Christmas in November

A few weeks ago, Grandma Benac wanted to give me my Christmas present early. Sure. I love presents. I love it even more when I don't have to wait for it. She led me over to her craft tables, and told me my gift was under there. I couldn't believe it! I just about cried.

Grandma Helen in an avid seamstress, even though she would deny that. She has made many embroidered quilts, and is always working on another project. She bought her first fancy Husqvarna embroidery machine just a little while after grandpa Bill died. The Husqvarna Designer 1 is an amazing machine, but with grandma's grand ambitions, she got an the upgraded Designer SE. The "old" Designer 1 sat, untouched, in her closet for years. This machine can work miracles. It's pretty much a computer and a sewing machine in 1. With the attached embroidery arm, you can push the start button, walk away, and come back after a few minutes to an embroidered masterpiece. I am now the proud owner of a Viking Husqvarna Designer 1 embroidery machine

Where do you start? The first thing I did, like in most situations, was hit the internet. The internet is great for ideas, tips, tutorials, and anything and everything you need to know about any topic. I would love to start selling stuff on Etsy, so that's where I started my search. I need to know what my competition is doing! One thing I found on there, was an art caddy. A bag for kids to carry coloring books, crayons, and scissors. Winter's is already done. It's amazing how much a little bit of embroidery can do to really make a project special.

After seeing prices for thread at the local craft store, I decided Ebay was the way to go. At Jo-anns one spool of thread is $5.99. I got mine for $0.89 a spool. Sure, I still spent $90, but I do have enough thread to last me a lifetime!