Oh, Happy Day!

Oh, happy day! I finally took the big step and bought a new machine. Here she is, the Janome 11000. I have had the Janome 9000 for at least seven years, and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but always wished I had a second machine. It will be great to be able to do regular sewing while my 11000 is embroidering. The 11000 also has a much larger embroidery field so the sky is the limit with what I can embroider. It will also be nice to still have a machine at home when I take one or the other in for routine check-ups.

Before now, it just never seemed like the time to make the additional investment. Recently, it simply “became the time,” so down I went to this wonderful sewing machine shop in St. Petersburg called Sue’s Bay Area Sewing, and I bought it. The best part is that I have met the most wonderful of women there, and am very happy I discovered Sue’s shops. There are actually four shops in different parts of the county to choose from, and that is going to be splendidly convenient as well.

Since this machine does exponentially more than my old one did, I keep getting distracted trying all the new capabilities out. So, in the 48 hours I have owned the new machine I have only completed these two bags for my niece who is about to start pre-school. I was very pleased with the ease with which I can take designs directly from my computer to the machine, and combine them, laying them out directly on the machines computer screen exactly the way I want them sewn out. It is a wonderful thing. My mind is racing with the projects I want to do. The other night I actually had a dream about dish towels! Now THAT is a good thing…

Summer Fun, Motorcycles, and Sewing Machines

So, I have been away for awhile for two reasons. My previous post discusses the pillowcases I made recently for my son, who lives in New York. My baby boy had recently purchased a motorcycle and subsequently I was “blessed” with the phone call every mother dreads. Yes, there had been an accident. Jordan hit a deer on his motorcycle and though he faired much better than the deer, it was very frightening for a few days. He is doing fine right now, and is on the mend. He was lucky enough to have “only” a bad concussion, a severely broken left arm (that will require surgery), a few broken fingers in addition to the customary road rash that goes hand and hand with a motorcycle accident.

I always try to find the good in every situation that arises in my life, and yes, there was good in this accident. My son has decided that motorcycling is a dangerous thing. He found that even when a driver, such as himself, is doing all the right things, it is dangerous. He is giving up his motorcycle and going back to four wheels only. For this I am very thankful. I am very pleased that he is still here with us to have learned this lesson.

Secondly, my husband and I have been very busy wrapping up the sale of a large building that is on Duval Street in Key West, Florida. The sale closed on Friday so as soon as I have time to look up from all the work that I neglected in the last several weeks, I am heading out to my favorite sewing machine shop to pick up the Janome 11000. I need a shiny new toy right now. I have had the Janome 9000 for years and absolutely love it. I will never give that one up. Besides, I have only ever had one machine and think it is time to have two. Soon my granddaughter is going to be sewing beside me and she will need a machine all her own to work at (ok, since she is only 15 months old, it will be a little while, but it is always good to look to the future…). Now I will be able to send one in for maintenance without going into a deep depression at the loss of my beloved machine. I will still have one at home to keep me company! YEAH!!!