All I can say is WOW on topic
Joanna
xmas. Her mom says auntie was at a trade show and thought she would like
it. This is her first sewing machine. Auntie spent more then $800 on it.
This is so wrong in so many ways. I think that's way too much to spend
on a child that may or may not ever even use the machine. It took me
over 12yrs of sewing to justify spending $800 on my machine. Now her mom
who has very limited sight is trying to find someone to come into their
home and show her how to sew something small to get her used to the
machine. Which hopefully she will find someone. Glad she has a smart
mom, but auntie could use a slap. This auntie figures if she spends the
money that will make up for the time she doesn't spend with the kids.
So I hope she at least learns to use the machine properly and maybe one
day she will like it and branch out from hemming and the small stuff.
Still waiting for pics of the machine but not holding my breath. The 13
doesn't think sending pics is a priority.
Joanna
Polly Esther
that was snaggled toothed and missing a few keys. Who knows how much better
I might have been (or not) with some nicer tools. Maybe this child will
just wonderfully benefit from having a really good SM. We will hope that
this is a great beginning. Polly
"Joanna" <whale3...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:4tp0n.12509$Wl3....@newsfe11.iad...
amy in CNY
amy in CNY
ha...@dcs.qmul.ac.uk
I learnt to sew on the machine my mother got when she got married (and
moved away from access to her mother's machine). In the days, it would
have been an expensive machine.
Since the girl's mother has poor eyesight and presumably doesn't sew,
I don't think it is so bad. But it is a lot of money spent on a
present for a child.
I own two machines: a less than $200 machine from Walmart and a pretty
good Pfaff. I loved the cheap one when I got it, but it is _much_
easier to get straight, well-balanced seems on the Pfaff.
Like you, though, I hope they get good help in teaching her to use the
machine well.
Hanne in DK
NanaWilson
services for ta teach her ta sew on this most wonderful machine >G< I am
not that great but I can sew a straight line or curvy what ever the pattern
calls for. I can, however, sew a good 1/4 of an inch seam!! AND I hve had
some great kids adopt me recently!!!
Nana In COLD MD.
"Joanna" <whale3...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:4tp0n.12509$Wl3....@newsfe11.iad...
Taria
on a quality machine (if she can afford it). Anyone
that has ever learned to sew on a pos machine can
appreciate how great it would be to have access to
a nice machine. Lots of areas still have 4-H groups
that would be a good place for her to learn to sew.
I hope the auntie has fostered a life long joy for the
child.
Taria
Sherry
Joanna, I agree that it's disgusting the way some people will shower
kids with
expensive gifts to make up for not spending time with them.
The bright side is, she might learn to be a marvelous seamstress on
her new
machine. I posted earlier about a Singer I bought that has given me
nothing
but trouble. I honestly think if a 13 year old got one of those,
they'd never
want anything to do with sewing out of sheer frustration.
But surely there's a happy medium between the two. That's kind of like
buying
a 15-year-old a Mercedes to learn to drive.
Sherry
Jennifer in Ottawa
interest in sewing/craft/needleart herself?? Who is to say that she
doesn't have inside knowledge from her niece that the desire to learn
about sewing is real? It really isn't your place to criticize this
gift or the intention with which it was given - you acted as surrogate
- period. jennellh
Kate XXXXXX
over �800 for it. I use it for teaching kids to sew. They love it.
The boys especially love exploring all the stitch patterns and want to
make it write their names!
I have had equal success teaching kids to sew on ancient hand cranks
that cost nothing, and a variety of thinhs in between. A good machine
is always an advantage.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
betsey
first, you don't know the finances involved. It could be that the
aunt can well afford the machine...plus, at a trade show, i bet she
scored a deal. AND, you really don't know if the aunt spends time or
not with the kids.
I have a sister who is VERY weathlthy. both she and her husband earn
a good living. what is "normal" to spend on things in their household
is not normal in most....so, I can't really slam my sister for how she
spends money. what's normal for her, is extravagent to me. That she
treats my children well....thankyou for being such a nice aunt!
Betsey
Sandy
"Taria" <ta...@verizon.net> wrote:
I can't help but agree, Taria. If my second machine had been my first,
I'd probably never have sewn another stitch. <G> Thank heavens my first
machine was a dream (biggest mistake of my sewing life to have traded
it for a zigzag machine when double knits came out!), which gave me hope
for a better experience the next time around. :)
Perhaps the aunt, since she did attend the trade show, is hoping to
spend some time sewing with her niece. At the very least, she's trying
to make her niece's sewing experience a happy one.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net
Joanna
will get a good teacher. And in the end if sewing isn't her thing maybe
it will find it's way to my house. Her parents have been so kind to us.
They send us the girls clothes and some toys. Paying for all the
shipping and handling to do so which isn't cheap. The last batch of
boxes was about $100 to send. So I need to get busy maybe sewing her
some pot holders and other things to send to her.
Joanna
Joanna
live close though. I know Lynn is in TO but that is quite the travelling
distance plus I know she works full time as well.
Any takers?
Joanna
Joanna
plagued with problems. But I'm sure you can get a decent machine for
less and still foster her growth as a sewer or quilter.I do really
secretly hope she loves it as much as I do.
This is an interesting situation. Biologically she is my child. (My egg,
but the husbands sperm) But her parents and I are very close. So
watching her grow up has truly been a joy. To watch the things that she
developes because of her parents and other things she likes because of
her genetics is really strange.
Joanna
Joanna
We even all lived together for a period of time. Biologically she is my
child (my egg and the husbands sperm). However I do feel more like an
auntie. Auntie has absolutely no interest in sewing/quilting or anything
crafty. Auntie would spend the money to buy a good quilt but with no
clue about all that goes into one. I realize now my post sounds a little
harsh it wasn't really meant to be harsh. I'm glad the child has a good
machine. I also worry that auntie is getting more and more eccentric. I
was smiling the whole time I wrote the post.
Take Care
Joanna
Joanna
to the family. Yes Auntie did score a deal, which I'm thankful for that.
What you say about your sister is true about this situation for sure.
She makes good money and wouldn't blink twice at what she spent. I was
more looking for responses on spending so much on a child that has no
clue. Have since changed my mind and think learning on such a great
machine has the possibility to lead to good things.
Joanna
Taria
not so much to others.
You are in an interesting situation. I have 2 adopted sisters.
My folks met each bio mom when they were pregnant. Both
girls have been reunited with mixed results. My dad
keeps in contact with the bio moms at this point but it
would have not been workable when my mom was alive.
She would have been very threatened.
I am glad you can make this work for you. It takes a
special person to do that.
Taria
"Joanna" <whale3...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:DcJ0n.9726$Sh7....@newsfe25.iad...
Roberta
buy a machine for their kids not to waste money on a junk toy. Get a
real machine, right? I learned on my mom's Elna, which was a really
good machine back in the dark ages. Probably cost an equivalent amount
back then. My mom hated to sew, only did it when necessary, but still
didn't have to justify owning a good machine. For all I know, grandma
bought it for her, because my parents never had much money. But just
because someone is on a tight budget doesn't mean she's not worthy of
a good machine, whatever her level of expertise. Maybe auntie could
have found a good machine for less, but it doesn't sound like money is
the real issue.
Roberta in D
On Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:35:27 -0700, Joanna <whale3...@shaw.ca>
wrote:
Sunny
anything more than a couple of hems in flannel spit up rags and a
matching set of night shirts for my newborn son and my 6'4" husband.
Yes, I said matching. And I never sewed anything before. It was
laughable, but we do have a photo somewhere with both of them wearing
the garments. Briefly.
Mom bought a machine for me that was way beyond my capacity or ability
or anything. Granted, I was approaching 50, but age doesn't imply
ability. Mom knew I didn't know how to thread a machine. She had
discovered the benefits of a really fine machine and just passed that
on when she had the chance. I'm grateful to her. If I'd had a a
machine that required struggle or frustration, I wouldn't have
persevered. My Janome 5700 was fun and easy and a really good
introduction to sewing for me, even if I never became the seamstress
my mom hoped I would. I will never make my own clothes.
This is my long way of saying that the aunt did a wonderful thing. If
the girl has a chance of learning to sew on a really good machine, at
least she won't mistake sewing machine malfunction for her own
ineptitude. I would also say that in this day and age, $800 is not
that much for a sewing machine. Think how long we keep sewing machine.
Ten years? Well that turns out to about $80 a year on that machine.
And if she's still using it 20 years from now? Even better. I know
thrift is important. I also know that you do get what you pay for and
quality isn't cheap. Better she get a good one at the start and learn
how it feels to use a good sewing machine.
Sunny
Michelle C.
already been made. That said, I will say this. I got my Juki TL98Q
yesterday. In the hour I played with it, I went from hating machine
quilting to loving it. Yep, that's the difference a good machine can make.
I will still continue to quilt some quilts by hand, but I am glad to be
able to expand my repertoire with the machine quilting. I've got quilt
tops in the closet needing to be quilted and I've just been stalled on
them until now.
If I hadn't had the patience for hand-piecing and quilting, I might have
given up as I've never had a really good machine for quilting, and while
I've got two good (but inexpensive) machines for piecing, I've also had
a real loser in that category too. Frustration can surely take the joy
out of even the most lovely quilt top.
So I guess, I think there's a lot wisdom in a new quilter having as much
machine as she can afford.
Best regards,
Michelle in Nevada
Sandy E
If we had a button ala Facebook, I'd mark this w/ a "Like", Taria.
Once I had a better machine than that p.o.s. at jr.high school,
I discovered I really could sew. And Mom discovered I could use
her ca.1965 Singer well enough to teach her a few steps. ;-)
Btw, if that auntie would like to adopt a few more nieces, I reckon
some of us would be appreciative of gifts like that.
R/Sandy - whose 16-yr-old did learn to drive in a Mercedes-Benz ;-D
On 1/4/10 10:02 PM, in article hhudlb$lm$1...@news.eternal-september.org,
Sandy E
Congrats on your new machine, Michelle.
Please let us know what you quilt on it; also, when you're on vacation,
and where the machine resides. Details, please.
(hey, Butterfly, you got the stash wagon gassed up?)
Oh, Michelle, you still here? uh,.. yeah, congrats!
R/Sandy - back to the un-decorating...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRqdFVV7r4E&feature=related
On 1/5/10 2:21 PM, in article hi06vh$lnf$1...@news.albasani.net, "Michelle C."
teleflora
> One of my surrogate kids who is 13 just received a very good Janome for
> xmas. Her mom says auntie was at a trade show and thought she would like
> it. This is her first sewing machine. Auntie spent more then $800 on it.
>
> This is so wrong in so many ways. I think that's way too much to spend on
> a child that may or may not ever even use the machine. It took me over
> 12yrs of sewing to justify spending $800 on my machine.
I don't necessarily think that $800 is too much to spend for a sewing
machine. TOL machines cost over 10 times more.
I'm like Sunny. If I had been less anxious to sew, I would have given it up
as a bad job.
I think it's great the Aunt can do this for her niece. Sounds like the kid
has other people to fill in the parenting stuff.
Some people have more money than time to spend. She probably doesn't have a
lot of time to search out a great used machine.
I think she did a nice thing. She wasn't obligated to do anything at all.
Just my 2 cents and that's about all it's worth.
Cindy
Michelle C.
The Juki is awesome. With that company's main focus on industrial
machines, this one is sturdy. It's also very quiet and sews a lovely
stitch. Right now, I'm working on the throw quilt for a friend that I
started on my Kenmore. Straight stitching, but doing things like boxes
and stars. The extra room in the Juki harp makes this soooo much easier
to do.
I have experimented a bit with free motion on practice pieces--and NO
eyelashes! Woo-hoo! I now realize the problem I was having with the
Kenmore is that it simply wouldn't go slow enough for me to move the
fabric in sync with the machine. No problem on the Juki (although it
will stitch 1500 stitches per minute if I wanted it to). Now, I just
have to learn to "drive" to do FMQ properly. The machine does
everything it should.
I LOVE IT! :-)
Michelle in Nevada
Michelle C.
a time saver!
Michelle in Nevada
Pat in Virginia
letter! I figure good tools are good to have. I also figure that if the aunt
is happy to spend the money and since the parents of the girl are okay with
it, that is their business.
Pat in Virginia
PS: I actually traded a FW for a Riccar just to have that zig zag!! ARG.
"Sandy" <inv...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:invalid-38F59A...@news.supernews.com...
lynne in toronto
Yes, I could not take this on as I don't have a car.
But thanks for thinking of me.
Lynne in Toronto
Sandy
"Pat in Virginia" <pat.q...@cox.net> wrote:
> Sandy: Your experiences are so like my own that I could have written your
> letter!
LOL! I suspect we're not the only ones. ;)
>I figure good tools are good to have. I also figure that if the aunt
> is happy to spend the money and since the parents of the girl are okay with
> it, that is their business.
> Pat in Virginia
> PS: I actually traded a FW for a Riccar just to have that zig zag!! ARG.
And I traded an old Singer-something; I didn't ever know the model
number and didn't realize at the time I'd ever want to know. But it was
a black beauty that sewed the most beautiful stitch -- just didn't
zigzag. :S My machine from he** was a White. Ugh.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net
amy in CNY
I love my White 999. She's just turned 29 and does the nicest stitches
ever. Except for the tiny Lint in the Pedal problem i had a few months
ago,,never a problem w/her!
I really would like a new machine and table set up so i could FM
better! But i can't do anything till the house is sold!
amy in CNY
Sandy
<0869fb7e-d683-4a2b...@z7g2000vbl.googlegroups.com>,
Amy, I have no doubt that there are wonderful Whites out there -- yours
among them -- but mine was a nightmare. Of course, I bought it off the
back of a station wagon after seeing an ad in the newspaper; the fellow
was selling a truckload of machines. If I'd been a bit smarter then, I'd
have suspected that there might be a problem with buying something from
a seller like that. ;)
Bonnie Patterson
of those sales, it sounds like a thrashing machine. We were sharing a
table at a workshop one day and the table was practically walking from
the shaking that that machine was doing. She said that she bought it
to do things like our workshop because her main machine was so heavy
to take on the road and that the "school model Singer", was a big
disappointment, and heavy too.
We have since decided that the if you can't get an old "featherweight"
then the Janome Gem gold/heart is a good alternative.
Bonnie, in Middletown, VA