I Sew

I think just about everyone knows about the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog...right? They do a great job with their monthly themes and this month is Sewing Machine Month. Cool! I've got 3 sewing machines so I'm all over it. Anyway, they've got a little meme going on and I thought I might join in on the fun. I love to gush about my PFAFF (no one in my house wants to hear about it, haha).

The Sewing Machine meme

What brand and model do you have? My main workhorse sewing machine is a PFAFF Creative 2144 (it's no longer available, but I think it's most like this one.)

How long have you had it? I've had it just about 3 years now.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Ouch, I hate to say it, but I paid around $4,000 for it + another $2k for the software. (Keep in mind, there was a real estate sale involved in the purchase of this machine.)

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I sew pretty much everything. Most of the time I'm making quilts, handbags, zipper pouches & that sort of stuff. I used this machine to make my wedding dress and I've also used it for curtains, pillows & such. This machine is also a full embroidery model, but I haven't spent a lot of time on that.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew quite a lot, it's my full time gig. I don't use it every single day right now, but I definitely have in the past.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I really love this machine. When I first got it, I was about 3 months away from moving to England. I quickly took every class I could to get myself up to speed, and then left the country with my machine safely crated and on a ship to join me. I had a few problems with it at first because it had been a demo. Once I got it serviced, it ran like a dream. No name, sorry.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I love, love, love the needle up/down feature, it's by far my favorite thing. I use it constantly. This machine can also tie off and cut the thread when I stop sewing, that's a real help. The built-in walking foot works great too, PFAFF calls it IDT. My wedding dress would have been a bear without that. There are so many great features, I could go on all day...adjustable needle positions, the touch screen, being able to raise and lower the feed dogs, an alert when the bobbin is getting low. Like most nice machines, there are way too many stitches ( I think I use about 3 regularly), but what's cool about this machine is that I can program them myself. I can combine decorative stitches, create my own or add stitches to existing ones. The possibilities are awesome.

Another great feature is that I can upgrade. When PFAFF makes an update to the operating system, I just sync my machine with my computer and I've got new stitches or features. That's a big benefit.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? When I turn it on, the machine goes through a little startup routine and puts the foot down. I know it's not a huge thing, but it does bug me to have to lift it back up every time (am I spoiled?).

The other not-so-good thing is the software that works with the embroidery part of the machine. I'm reasonably competent on a computer and have found this software to be very counter-intuitive and difficult to use. I've spent a lot of time working with it and for the most part have avoided using it. I'd always wanted an embroidery machine, so it's a little disappointing. The embroidery is great, the software is not.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! My great story relates more to my other machine, a PFAFF Tiptronic 6270. When I got this machine it was a major upgrade for me. I had been sewing on an $89 Brother from Costco for many years before I picked up this machine. The features blew me away and I wanted to put a sticker on my car that said, "Ich liebe mein PFAFF" (I love my PFAFF). I was beside myself. What made that machine even more special though was that my grandpa lent me the money to buy it (about $1,500). My grandpa passed away not long after I got it, so it means a lot to me. I don't think I'll ever part with it. Thanks, Grandpa!

Behold, PFAFF #1

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I would if they wanted to spend a lot of money and were planning on using it a lot. It's a lot of sewing machine. I'd definitely recommend PFAFF, though I don't really think any of the higher end brands are any better than another. I just happen to have PFAFFs.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Price, reputation, features, how easy it is to thread and change/wind a bobbin. I think it depends on what the machine will be used for and how often.

Do you have a dream machine? I believe that I currently own my dream machine, but I used to dream of getting an overlock/serger.

Then I became the proud owner of this Huskylock 905 from Husqvarna Viking (they're actually the same company as PFAFF now, I think). This machine is such a time-saver, I love it. It was an incredibly generous gift.

So, that's it for my sewing machine collection. I hope I haven't talked too much about my babies. hehe

There's a new kid in town

It's Ruthie! She's the latest Gadget Monkey I put on my website. She's not on Etsy yet, but I suppose she will be soon. I've found that I get very few sales on the weekend so I'd rather wait until Monday to list a new item.
This not being able to sew thing is really hard. I took my old PFAFF in for a tune up and the guy won't even be in for another three days. Aargh! I guess Nick & I have been really busy this week buying stuff for the house & everything so it hasn't been so bad. He starts his new job Monday and I'll be stuck here alone. That's not gonna be fun without a sewing machine. I guess I'll be stocking up on monkeys again. I haen't sold much over the past 2 weeks so it seems like such a waste. Ever get discouraged because your sales are low? That's me right now. I've been trying to relist and post on the Etsy forums a lot, but still not much happening. I guess it'll pick up.
What I really want to do is get a second website going for my little monkey friends and spend some time promoting iSew.biz. I have a great book about online marketing, but it's on a ship with my sewing room! I'm afraid I don't even know where to start. I've done a lot already, but I still need to do way more. Maybe it's time to put an ad in a magazine. Any ideas which one? Me either.
Well, I'll worry about all that later. My Aunt is in town this week so she's stopping by tomorrow to see the house. That'll be a nice distraction on a Sunday.

Yet another

So I've just listed my 3rd Catie Diaper Bag today, both on Etsy and iSew.biz. I got a chance to use my long awaited Dick & Jane fabrics, and I still have enough left over to make a few bibs, hooray! I'm pretty happy with this bag, you can't say it's dull, it's really bright! A lot of mom's don't seem to want the baby pastel stuff these days. This one will appeal to them, it's downright loud. It'd be great for a baby shower gift for someone who doesn't know the sex of the baby yet too, it's pretty gender-neutral. I enjoy using lots of fabrics to make these bags, but it takes ages. The cutout time is way longer because of the multiple fabrics. It's a different look compared to most diaper bags so I think it's worth it.

In other news... I've been having a lot of trouble with my sewing machine lately. Well, let me rephrase that, it's been a real pain in the neck since I got it. I find this particularly disturbing because I've only had it a year, and it cost a fortune. It's a PFAFF 2144, a very nice machine. It does embroidery too, or it would if I could get the software to work for me. Don't get me started on that. Anyway, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I can't seem to get this machine to do a simple straight stitch sometimes. This is rediculous! Every time I go to topstitch something, or stitch up anything on the small side, I get all worked up because I know the machine may not do it. Sad, no? My old $89 Brother that I got in like 1989 was better than this. Even more frustrating, is the fact that I was absolutely in love with my last PFAFF. What the heck is the deal with this thing? I'm looking forward to going back to California so I can get it serviced. It's not like I can just go without a sewing machine, it's kinda what I do.

What I'm trying to say is this... I would have had another bag done today if I hadn't had to pull the topstitching out 4 times. I ended up taking part of the machine off & cleaning it out as much as I could (this includes a good swipe with the vacuum). It seems to have helped, but I'm still not impressed. Even a less AR (anal retentive, as my boyfriend calls it) person would not accept the stitching my PFAFF is doing these days. It's criminal what I paid for this machine, it should work properly.