My New Baby

I may have mentioned my last sewing machine kicked the bucket during our move to Minnesota last year! Well, I've made due without it, hand stitching when hemming a seam was necessary but, enough is enough. I couldn't wait any longer. It was time for a new machine. I've never done much sewing other than Christmas stockings for the kids and a few other minor projects even though I've wanted to learn to sew for quite some time. Now with kids' outgrown clothes piling up and no consignment store nearby to rid me of them, what better time to learn? This is the machine I bought earlier this week during our monthly trip to Walmart. I love it. I would have loved an embroidery machine but those are awfully expensive for a beginner! This machine is a happy medium, simple enough a beginner can use but versatile enough I can grow my sewing skills for years to come!

Brother's Limited Edition Project Runway's CE5000PRW is a fantastic machine. It has 50 built in stitches with 87 stitch functions, a self threading bobbin and automatic needle threader. It come with several feet attachments and can even sew with dual needles. It's so lightweight so I can easily move it to the kitchen or the bonus room and not feel like I hauling a bowling ball around. The computerized LCD screen makes choosing a stitch pattern simple. It will even tell me which foot should be used for each stitch. It's idiot-proof! I'm so impressed with my new baby I couldn't wait to start stitching away. The last few days I've just been practicing the different stitches on scrap fabric. I like to get a feel for how she works before I go nuts on a project. Speaking of sewing projects...I plan to start one this weekend. I thought about making...

a few softies (but I don't have any cotton filler)

or even a hollow egg in honor of Easter

but, I think I've settled on making a case for my son's Nintendo DSi and my camera too!

Hopefully I can use fabric from the kids pile of outgrown clothes to make some awesome cuties. I love upcycling and repurposing old things to something new. Sewing is the perfect answer.
What do you recommend for this sewing newbie?