Shea Marie Designs

I'm having to say "so-long" to my very first sewing machine. This baby has been like a family member (maybe the sister I never had) to me since I received it as a gift from my parents for my high school graduation.

That's 49 years! Can you name something you've owned for that many years that has been in working condition that entire time?
She's been going downhill rapidly the last couple of years, so I would baby it with regular doses of oil and cleanings. I even took it to a professional, but she said there was nothing she could do for it.

I've bought new machines over the years, but frankly they're junk compared to the mechanical sewing machines of the past. I also don't need a computerized version with 727 stitches or an industrial grade machine. So for now, I'm continuing to do some research. In fact, I've also explored FB marketplace to find this very same machine.

In the meantime, I'm reminiscing about the HUGE number of projects I've sewn with her. She was a workhorse to say the least. The very first wedding gown I made on her was my own, and I made so many more for family members and clients since then. Prom dresses and Halloween costumes for my daughter. Ballroom dance dresses for a friend. Clothes for nieces and nephews and "great" versions of the same. I've sewn jackets for my husband, shirts for my Dad and brothers, skirts for my Mom, and of course all of the samples for The Bradshaw Collection.

She will be missed. RIP my friend.

The next stop was Brugge. What a quaint fairytale town. A nice change of pace from Paris. A totally walkable city with chocolate shops galore, museums, churches and pictures to be captured at every turn. Loved seeing all the handmade lace and the demo where we could chat with the ladies was amazing (a lot more engaging than my college "history of lace" class). Brugge you stole my heart!

What a fun Christmas holiday its been. We still need to catch up with our Ft. Collins family. But since we made it a point to take some pictures (we're so bad at remembering to do this), I thought I'd share so far.....Hope everyone had a wonderful day!