Back in Action.

I had wonderful plans for my sewing machine and I this past weekend, but it bit the big one early on Saturday. I took it to a local sewing machine shop and it would cost about what I paid for it to get it fixed (bought it refurbished from overstock.com last summer when I was just starting out). I decided I'd rather just get a new and slightly better machine...which is easier said than done. The guy at the shop was trying to wheel and deal me and put me into a $700 computerized machine. When I told him we are saving for a wedding and I'm not looking to spend that much he told me he would look in the back and see if he could find me a deal. They get in machines here and there from companies to test out and see if they want to carry them in the store. "I'll cut you a deal on one of those," he says. I'm thinking "Sweet! Lucky me!" until he returned with another computerized one. My "deal" would knock $100 off the $700 tag. Ummm, no. I'm not quite sure what about "I don't want to spend a lot of money" he didn't understand, but clearly we were not on the same wavelength.

I must admit that the machines were really nice. They seemed to run circles around my poor defunked Brother machine that I brought in for repair. But I had no idea how much these machines should cost and Ted and I have learned the hard way not to just make a quick purchase because we think we're getting a deal. History has shown that we are actually getting ripped off. Badly.

So I came home and did some research online. Apparently buying a sewing machine is harder than buying a car. Everyone has them listed on their websites but you have to "call for pricing." And there's only one person in the company that can give you a price apparently. After being transferred around at one company, a raspy old man's voice picked up.

"Yeah, what are you looking for?" he asked abruptly.

"I'm looking at the Janome 521S."

"Yeah, what do you want to know about it?"

"The price."

Pause.

"Well...tell me what the lowest price is that you've found and I'll beat it."

What?

"A dollar."

Kidding. I wish I had thought of that answer soon enough (Ted would have...he's good like that). Instead I was just getting annoyed because all I wanted to know was how much a damn sewing machine costs! Could someone please just tell me the price? Gah!

After reading some reviews and getting one or two quotes, it seems that the dude at the shop was going to charge me about $100 more than I could get it elsewhere. That irritated me. I was going to print out my findings and head down there to haggle with him (I'd get 3 years free repair if I bought from him and also free lessons on how to use the machine) but there just wasn't enough concrete evidence for me to make a case as to why he should knock $100 off the prices he quoted. So I hopped on Ebay and found a nice machine for a decent price. Reviews of the Janome brand machines were really good from what I read, so I was stoked when I found a nice computerized one that wouldn't overwhelm me that was in my price range.

Though I had to forgo sewing over the weekend, my new machine arrived today and I've been at it since I walked in the door. I'm pleased with my new friend and I think we will make many wonderful things together.



Starting with an adorable dress for Bella! If you don't count my labor, this little ditty cost 4 bucks to make. Sweet. I think Ted is secretly jealous. Not of the dress, but of the fabric. Perhaps if he behaves himself I'll make him a pair of scrub bottoms...