Tag: Quilting

New TOL sewing machines – who’s buying?

September 12, 2024

Bernina, Brother and Baby Lock have recent launched new top-of-the-line sewing machines with price tags in the $20,000+ range.

When the new Bernina 990 came out, a local dealer required a $1000 deposit just to attend a launch party to decide whether or not you want to buy the machine. Retailers make a big deal all over social media on congratulating the “lucky” customers who purchase one of these machines. I’m curious – who are these customers? Cottage business owners? Retirees treating themselves? Sewists with a severe form of FOMO?

I personally know of only two people who’ve spent big $$ like this on a machine in the past two years. One friend with arthritis issues purchased a Janome M17 with the lift table to make sewing more comfortable for her. Another friend purchased a computerized HandiQuilter after her husband passed away, so she’d have a way to earn income from home. She now quilts for hire (and does a good job at reasonable prices).

Sadie’s (my Labradoodle) preferred local dealer is sitting on a good-sized inventory of sewing machines. During a recent visit, I toured the back room of the shop. We discussed the new Brother Aveneer and how well the new high end Janome machines were selling. The owner shared his thoughts that potential buyers already have a machine they bought during COVID lock downs. Inflation has definitely impacted customers who typically upgrade to a newer machine every 3 years. They are bringing in existing machines for service & repair versus buying new. (And yes, he has several rows of machines waiting for repair and/or pick-up.) This is what’s keeping his business afloat – not customers who can afford to drop $15-$20k on a sewing machine. Machines that sell are usually priced under $1000.00. In his opinion, sewing machine manufacturers are out of touch with the average customer. He suggested they concentrate on Incorporating more high end features in the mid-level machines rather than adding more bells and whistles to the upper end machines that few people can afford.

Said dealer and other Janome dealers in my area have lowered prices in-store to move inventory. The 9480 now includes a stitch regulator and is VERY attractively priced. The M8 is now only a little more than the 9480, but would require the purchase of a new cabinet because my existing cabinet is too small. I imagine prices will drop even more between now and next spring. So, I’ll continue to play the waiting game. My 8900 is working fine. Besides, other things like working a/c and property taxes have priority right now.

New Bernina 990 sewing machine
New Baby Lock Radiance sewing machine

Back to school time – will your kids be sewing this fall?

August 1, 2024

Hard to believe, but our local public schools start back later this week. Classes for my hybrid homeschool group resume 8/19 and I’ll be teaching “Travel Stories” – exploring maps & geography through picture books. I’ve had a lot of fun researching read-alouds and activities for this class. The number of students in each class will decide how many “craft” activities I can do with them. I’m hoping for a sewing unit with my 4th & 5th graders!

CraftLAB and private lessons resume in late August. Most of my students are now middle school age – which is great. They’re more independent and our projects are definitely driven by their interests. I do require a community service project – which is to make a pillowcase for Ryan’s Case for Smiles or a placemat for Meals on Wheels. My guild makes up the pillowcase kits and I provide materials for the placemats. If you are in Smyrna, Vinings, or NW Atlanta, you are invited to reach out about lessons. I have limited openings for students in third grade & up. After school sessions are available.

I’m on email lists for just about every fabric shop, quilt shop, sewing machine dealer and maker studio in the area. Not much has been advertised in the way of fall kid/teen classes just yet. Here’s what I have found:

  • If you’re in Loganville, Monroe or Watkinsville and homeschool, Sew Sew Studio in Bogart has a reasonably priced 6 session course available for homeschool students. Everything is included in the class fee.
  • If you live in the Suwanee and Duluth areas, several stitch schools have recently launched. Google “sewing classes Gwinnett” to find them.
  • For those closer in to the city, Fabricate Studios (Howell Mill Rd/Chattahoochee Industrial area) and Topstitch Sewing Studio (newly reopened in Decatur) also offer kid and teen classes at times to suit working families (after school and weekend classes).
  • If you live in Cobb County, the local library system offers free sewing classes at the Switzer and Northwest Regional library branches several times per year. These classes, designed for teens and adults, are led by volunteers from the American Sewing Guild and other experienced sewists. Feedback on classes offered through the library has been very positive.
  • Cottontail Quilts and Tiny Stitches offered youth sewing classes over the summer. The Stitcher School sponsored summer sewing camps at Covenant Church (located near Campbell Middle School). So far, I’ve not seen or heard about any plans for fall sewing classes.

There is one more option: if you have a sewing machine, rudimentary sewing knowledge and patience, you CAN teach your child (plus a friend or two) how to sew. Classes can be expensive. Classes can be offered at times that don’t work with your schedule. Classes may be too far to justify the drive in Atlanta’s notorious traffic.

Show your child how to use the machine. Start them stitching on notebook paper without thread in the machine (or search for free printable cute sewing practice pages online). Beginner projects like a pillowcase, pocket tissue holder, bookmark, drawstring bag or simple tote bag are confidence builders for newbie stitchers. A small investment of time spent researching tutorials/projects for kids on Pinterest and YouTube will be well worth it. The money you’ll save by teaching the basics can go toward your child taking more advanced classes to learn skills you’re not comfortable teaching or for attending sewing camps.

Technology can be helpful when quilting…

July 22, 2024

1) This morning, I spied a quilt on a YouTube stream that I liked. I used it as inspiration for my own quilt, which I designed in EQ8:

Image of quilt designed using EQ8 software.
Aflutter quilt designed in EQ8

It finishes at 50″x60″ – which is my preferred size for a throw quilt. I’ll make one to use during our R.E.A.D. sessions with Sadie, plus one from scraps to donate to my guild’s community service. If you don’t have EQ8, then you can always draw by hand or research any number of quilt design apps (free & paid) available online.

2) You can also use the Google Lens feature with the Chrome browser. Simply download the app/extension and add it to Chrome. It helps when trying to identify the pattern you saw in a FB post. Non-quilting related – it helped me identify the silverplate patterns on some serving utensils my mother sent home with me recently. They were my great-grandmother’s dating back to around 1910. Mom said they hadn’t been polished in at least 50 years. I believe her. It took almost an hour to get them back to the original silver.

3) Special interest groups on FB are full of helpful information. Machine specific groups help one another troublehsoot sewing machine issues, designer enthusiast groups often sponsor QALs using previous books/patterns and still others offer a way to destash items directly to a target audience. I rarely post on FB anymore. Instead, I use it to follow therapy dog, quilting and vintage sewing machine groups. I learned this morning of an upcoming Lori Holt QAL sponsored by an enthusiast group I follow. I know I have the book and I think I have the templates. If not, I know someone who does!

4) Apps like Libby allow you read quilting books and magazines for FREE on your device with only a public library card. Quilting apps like the QuiltingCalc app from Robert Kauffman Fabrics helps you figure out how much fabric you need for a project. Chances are, your favorite online quilt shops also have an app available for download. If not, you can bet they are over on Instagram. Pinterest is also a great app for keeping track of projects and tutorials that inspire you.

Lately, I’ve been limiting my use of social media on purpose. It’s just easier this way. I’m still in the loop as to what’s going on in the world, yet I am more productive and sleep better.