memes

Because it's great blog fodder, too.

Sew, Mama, Sew is one of my favorite crafty blogs. I've been reading them forever. They always have great ideas, tutorials, and, my favorite, handmade holidays!! This month is sewing machine month, and there's a SWEET giveaway of a sewing machine this month.

Anyway, they're hosting a sewing machine meme, so I thought it sounded like a good idea, and needed something to post about since you already know that we went to Ikea for dinner and that Ellis got a new sleeping bag if you're following me on Facebook. meh.

What brand and model do you have?
Janome Sewist 509

How long have you had it?
2 yrs

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
$200

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
All of the above. Everything. clothes, bags, curtains. I sew with heavier weight home dec fabrics, and have even sewn knits on it.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I go in seasons. Sometimes almost daily, others about monthly.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
It's very smooth. I can sew a ton of layers of heavy material, and it just tromps over them like butter. So it's a real workhorse for me. I did not name it. I think of it as "the Sewist" which sounds sort of academic to me.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
Well, this is a basic, basic, basic machine. I can do zigzag, buttonholes, and straight stitches. And they all work well.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
nope.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
I turned in my master's thesis, and the next week bought a sewing machine. :)

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Yes. This is a very good basic machine. It is reliable, extremely easy to use. The perfect first sewing machine. I had major sewing fear before I got this. And the ease of the machine made it easy for me to fall in love with sewing.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
I wanted to just get a basic machine when I was looking for this, my first machine. I wanted to know myself more as a sewer before I looked for my features. I think I'd be interested in some interesting stitch pattern options, and a programmable buttonhole. For me, though, I don't need much.

Do you have a dream machine?
I'd like something that could do anything. Could quilt, could serge, could embroider and be very good at the "basics" too.

(read more entries on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog)

Erin tagged me. So here goes with 7 bits of things about me you may or may not know:

1. I have a mole on my left hand. It's how I used to remember which hand was left. I may have used this fact in a previous meme.

2. Ever since seeing the movie Pollyanna with Hayley Mills as a kid, I've had a thing for prisms. Can't get enough of dancing rainbows on the wall.

3. I can eat an average sized watermelon by myself in two days. Watermelon is my favorite.

4. I have trouble suspending reality when I watch movies/tv shows. So I'm pretty much a loser when it comes to anything remotely suspenseful, involves loud noises and blood, or relies on anything besides dialog and pretty scenery to carry the story along. Sometimes this makes me sad, because I know the movie is worth watching, I just can't watch it. Examples of things I can't watch: Jurassic Park, CSI anything, Kill Bill, the entire horror genre.

5. Thomas the Train weirds me out. I don't offer to E as a viewing option very often.

6. Today I saw a bumper sticker. It was in the image of a dog paw and said "Who rescued who?" By the end of the red light I was about ready to go the roof in annoyance, the kind of edge that you get when someone scratches the chalkboard. It's "who rescued WHOM?" OBJECTIVE CASE, BUDDY!!!!!!!!!

7. I have this strange idea that I can use Facebook solely for social networking purposes and not for entertainment.

* Here's an 8th item. I don't mind writing memes, but I don't like to pass them on. Now that my blog is five and a half years old, I consider myself middle-aged in blogging years. That means I'm getting crotchety, so I'll not pass it on. But if you want to do it and pretend I passed it to you, by all means. I'll play along. ;-)