But then I started reading reviews of the cheap machines. And it's definitely true that you get what you pay for. And why would I want to see if I enjoy this new hobby by using an inferior machine that will probably just end up leaving me frustrated? So I started looking at slightly more expensive machines.
There was one that seemed to get really good reviews on amazon: Brother CS6000i. Most people seemed to be happy with it overall, and it offers a number of nice options as well as additional presser feet. And I don't know how close to the list price it usually sells for, but amazon had a really good deal on it. So my husband agreed that it would be my Christmas present. And he said I didn't have to wait until Christmas to open it. Yay!
So today my machine arrived. I had gotten a couple of books from the library yesterday and had read through the beginning sections of each book. When the machine arrived, I read through the instruction manual. I then decided to give it a try.
I started by winding a bobbin. It was quite easy and the drop-in bobbin system on the machine made it even easier to get the bobbin set up for sewing. Then I threaded the machine itself. At first I didn't realize that I had a needle threader on the machine so I threaded it by hand. It wasn't difficult, but on subsequent threadings, I did figure out the needle threader.
I started with a scrap of material and just tried to get the feel for the different speeds available (I can sew by using either the foot pedal or by pressing a button on the machine). After I went up and down that piece of material a few times, I tried out a couple of different stitches. I haven't yet changed presser feet, so there were some stitches I didn't try since they required a different foot. But even with just the basic foot on there, I had quite a few options and it was fun to see the different stitches that were available.
I then decided to try my first hem. I want to take some receiving blankets that I have never used for my son and cut them down to use as burp cloths. I had cut one the week before but after washing, the cut edge was fraying quite badly. So I cut the edge again to give it a fresh start. Then I got out the iron and followed the instructions in one of the books to fold over the hem at 3/8" and press then fold again at 1" and press. It was a really long edge and I had a hard time keeping it extremely straight. I used some pins for the second fold, which helped, but it still wasn't perfectly straight. That's something that I'll need to practice on.
Then I put it under the machine and sewed an almost straight line. But after I finished, I realized that I hadn't sewn close enough to the folded under part (I was too close to the edge), so I went back and made sure I was closer. There are now two lines of stitches, but I figured that it just looks decorative. And although it's not perfectly straight (again, more practice is needed), I'm quite proud of what I was able to do. And now my son has another burp cloth.
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