Shopping day / Trends in sewing machines

So, I haven't been to my sewing machine dealer in a while... I haven't
been buying any sewing machines, I didn't need any more presser feet,
and I didn't have any friends buying stuff. But, I recently taught a
friend to sew, and I wanted him to visit a sewing machine dealer so he
could begin to get an idea of what contemporary sewing machines are
like. (He's using a 33 year old Singer machine that someone gave him.)
So, we went to my sewing machine dealer today.

The first surprise for me was a new Babylock machine with a HUGE
embroidery hoop. You could put a jacket in the hoop and embroider the
whole back of it in one swell foop. Amazing. I really didn't expect
any of the manufacturers would make a machine with a hoop quite that
big for consumer use.

Bad news: Elna is no longer making the machine that let you use an
entire spool of thread as the bobbin. Waaaah! I really wanted that
feature to catch on.

Good news: My dealer has started carring the Singer Quantum line of
machines. Apparently, after letting their technician have a thorough
look at them and letting all the employees take them home to beat on
them for a while, they decided the Quantum machines are reliable
enough for them to sell. Yay! Nice to hear Singer is making something
decent. Now if only Singer would do something about the rest of their
products...

In other news, I went pattern shopping. I bought a pattern for baby
outerwear, Kwik Sew 3127. It's adorable, and looks like it should be
easy to make. A friend has offered me fabric for it, and I have an
appointment almost next door to my zipper wholesaler tomorrow, so I
think I'll nab a few zippers.

As for other baby stuff, I've decided to go with patterns from
McCalls, because they're on sale real cheap next weekend. ($0.99
patterns are the one thing that can suck me into Joanns. I otherwise
try to spend my sewing money at independent fabric stores and small
local chains.)

In all, a productive day.

Tom Farrell
http://www.SewingWithTom.com/

Hello Tom...I started looking at your web site, and when I saw Massachusetts
Dealers, I went and looked the page over. I had a good laugh about 1 of the
comments. Well that just reminded me of when I would call or go to Auto
Parts stores and get the same reaction. Now this was back in the late '70s
and pretty much of the '80s. But eventually I got the last laugh with them,
as you will get your day also.

Maine-iac Rose
@---
remove the thorns to email me

"Tom Farrell" wrote in message
om...
So, I haven't been to my sewing machine dealer in a while... I haven't
been buying any sewing machines, I didn't need any more presser feet,
and I didn't have any friends buying stuff. But, I recently taught a
friend to sew, and I wanted him to visit a sewing machine dealer so he
could begin to get an idea of what contemporary sewing machines are
like. (He's using a 33 year old Singer machine that someone gave him.)
So, we went to my sewing machine dealer today.

The first surprise for me was a new Babylock machine with a HUGE
embroidery hoop. You could put a jacket in the hoop and embroider the
whole back of it in one swell foop. Amazing. I really didn't expect
any of the manufacturers would make a machine with a hoop quite that
big for consumer use.

Bad news: Elna is no longer making the machine that let you use an
entire spool of thread as the bobbin. Waaaah! I really wanted that
feature to catch on.

Good news: My dealer has started carring the Singer Quantum line of
machines. Apparently, after letting their technician have a thorough
look at them and letting all the employees take them home to beat on
them for a while, they decided the Quantum machines are reliable
enough for them to sell. Yay! Nice to hear Singer is making something
decent. Now if only Singer would do something about the rest of their
products...

In other news, I went pattern shopping. I bought a pattern for baby
outerwear, Kwik Sew 3127. It's adorable, and looks like it should be
easy to make. A friend has offered me fabric for it, and I have an
appointment almost next door to my zipper wholesaler tomorrow, so I
think I'll nab a few zippers.

As for other baby stuff, I've decided to go with patterns from
McCalls, because they're on sale real cheap next weekend. ($0.99
patterns are the one thing that can suck me into Joanns. I otherwise
try to spend my sewing money at independent fabric stores and small
local chains.)

In all, a productive day.

Tom Farrell
http://www.SewingWithTom.com/

Tom Farrell wrote:

So, I haven't been to my sewing machine dealer in a while... I haven't
been buying any sewing machines, I didn't need any more presser feet,
and I didn't have any friends buying stuff. But, I recently taught a
friend to sew, and I wanted him to visit a sewing machine dealer so he
could begin to get an idea of what contemporary sewing machines are
like. (He's using a 33 year old Singer machine that someone gave him.)
So, we went to my sewing machine dealer today.
(snip)

(I'm a couple of weeks behind) It sounds like you had a great visit--I
think I'll go visit a sewing machine dealer and drool over the new
machines. :-)

--
Kathy - help for new users at http://www.aptalaska.net/~kmorgan/
Good Net Keeping Seal of Approval at http://www.gnksa.org/
OE-quotefix can fix OE:
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/