Monday, May 4, 2009

Oh, what a weekend!

It started before the weekend.

My sewing machine broke around noon...the needle started sewing thru the plastic bobbin case. What was merely a "was that hole already there?" turned into " no no no this is not happening!"

My lovely Brother, ate its own bobbin workings.

Not only that, it chose to do so on the day before the craft fair. When I had 12 Jeans aprons to finish. It should have taken about 3 hours.

So, I rummage thru MIL's closet, grab her trusty Kenmore, and can't get the frakkin bobbin thread to work, because who knows how to adjust the tension on the bobbin? not me. An hour of scrap sewing, and I ditch that for a drive to my mom's house, to pick up her brother machine.

It took 3 hours of my life before I finished adding a binding by machine, to the edge of a very short jeans apron. I fought the whole way, coaxing the thread, encouraging the machine, re threading about 100 times. And I finished the apron. However, what should have taken 30 minutes took me 3 hours, so, I was done. Called the craft show, and said I can't come (I had a very full shoe box worth of inventory, but not nearly enough to pull off a table, let alone a booth!).

So, I am now mopey, I have no working machines... and hubby takes me out to dinner, and we saw wolverine, it was fun, but no first craft show.

Saturday rolls around, and yes, I slept in when I should have been having a booth and selling my stuff! I start looking to see if there is a way to fix my machine, and kind of hopefully looking for a new machine, cause my hubby said to look. I started by looking at janome, cause this time around we are getting something solid, a work horse, something I can sew on for hours and hours and hours.

I must say, I am quite lost when there's no sewing machine to be had. Its what I do with my life. Not having a sewing machine meant I just had a messy room, not various projects in the works. (which is a much better way to describe the piles of crap I have all over the place).

Looked at Janome, Bernina, And Husqvarna Viking; did you know bernina and husqvarna buy their machines from Janome? mmm hmm, I originally loved the threadbanger 12, for its no frills, utility-ness, and metal frame, and the price was great at 300. I then loved a Bernina Activa, but that was too expensive, if I need to make payments or it costs more than my first car, its too much. I also loved the janome 6600, with 2 sets of letters and #'s to embroider, umm, but again, more than my first car.

I drooled, and longed, and we went to guitar center to look at a cajon; its a box, that is a drum. My hubby wants one (he is a drummer) and they are really cool. However, that brings us up to 2 things that will cost about 300, and he would bring the cajon with us on our missions trip, so I am all for the cajon. we didn't get it cause they don't have what he wants, but its cool.

So on Sunday, we get home from church and he says, I want you to have this machine, can we buy it today? umm, yea. yea we can buy it today, give me your phone so I can call the dealers and find one in stock. So, the 10 dealers closest to our house don't even carry the thing because its so basic, the only have the mucho more expensive ones. We had to drive almost an hour to find the one store that carries them and has one in stock. GAH! but we bought it, and they matched the prices I was seeing online too.

oh my gosh, if you ever make it this far in my post, kudos to you. This thing sews like butter. Like Butter! oh its sooo nice. The feet from my brother machine are usable on this one, so walking foot is still good. I can drop the feed dogs for if I ever really do get around to free motion quilting. the throat space is much bigger, but I will need to measure, they don't advertise that fact.

when we got home I got to work on a disc golf bag for my wonderful hubby who bought me a new sewing machine. He designed this bag, and it looks really great. It was canvas, and this machine did not even flinch at 12! layers of canvas!!! it sews so nicely, is quiet, doesn't shake, did some lovely nice top stitching for me, so yes, I think I am in love.

so far so good. I like my new threadbanger 12.

7 comments:

v said...

Hi ... it's me, blossom blooms. I wonder if you already mailed my giveaway prize. I am so looking forward to showing it to all my friends, at home and online. I hope it won't be long now. Thanks again for the great giveaway.

BeeBee said...

Wow, what a weekend. Sorry about the craft fair, but SCORE on the new machine. I hope it works out well, they're pretty fiesty looking, and you seem to get a lot of bang for your buck. And you got to sleep in.

Pat said...

I"m glad you got a machine you like. YOu might check into buying a new bobbin case for the Brother machine and that might take care of the problem. I have heard of people having to replace their bobbin cases for the same problem you had...and it did the trick and was an inexpensive fix. That way, you'd have a back-up machine, too. Sorry about the craft show, though.

Barb said...

I am sorry for all of your troubles but so glad that you got a new machine. Having no machine is like being lost in the dessert....gotta have one...

Unknown said...

Glad you are enjoying your new machine! You deserve a good one after all of that trouble for it... WOW!

Sweet P said...

Congrats on the new machine! Have you received the cupcake package I sent you?

limpingalong said...

We needed a picture! Aprons, new machine, etc.