New machine

About 9 PM, this box was dropped on our front porch.  It actually stayed there until about noon today.  Bob heard the UPS truck, but didn't think we'd had a delivery because the doorbell didn't ring and Dudley the guard dog, didn't bark.

Dudley with his tennis ball:

This morning we had to get out of the house early, for appointments and a couple of errands, and didn't think to checked the front porch.  As we were turning into the driveway, coming home, I spotted the box.  Very exciting.

The machine I've been using for making quilts is a Brother, and it's really been a struggle to use it.  It's constantly doing wacky things, really wacky things.  Plus, it's impossible for the consumer to open and clean; I've had to take it to the Sewing Machine Man, at least every six months.  I've had a love/hate relationship with it, which is absurd

I've been wanting a new sewing machine for a long time, but because I just sew straight seems, 99% of the time, I didn't want one with tons of stitches and all kinds of bells and whistles.  I did a bit of research, now and then, and settled on this beauty.

I sure hope "Mags" doesn't do wacky things.  Now, to read the instructions.

{this machine was just under $200.00, and free shipping, from the Sears website.  I'm not including the link, because now, they're charging $228!  If you like the machine, do a google search for the best price, of course.}

May your bobbins always be full,

eeek!

After returning home from our cruise, I picked up this quilt from the long-arm quilter.  It's really beautiful; but she did the wrong quilting pattern.  My customer had requested stippling and the quilter did a feather design.  I'm posting this so my customer can see what it looks like and decide if she still wants it!

I just sent her a good news/bad news message!

Amended - She said she loved it and will take it!

May your bobbins always be full,

Sewing machine blues

Have I mentioned that I don't like my sewing machine?  I don't.  I purchased it when we downsized to our retirement home, here in Murrieta.  I've sewn since I was 8, but wasn't sewing anymore, in 1998, when we moved.  I got rid of my old desk type sewing machine but knew I wanted to have a machine of some sort at the new house.  I think I only used it once or twice, until June of 2009, when I decided to take up quilting.  My poor little Brother XR40 sewing machine has really gotten a workout.

She's too small for what I want to do; but I make do.  She's impossible to clean, not designed for the owner to clean; all the dust that sewing on cottons produces just clogs her insides.  Every 6 months or so I have to take her to the sewing machine repair man, and have him open her up and remove the detritus of sewing.

Here she is, on Tuesday, when I strapped her in for yet another trip the the sewing machine repairman.  I'm on my way to pick her up, now.

I really need a new machine, but every time I sit down to do some research, I get  confused by all the choices.  Any recommendations would be welcome.  What do you sew with.

May your bobbins always be full,