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What Features Should I Look For In A Sewing Machine?

First off, I gotta say I was blown away from the response to this blog. I got messages all over social media and it was quite clear that I struck a chord. So many of you are looking for solutions that allow you to sew longer and better.  One comment in particular got my attention last week. A reader on Instagram mentioned that she bought her 8 Series BERNINA because she had R.A. My mind started racing. OF COURSE, the sewing machine!!! What features should you look for when buying a sewing machine if you have autoimmune disease, arthritis, vision problems or limited mobility? Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I think it is safe to say that I bleed BERNINA red. I love everything about the company and the machines they produce. I am also a brand ambassador which means that they provide me with a sewing machine to use for a year. I think it is pretty safe to say that I will be purchasing my current loaner, the B790, at the end of the year. She is like an extension o
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Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop, Part 2

Cleaning your studio takes a really long time!  Everything takes longer with Autoimmune disease. This was me as I was cleaning. I am allergic to dust and my dry lungs don't like cleaning! The good news is my room is all dusted and nice now. Wanna see? Much more inviting, methinks. One of my biggest issues was organizing multiple projects that I am working on at the same time. Apparently, I was not the only one. I got this question asked on my Facebook page by Laurie: "Tracy, I think what you are doing is great! This question might be b est asked of the quilt teachers and book writers that I imagine have very busy lives.......HOW do you save time? Do you draw up your design first and then "kit it up?" Do you have an assistant? If so, what do you have them do for you in the way of making a quilt? Also, how do they make the best use of their time? You know, those small amounts of time that are broken up by days of not quilting."
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Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Tour

When quilter and fiber artist Cheryl Sleboda asked if I wanted to join her annual #SpringCleanYourStudio Blog Hop, I thought WHY NOT!  I wanted and needed to clean and organize my studio.  I need a better organization system for handling multiple projects at once. I got a question on my FB page about organization.    And then I walked in my studio.  Clearly the universe was trying to tell me something.  It has been over a month of finishing projects for GenQ, going to Festival, and my son graduating from college. The boxes on the floor as you walk in as well as the items on the couch are all from my son's dorm room.  The rest of the mess is mine.  I had been doing pretty well at keeping the room somewhat orderly until about a month ago. Then I just started stacking things to get it out of the way. Even the floor needed a thorough cleaning.   So, these are the before shots.  Stay tuned for two more posts of my progress. On
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Busy Life + Lots of Quilting + Sjogrens = The Autoimmune Life

I have a lot going on in the next few weeks, so you know what that means? A lot of rest in-between unfortunately. I can feel it bubbling right under the surface. The Flare. So what do I do? I rest. I eat healthy foods. I listen to my body when it says it can't go on. I take warm baths to ease my aching joints. BUT I WANT TO QUILT! It's frustrating. It seems like everything I do takes twice as long to accomplish now and that digs in to my sewing time. I have fabric waiting to be made into something new. A box from Island Batik I have a quilt to make with my daughter for the summer issue of Generation Q - and we are behind! So, I promise myself it will come this weekend! I will be sewing. I am determined to prep a few projects for easy sewing. I may document what I do. I am looking for ways to make working on multiple projects at once easier on my brain fogged mind.  In the meantime, I wanted to share what I have been doing this week. I have a few exci
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What do you need to keep sewing?

It is interesting how being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder changes everything.  You never know how much energy you will have on any given day. You suddenly have to look at your time over the course of, say, a month and decide how much you can handle. You have to listen to your body and NOT push yourself like you normally would or you might end up not getting out of bed the next day.  Worst of all, you have to relearn how to do the things you love most.  That's why I started this blog. I have already given up so much. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP SEWING. So, as I venture forth into uncharted waters, what do you need? What do you want me to find for you?  What do you need help with most?  I have lots of ideas and I have lots of contacts with people who make great products. I just need to know how to prioritize and what I need to find when I go to Quilt Market in May.  So please leave me a comment either here or on my Facebook page and let me know
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Organization For People Struggling With Brain Fog

Quilting has become much more than a hobby for me. I write for Generation Q Magazine and I design projects for kids to sew in the feature We Sew 2. I also teach kids sewing classes . On any given day, I am going between writing, editing and sewing. In other words I keep several balls in the air as I juggle numerous projects each day. Add in an autoimmune disease like Sjogren's Syndrome and it is amazing I get as much done as I do. The struggle is real. Brain fog is real people.  It's a lot. I drop balls all the time. Some days I can't write because I am in pain. Other days I can't cut fabric unless I use my Sizzix for fear of ruining fabric. Most days I have just enough brain fog going that I have to retrace my steps on a project to remember where I left off. It's hard. This doesn't even go into my personal projects that sit neglected. Here is fabric that sits waiting for me to turn into a quilt using Victoria Findlay Wolfe's Tulip and Melon dies .
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Scissors I Love!

--> You may know heirloom quality Famore scissors from quilting and sewing trade shows. But did you know that company president Brint Fanizza has focused on helping sewists affected by arthritis? When I was working on my article about sewing with health challenges,  BadAss Quilter extraordinaire and Spool quilt shop owner Maddie Kertay chose the Famore 8 Inch serrated scissors as one of her favorites for accurate cutting when your hands don't wanna.    So I called up Brint to get photos of the highly acclaimed scissors. Well, we ended up talking for about a half hour because he was so interested in the topic. He said that he had arthritis and autoimmune sufferers coming up to him at sewing and quilting conventions telling him that they needed a better solution in scissors. We can understand why, right? Our fingers swell, get stiff, ache. It's hard to maintain control when your fingers hurt and the handles often don't accommodate swollen digits. And don
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