Come Stitch With Me

It’s Friday afternoon. Two of my little neighbors braved the monsoon outside to come stitch for a couple of hours. They made themselves right at home! Notice where Sadie is?

This is my normal set-up with 2 kids per table. It’s easier for them to share and help one another if they are sitting on the same side of the table. I prefer no more than 3 machines per table due to all the cords, sewing supplies and class materials on the table.

Tell me more about the machines in the photo.

The machines you see pictured are an Elnita EC30 and a Baby Lock Jubilant. Ideally, I’d have two of the same machine for classes. The Elnita EC30 is very kid-friendly and offers good value for the money at just under $300. It also sews very well on all kinds of fabrics. There are enough stitches to cover most any sewing need. The start/stop button and speed control slider are a bonus. It’s a good, basic all-purpose sewing machine at a decent price point. Be sure to budget some extra $$ to spend on any additional presser feet that you might need (1/4″ foot, open toe foot, walking foot, darning foot, etc.). Wide extension tables are not available from Elna (Janome) for this particular model, so you’ll need to order it from Sew Steady or Tailor Made Tables.

Now about that Baby Lock Jubilant. Great selection of stitches, bright lighting, sews well and feels good in your hands. It’s slightly larger and quieter than the Elnita. The one thing it lacks is a straight stitch needle plate. Just saying – a sewing machine at the $500-$600 price point ought to have a straight stitch needle plate available for it – the competition does! As with the Elnita, you’ll need to add some additional presser feet, depending on the type of sewing you do. An extension table IS available from Baby Lock for this particular machine. Baby Lock products are only available through their dealer network. FYI – Brother makes the Jubilant to Baby Lock’s specs. That said, many Brother accessories (available on Amazon) will work on the Jubilant and can be had a cheaper price. Keep this in mind when shopping for presser feet.

Which one would I purchase a as a second classroom machine, for a beginning sewist or as a machine to take to sewing classes/retreats/travel? The Elnita EC30. I would also add some LED lights under the harp to brighten up the rather dim work space.

Which one would I purchase for myself as an everyday machine or for a highly motivated teen sewist?
The Baby Lock Jubilant. It’s well worth the extra $200.00. For quilters – the new dynamic walking foot from Brother/Baby Lock is SO quiet. The quilt binding foot from Baby Lock is wonderful with back-to-front binding sewn by machine. Finally – this machine has the long, wavy stitch we like and the stitch is FULLY adjustable. The stitch length doesn’t stop at 2.5 like some other machines do.

I’ll keep using both machines described in this post, adding the Elna Star Edition and my big fancy machine as necessary. No need to buy more machines right now.

When’s the last time you lost all track of time because you were so immersed in what you were doing? I’m not talking about mindless TV binging or going down the Pinterest rabbit hole. It could be reading a book, exploring an art museum, gardening, crafting, sewing, quilting, fishing…or any activity that requires you to actively participate.

I get it. It’s hard to carve out time to just putter, tinker or finally see what happens if you do X. But that’s where growth, learning and the magic happens. Set a timer, put your phone in airplane mode and let go for an hour or two.

Today, I allowed myself time to experiment. I’d seen a craft project that I wanted the kids to make in sewing class. This little project forced me to learn how to use the Cricut Maker that had been gathering dust in a corner of my studio since my disastrous first attempt at using it. Thank God for YouTube and all the folks who put videos together on electronic cutting machines. What I wanted to do wasn’t hard, I just didn’t know how to work the Circuit Design Space well enough to create the project I envisioned. I refused to pay $$ for an SVG file when I could trace and cut letters/shapes by hand if necessary.

Two hours later, I had the Cricut figured out, my own SVG letter file created using a font I’d imported, a completed sample and cut letters ready for appliqué tomorrow afternoon. I also got to play with the decorative stitches on my fancy sewing machine that’s normally set up for quilting. I’m now ready to see what other things I can design in the Cricut Design Space for appliqué (or to use the vinyl that was donated). Now it’s off to the thrift store or Dollar Tree for picture frames!

Learn about it here first!

WHERE: Southeastern Quilt & Textile Museum in Carrollton, Georgia

WHEN: Monthly, running August – November, 2021 (Exact Dates TBD, but class will be held noon-2 p.m.)

COST: Varies, based on class, but usually $25-$40 per class.

Class fees are ALL INCLUSIVE. This includes the project kit, sewing supplies and use of a
SQTM sewing machine during class.

Upcoming Projects:
August: Applique Initial Pillow

September: Travel Pillowcase (includes pillow insert)

October: Drawstring Bags (Glam or Halloween Theme) + plus an extra bonus project

November: Assorted Holiday gifts, bags and tags

There will be no classes offered in December.

Registration and payments will be handled by the Museum. Please visit their website or call 770.301.2187.