I need a sewing machine.
I can't tell you how many great ideas I've come across that would cut money out of my budget each month that start, "Go to your sewing machine..." My mother taught me to sew (and crochet, which I'm terrible at, and knit, which I'm equally terrible at) when I was a wee lass, but it never occurred to me until recently that sewing skills aren't just about making your own clothes.
In trying to switch to cloth everything (and yes, I do mean everything... I'll just leave it to you to fill in the details there), my progress is thwarted by the lack of a sewing machine!
Any thoughts? Sources? Offers of a free all-bells-and-whistles-included TurboStitch 3000 that just happens to be collecting dust in your basement? I'll take anything that doesn't have a manual treadle.
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3 days ago
10 comments:
I can't help you with a free machine, but I can offer advice! The best brand is Janome. They run forever, the accessories are included, and they're extremely easy to use. They are the best. I don't care what anyone else says, believe me!!! ;)
Cloth everything is wonderful, by the way. Once I switched to--let's be frank here--cloth pads, I wondered how I'd ever done disposable. I made my own, too. I couldn't justify buying something so simple to make!
My favorite cleaning rags are old t-shirts. I cut them up, and don't even have to hem them. You're going to have a lot of fun with this.
Oh, Janome used to be New Home, so one of those would be good, too. Feel free to email me if you want the run down of other brands of machines. My email is in my profile.
Check out craigslist.com. There should be a link in your area, and you can find really great stuff.
Also, I love your site. I've made your bread a couple of times now, and my whole family enjoys it. Thanks!
Serena, thanks a million for the tips! I really, really appreciate having a real-life recommendation instead of just relying on Ye Olde Interwebs.
Anon, I've thought about Craigslist -- the problem is that my budget currently includes about $40 per month in "extras." But I'm sure glad you like the bread. I love it.
Oh, and Serena, what a gorgeous baby in your profile pic! Yay babies!
I used to have a Janome/New Home Memory Craft 8000. It was a wonderful machine with 189 stitches. My sister used to say you could press a button on it that said "Christening Gown" and one would come out the other end. (Just kidding--there is no such button.)
I ran that puppy into the ground with tons and tons of sewing. I loved it to death...literally. Its death, not mine, obviously.
Now I have a very simple Kenmore machine without all the bells and whistles. It's enough for me now, but the fancy machine was great when I was sewing for the kids. If you don't want to go for the expensive machine, the one thing you must have is a buttonhole attachment. It will make things much easier!
M2f, thanks for the advice. You are so right about a button-hole attachment, and I'm glad you mentioned it! I haven't touched a sewing machine in AGES and I'm sure I wouldn't have thought to look for that.
:)
Good luck on your search. I have like the cheapest Brother machine that you can get... my mom bought for me about 7 years ago. Given, I don't use it every day but I do use it enough to put some wear on it. It's been great for the money. I don't know how it would work with heavy use or highly specialized sewing but it's been great for most things.. :)
so... cloth toilet paper???
actually, I was just thinking about how great it would be to make my own cloth napkins like my grandma did... alas, same problem.
Cloth toilet paper is a possibility. But don't worry, I'd still let guests use paper. ;)
But I'm actually thinking about what Serena was talking about above...
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