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Know Thy Machine

I was asked by Shruti and Emily to participate in the Know Thy Machine Blog Hop, and today I’m excited to tell you a little bit about the sewing machine that I use!

1. What machine(s) do you have? Brand and Model.
I use a Brother HE240 sewing machine.

2. When and where did you buy it? What were the reasons for selecting this(these) particular model(s). What was its approximate cost. 
I bought my refurbished sewing machine online at Ken’s Sewing Center. I did a lot of research on sewing machines before I bought this one (I was previously using a non-vintage Singer, which was absolutely terrible and I can’t believe that I actually sewed with it that long…constant tension issues despite being taken in numerous times). The model I decided on was previously available on HSN (Home Shopping Network). It got a ton of great reviews on both HSN and Amazon, so I felt confident in my choice. I didn’t have a lot of money to spend, so I felt that I was getting a lot of bang for my buck.

3. What do you like about your machine? Have you named it? Have you made a cover for it? 
When I first unpacked my machine, I didn’t set up the foot pedal right away. My machine has a button that starts and stops the needle. To this day, I still haven’t used the foot pedal. Maybe it sounds weird, but I really enjoy using that little button. I’m a bit on the short side, so when previously using the pedal, the muscles in my foot would cramp up a bit at times, so I’m happy to have my little button.

I haven’t named my machine, although I did make a cover for it nearly a couple of years ago. Making a cover for it was clearly nonsense though. I use my sewing machine every day, and I just can’t justify taking off and stowing that cover constantly.

4. Does your machine give you any problems? Could you tell us a few? 
I don’t have any problems using it. It does have an embroidery feature, which I will get to one of these days…maybe…just too busy sewing to stop and read the manual. 😉 I do wish it had a bit of a longer arm so I could manuever bags through it more easily, but whatever.

5. What do you sew on it mainly? Quilts, Clothes, Bags etc. How much time do you spend sewing on it? What are the features of the machine that help you improve your work? 
I make all of the above. I probably spend a couple hours sewing on it per night, after my kids are in bed. Honestly, I have a reliable machine, and that’s all that I can ask for. The bells and whistles are nice, but as long as it can sew a straight stitch, that’s good enough for me.

6. What advice would you give others when deciding about which machine to buy?
Do your research before you buy. Look online, visit a brick-and-mortar store and try some out. As you read in this interview, I don’t really use the extra features like the 100 different stitches or the embroidery (yet). Unless you’re planning on doing some lavish stitching, don’t let all the extras tempt you, especially if you’re on a budget. Keep in mind what you will be sewing most often and tailor your machine to fit your needs.

7. Will you share with us a special memory associated with your machine? 
I can’t think of anything off the top of my head, although I have a funny story about a back-up machine that my friend sent me. She gave it to me right before we moved, and so I didn’t feel ready to take it out of the box until my sewing room was situated (since we had to do a lot of remodeling; I wanted it to stay safe). My friend visited the summer after we moved, and I had the machine all set up so she could show me how to use it. The little light wouldn’t come on, so we moved to the other room and started snacking on some cheesecake. A loud boom came from my sewing room, and we ran into the room as the sewing machine started smoking! I always laugh about this because I really do think that she tried to set my house on fire. 😉

8. If you had unlimited resources in the world, which machine would you choose to buy and why? 
Ummm…probably a Tula Pink Bernina, lol.

If you made it this far, please visit 13 Woodhouse Road to be eligible for some nifty prizes!! 🙂

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4 thoughts on “Know Thy Machine

  1. Oh you have some bad friends!

  2. Nana Potts says:

    Ooooohhh… a machine where you don’t need a foot pedal! Never heard of naming a sewing machine before. Would love to hear some of those. Don’t think I could do that because then I would feel bad when one had to stay in the closet for awhile 🙂 Love your story, Sara!

  3. amy atkinson says:

    For some reason, I find it hard to see sewing machines perth. I like its quality and my mom has been using it since were little. I wanted to give her a brand new/handy one, but this seems to be quite small. D o you have bigger one?

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