Friday, September 29, 2017

NEW EMBROIDERY MACHINE -- YAY!!



So, I was messaging with my childhood friend Chris last week, discussing the trials of adjustment after parents pass from this life. She concluded a message by lamenting that she really missed the simplicity of her trusty old Deco 600 embroidery machine, which is now worn out. She extolled its virtues – affordable, easy to set up, beautiful work. That’s when it occurred to me that some things in life can’t be changed while others can. “Why not replace that embroidery machine,” I suggested.

Discussion ensued. Chris initially concluded that the machine she envisioned was no longer manufactured, but by happenstance, I found  one online (the Brother pe-770) that I thought might fit her criteria and sent the link. By the time it reached her, she had already found and ordered the same model through Amazon. And then I caught her enthusiasm. “Is this something I might enjoy?” I asked. We agreed that I would wait until hers came and she’d had a chance to test it before I ordered one for myself. Wednesday morning she texted, “It’s here – stay tuned.”

(I should add here that Chris is an expert machine embroiderist, and under her guidance, I have also learned. We both have other embroidery machines and the necessary threads, stabilizers, fabrics, and know-how. In other words, it’s just a matter of learning a new machine. Chris will step right into it, and hopefully, I won’t be far behind.)





The "Listening Circle" at Chief Timothy State Park
Two hours later, Chris was convinced she loved her new pe-770. “I say you order one and I’ll do a training session,” she texted. Sounded like a plan to me, so I placed my order immediately. Amazon committed to deliver on Friday (two-day free delivery, you know), but the shipping notice said delivery by 8:00 p.m. Thursday. When Mike and I returned from a geocaching hike at Chief Timothy Thursday forenoon, there it was at the back door – overnight delivery. (Maybe Amazon was afraid I’d change my mind.)
From Chief Timothy State Park

“I thought you were going to wait to see if Chris liked hers before you ordered yours,” messaged daughter Hallie.
“I did wait,” I replied. I mean – how long did she think this wait was going to be?!

So, where was I going to put this machine? And yes, I did think about this before ordering but refused to be deterred by lack of space. I remembered an old serger table in the garage and set that up behind my sewing machine. Yes, the room is cramped. Enter at your own risk -- and don't touch anything!

It took an hour or so for me to thread the machine, but eventually I was up and running. I stitched out one design, and then I had to get supper. But I'll be back at it.

Here’s my latest American Girl creation – a karate uniform. I actually made two – one for Emmy’s Elizabeth and a second for Emmy’s friend’s doll. The girls attend karate class together and have matching AG dolls. KW


3 comments:

Chris said...

Oh! I have to tell you that YOU ARE the one who alerted me to this machine. I got your message and link. I checked it out and was going to order it when Dan asked if Amazon sold it. I checked there, found it was less expensive, and *he* pressed "buy now with one click"! So much fun and I never would have found it without you!

Kathy said...

Thanks for telling me. You acted fast, so I naturally assumed you had already found it. I was spending a gift certificate at Michael's website when I saw the "Machines" category and decided to take a look. And of course, I didn't know if it would work for you or not, but the rest is history, as they say.

Chris said...

You hit me at the right time! Again, thank you!