Well, the big, fancy sewing machine will be in residence a while longer. The fact is, I haven’t really found a machine in a similar price range that I like sewing on as much as I do this one. The cost to purchase the “dream” replacement machine is not in the budget either. So, I’m making it work.
Backstory: The issue was never really with the machine. It was with the manufacturer bringing politics into my sewing room, uninvited, when it decided to partner with a particular individual whose passion is to push their own personal political agenda at every opportunity. This person, who is not a Georgia resident, even held a fundraiser for one of the PACs here in Georgia. The senate run-off elections were ugly. There was no getting away from the ads – internet, television, radio, mail, newspaper, billboard, podcast. Every time I looked at my sewing machine I was reminded of the nastiest Georgia political campaign of my lifetime. I literally didn’t touch the machine for six months.
My local dealer is the one who suggested I “tattoo” the machine and give it a name like I did my Featherweights. I covered the logo with a piece of tape. It worked well enough to allow me to complete a quilt on it. I upgraded the tape to cute sewing “tattoos” and named the machine Gretchen. Hubs also wisely pointed out that I’d had the machine long before the company partnered with this person and that association was likely to end before I needed to purchase a new machine. Hubs totally understands why I won’t buy another machine from this particular brand, though.
So Gretchen and I got reacquainted this evening. I pieced a quilt block with her. I forgot how much I appreciate (1) scissors function, (2) needle down and (3) ability to move the needle position to fine-tune my scan 1/4″ seam. We’ll be experimenting with some ruler work tomorrow.
Here’s to making it work!
Come Stitch With Me, LLC 