(ARA) - Every change in season reflects a change in mood. The cold, harsh winter will soon give way to the more cheerful season of renewal -- spring. Grass will turn from brown to green, song-birds will resume singing, and the décor in homes across the country will change.

“People are already starting to phase out the browns and dark greens that were hot this winter and decorate their homes with the colors of Spring -- pale green, pink, yellow and cream,” says Linda Lee, an interior designer who works for an architectural firm in Topeka, Kan.

She says some people will spend thousands on new furniture, flooring and accessories. Others will transform their homes spending only a few dollars. “An easy way to work spring colors into your home is to accessorize,” says Lee. She recommends getting new curtains and a bedspread in your bedroom, placemats and napkin rings in the dining room, and curtains and throw pillows in the living room. “You don’t have to go out and buy them either. These are all things you can make yourself with your home sewing machine.”

Lee says she updates her own home every time the season changes with the help of her BERNINA artista – 200E sewing and embroidery system. Microsoft Windows powered, it allows users to create their own designs, and easily edit them on screen. “I’ve been at it for a long time, but you don’t have to be an expert at sewing to use this machine,” says Lee. “It’s very user-friendly.

When Lee wants to make new drapery panels, she simply selects the stitch she wants to use on the BERNINA’s touch screen -- it can be simple or fancy -- then sets the machine in motion. “Drapes are easy to make. They are simply one length of fabric that is hemmed on all sides; and pillows are even easier. I make new ones every season to incorporate the colors and fabrics that are in.”

Lee says she gets her ideas mostly from interior design and home decorating catalogs, but there are also several project ideas available on the BERNINA web site. “The one I like best is the Faux Chenille Pillow,” says Lee. Bath and beach towels are perfect candidates for making this pillow. Here are the directions:

* Faux Chenille Pillow

Supplies:

• Purchased “chenille” towel
• Matching thread
• Pillow form
• Rotary cutter, mat and ruler
• Seam gauge
• Basic sewing supplies
• Sewing machine

Directions:

• Trim hemmed edges from towel. Fold towel in half to form a square; cut along the folded edge. If desired or needed, trim squares to center towel graphics. Finish raw edges using a sewing machine zigzag or overlock stitch.
• Place finished squares right sides together; pin edges. Sitch 1/2 inch from the raw edges all around the pillow, pivoting at corners and leaving a 6-inch opening at one side. Trim corners diagonally, being careful not to cut the corner stitches. Turn pillow cover right side out.
• Insert pillow form; there will be extra fabric along all sides. Turn under seam allowances at opening and hand stitch closed.
• Center pillow form in cover. Pin all the way around the pillow, crossing pins at corners, to form a flange border. Stitch along the pinned line, pivoting at corners and removing pins just before they reach the presser foot.
• “Sewing is a very rewarding pastime. It may take awhile to complete a project, but once it’s done, you can take pride in the fact that you made something that others will admire,” says Lee.

To find more project ideas or get more information about Bernina’s high-tech sewing machines, log on to www.bernina.com.