It was 1 of 2 reasons why my sewing machine hasn’t been smashed to smithereens. The other reason is due to the fact that my favorite sewing store in town, Pottstown Sewing & Crafts, holds a “Trade-Up” sale every few months. Why they are willing to give me a credit for this machine is beyond me.
It was a great machine 10 years ago when I bought it, perfect for a beginner sewer. It handled the occasional hemming and mending like a pro. Somewhere over the years, I fell in love with the craft of sewing. It just hasn’t been able to keep pace with me due to it’s minimal library of stitches and available feet. On top of that it doesn’t function properly. Just threading it requires that all the dials be set to 0 lest the needle jams in the bobbin casing. It also has a tendency to lose tension halfway through a project which in turn causes the needle to jam in the bobbin casing. Guess how good I am at taking the bobbin casing apart and putting it back together again.The tension problem is the main reason I hate the machine so.
Even Elly doesn’t like it.
These past few years I have been pining for a new machine but I kept trying to make do with what I had – silly resourceful trait of mine. When my machine lost the tension during the quilt I made for Elly, I decided enough was enough. I deserved a better machine.
True, I still have the back-up machine that I found on the side of the road with a “Free. Works.” sign on it.
Unfortunately, the old girl can only work a straight stitch. All other functions have been lost and would require the skill of a professional to correct. Despite the problems, I plan to keep her as a back-up. Just this month, I was able to sew up a pair of pajama pants on her.
Last Monday, I visited my sewing store to test run a few Babylock models that I was interested in. It didn’t take me long to decide on the Decorator’s Choice. It had everything I needed, everything I wanted and even some features I’m not sure what to do with. In other words, it’s a machine that I can grow into rather than one that I would grow out of in a year or two. I pick it up tomorrow. I can hardly wait.
What does Elly do whilst I sew?
She supervises from her bouncy chair.
The Life, Designs & Crafts of Marie Haigh 
Elly is so adorable! (My grandmother is an Elly, so her name makes me smile =)
I picked up an old sewing machine at a yard sale last summer, and hope to find the time to use it soon. Of course, the last time I sewed anything was a gym bag in 7th-grade home ec class…
Yay! A new machine!! Wow, Elly is so big, what happened? She will be sewing soon.
Happy Mothers Day, the first one is always the best!
Enjoy it!
Vicki