I Bought a Sewing Machine!

First things first--I like to learn by reading and gathering information first, so I took myself to the bookstore and checked out the sewing books they had on the shelf.  I picked out one or two that I liked and made a mental note of their names.  Then I went to my local library to see what they had available. I came home with two library books.  The first was the Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (which I discovered was missing the first 21 pages when I got home!) and the other was The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sewing.  I have to say, for me at this point, I'm liking the Complete Idiot's Guide better (so what does that say about me? lol!).

Another thing I did was look around online for some sewing forums.  I'm still looking, but was able to glean a bit of information from a couple of them, such as looking for advice on buying a sewing machine for a newbie.

And then I went looking for places that sell sewing machines.  I already knew what walmart had, so I made my way to some local fabric shops to see what else was out there.  One little local place doesn't sell machines but does offer machine repairs, which I may take advantage of with an old hand-me-down machine.  Another place place had a few machines, including a couple I was interested in, with the added bonus of them being on sale.  Of course, a quick look online revealed that their sale price was a common price you could buy them for online anyway, so I don't know how much of a "sale" that was.  I finally made my way to Jo-Ann's, where they not only had a selection of machines, but also someone there to answer questions and give demonstrations.

To make a long story short, I ultimately decided to get a Husqvarna Viking Opal 650 sewing machine.  It's metal parts inside instead of plastic, so it should be much more durable (although that also makes it more expensive).  It also had extra stitches and such things that I thought I'd end up being glad to have once I had a clue what I was doing.  The computer uses a keypad instead of the touchscreen on the 670 (I didn't want to have to be keeping track of a stylus, and I didn't care for the touch screen so much anyway, but that's a personal preference thing).  It had a good warranty and a upgrade/trade-in option, AND there were REAL people there that I could talk to (and go back to if/when I have questions in the future).  I gave my hubby and call to check with him before spending that much money, and he said go for it.  So, I did!

After buying the machine and taking it out to the car, I went back in and looked and looked and looked and looked through pattern catalogs and flannel fabrics, trying to decide what to try to make (keeping in mind I really want to make flannel ladybug jammies for my little girl!).  After a break, I took my husband back with me, and we picked out a jammies pattern and some skateboard flannel on clearance for SB3 (Shorty Boy #3, who is now 4.5yo) and some different ladybug flannel for Iago (my little girl--It's A Girl One--the first daughter after three sons, and the first girl in hubby's family in 69 years).  We also got thread and shears and elastic to be able to complete the project, and hubby put in his request for some sleep shorts, while Sly (boy #1, now 15.5yo) put in his order for a vest.  See, I really am going to learn to sew!  I'm gonna have to! lol!