Know Thy Machine

Hey all! I am joining in on the fun over at 13 Woodhouse Road, and I have the honor of being the post on Thanksgiving! Woo hoo!

Anyways, head on over to enter for fabulous giveaways on Shruti’s blog after you read AAAAALLLLLL about my sewing machine :)

 

1. What machine(s) do you have? Brand and Model.

I have a Bernina Aurora 440 QE

2. When and where did you buy it? What were the reasons for selecting this(these) particular model(s). What was its approximate cost.

I bought it a year and a half ago at a local quilt shop called Quilter’s Ranch. I had been looking at the 440QE for a while, and had test driven one at a quilt show a few months before. The real selling point for me was the Bernina Stitch Regulator, which regulates your stitches while you free motion quilt. It is AMAZING! At the time, my machine cost me about $3,000(after tax, blegh) on sale. However, they have clearanced out my model since they have a newer one out now.

3. What do you like about your machine? Have you named it? Have you made a cover for it?

I like almost everything about my machine. I LOVE the BSR, my walking foot is awesome, and I especially love the heavy duty-ness of the entire machine. When you pick it up, you know there is more metal than plastic to it!

I have named my machine, though I rarely actually call her by it :) She’s Rory.

I have not made a cover for it. I use it way too often to bother covering it up. Besides, it’s in my sewing room(and my husband’s office), so I have no reason to cover it.

4. Does your machine give you any problems? Could you tell us a few?

The only problem I have run across is that I can’t wind a bobbin of heavy duty super thick outdoor thread. I was kind of sad about that, but that has been the only thing my machine can’t do so far. Well, I guess it didn’t really care for the super heavy canvas I sewed on this week…but we managed :)

5. What do you sew on it mainly? Quilts, Clothes, Bags etc. How much time do you spend sewing on it? What are the features of the machine that help you improve your work?

I sew mostly quilts. I also sew other small items occasionally, like drawstring bags, hot/cold packs, whatever I decide I want to sell at craft fairs, with an occasional little girl dress. I have also sewn custom pillows, outdoor cushions, indoor cushions, duvet covers, and who knows what else, in a variety of types and weights of fabric. Rory took them all like a champ!!

I sew almost every day for at least an hour, but it always depends on what naptime brings :)

 

6. What advice would you give others when deciding about which machine to buy?

I definitely recommend test driving a few machines before you purchase!!

7. Will you share with us a special memory associated with your machine?

Hmm, a special memory…she still feels “new” to me, so I don’t feel like I have that many memories yet, but one thing does come to mind. Occasionally my oldest sits on my lap and “helps” me sew(which really tries my patience, but I know it’s good quality time!!). Well, last year, she was sitting on my lap, playing with the pins, and next thing I know, she had stuck pins in two of the small holes on my machine!!! The holes were just barely big enough that the pins fell all the way into my machine. Luckily, they must have fallen straight through to the bottom, because nothing happened. I was very surprised not to hear anything about them when I took the machine in for her yearly service though!

8. If you had unlimited resources in the world, which machine would you choose to buy and why?

Oooohhhh…probably a Bernina 830. It’s my machine on steroids…so much more space…It has more functions than I would ever dream of being able to use, but oh is it pretty! And it has the ONE thing I wish my machine had…an automatic thread cutter.

Thanks for visiting!