That Sewing Thing

So I’ve been hinting a lot at some sewing that might be going on around here. Much of it started before Christmas, and as much as I want to I’m not even going to get into the whole Christmas sewing rundown. There was too much. Let’s just say it involved six pairs of pajamas and a party of pre-Christmas crafters over at my house one night.

The pajamas were sewn with this newest member of my workroom:

It’s a Janome Magnolia serger and I am in love. My grandmother gifted us some cash for some home improvements and I was also told to “get a little something” for myself. This model is very budget friendly (@$250) and I must say, not scary at all. Machines freak me out. I was terrified of my first sewing machine and even my spinning wheel was intimidating. But I took the serger class at my local sewing store and wow, piece of cake. This thing just whips out the sewing.

I thought having the serger alone was heaven, little did I know that this would be waiting for me on my workroom table when we got home from our Christmas visit to my MIL’s:

A Bernina. And it’s a really, really nice Bernina. Nice enough that I never even dreamed about a machine like this, considering we’re pretty much flat broke most of the time these days. So how did I end up getting one for Christmas? Get your tissues…

The Skeptic and I have been together since we were poor college students. Which means that back in the day we never had much money to spend on gifts for one another. And even when we graduated, both worked full time and still had no mortgage, we never jumped into the pricey Christmas gift range. Spending $50 was pushing it. So of course now, with us working a little over full time between the two of us, three boys and a mortgage, this Christmas was planned to be a thrifty one. So when I got a little hank of roving for Christmas from the Skeptic I was happy and considered that a bit of a splurge (silk and alpaca!).

But when we got home, late Sunday night Little Man made me cover my eyes and dragged me up to the workroom and surprise, there is the Bernina sitting on my table. How on earth?? We’ll, remember that crafting night just before Christmas? A friend of mine there, a serious quilter friend, had just gotten herself a new Janome for quilting and was ready to part with her Bernina. I was tempted, she e-mailed me the specs but still, she wanted $500 for it and we really didn’t have the money to spend. But my Skeptic is a very, very generous guy. (This is the tissue part). He had just sold his beater of a car for $500 a couple of weeks before and was planning on using the money to get a new computer (and his current computer is a slow, sad, computer). But he e-mailed this friend of mine and used his computer money to buy me the sewing machine. I’ve never been so surprised or touched by a gift. Talk about generous guy. I am so very, very lucky.

I think I’m ready to tackle something like this.