really learning how to use that machine despite some frustrations. That little quilt is very pretty.
Thank you, Cathie. I’m having fun, at least most of the time.
Look at you – checking out the advanced features on your machine -much better than the other advanced stuff. that turned out really pretty, love the cabinet you purchased as well!
Thank you, Alycia. It is a fun adventure.
Keep your chin up. I’m sure the touring of facilities is a total drag on your emotional energy, but one of them will speak to you. I hope.
Thank you for the for the encouragement, Sue. Yes, it is an emotionally exhausting. Especially, because so many aren’t a good fit for a variety of reasons. Also, there is all the travel time prying me away from the studio. We will get there. We always do.
Congrats on your new machine! Here’s hoping the two of you become good friends. Thanks for visiting my blog! Thanks for your kind comment regarding my interpretation of Tammy Kaye’s work. Her style of instruction really works for me. Here’s hoping you enjoy her classes, too!
Spoken like a true quilter. The Bernina is definitely getting less intimidating. Not great friends yet, but I have confidence that will happen. I can’t imagine ever returning to a time pre-table for a machine. As you said, the ergonomics are simply better.
It is so hard to transition to a new machine but I’m confident it’ll become 2nd nature soon. Getting the 990-specific machine table will greatly improve getting to know the machine. It’ll add comfort so you can sit longer learning! Yay!
I couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Sue, for your encouragement.
Hi Gwyned, your sampler is so cute – you really need to consider linking up to FM Mavericks. It’s now more than just FMQ – anything goes. I’m fascinated to hear about your experience with your new machine. I’m glad that your new cabinet has arrived and I hope that frustrations will be minimal – it’s never easy to learn those “advanced” features 🙂
Good to hear from you Andrée.I hadn’t realized FM Maverick always for other links beyond FMQ. I’ll be sure to add FM Mavericks to my blogs to link to. I do a fair amount of FMQ, but my posts rarely feature good images of same. The past few weeks, as you mentioned, my post features my learning experience of tackling a new machine.
Congrats on the new machine and the soon to be delivered cabinet, which looks lovely. I am using my mom’s battered metal cabinet that she got with green stamps (remember those?)
Yes, I remember Green Stamps. One of my chores was to stick the green stamps in the booklet after we came back from grocery shopping. I used to love looking at what you could get and then checking to see if we had enough. I had no idea you could cabinets. Sounds like your metal cabinet brings back fond memories.