I Owe My Sanity to Ruby

Four years ago when I quit my full time teaching position, my husband surprised me with a gift I will always be thankful for. Ruby. A Designer Ruby sewing/embroidery machine made by Husqvarna Viking. I already had a Singer sewing machine for over 25 years and had made wardrobes of clothes and costumes for my kids.

But this machine was different. Not only could it sew, but it could embroider!

It came in a huge red case that looked like a suitcase. It sat on our dining room floor for almost 3 months before I had the courage to even take it out!!

Keep in mind that I was suffering from severe teacher burn-out and possibly some depression. My brain was fried, along with my nerves and it took me 3 months to rehabilitate to even think about starting something new. My husband finally sat down with me and helped me figure out how to use Miss Ruby. He lit the candle inside me! I was soon watching youtube videos, joining facebook machine embroidery groups, and practicing almost daily.

Since then, I've spent a small fortune on embroidery designs, stabilizers, threads and not to mention fabric! That machine saved my sanity.  I started making baby bibs and personalizing them with names and an applique. Soon I was embroidering on shirts, towels, and tote bags. I've made probably 100 in-the-hoop mug rugs with names on them. I've also made several wall hangings with verses, along with outdoor garden flags. I haven't shared many of my projects here, so I thought I'd do that in one post. These are not all, but a good smattering of what I've worked on.

And then I got the quilting bug....