Sewing Retreat Planning & PR Stash Contest

I am so excited to be going to Orlando in January for the Sewing Retreat with The Sewing Workshop and Cutting Line Designs. I am trying to decide which machine to take and beginning to gather my supplies. My favorite machine is my Bernina 1130, but the bobbin winder is not always reliable. Several years ago, my dog got tangled in the cord and brought it crashing to the floor. It was repaired, but the bobbin winder motor quick working. My DS worked on the timing and got it to where I could use it, but I'm afraid to rely on it. I am convinced this is the best machine ever made. It is the one I go when I am stitching denim or curtains. It makes beautiful stitches, and I have a bunch of feet that go with it.

I also have a Bernina Virtuosa 153 that I bought when I thought my 1130 was "done for." It is not made nearly as well. I have several feet. I have just never been totally happy with the way it sews. No way will it sew through the hem on a pair of jeans across the thick seams.

The last machine I bought is a Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 850. This one is pretty neat in that you can choose the type and weight of the fabric you are sewing, and the tension is automatically adjusted. In lightweight fabrics though, the bobbin thread does not lay straight and true. I also like that there is a whole slue of needle positions. It doesn't sew through thick denims seams either. It also tangles in the bobbin if you don't hold the thread in the back at the beginning of a seam. I started having problems a few months after I got it and took it in for adjustment. The bobbin thread is no better than it was. Sometimes, when you choose the needle down position, it does not always stay down, and the center needle position is a hair off, which really bugs me.

These are the patterns and some fabrics I am considering for the retreat. Some of the fabrics have been in my stash for over 20 years from when my mother owned a fabric store. I have had all of these pieces for over a year, hence the PR stash contest.

I'm itching to get a couple of things cut out, but the rules are that you can't begin until January 1st. The only piece that has not been pre-treated is the beautiful linen in the center on the right. This is one of those pieces that I have pulled out over and over through the years, but could never bring myself to cut it.

I'll let you know what I decide.