Selling the Sizzle

That's a phrase I learned long ago and for the life of me, I can't remember whether it was in a high school class or college. I can't seem to place it with an actual class that would have been that practical. Doesn't matter really and it still holds true today. For every skein of yarn, yard of fabric, pattern, ounce of roving etc. we're buying the sizzle!

In our minds we have a vision of what we can do with IT. The reality maybe less or more than we imagined at the time, but it is surely the sizzle that brought us belly up to the counter.

I've got some weaving sizzle going on, although the picture is terrible. It is not what I imagined when I set the loom up and bought the yarns, but it is a happy and very pretty surprise.

This one needs to come off the loom and be in a certain setting for the camera to do it's job. I can hardly wait to put this scarf on that's for sure!

Then there is pattern sizzle.

Now I KNOW I ain't ever going to look like any of the pictures or drawings on the front no matter how good my sewing (or knitting for that matter) skills are, but I liked these patterns and between them I should be able to find a good working fly front/jean pattern that is flattering.

Of course, once in a while the sizzle pans out just like you imagined. So it was with this blouse. It was fiddly with pin tucks and gathers and flounces made all more difficult by a fabric, that while beautiful, was challenging to work with.

Working with double gauze is like working with two layers of cheese cloth, it has no body, likes to stick to itself and makes it hard to align for good seaming. It frays and stretches and likes a good fresh new sharp needle. It does not like the seam ripper so each stitch has to be removed very carefully should you make a mistake, of which I did. But for all that, I saw this fabric (which had to be cut out as single pieces due to the border like pattern/color lay out) looking perfect for this shirt pattern and it was sizzle synchronicity!

Now today is going to be a day filled with sizzle, I just know it. It's my birthday and my dear and silly husband has scattered cards and such all over the house, places I stagger to in the morning as I get the dogs all set.

Please note, the "stamps" are the best parts.

He does this with all his cards and no matter what's inside, the stamp makes it for me.

But wait, we're not done because not only do we have some sizzle, I have a gift that is just smokin' hot. My parents and Gene got together and sent me this, a sewing machine with embroidery capabilities.

I have wanted to monogram and embroider hand wovens for some time. Imagine being able to give a lovely pair of linen towels for a wedding complete with a monogram, or pillow cases or a blanket with just that added something. Sizzle sizzle sizzle! And this machine ( Brother LB6800) doesn't disappoint.

Okay, I cheated, I opened it early, I used it on the last few garments and while it's not as powerful as the Bernina, it has amazing stitches and the embroidery unit is amazing. This baby purrs along and does a better job with many many things than the Bernina. There I said it. My expensive Swedish machine is a work horse, and will probably be around many more years than this Brother, but the price difference is astounding. Talk about sizzle and delivering. My Bernina cost $1400 in 1998, this Brother runs around $400, does all the same stitches plus a few more and has the embroidery unit. I priced Bernina's last year and I couldn't come near their 3k plus price tags for an entry level embroidery machine. Thank you Mom, Dad and Gene. I love it, it's perfect!

Parting Shot: The Breakfast Crowd, or maybe Wolves at the Door!

I really need to scrap those glass panes. Maybe by next birthday....;)