I bit the bullet and am now scared
 

Well I did it, I bought a sewing machine:eek: Now I am scared, not about the sewing part but LOL about the moving parts and the set up. When it comes to assembling stuff I literally start having hot flashes and a brain freeze :o I bought the one in the link below, I lot of the reviews said it was easy to use, one of the reviews said it came with an instruction DVD but I am not sure about that. :confuse2: I paid $179.00 which included shipping and tax from Amazon. I thought that was good price since this machine seems to have a fair amount of features. I mostly want the machine for mending and making simple things, adding embellishments and so forth. I am going over to a yorkie friend's house this weekend and she swears she is going to teach me how to make a simple dress, I guess we will see................................. does anyone happen to have this machine or any comments on it.

Brother International - Home Sewing Machine and Embroidery Machine XR9500PRW

this is the machine i just got! i love it. if you have any questions let me know. honestly you dont have much to put together and threadings not so bad if like me ur not trying to put it through the hole the old way. they also have online tutorials on youtube. and for threading check my profile theres a tutorial there from kathy i think. dont be afraid your gonna love it!!!

Congrats!!! I don't know a thing about sewing :( but I know you are SO excited! Can't wait to see some of your creations in this section!!!

LOL do you want to see my mendings. I just don't know if I will make very many things. In high school long before you were born, I took home economics and we sewed a pair of pants and when I went to try mine on, everyone laughed because instead of sewing the right pant leg together I sewed it to the left leg, so I looked like a on a maxi skirt. I also made this long granny gown type of junior prom dress, I was so proud until the thread on the back side started to unravel the seams, that's cause the bobbin was never threaded right or had the right tension. these are memories that made me afraid. Plus I have no patience or attention span, but I will give it a try.

I can't offer any advice or help but can empathise.

I used to buy that plastic hem tape you iron on and it turns to glue when ironed...or pay a neighbor to hem my pant legs (I'm short).

I pulled my grandma's old sewing machine out of a storage its super old in a wooden table type but it is electric...I'm still working on trying to figure out threading it.

What make/model is it? Or if you have a serial number... I may be able to help...:D

Nice machine! Congratulations!

Singer touch and go special zig-zag model #648

wow, that's a small world I remember when you got your machine, you seemed to pick it up quickly. hope you don't mind my question, did yours come with DVD. what do you think if the price I paid. ($179.00) what do they mean when they say it comes with a table. Also from the photo it looks like the machine sits on the right side of your body, my mom's machine and most others I am familiar with is on the left, is that just the way it photographed or does it sit towards your right. Thanks

i dont mind at all and hopefully i can be of help. that price is awesome i paid a bit more. it does but the DVD is limited information wise.....as i said i was threading it wrong and kathy was nice enough to help me out with that youtube tutorial. a table im not sure there is an extra piece i bought at joann seperate that is an extension Amazon.com: Brother SA537 Extension Table: Arts,... but i had to pay extra so if included a very sweet deal. it sits in the middle of me but yes where you sew from is on the left side and the control panel is on the right side but it was the same positioning as my old machine but it runs soooooo much nicer plus you have speed control which is super amazing!!

Omgosh, Donna!!! Can't believe you actually bought one! Congratulations :)

I've only used my new machine one time...but I liked it. We'll have to have a sewing get together soon!

Aww hun, you will figure it out, and we would love to see anything you come up with! remember Aymee's post where she screwed up the stitches or something? I got one of the first dresses she ever made. Look at where she is now. Lola is going to be very pleased. A mommy to make creations at her every whim. :rolleyes:

Ps you don't wanna know about the sewing disasters I've created. I tried to learn to sew because of YT...and I still got nothin' LOL you should see the dog scarf I tried to knit. Shameful.

You can download manual for $10.00 here Singer instruction Manuals, but most I've seen if you open the cabinet, as if to change the light bulb, you'll see threading instructions. See picture if you don't know what I mean.

Donna, I think you will love it. I'm not a great sewer, but I do enjoy making things for my babies. Right now, I'm making a Little Miss Muffet costume for my dog Ralphie, can't believe I couldn't find a readymade costume, but it's been really fun to do. Joey’s a spider for Halloween and I had to find something that would go with his costume. Sewing gives you so many more choices. Have fun!

Thanks!

So far its a dust collector in the corner.
My new years redolution I think will be to learn to use it.

LOL maybe we could have a group sewing circle via video chat or skype but then that would be something else I would have to figure out, since I have never done that either.

Kathy do you have this machine as well.

that would be fun I plan on putting another leaf in my dinning room table and setting it up there for a while, there would be room for several machines, you could bring yours and Trisha could bring that surger she just got, we could just start whipping those clothes out:D:D just like I did with the bows:p

For those that have high hopes for my sewing ability, Kazzy will have to tell you how great I am making bows;)

if you could send me your phone number, I will put it on my speed dial:D:D:D

I am so hoping that will not happen to me, but I am not getting my hopes up, perhaps I could hang jewelry on it, if the sewing part does not work out.:D

Congrats with your new machine....don't let it intimidate you...just go for it and enjpy! I just started fiddling with embroidery but so far...I'm loving it. Quilting is my passion though:)

Congratulatitons on your new machine. Don't be intimidated - remember you are in control. If you get frustrated, all you have to do is push the off button and walk away until you relax a bit.

Think of it as an adventure!

Sounds like a plan! Especially as in your beautiful home you can put a leaf (or 2 or 5) in the table still be in the dining room, while at my wee house, putting a leaf in the table means someone is sitting in the living room...lol

Now Donna....stop selling yourself short!!! You have amazing style, creativity and an eye for detail. You always have a vision of what you want. Many of us that can sew a straight line lack the imagination for original creations.

No. I have a Singer SEQS 6000 plus around 5 old machines, including a treadle that I love!

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Lol! You are too funny!

Just remember, practice makes perfect! When I first got my treadle, I made two ironing board covers just to practice sewing straight seams, as I hadn't sewn for a decade or more. Same goes for trying new techniques, I practice a few times to get the kinks worked out. It helps to get very familiar with your seam ripper too!

One fun thing to do is to try out all your fancy stitches on a piece of scrap material, and play with the stitch length and width adjustments on each one. That will help you later when you want a special stitch for a project...

Seam ripper. . . You are funny but it is true (get one with a longer handle)lol


Also get a long steel ruler and tailors chalk. Draw lines and sew so straight lines. Gives you some practice. If you can sew straight lines you can sew anything. It is a lot of fun. Started on my Grands Singer now have a Husqvarna. Great machine

you guys are so intuitive, the thing I have always had trouble with, is sewing or cutting a straight line, that and my ADD of staying on task and completing a project is why I am nervous. I marvel at my engineer husband, he is not the most social but he is so focused and precise on every task he takes on. For the last few weeks in addition to his long hours at work he has been replacing our rotting wood deck railings with a permeant type of material, the material was very expensive, luckily he has not made a wrong cut that has wasted any of the material . Tonight he spent three hours cutting and grinding metal strips to form brackets for the last 8 he needed. He said he could have postponed the project and bought them but he wanted to finish and not spend a bunch of extra money. I know I make jokes but I also know me and I am not good at staying with something I find difficult, anyway I did not mean to make this truth or dare but I am going to try to make something or at least get the machine running so I can at mend a huge pile of clothes that I have been accumulating. you guys like Kazzy that can rebuild a house and KJC that sews like an artist yet takes care of a zillion dogs and has so many words of wisdom for those with dog health issues or just sewing questions. or people like Southernbelle or Rubymoon that just took up sewing and can turn out several beautiful dresses in less than a day inspire me and make we want to try something and hopefully finish it. So thanks for the words of encouragement

Congratulations you will be sewing in no time.. I have not sit at my machine in ages.. but hopefully soon ...
hugs,

Yay! Congrats on your new machine! I'm excited to see what you create! You can do it! :)