Monday, May 19, 2008

We Now Return To Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

Okay, that's over. This is a sewing/craft blog and not my own personal therapy couch, so back to the topic at hand! Thanks for your kind words. Craig is sore but fine this morning and we are dusting ourselves off and returning to life as usual.

On the sewing front...

***DH was wanting to buy me a buttonhole machine for my birthday. I was sure I had heard such a thing mentioned on Pattern Review. I thought I had read a thread there that you could buy one for $400 or so. I mentioned it to Craig because we had had such problems with my buttonhole function on my machine being iffy. So as my birthday approached he secretly did online research and visited sewing stores in Anchorage to find out more about this. He turned up no such animal. The only thing he found was a $10,000 machine intended for factory use. Obviously, we are NOT going that route. If anyone has heard of a home buttonhole machine at a home user price, please let me know!

***During DH's research he was told by a store owner that the machine I have (A Pfaff Tiptronic) is actually considered an excellent machine. It got 5 stars at an online review site. But the gentleman knew exactly why my buttonholer had started to fail after 8 years hard use (I'm ashamed to admit I have NEVER had the thing serviced in all those years). So, Craig says part of my birthday present is to get my machine refurbished. The owner recommended staying with the machine as it's a good one. But I will be getting new cords/pedal (my cords are shot at the plug ins and held together with Craig's soldering job and electrical tape), a new free-motion quilting foot (mine broke and I use it a lot) and then the refurbish. The cords alone cost close to $200! But it's still cheaper than a new machine. And the gentleman said he can get my buttonholer working like new. Big sigh of relief!

***Emily's cape - If you read the posts below, you know that this project didn't get done in time for the big night. I still want to finish it, however. I don't know if she'll have occasion to wear her dress again, but a girl can always use a pretty evening wrap in her wardrobe. Her family loves music and perhaps they'll attend some symphonies or some such thing.

***This week's sewing plans are to make serious progress on the applique of the lavender quilt top, to finish collecting everything I need for the Coat Sew Along, to finish Emily's cape and to sandwich and baste a child' flannel quilt that I've had for eons.

2 comments:

Daffodil Hill said...

I LIKE the personal posts. Casey and Emily look SO cute! I am really glad Craig is ok! How frightening! {{hugs}}

Lisa Laree said...

Somehow I missed the dramatic posts! I'm glad everyone is ok now! And the photos of the kids are great!