So I have completed exactly one quilt and fantasized about making 1 every week for the rest of the year, so that's ambitious, but I think I can at least try...if I only end up with 20, that's exactly 20 more than I had last year at this time, so anything is an improvement. While I was browsing my next pattern, I saw a beautiful quilt with embroidery on it and I thought "I need an embroidery machine!". So I ordered one, along with some plates for my Big Shot that will allow me to cut quilting strips to 2.5" and 2.5" squares from the Fabi collection. I'm excited to use everything all at once, but since I work and I'm in grad school, I can only create at limited times. Anyway, I bought my first machine exactly 3 years ago today (thank you Facebook for the memory!) and it was a metal Singer.
I paid $20 for this machine.
I was so happy when I bought this machine, I knew nothing about sewing or how to properly use a machine, but I just jumped right in and started sewing bags and mending things. Eventually my machine broke and the cost to repair was more than the cost of a new easier to use machine, so my hubby suggested I get a new one, so I did. I upgraded to the Brother CS6000i and I immediately loved it, the automation, the ease, and how quiet it was compared to this one.
My awesome quilting machine!
I know there is a lot of discussion about the differences in quality of the older machines vs. the newer ones, but honestly, for the amount of experience I had with sewing, a more modern machine was a better investment. The plus side is that by the time I got my new Brother, I had already worked through the growing pains of learning how to machine sew, so it felt like the easiest thing in the world. That machine still works like a dream and I completed the Hundred Hugs on that machine and only got a new one because I wanted to embroider. Since I have been so happy with my current machine, I decided to get another Brother for my embroidery machine, the HE-240 (which is the same as the SE-400). I also decided to get a combo machine that can sew and embroider so I wouldn't have a machine that embroiders only, if you want that, I'd suggest the PE-500. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I did take it out of the box to look at it and see if it will fit inside of my rolling bag (it does).
New embroidery machine.
I am so excited about all of the things this machine will allow me to do! I can machine appliqué with embroidery plus this will still sew and quilt like my other machine, I think it's the bee's knees. I didn't sew anything, but I looked at some of the features and they feel familiar because of my other machine. I am going to be making two modern baby quilts starting this week and hopefully they will turn out ok! I'll keep you posted, and thank you for stopping by, happy crafting!