Taking the plunge

I finally got brave enough yesterday to plug in the embroidery unit to my new sewing machine. And I only broke 1 needle . . . and the thread a few times before I got going correctly.

This cute little quilted zippered bag is about 7" square. I quilted it on my embroidery hoop and added the initial.  Getting the zipper right was the hardest part of the bag.  This was project #2 from the class I took a week ago, but we only had time in class to make one of the 2 projects.  We worked with partners at each machine, with each of us completing one of the 2 bags.  

The project I did finish in class that day is this other little bag with the pinwheel cover. It is very cute and has pockets inside.

But the surprising new skill we learned that day is the ribbon stitch. So the back and the front pocket have been decorated with ribbon and another decorative stitch. The ribbon stitch is definitely something I will try again.  It was much easier than I expected, although my alignment is a bit crooked on the pocket section.