Sewing machines are like cars. You buy a new( to you ) shiny one and think it's going to be forever but 5 years down the line you are seduced by sat-navs and phones and cupholders. The manufacturers always come up with something you can't live without.
Sadly, yes! And the car thing is close to the bone…7 years ago we bought a 2nd hand car with low mileage, it was and sort of still is perfect….but we’ve just had to spend a tidy sum to fix something, and now suspect something else is on the way out 😭 I dread having to change anything, car or sewing machine!
I bought a new car during Covid because it was necessary. I missed out on 3 and had to compromise because choice was not guaranteed . I am hoping it lasts me the rest of driving stage of my life because I found it very stressful and I really don’t want to have to relearn a car which is where we are at these days. My daughter says there is talk of going back to knobs which would be a lot easier to deal with.
listen to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah anytime you can
read in the Book of Ichigo Ichi by Hector Garcia and Francese Miralles
Read Mary Oliver
write in your journal
Thank you for this email The Search for the Holy Grail-I am trying to decide whether I also need a brother embroidery machine that is 4" sq embroideries that would allow me to bring over my own drawings and stuff-inexpensive machine to add to my new Baby Lock Brilliant which sews gorgeous decorative stitches-or just keep reminding myself that God Willing I will be turning 81 in a couple of months and that my decluttering is not going all that well-but some progress.I will probably end up getting the Brother PE 535.
With you on Leonard Cohen and Mary Oliver, not heard of that book - thank you, and trying to journal every evening! Keeping notebooks is something I do a lot of…never leave the house without one. More reflective journaling, that’s harder but I’m trying! Good luck with your choice - although it sounds like you know already what you want!
I am ending up with a higher level decorative stitch and embroidery machine to add into my hand stitching -it will allow me to import photographs and drawings to my computer and then to the embroidery programming. It should keep me very busy.
I’m glad I’m a basic kind-a-gal (if you can say that at 60). I have one machine, with no fancy electronics and a limited number of stitches, but it does have drop feet. I have thoroughly enjoyed your two posts and love your mathematical conclusion, n+1
As for rabbit holes, mine is more of a dilemma. I’ve signed up for a collage course which I can’t wait to do properly, but I’m so far behind and it only started a week ago. I agreed last October to make some memory bears for a friend. Well, last week she gave me the fabric and would like three making and said “Absolutely no rush” and I rather feel I need to make them sooner than later (at the cost of making a range of collage papers). She is paying for the bears and I am paying for my course, adding to my dilemma. Which to focus on because there are not enough hours in the day (even though I was up at 5am and will go to bed at 11pm) to fit in both and do the rest of the stuff that has be done, walk the dogs, go food shopping, housework, walk the dogs (and groom them … they’re half done and looking silly, but they don’t care) and provide the care, company & support for my wife. As for keeping up with the news… I don’t. I know I should be bothered about what’s happening here in the UK and the rest of the world, but they seem to be doing perfectly fine messing things up without me knowing about it.
So Im currently 3/4 of my way through 1 bear and decided I’m going to sit down sort out my different papers and label them for the paint techniques they are for, watch an episode of London Kills (not sure you can get it in the US) with my wife and the dogs.
Enjoy the process, the musing and crafting and keep breathing (in 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4 out 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4) it helps immensely 😁
Thanks Julia!! This resonates so hard…I’m constantly pulled in numerous directions, and people telling me to ‘not panic’ or have an early night or take a day off makes me all the more panicky at getting it all done, while not disappointing anyone - including myself!! I think you’ve hit on the perfect solution - ‘good enough’ where it doesn’t matter (dog grooming, I’m intrigued to know what half got done) and ‘something’ on the other things, so you’re not starting from zero. Once it’s a live project, it’s easier to keep going. A few collage papers here, part of a bear there…
Haha - One dog done top and sides of his body and feet, not head, legs or tummy.
Other dog head, ears, feet and part of her back (she doesn’t like the clippers after a traumatic experience with a groomer) so she’s done in stages with a comb and scissors unless it’s a good day and she lets me use the clippers.
This all sounds like the reason I had a whippet - a quick once over with a soft cloth and good to go! He used to run away if we said ‘brush’ - and we had to bribe with little pieces of Parmesan rind to do his nails! One person fed in the cheese, the other clipped 😅
It’s a lottery ticket. In the shop your ‘new desire’ works perfectly, doing every single thing you ever dreamed of, until you get the one still in the box home. Then you spend the next X months taking it back because very little works properly. Why do we accept the sub standard workmanship?
What about when you get to the class that you’ve been dreaming of for months only to find you’ve left all your nicely packed threads on your table at home, 500 miles away 😱!!
Oh no! That’s a horrible feeling, I get it all the time with random but important little things that I only remember when I’ve reached the point of no return on a journey, despite repeated checks before leaving… I guess you have to dig deep into your creativity and use what you’ve got to hand, ugh! No favourite things, that’s hard!
Re Sewing 'machines' or computers as they are called today. My all singing dancing 'machine' has been collected for warranty repair, nearly 6 years since purchase. It was making an intermittent creak and judder when foot raised. 😕 Apparently this is a known thing for some versions of these well known machines. Dr Google says teeth get stripped from whatever raises the foot. I use it a lot for quilting, mixed media. No machine will do everything for ever.
What a super post Izzy. Lovely to hear there is another Bernina-loving Morag out there on the hunt for bargain Berninas!!! 😍🤣
Realising here (I knew it really!) there are at least 3 sewing machine manufacturers beginning with B…but for you and I, that only ever means Bernina. 😉😘
I’m with you on the compromise thing with machines, but my Bernina 230PE is my most used machine, and other than having a small throat, I can pretty well do most things on it…other than a built-in embroidery option with an attached hoop module. In fact none of my machines have that, though I came close to getting one once, but didn’t see the point as I preferred to make my own. However, I was getting into creating and enhancing my own designs using computer software on a couple of machines in the shop where I worked, and if I had stayed another year or two, I could well have had one!
So instead I complement my PB (Peedie Bernina…ooh the perfect name for her!) with a large throated Bernina and a mechanical one, solely for metallic threads. Then there is the straight stitch monster Singer which will go through everything..I really need to get it out of its case and set it up so it’s ready to be used when required. In fact I need to do that with most of my machines, I have the space in my studio after all! Off to see how many suitable tables I can find on Merkitplace. 😊
Rabbit hole binge watching while crafting and creating...Ahhh.
Shows of choice currently include, Hospitals and Reality Emergency Rooms. While I learn a thing or two, and see people who have found solutions to their ailments ( making the brain happy), I m motivated to keep going on current projects. Thanks for sharing what doesn't always feel "normal".
Too long creatives have not been willing to comment on the current situation in the USA preferring to stay in their lane so as not to affect their following. There comes a time when you can’t ignore horrific people and situations . Thank you for your comments.
I have zero shame in supporting you and speaking out. I spoke out about the orange one when he was elected, lost a couple of followers who delighted in telling me they were very upset (and I was delighted they left) - but I went back and edited my words, which I regret now. Rest assured, we’re watching and watching very carefully. There are no borders. Orange-mandated thugs are hurting us all, we’re all human - and the other disgusting lot have hurt enough already and need to be brought to justice.
I gave away my really good (according to experts 😬) machine and kept my old B-word machine. In my case, B would also stand for basic. Then I got a semi-industrial machine and the two of them are absolutely perfect for me to machine embroider. Once one figures out the settings, seems to me they will all work. I absolutely love the art you showed along with your letter and will be looking for more images of your work. Thank you for sharing your beauty.
You’re welcome! n+1 is indeed a bike reference, originally. Another one is that if you put your bike(s) {or sewing machine(s)} in the car, their combined value should exceed the value of the car (not hard in our case). Last one (these are all from himself, who’s enjoying this) is the fear that when you die and your partner sells your stuff, they’ll sell them for what you told them you paid for them not what you actually paid.
Pretty sure I spotted a clip on cup holder from Gypsy advertised in an American quilting magazine I was flipping through on Readly recently. My sewing table (10 yrs old)has a silly circular depression obviously intended as a cup holder but it's too shallow to be safe. Obviously designed by a non-sewer!
😤 Ridiculous! Golden rule for anyone attending an in-person class with me - NO DRINKS in open cups/mugs next to sewing machine 🤬 - a rule I break at home 😏 but it’s always on my righthand side, away from the action.
😆😆 Clearly designed by someone who has never sewed in their life! I think given my level of clumsiness I'd need something better than a small circular depression for my mug of tea - it's asking for disaster! I'm going to have to investigate these clip on cup holders, not that I want to buy one, but just for the amusement factor.
You are so right about the sewing machines. The manufacturers don’t want to make ONE that does it all or lasts forever. I have a B, the foot pedal quit just before Christmas, took it all in for service, 3 weeks later (and lighter in the wallet), the capacitor was repaired. (I thought that was something on the car in Back To The Future!) I’ve since read this is a common problem in B’s, so I’m not sure why they didn’t replace the foot pedal. Guess if it’s a problem, I’ll get to drive an hour to the shop again.
As for what to watch in the background now, the Olympics!
Sewing machines are like cars. You buy a new( to you ) shiny one and think it's going to be forever but 5 years down the line you are seduced by sat-navs and phones and cupholders. The manufacturers always come up with something you can't live without.
Sadly, yes! And the car thing is close to the bone…7 years ago we bought a 2nd hand car with low mileage, it was and sort of still is perfect….but we’ve just had to spend a tidy sum to fix something, and now suspect something else is on the way out 😭 I dread having to change anything, car or sewing machine!
I bought a new car during Covid because it was necessary. I missed out on 3 and had to compromise because choice was not guaranteed . I am hoping it lasts me the rest of driving stage of my life because I found it very stressful and I really don’t want to have to relearn a car which is where we are at these days. My daughter says there is talk of going back to knobs which would be a lot easier to deal with.
listen to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah anytime you can
read in the Book of Ichigo Ichi by Hector Garcia and Francese Miralles
Read Mary Oliver
write in your journal
Thank you for this email The Search for the Holy Grail-I am trying to decide whether I also need a brother embroidery machine that is 4" sq embroideries that would allow me to bring over my own drawings and stuff-inexpensive machine to add to my new Baby Lock Brilliant which sews gorgeous decorative stitches-or just keep reminding myself that God Willing I will be turning 81 in a couple of months and that my decluttering is not going all that well-but some progress.I will probably end up getting the Brother PE 535.
With you on Leonard Cohen and Mary Oliver, not heard of that book - thank you, and trying to journal every evening! Keeping notebooks is something I do a lot of…never leave the house without one. More reflective journaling, that’s harder but I’m trying! Good luck with your choice - although it sounds like you know already what you want!
I am ending up with a higher level decorative stitch and embroidery machine to add into my hand stitching -it will allow me to import photographs and drawings to my computer and then to the embroidery programming. It should keep me very busy.
Exciting stuff! Enjoy!
I’m glad I’m a basic kind-a-gal (if you can say that at 60). I have one machine, with no fancy electronics and a limited number of stitches, but it does have drop feet. I have thoroughly enjoyed your two posts and love your mathematical conclusion, n+1
As for rabbit holes, mine is more of a dilemma. I’ve signed up for a collage course which I can’t wait to do properly, but I’m so far behind and it only started a week ago. I agreed last October to make some memory bears for a friend. Well, last week she gave me the fabric and would like three making and said “Absolutely no rush” and I rather feel I need to make them sooner than later (at the cost of making a range of collage papers). She is paying for the bears and I am paying for my course, adding to my dilemma. Which to focus on because there are not enough hours in the day (even though I was up at 5am and will go to bed at 11pm) to fit in both and do the rest of the stuff that has be done, walk the dogs, go food shopping, housework, walk the dogs (and groom them … they’re half done and looking silly, but they don’t care) and provide the care, company & support for my wife. As for keeping up with the news… I don’t. I know I should be bothered about what’s happening here in the UK and the rest of the world, but they seem to be doing perfectly fine messing things up without me knowing about it.
So Im currently 3/4 of my way through 1 bear and decided I’m going to sit down sort out my different papers and label them for the paint techniques they are for, watch an episode of London Kills (not sure you can get it in the US) with my wife and the dogs.
Enjoy the process, the musing and crafting and keep breathing (in 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4 out 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4) it helps immensely 😁
Thanks Julia!! This resonates so hard…I’m constantly pulled in numerous directions, and people telling me to ‘not panic’ or have an early night or take a day off makes me all the more panicky at getting it all done, while not disappointing anyone - including myself!! I think you’ve hit on the perfect solution - ‘good enough’ where it doesn’t matter (dog grooming, I’m intrigued to know what half got done) and ‘something’ on the other things, so you’re not starting from zero. Once it’s a live project, it’s easier to keep going. A few collage papers here, part of a bear there…
Haha - One dog done top and sides of his body and feet, not head, legs or tummy.
Other dog head, ears, feet and part of her back (she doesn’t like the clippers after a traumatic experience with a groomer) so she’s done in stages with a comb and scissors unless it’s a good day and she lets me use the clippers.
This all sounds like the reason I had a whippet - a quick once over with a soft cloth and good to go! He used to run away if we said ‘brush’ - and we had to bribe with little pieces of Parmesan rind to do his nails! One person fed in the cheese, the other clipped 😅
It’s a lottery ticket. In the shop your ‘new desire’ works perfectly, doing every single thing you ever dreamed of, until you get the one still in the box home. Then you spend the next X months taking it back because very little works properly. Why do we accept the sub standard workmanship?
What about when you get to the class that you’ve been dreaming of for months only to find you’ve left all your nicely packed threads on your table at home, 500 miles away 😱!!
Oh no! That’s a horrible feeling, I get it all the time with random but important little things that I only remember when I’ve reached the point of no return on a journey, despite repeated checks before leaving… I guess you have to dig deep into your creativity and use what you’ve got to hand, ugh! No favourite things, that’s hard!
Really great article!
Thanks Mary!
Re Sewing 'machines' or computers as they are called today. My all singing dancing 'machine' has been collected for warranty repair, nearly 6 years since purchase. It was making an intermittent creak and judder when foot raised. 😕 Apparently this is a known thing for some versions of these well known machines. Dr Google says teeth get stripped from whatever raises the foot. I use it a lot for quilting, mixed media. No machine will do everything for ever.
Oh no! I hope they can fix it, thank goodness for warranties.
What a super post Izzy. Lovely to hear there is another Bernina-loving Morag out there on the hunt for bargain Berninas!!! 😍🤣
Realising here (I knew it really!) there are at least 3 sewing machine manufacturers beginning with B…but for you and I, that only ever means Bernina. 😉😘
I’m with you on the compromise thing with machines, but my Bernina 230PE is my most used machine, and other than having a small throat, I can pretty well do most things on it…other than a built-in embroidery option with an attached hoop module. In fact none of my machines have that, though I came close to getting one once, but didn’t see the point as I preferred to make my own. However, I was getting into creating and enhancing my own designs using computer software on a couple of machines in the shop where I worked, and if I had stayed another year or two, I could well have had one!
So instead I complement my PB (Peedie Bernina…ooh the perfect name for her!) with a large throated Bernina and a mechanical one, solely for metallic threads. Then there is the straight stitch monster Singer which will go through everything..I really need to get it out of its case and set it up so it’s ready to be used when required. In fact I need to do that with most of my machines, I have the space in my studio after all! Off to see how many suitable tables I can find on Merkitplace. 😊
That’s going to be some set up, when they’re all out! Send pics!
Will do, though it may take a while! 😉🤣
Rabbit hole binge watching while crafting and creating...Ahhh.
Shows of choice currently include, Hospitals and Reality Emergency Rooms. While I learn a thing or two, and see people who have found solutions to their ailments ( making the brain happy), I m motivated to keep going on current projects. Thanks for sharing what doesn't always feel "normal".
Ooh, medical emergencies! Thanks for the tip! I’m not allowed to watch that sort of thing in the evening because my husband’s squeamish 💉🩸😅
Too long creatives have not been willing to comment on the current situation in the USA preferring to stay in their lane so as not to affect their following. There comes a time when you can’t ignore horrific people and situations . Thank you for your comments.
I have zero shame in supporting you and speaking out. I spoke out about the orange one when he was elected, lost a couple of followers who delighted in telling me they were very upset (and I was delighted they left) - but I went back and edited my words, which I regret now. Rest assured, we’re watching and watching very carefully. There are no borders. Orange-mandated thugs are hurting us all, we’re all human - and the other disgusting lot have hurt enough already and need to be brought to justice.
I gave away my really good (according to experts 😬) machine and kept my old B-word machine. In my case, B would also stand for basic. Then I got a semi-industrial machine and the two of them are absolutely perfect for me to machine embroider. Once one figures out the settings, seems to me they will all work. I absolutely love the art you showed along with your letter and will be looking for more images of your work. Thank you for sharing your beauty.
Thank you Patt! Sounds like you've got an excellent combo there. I expect the semi-industrial eats up anything you throw at it - in a good way 😄!!
I expect there'll be a sewing machine with a cup holder soon. If it doesn't already exist.
The perfect number of bikes is one more than currently owned, one less than it takes to end up divorced. I expect it's similar for sewing machines.
Oof, I used to go to a sewing group with someone similar to the person you described. I had to leave in the end!
Another great read, thank you.
You’re welcome! n+1 is indeed a bike reference, originally. Another one is that if you put your bike(s) {or sewing machine(s)} in the car, their combined value should exceed the value of the car (not hard in our case). Last one (these are all from himself, who’s enjoying this) is the fear that when you die and your partner sells your stuff, they’ll sell them for what you told them you paid for them not what you actually paid.
😆😆 But as you're dead, will you care?!
🤣
Pretty sure I spotted a clip on cup holder from Gypsy advertised in an American quilting magazine I was flipping through on Readly recently. My sewing table (10 yrs old)has a silly circular depression obviously intended as a cup holder but it's too shallow to be safe. Obviously designed by a non-sewer!
😤 Ridiculous! Golden rule for anyone attending an in-person class with me - NO DRINKS in open cups/mugs next to sewing machine 🤬 - a rule I break at home 😏 but it’s always on my righthand side, away from the action.
😆😆 Clearly designed by someone who has never sewed in their life! I think given my level of clumsiness I'd need something better than a small circular depression for my mug of tea - it's asking for disaster! I'm going to have to investigate these clip on cup holders, not that I want to buy one, but just for the amusement factor.
You are so right about the sewing machines. The manufacturers don’t want to make ONE that does it all or lasts forever. I have a B, the foot pedal quit just before Christmas, took it all in for service, 3 weeks later (and lighter in the wallet), the capacitor was repaired. (I thought that was something on the car in Back To The Future!) I’ve since read this is a common problem in B’s, so I’m not sure why they didn’t replace the foot pedal. Guess if it’s a problem, I’ll get to drive an hour to the shop again.
As for what to watch in the background now, the Olympics!
I’ve been through a few foot pedals! They see a lot of action. I’m a bit meh with sport generally - but I do like a bit of figure skating ⛸️