yet another new sewing machine

Two weeks ago I bought yet another sewing machine. I was at Joann and they had a floor model on sale for $250 because it was a class machine, and another 10% off as a floor model. It's a Husqvarna Emerald 116. It's a strange purchase in a way, because it's a step up, and a step down.

It has a whole lot less features than my current machine, which is a Brother CS-8150. I like all of the features my brother has, but its not a very substantial machine. I wanted something that had more power and a bit more finesse. When I alter jeans it frequently skips stitches and has problems with thick layers of fabric. It's also loud as hell. Brian and I have a kind of all purpose room where my sewing machines, the computers, and large screen TV live. We do that so that even though we have completely different activities, we are still in the same room and can talk. However, the Brother can make multi-tasking difficult because it's very loud. Brian plays games that require a mic, and between the sewing machine and the TV turned up to loud enough to hear, he has issues playing.

When I bought it I was very impressed with all of the stitches it could do, but now I find that I use them very infrequently. Generally its a basic straight stitch, basting stitch, or zig zag that I find myself using for most projects. Assuming that I keep the Husqvarna, I won't get rid of the Brother. It will be a back up machine, and on some rare occasion that I need a stitch that looks like a leaf, or need to sew an eyelet, I'll break it back out.

So, I think the new machine fits the bill. Even though it's short on features, its a Husqvarna and quite sturdy. Its much more quiet than either the Brother or my serger. It zipped right through the last pair of jeans I bought with no skipped or elongated stitches. After the jeans I immediately had some wonky stitch issues that I'm still trying to work out, but I suspect that it's user error and not the machine.

On the negative side, there is no needle up feature, no thread cassette (I got spoiled), and everything is controlled by dials. I keep finding myself reaching for the needle up button, and then having to reach around to the side to turn the hand wheel. Same with the buttons for changing stitch length and width. I think that maybe the dials aren't really a con, it's just something I need to readjust to. Also, the Brother starts and stops with a push button, and has a slider to control speed. I always thought that was a major benefit, but in working with a treadle again I'm discovering it wasn't. Having the treadle really allows me to control my speed without having to take my hands off the fabric. It's a real plus when the fabric is slippery, or it needs to be stretched, and going around corners or curves.

I think I'll play with it a bit longer and see how things go before I decide definitely to keep it, but so far I'm pretty happy. Its interesting how you can feel the power and smooth operation of the motor in the better machines, and that does whisper to me that I should keep it.

New fabric, and a creased diploma

I have had the sewing bug for quite a while now, being as that I'm 4'6" and pretty curvy. Kids clothes don't work for me because of the curves, and buying women's clothing has turned into a nightmare. I used to be able to buy juniors clothing, or shop at most major chain retailers with somewhat of a correct size.

However, over the last few years more and more stores are phasing out their smallest sizes. At the places where size zero's and double or single xs still exists, it's just not the same size it was 5 to 7 years ago. This means a lot of ill fitting clothes for me, or shopping at much more expensive stores. Sometimes both. And I have a really, really hard time paying $100 for an article of clothing, and then having to have it tailored. I know that I need to just get over it. But, still. So long story winding down, I really want to learn to make my own clothing. I've made a couple of small things, but while I was going to school, I never got around to the more complicated (read, anything above very easy) patterns.

Now I have more time on my hands, and I'm planning on sewing. I bought a whole bunch of patterns on sale for $0.99, and now I just need to make them. I bought some fabric, too. The fabric on the left is a (rayon-poly, I think) knit that I bought on sale that I want to use for a dress; the fabric on the right will eventually be a circle skirt. I have a pattern for the skirt, but I have absolutely no clue what kind of pattern to use for the dress. I also don't have a serger, so I'm hoping I will be able to sew it on my regular machine. I have heard good things about Sew U Home Stretch even though its a basic book. Maybe it will help me in my conundrum.

In other news, my diploma from the Art Institue of Pittsburgh, Online Division, finally showed up. And apparently, "DO NOT BEND" means absolutely nothing to the fine people that delivered it. See that big bend in the bottom left corner? Yeah, that matches the beautiful crease in my fine new diploma. It goes right across the seal. I could iron the rest of the diploma flat, but I'm assuming that if I run an iron across the seal, the embossing will dissappear. Does that mean I'd no longer have a valid diploma? God that would be a fitting end to the travails I've experienced with this college. Just for proof, here's a pic of the $60,000 piece of glossy paper:
Yay me! I might be able to regain somewhat of a social life again!