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You have finally come to the conclusion that you need or want a sewing machine. Now, what is on the market and how do you make the right decision?
There are many brands of machines out there and everyone boasts different features. Some machines appeal to quilters, others want you to embroider everything including the toilet seat and the shower curtain. Searching for the right machine is going to take some time.
Shopping for a new machine can make your head spin. The girls on my boards discuss which machine is best every time someone needs a new one. We all know the name brands but I am not going to suggest one, that decision is yours. It's a personal one and an important one. I will, however give you a few basic questions you should ask yourself.
1. What type of sewing do you plan to do?
- clothing
- crafts
- repairs and alterations
- home decorating
2. Where will you sew?
- sewing room
- kitchen table
- integrated into other family living area
3. How will your machine be stored?
- in its own cabinet
- in a closet hiding behind the coats
- leave it out to sew every spare moment
4. Consider your budget and buying habits? How long will you keep this machine?
- 6 months
- a few years
- forever and a day
When you answer these questions, you are on your way to making the right decision. Obviously if you are going to sew from the kitchen table, you don't want a machine with lots of accessories or add-ons that will take up too much room. If you are doing repairs and alterations, you don't want a machine that duplicates the quilting stitch. If you have small children around, your machine needs to be tucked away safely. Just a few things to think about.
Research is the name of the game here. Check out the latest consumer reports. Visit the forum discussions on sew-whats-new.com and see what the girls are using. They will gladly tell you what works and what doesn't. Another source is the well known sewing magazines. Sew News and Threads do comparison studies all the time.
If you are lucky enough to have local dealers, pay them all a visit. Test drive all their machines and ask lots and lots of questions. Take fabric with you that you use and test out things like stitch length, reverse and some of the different presser feet. Find out about lessons. Lots of dealers will give you a few free lessons to get you acquainted with your machine. Above all, take your time. I cannot stress this enough. Don't let anyone rush you thru the process. Leave the kids at home so you have no distractions. While you are in the shop asking questions, you can see how the staff relate to customers and if they have the answers to all your questions. If they seem impatient or brusque, imagine how they might be after the sale. If they are not helpful now at the prospect of a sale, they probably won't be later if you need help.
On the other hand, a strong sales pitch can also steer you in the wrong direction. Paying for a top of the line model doesn't mean you are getting the machine you will be happiest with. You must resist the urge for that impulse buy. Go home and talk to someone who sews. Find out their experiences and listen to what they have to say. Again, take your time with this decision.
If you have visited all the dealers, and test driven their machines visit them all again. Visit again when you are rested and can make a clear decision. Go back and take a second look at those machines. You are looking at them with new eyes now. Maybe there are a few things you never noticed the first time that stand out now. What about that foot pedal, is it comfortable? Do you want the even feed feature? Does the machine run smoothly and quietly? Are there more programmes than you will ever use? If so, make a mental note and you can scale down your possible choices. This second visit will tell you more than you expect.
Ask about the warranty that comes with each machine. Be sure you know who is responsible for standing behind it, your dealer or the manufacturer. Are repairs made locally or will you have to pack everything up and send it away.
Be very sure you understand what is included with the sewing machine. Which feet, how many bobbins and what about a manual. The manual is very important. You will refer to the manual time after time so it should be a good reference guide to all the accessories and stitch designs along with any other functions. The manual should be full of pictures and diagrams for the basic sewing as well as clear directions. If your manual isn't helpful, do you want to go searching out the answers every time you have a problem. I wish I had a penny for every time someone has emailed me with a problem that their manual doesn't answer.
Be sure you get your sales agreement in writing and keep your copy in a safe place. Nothing less will do.
The bottom line is you m ...
Author: Mary Wilkins
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About Quilting Make 15" square basket quilt blocks in traditional Amish style, or vary your fabrics for a slightly Amish look. The quilt block pattern includes instructions for single quilt blocks (perfect for scrap quilts), but on page 3 you'll find directions to help you make the 63" x 63" quilt illustrated here. Amish Style Miniature Quilt Pattern New: Slightly Amish Basket Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 12:21:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this New Gallery & Lots of Gallery Updates The Memory Quilts Gallery is brand new this weekend, and the first quilts displayed there represent a range of purposes and techniques. I've spent most of the past two days going through my backlog of photo submissions and I'm happy to say... whew! I'm nearly finished (only a few pics remain). You'll find new photos in every gallery linked below. Baby Quilts Regatta Quilt by Patti Dubreuil New Gallery & Lots of Gallery Updates originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 20:57:23. Permalink | Comment | Email this Miniature Bear's Paw Quilt Pattern This little quilt measures about 19-inches square. It's made from four 3-1/2-inch Bear's Paw quilt blocks that are surrounded by cornerstones and pieced sashing. A dark inner border and a floral outer border complete the little quilt. Everything is quick and strip-pieced. Half square triangle units used in blocks finish at 1/2", but you can make them perfectly every time but assembling the units slightly larger than necessary and then cutting each one back to the exact size before sewing. Photo © Janet Wickell Miniature Bear's Paw Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 09:10:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this Summertime Baskets Block in Two Sizes: 20" and 10" I love it when the native plants are blooming like crazy and blossoms and fruit are in motion. And it's an incredible sight to gaze out across the Blue Ridge Mountains in the spring to watch the progression of green as it moves higher in elevation. I call that progress greening up the mountain, and have thought forever that the theme would make a good landscape quilt. I even started a miniature version years ago in a class with Jo Diggs, and rediscovered the project awhile back when we unpacked some boxes. Now I just have to find the time to work on it. Spring and summer always brings out the basket blocks, too. This version is in the deeper colors of summer, but would work well with any theme. I think it would be lovely sewn with solid fabrics in the Amish tradition, even if you decide to add some reds and other zesty colors we don't typically see in traditional Amish quilts. I've included instructions for two blocks sizes, a 20" and a 10". Choose whichever works for you. On the About.com Network Since we're talking about baskets and flowers, take a look at the decoupaged garden seed container on our Family Crafts site. Sherri's come up with a cute and useful project for your gardening friends. © Janet Wickell Summertime Baskets Block in Two Sizes: 20" and 10" originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 12:07:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this A Joyous Celebration Mini Quilt Pattern Speed piecing techniques make stitching this little quilt a breeze. The light fabric that surrounds the stars blends with the pictorial angel fabric used in the center of the snowball blocks, giving the snowballs an on-point appearance even though all blocks are sewn together side by side. The quilt measures 29-1/2" square. photo © Janet Wickell A Joyous Celebration Mini Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 06:10:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Catching the View Quilt Pattern The three kitty cats in this quilt are peering through windows at all the summer flowers outside, and you can bet they're keeping an eye on the butterflies flying around the garden. This has been a popular pattern with readers, and although it does have set-in seams at the mitered frames, it is not difficult to assemble. Photo © Janet Wickell Catching the View Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 16:35:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Star Quilt Patterns Patchwork star quilt designs are an all-time favorite, so you'll find star patterns scattered throughout the About.com Quilting Web site. I've linked to several choices below, but there are more. The list includes blocks and quilts in a range of sizes, starting at 6" square (you'll find a few options for smaller blocks) and moving upwards. Star blocks are the perfect starting point for holiday quilts -- just change the fabrics to make any pattern to suit your needs. Star quilts are often made up of half square triangle units, a popular quilting component that you'll encounter often. Use my triangle squares tutorial to learn an easy (and accurate) construction method. Framed Friendship Stars Quilt Pattern Star Quilt Patterns originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, July 10th, 2010 at 15:09:05. Permalink | Comment | Email this Domino Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern The Domino quilt block finishes at 9" square, with small units that are a nice size for baby and toddler quilts, but perfectly fine for a bed-sized quilts, too. The Domino quilt block pattern includes instructions for making a single quilt block, for those of you who like to go scrappy, plus directions for 20-strip pieced Dominos. The 20 blocks can be used in the Domino baby quilt shown on page 4 of the pattern, or in another quilt of your own design. Before beginning, new quilters should make sure they're okay with sewing a quarter inch seam and with rotary cutting long strips of fabric. Domino Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 09:44:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Attic Ribbons Quilt Pattern Attic Ribbons is a 70" x 94" quilt made from 12" Attic Windows quilt blocks. Some of the blocks feature applique motifs, but you can eliminate the applique if you wish, or use one of my easy suggestions to simplify construction while still adding a bit of variety to the windows. Use different colors to create your own unique theme, and sew fewer or more blocks to alter its finished size. Setting-in is not a difficult method -- do give it a try. Attic Ribbons Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 14:55:34. Permalink | Comment | Email this Greek Cross Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern Greek Cross quilt blocks are all about color value, and you can dramatically alter their appearance by shifting value positions within the block. I've included a quilt layout suggestion (along with yardages and extra instructions, of course) and drawings that illustrate value variations. Greek Cross is such a simple block, but it can be either traditional or dramatic, depending on your fabric choices. Janet Wickell Greek Cross Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, July 4th, 2010 at 08:31:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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