Just Window Shopping, I should have known better! Warning--long read!
My dealer's store, where I have bought my many Janome and other machines, moved to a new location. It is closer to my house, and it is a much bigger, brighter and improved store and location. They opened the new store last week. They have been letting their customers know about the move, and the latest email said "Help! We have more machines than we have space for!" Now, the last thing in the world I need is a new sewing machine (I'll never catch up to Sandy Navas! I only have 10!) So I went in and was casually checking out the new machines, like the Janome 12000, getting prices on it, seeing its fine features, but was just windown shopping. I have said to myself that I really wouldn't be interested in another embroidery machine, especially at the prices they are going for now (high end models!) A close out Bernina 830 was quoted to me at $10,000+ at a local place that was going out of business--no way!
But honestly, I've been shopping long arms for over 2 years. I've looked at one my dealer had in his store a couple of years ago, and was very tempted, but really had to prove to myself that I would actually do enough quilt tops to justify spending that kind of money to quilt something
At that time, my stock of UFO quilts was non-existant. I had only made a couple of baby quilts. Well, with the 13-15 quilt tops I've made in the past 7 months, (about 2/3 of them quilted) I think I can start to justify the fact that I've become a quilter. I'm having one LAQed at MSQC, and it will be about $200 to have it done. For the rest of the tops that are not quilted, I would be spending a bundle if I had someone else do them for me.
Now I know, you will tell me to learn FMQing on a regular machine, or to go to the local quilt shop to pay by the hour to do it myself. I'm resistant to those ideas. Somehow, I'm just SURE that a long arm quilting set up in my own basement will solve all my quilt dilemas, and will help me finish all thos UFOs and the ones yet to come.
I've considered the quilt frames with the regular sewing machines on them. I know that could work. I have a Janome 6600 that I purposely did not trade in when I got my Janome Horizon because I was going to set the 6600 on a frame and use that for quilting. Never did get that plan into motion.
Thus the "I should have known better" part comes in. I didn't just window shop. My shop owner has a deal I can't pass up, a long arm and frame for just the price I wanted to pay for a hobby machine, not a $15,000+ Gammill, but a hobby priced machine. It's a good machine and frame. It can be upgraded to be computerized when I'm ready for that step. I'm not going to disclose the price, but I can swing it (about half of the Bernina 830 embroidery machine!) Bad news is, I will have to go on a quilt fabric diet for a while until I pay it off. But, let me just say, with the fabric purchases I've made through Daily Deals and other sources in the past few months, I could quilt for quite a long time before I ever run out of fabric and things to make! I'll just have to turn off that Daily Deal email! Also am trading in the Janome 6600, for a fair price for a 5 year old machine.
I am buying this sight unseen, but with the reputation of the products and his reputation spuring me on. He is giving me a chunk of money off to buy his sales sample (which he says the company is going to change soon) while it is still in the boxes, so I won't have a chance to take a "test drive". I've bought a "pig in a poke" before, and I know he will make it right if I have difficulties. And I would rather support a local owner who has been in business in our city for a very long time--he inherited the shop from his parents and has continued their legacy of fine products and good service, and he certainly has been fair to me in trading up when I was ready for that. Plus, he made a buck or two, I'm OK with that. It keeps him in business.
My next challenge is to clean out a space for the long arm set up. I have a place that will work, with plenty of light, but some things will have to go bye-bye, things that we love, like the Christmas train set up, which is fun for 30 minutes a year on Christmas Day. I'll give that to my son who has a huge basement that has not much in it, his three boys will love the Polar Express train. The rest is junk that can go to the trash. I moved it here in 2006 and haven't touched it since, I think I can emotionally detatch from it now!
So some time next week, a couple of big boxes will be coming to my home, hopefully with some friendly advice from my shop owner to help me assemble the frame. And a long time dream of mine will come true, to become a long arm quilter, for fun or maybe even some profit some day. We'll see. Happy Easter, Jean Sewing Machine! (And birthday and Christmas for the next several years!)
But honestly, I've been shopping long arms for over 2 years. I've looked at one my dealer had in his store a couple of years ago, and was very tempted, but really had to prove to myself that I would actually do enough quilt tops to justify spending that kind of money to quilt something
At that time, my stock of UFO quilts was non-existant. I had only made a couple of baby quilts. Well, with the 13-15 quilt tops I've made in the past 7 months, (about 2/3 of them quilted) I think I can start to justify the fact that I've become a quilter. I'm having one LAQed at MSQC, and it will be about $200 to have it done. For the rest of the tops that are not quilted, I would be spending a bundle if I had someone else do them for me.
Now I know, you will tell me to learn FMQing on a regular machine, or to go to the local quilt shop to pay by the hour to do it myself. I'm resistant to those ideas. Somehow, I'm just SURE that a long arm quilting set up in my own basement will solve all my quilt dilemas, and will help me finish all thos UFOs and the ones yet to come.
I've considered the quilt frames with the regular sewing machines on them. I know that could work. I have a Janome 6600 that I purposely did not trade in when I got my Janome Horizon because I was going to set the 6600 on a frame and use that for quilting. Never did get that plan into motion.
Thus the "I should have known better" part comes in. I didn't just window shop. My shop owner has a deal I can't pass up, a long arm and frame for just the price I wanted to pay for a hobby machine, not a $15,000+ Gammill, but a hobby priced machine. It's a good machine and frame. It can be upgraded to be computerized when I'm ready for that step. I'm not going to disclose the price, but I can swing it (about half of the Bernina 830 embroidery machine!) Bad news is, I will have to go on a quilt fabric diet for a while until I pay it off. But, let me just say, with the fabric purchases I've made through Daily Deals and other sources in the past few months, I could quilt for quite a long time before I ever run out of fabric and things to make! I'll just have to turn off that Daily Deal email! Also am trading in the Janome 6600, for a fair price for a 5 year old machine.
I am buying this sight unseen, but with the reputation of the products and his reputation spuring me on. He is giving me a chunk of money off to buy his sales sample (which he says the company is going to change soon) while it is still in the boxes, so I won't have a chance to take a "test drive". I've bought a "pig in a poke" before, and I know he will make it right if I have difficulties. And I would rather support a local owner who has been in business in our city for a very long time--he inherited the shop from his parents and has continued their legacy of fine products and good service, and he certainly has been fair to me in trading up when I was ready for that. Plus, he made a buck or two, I'm OK with that. It keeps him in business.
My next challenge is to clean out a space for the long arm set up. I have a place that will work, with plenty of light, but some things will have to go bye-bye, things that we love, like the Christmas train set up, which is fun for 30 minutes a year on Christmas Day. I'll give that to my son who has a huge basement that has not much in it, his three boys will love the Polar Express train. The rest is junk that can go to the trash. I moved it here in 2006 and haven't touched it since, I think I can emotionally detatch from it now!
So some time next week, a couple of big boxes will be coming to my home, hopefully with some friendly advice from my shop owner to help me assemble the frame. And a long time dream of mine will come true, to become a long arm quilter, for fun or maybe even some profit some day. We'll see. Happy Easter, Jean Sewing Machine! (And birthday and Christmas for the next several years!)
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