Come Stitch With Me

Back in February 2020, Boomer, Sadie and I participated in our very first Middle Georgia Shop Hop. Since retirement, Sadie and I have continued this annual event. Today, we made our last trek to visit all of the participating shops. Why? This week marks the Middle Georgia Shop Hop’s grande finale.

As usual, I purchased the two quilt block kits from each shop and got my passport stamped.* At Couture Fabrics. I found the perfect border fabric to complete my project from the Myrtle Beach quilt retreat. Big Girl was allowed to come in and help select fabric. 🙂 My “treat” was a bundle of gorgeous Ruby Star Society fabrics Sew Senoia had specially curated for the upcoming Luau Mystery 5-0 sew along that begins in March. I’d participated in the initial Aloha Mystery 5-0 last year (with a different shop) and had a lot of fun. At 4:10 p.m., I turned in my completed passport and headed home.

There’s a new shop hop game in town for 2026 – the All Southeast Shop Hop that runs 8/1-9/30 and covers shops in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Three of the Middle Georgia Shop Hop retailers and most of the participants from last summer’s Stitching Atlanta Shop Hop have switched to the new tri-state shop hop. It’ll be interesting to see the final participating retailer list once the official shop hop magazine goes on sale in June.

*Block kits collected during the shop hop will be turned into a lap size quilt to donate to my guild’s community service. I then pass along the block instructions to another quilting friend.

My Elna 782 (same as Janome 9480) arrived yesterday. The shipping carton weighed almost 50 pounds! Thankfully, the UPS driver was kind enough to set it on my dining room table.

Ellie is the second generation after my Janome 8900. The two machines share many of the same characteristics, yet advancements in technology and product refinements with each generation (over the past 10 years) are something else. There’s definitely going to be a learning curve! Fortunately, the manual is well-written and the online tutorials are helpful. I was able to FMQ with the ASR very easily. I can’t wait to see what happens with my usual FMQ set up of a low tension bobbin case, quilting needle and Glide thread

A new acrylic cabinet insert has been ordered. I’ll experiment with 1/4″ piecing and see which needle plate works best for me. I may have to make a modification to the straight stitch plate as I did with the 8900. :-)

My machine quilting mojo has definitely returned. It took nearly five years, but I now have a large throat space computerized machine with a stitch regulator. Having the right tool makes all the difference.

In case your’re in the market for a Janome model with the ASR, The Sewing Machine Shop in Walnut Creek, CA has some inventory of the equivalent Elna models with ASR at extremely attractive pricing.

Since Thanksgiving, I’ve pulled out my Sizzix machine to cut hundreds of HSTs and QSTs for a baby quilt and to process larger scrap pieces into units needed for charity quilts. I actually haven’t touched the strip cutting dies in months – rather, I’ve used the smaller shape cutting dies instead. For now, I think I’ll hang on to what I have, rather than selling the system. Like my serger, the Sizzix machine & dies are handy to have for when I need them.

That said, would I invest a die-cutting system if I didn’t already own one? Probably not. I can cut/sub-cut strips into rectangles and squares much faster with my Stripology XL and Squared Mini rulers versus the Sizzix machine – and with a lot less fabric waste. Paired with my Cricut Maker to cut applique shapes and letters, this set-up would easily meet my sewing and crafting needs without having to store multiple dies.

Everyone’s situation is different. I have friends with physical challenges for whom an electric die cutting system has been a godsend. Some like to travel with the small manual machine and a set of carefully chosen dies. Those with small helpers around prefer a die-cutting system for safety reasons versus a rotary cutter and ruler.

Do what works best for your needs and budget. No quilt police here.