what a day

Today I am just plum worn out.  I went to Champlin for my little class.  Turns out  I had a little more understanding of the my 7700 than I thought.  It was really nice to kind of walk through some of the feet I've not tried.  It was even better standing in the midst of someone I know is sewing machine savvy. A guru of the machines. When you surpass more than 10yrs. in this field that's what you become to me.    I just really admire any woman who works in this field.  Meaning I would admire myself greatly if I ever got the chance to work in a sewing atmosphere. You know that if they know the machine they are truly a craft person of sort.   Not to mention having an arsenal of sewing machines.
 
  I left at 8:20 this morning didn't get back home until 5:30.   I think from this point on I will have to build my own confidence in this machine.  This is a good dealership.  Just don't know why the good folks are so far out.  Sometimes it makes a person think two or three times about a purchase.  In my case I didn't think at all, just wanted to have a Janome.  I looked around the shop at some of the older models of machines.  I love looking at machines.   Carolyn takes her Janome to a class............but of course she has a car.  If I had to cart this machine around I would be in traction.  I sincerely hope that this dealership continues to allow lay-a-ways.  I don't think some of the dealerships know how much money they are probably losing by not allowing a lay-a-way.  I am religious with one.  So I am thankful for being able to get the machine.  Now just one little machine for a class.  I am not going to own 9 sewing machines, although I must admit I understand this addiction very well.  I think I being a fabric junkie and sewing machine junkie is worse than any drug.  But there is the creativeness that goes along with this madness. So we can justify purchasing our machines.  I told one lady not to beat herself up over buying the 7700.  I figure we deserve it in some way.  I can always make an excuse on buying a machine.  I've been really, really good all the way around the board.  I must admit..........that finances will make you rearrange how you want to buy sewing things.  This lady is going to bed.  I will try to work on this blouse tomorrow. 

Zombie yesterday

I was so disappointed yesterday.  I was suppose to have my class on the 7700.  I'd written down the directions on how to get to Champlin, and then walked right out the door and left them stuck on the refrigerator.  I wanted to make sure that I caught the 8:58 bus.  While waiting for the bus I called metro, because I had forgotten the bus number that I was suppose to take when I got downtown Minneapolis.    Now I find out that the 8:58 bus will take me to the University of Minnesota campus which is way out of the way.  There are two buses, and one goes to the U of M and the other goes downtown.

 Now I have to take another route because I am on the U of M bus.   When I get off the bus in the University district the bus driver points to where I am suppose to catch the bus.  I do exactly as I'm told.  As I am riding on this bus I notice that the streets are looking more like neighborhood streets instead of downtown streets.  So I ask the driver: "are you going downtown?  "No" she says this bus is going to St. Paul.  Now I've got to jump off this bus, and it just so happened that there was a bus  going in the right direction.  I hop on this bus.  It brings me downtown.   I get downtown Minneapolis only to find out I've missed the bus to my destination by 4minutes.  It was 10:35, and I was to catch it at 10:30.  I look at the schedule and the next bus going to Champlin comes at 12:30, and I now know that I am not going to be able to make it out there.  So I call up Carolyn and ask for a reschedule for next week at the same time.   I was so disappointed.

For some reason I was undecided on which way to come back home.  Do I take the train, or do I take the express bus.  The express bus comes at 11:30, it is 11:00 and in my mind I say, "you'd be better off taking the train.  I walk in the direction of the train platform, only to notice that the train is passing me buy.  So now I say to myself : "you'd be better off going back to wait for the express busy" by this time it's 11:15, and now I walk another two blocks back to my original place at the bus stop.  This walk wasn't bothering me at all.  As a matter of fact I was surprised at how light my steps were and felt.   I must have walked around twice before I finally made my decision.

When I get home I feel all the walking that I've done that morning.  My behind hurt, everything just literally hurt.  I forgot to mention that since I was so looking forward to this trip that I hadn't slept the night before.  Which is the reason I am walking around in a fog.  By the time I got home, my entire body is on fire with pain.  I just took my clothes off and sat around.  I was so tired, but my mind would not let my body sleep at all. One whole night with no sleep, plus being in a zombie state of pain, makes me not think clearly.  I was glad that this day was coming to an end.  I think I am going to try and walk at least three times a week if at all possible.  Today I will fiddle around with my machine.   

learning curve

I worked on my blouse yesterday, and did some reading.  Also looked at a few blogs.  Went to the sewing expo site for November..........and there is really not that much to choose from.  I sent an email to them, because I'm owed comp tickets from last year.  Really this is all about sales the way I see it.   I would just like to go to one day for a show.  Also found that Vogue fabrics will not be there this year.  I strongly suspect that if there isn't a big turnout that the show will not be held here in Minnesota any more.  Last year they had a very poor turn out all three days.   

  In the meantime I am breezing along with my new toy.  However I am still stuck in Utility mode.  I absolutely love the way this machine sews.  You can tell just how much power it has with one press of the foot.  Beautiful stitches.  Finally found a way to go out to Champlin on the bus.  It will be an all day trip.  I will have to leaver here around 8:30 in the morning.   Then go downtown and this bus should let me off right in front of the place.  I am marked down for 3hrs.  Carolyn is really a nice assistant regarding the teaching on these machines.   I want to try and get out there before the cold sets in.  I might have to go twice.  I will take along a pad so that I am able to write down a few key things.   Cause I know I am not going to remember everything.  I'm glad I waited to connect with her.  I wasn't afraid to learn on my own, just wanted to see a demonstration.  Better safe than sorry.  I know there is  learning curve with this machine, but it's one I am willing to go along with.  It's worth every penny. 

Saturday Breezin

Well today I did sew on the new machine, and now have changed two feet.  The other designs won't come until I actually need them.  Although maybe I should get familiar with them now.  I am just not in a rush.  Working on a dress that I am finishing up, and then will go on to the next project.  Right now I am searching for DVD's on sewing that would more or less walk me through a project.  

  Threads has a DVD with Claire Shaffer for 39.99.  Just more or less feeling my way around.  Trying to get ideas from blogs.  Also I have been looking a quilting blogs since I've purchased this machine.  My mind is going in another direction with the quilting process.  So far with the machine I love the way it just purrs along.  I really am going to enjoy this, and don't anticipate anything going wrong. Since all of the kinks were ironed out within the first 6months of the machines debut.  I learned a lot on the posts that women had on what to expect, and in some emails I saved them just in case I may run into a problem I will know how to identify it.
  
Today I just looked at sewing videos and some youtube tutorials.  Kind of interesting.  Slowly but surely I am working down some of this old stash to make room for some new stash. 

dragging today

While out at the Janome dealership I happened upon these good finds.   I like the Indian designs and think I will be using that on my embroidery machine for jackets in the near future.   I also got a video on making bags.  This was step by step instruction.   I wanted to look at this DVD, because it might give me a direction on where I am heading.   In the meantime,what could possibly be wrong with looking at a pant video.  By the way these items were 1.00 each. 
  Any time I can pick up invisible thread I always do so, because I never know when I am going to use it.  Would you believe that I was up all night long.  I hate it when I have nights that I can't sleep.  I mean nothing worked.  Sooooooooooooooooooo..............that left me only to go to my new found friend and try to set up the machine.  Threading, filling the bobbin , and then finally making a test strip.  This machine sews like butter.  The stitch was only a straight stitch but this stitch would make even the worst sewer look like she was genius.   I was really shocked.  I will play around with the dual foot if I feel up to it, but for the time being I am so tired, maybe watching the pant video might be a good idea.   This is going to be fun, experimenting, and just seeing how she works.  Haven't found a name I want to give her, just might make her a him.  Now on to the next quest!  Thar she sews!

Welcome home honey!

Well today a friend of mine took me up to Champlin to get my sewing machine.  I was really shocked, because she lives north, but she also knows how long I"ve waited to get this machine. A whole year and a half.   I thought that since I brought the sewing machine I was going to get some perks from the dealer. No such thing!  On the Janome forum and on the Yahoo 7700,6600,6500 all these women talk about the deals that the dealer ship gives the client.   When I called them today, I asked about those extras.  The lady that works there said, this is not the practice of this dealership.   She told me that this is not something that has to be done, but more or less a gimmick for the dealer to get women to buy the machines.  I should have known.

  I thought that maybe the dealer would throw in some thread, or needles just a little something.   Well it's over and done now.  The problem is that this dealership is very far away, and now I am going to have to pay someone on this end 50.00 and hour to show me how to use this machine.   I am going to call metro to see if any buses go out that way.  I am really excited but, at the same time nervous about this machine.  It's almost intimidating.  Luckily though I've been going over the video on youtube, come to find out that the instruction dvd is the same instructions on youtube!   So I've gone over this at three or four times through out the year.  In addition to also following the Janome group and listening to the little tricks that they share with each other.  The ladies told me that I will not regret this decision. 

  Wouldn't you know it?  Just saturday Janome comes out with the 12000 version of my Horizon but this time they've added embroidery to the machine.  Also decided to remove the plates when sewing with certain designs.   So far the women on the Janome forum have really cool reviews on the this latest version.  A quite a few like me, have just gotten their machines.  I for one don't think that I will be buying another sewing machine.  At least not a top of the line.  Even the lady that took me to pick up my machine said, she wouldn't dare buy this new one.  Of course the real die hards will just have to purchase this newer machine, just like men do with their cars.........it's no different.  Talk about addiction!  Mine is cooling down now, but I will have to say when a person speaks logically about this sewing business, you see things in a different light.  I say good for you, what-ever- floats your boat.  Deep down we all know it's a gimmick.   I am happy with my new toy.