What kind of machine do you use?
 
I am often asked this question, especially when I am selling my artwork at a show and I have my sewing machine with me. My usual answer is, “It is a 34 year old, non-computerized Pfaff. It does what I need it to do, straight stitch and zigzag.”
 
Now, let’s look at this question a bit deeper. If you were talking to a writer, would you ask, “What kind of computer do you use?” Highly unlikely. A computer is just a tool. Having the most advanced computer available will not make you a great writer. More RAM, faster processor speed, blah blah blah, these are all nice things to have, and they contribute to the ease of the writing process, but they do nothing to generate the ideas. The creativity, the style, the plot, these all need to come from the mind of the writer.
 
The same idea applies to sewing machines. Like the computer, it is just a tool. Having the most advanced sewing machine on the market will not make you a great artist. While it might be nice to have a sewing machine that will do all those fancy stitches automatically, it is the human heart, mind, and hand that create a piece of artwork.
 
So, with all that said, here are my 7 tips for buying a sewing machine:
 

1. When you visit your machine dealer, take samples of whatever fabrics you normally sew.
   
2. Try out the machine using those samples, not just the perfectly starched fabric samples the dealer uses.
   
3. County fairs, sewing expos, and quilt shows are good places to see lots of different makes and models of machines all in one place. And they will often offer show discounts.
   
4. Make a list of the types of sewing you do, for example: buttonholes, zippers, free motion, stitch-in-the-ditch, heavy denim, slippery silks, etc. This list will help the dealer to direct you to an appropriate machine.
   
5. Make sure you are comfortable with the technology. Many of the machines nowadays have so many options that you need to take classes just to learn how to use them. If the machine is so complicated that you are afraid to use it, find a machine that does what you need that you are comfortable with.
   
6. Get to know your sewing machine dealer. You should be taking your machine in for service once a year. Like your car, a sewing machine has moving parts that need to be checked for wear and lubricated.
   
7. When you get your new machine, take it out of the box and use it!

I was teasing a fellow seamstress friend of mine for not knowing the purpose of the strawberry part of a tomato pincushion. (It's filled with sand. You push your pins into it to clean off any burrs.) Well, here's one of those things I should have learned a long time ago. (Hmmm, how many years have I been sewing... Never mind!)

I was looking at the instruction manual for one of my sewing machines that I don't use very often. I happened to look at the page on how to wind the bobbin. Wow, I never knew that you're supposed to thread the thread through that little slot before winding. All this time I've been carefully trying to pre-wind some thread onto the bobbin to keep it from sliding out, especially with rayon threads.

Threading through the slot first works so much better. You just hold onto that tail as it starts to wind. Once started, clip off the tail and you're good to sew!

I've been busy adding my artwork to the site FineArtAmerica.com. Here's where you can find one of my favorite music themed pieces:

You can get this or any of my other pieces as a print (either framed or matted), a tote bag, cell phone case, and even a shower curtain! Visit the site by clicking the link above.

I have slowly been adding some of the stuff from my old website back into this new one. I was reminded this past weekend at the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point that my new website was missing all of the tutorials. So, as requested, I have added a couple of them to this new site.

Go here to see the Easy Quilt Binding Tutorial.

Go here to see the Tips for Working with Metallic Thread.

The following 4-minute video shows what it is like to stitch details into this work in progress. And, in case you're wondering, no, I did not sew through my fingers.

Here's what my version of the USS Floyd B. Parks looks like as of Sunday. I've made some major progress and it is really starting to look like a ship. Below are some closeup views of the details.

This day's progress on the USS Floyd B. Parks consisted of a few shapes and several lines. The gif below shows the progress.  There were quite a few detail lines such as the antenna and the railings. I had to carefully draw the lines in and then even more carefully stitch them. I often joke that I can't draw a straight line. I think I am now going to have to amend that statement to include that I CAN draw a straight line with my sewing machine.

Here's a close up view of today's efforts. And yes, all of those lines were done freehand.

There is so much going on in this image, especially at the stern of the ship. Much of my time working on this piece right now is spent staring at the image trying to figure out what goes where and what is in front and what is behind. Below is a rundown of this day's progress.

Here's what the ship looks like at this point. It still looks kinda weird. But it is starting to come together. The images below shows the progress.