Snaazy packaging

     Not too long ago, a new machine named George came to live with me. This was a long researched sewing machine and I really wanted this one to be “it” and have it live with me for long happy life. Now, I have been known to be a bit fickle about sewing machine but I have been loyal to my recent machines.

     Why consider a long arm machine? Quite simply, I hated slugging a large quilt under the small harp of a domestic machine. And I knew that long term sewing would wreak havoc with my shoulders. They really hurt after the big quilts and , as a previous physical therapist, knew that the repetitive stress would lead to nasty shoulder syndrome. (“Arthuritis” would settle in. )

I visited my friend the lovely Terri Watson who let  me try her Gamill machine one day. I loved it. The ease with which I could finish a quilt was astounding and rewarding. But I couldn’t justify the high cost of a typical long arm if I wasn’t going into business to finish others quilts. And I wasn’t.  So, over the course of two years, I went to different shows and tried lots of sit down models.  And slyly enough, a George was at the Barn the last two times I went to workshops and the wonderful Beth Shillig, an APQS dealer,  was there to entice us to play with George.

I fell in love with him. I was smitten with him.

George set up and ready to go

The reasons why:

1. He was solid. He felt and looked like hefty machine that could handle the beasts of things to come. I like piecing large quilts. I don’t like quilting them.

2. He did not intimidate me as I could use my same skills that I had doing free motion quilting on my domestic machine.

3. And he could accommodate smaller needle.

4. He has a really decent sewing table that is included in the price.

5. He has a good reputation among other art quilters. I hadn’t heard negative things.

So, I took the plunge and made George a part of my studio not so long ago. I have been spending time with him and learning to adjust to him the past few weeks.

Changing a needle for the first time

I am in the learning curve portion of my adventure with George. More next post about the pros and cons I have found early on in this adventure.