Quilting & Sewing Stuff

Links & thoughts about some quilt or sewing-related stuff:

• Trends & Traditions - new blog from Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures. I really like her patterns -- good/logical directions, fun style, work well in so many different color-ways. Her blog frequently features pictures of her home & quilts - as well as give-aways. One of her quilts (featured in a Quilt Sampler magazine probably in 2001) was probably one of the first quilts I did all by myself - with no help from my mom - and I still love the patterns (want to make another one, actually). The quilt for our neice (shown here unfinished) is also from her pattern.
• My new sewing machine - Janome Magnolia. I've been working way too much to do a whole lot of sewing, but what I've done with the new machine has been so good! It's really smooth sewing and makes a nice stitch. I gave away the old Bernina - a coworker got it and she's now having great fun sewing purses. That machine caused headaches for me as a quilter, but great for a beginning sewer.
• Thinking of sewing (not quilting), I've been reading a bit more about women in the Congo (who are victims of sexual abuse, typically) getting help getting back on their feet by setting them up with sewing machines. They get training and equipment, so when they have finished a program about healing them emotionally/physically/spiritually, they can go back to their villages with a trade-skill. This website seems to be missing some info, but shows an organization - hope for the helpless that we hear is doing good work - both for those women and also for children.
• Believe it or not, I bought a purse pattern. Yes, apparently I want to be like Colleen (pics here). :) I chose carefully to avoid zippers! I picked out the pattern in New Mexico - my step-mom-in-law (is that the right term?) also got a pattern - though her's looks way harder than mine!! I'm going to make a test one first (out of some scraps) before I try it with some fun Amy Butler fabric.