Indy Expo Report, part 4 -- Oh, the irony...

I went to the cutting table and took a photo of the patterns I picked up;  my pattern purchasing has really dropped off of late.

Which makes sense, since I have nearly filled a second hand Simplicity pattern cabinet.  I mean, how many patterns does a girl really need?

I'm pretty much looking for details I don't have...or trying to save myself alteration time...in new patterns.

Or, in the case of Cutting Line Design patterns, I'm looking for great detailed instructions that I can use for other garments.

I actually purchased 3 patterns; the Eureka top and skirt came with the class.  Anyway:

I put the ruler in the photo, too.  I won the original version of that ruler...w/o the straight edge...in a blog giveaway and I love using it so much that I snatched the enhanced version when I saw it in Kathy Ruddy's booth.  It makes working with Burda Style and Neue Mode  patterns so much easier I can't even say.  Adding those seam allowances is a piece of cake with that baby.  Really.

I wanted a good skinny pant, and the Helix looked good...besides, there's that great t top.  I think I'm going to have fun with it.

Cynthia's jacket has a collar stand that you can't see and shoulder princess seams; the photo on the front has actually been modified a bit.  I have plans for that involving some stashed silk suiting..I really hope I can get to it in time to wear it to the next Expo...whenever that might be... ;-)

But I did make one other...minor...purchase at the Expo.  A bit ago, I mentioned that, for the first time in about 20 years, I had spotted a sewing machine model that actually interested me.

I did a little research on price and availablilty and such and found that the Janome dealer about an hour away had the  2013 model of that machine, which is virtually identical, for about the same price as what everyone seemed to be paying, and including a $50 voucher good for additional accessories.

One of my main motivations for wanting a new machine is that I'd been told by dealers here in town, who sell a hodgepodge collection of brands, that I could not get a straight stitch plate/foot for my old New Home, since it was such an ancient model, so I had plans for the voucher.

And I thought I'd look at the machine while I was at the Expo, if they had one.  They did; about 20 minutes before my last class on Saturday I sat down and sewed with it a bit and asked some questions and liked how it sounded when it was running and how nice the stitch looked.

I deliberately did that with just a little time before class so that I had to leave before I got that strong sales pitch.  I really didn't want to buy it at the Expo.  The price there was 11 dollars less than the price at Ken's, but with the voucher at Ken's that really wasn't an issue.  The only real difference was that this was the 2014 model instead of the 2013.  But, as I said, they looked to me to be the same, just a different color.  I was just getting more information...trying to decide what I wanted to do.


Now, the last class of the day was over at 3, but the Grand Prize Drawing for the day was not till 4:45.  And, as I said, that class was a pivot point.  There were only about 9 people in the class, so Cynthia just had us all come sit around the teaching table and she went over details on attaching convex curves to concave curves...think princess seams and collars to necklines.  And it all hinges on exceedingly precise stay stitching.

'Now, you can't stay stitch at a 1/8" distance with that zig zag plate,' she told us. 'Too much fabric gets sucked down into that hole and you can't control it.'

The lightbulb dinged on.  After class, I told her, 'My machine's like, 20 years old.  I can't get a straight stitch plate for it.'  She looked at me and said, 'Well, I think it's about time you got a new machine.'

Yes.  Yes, it is.

Now I just had to decide where to get it.  The 2014 at Indy...or the 2013 and the voucher at Ken's. My buddy Miss A had gone to the expo half planning to get a machine, and she had found the Pfaff she'd been thinking about and taken the plunge.  When I left class, I saw a parking place right by the entrance, so I got the car and pulled it around so she wouldn't have to carry the box far.  Then I found her and our new friend Valerie sitting by the fountain in the courtyard.  Lovely day...we chatted for a while and, just in case, I texted my Sweet Babboo...'Would I be in trouble if I bought a sewing machine?'   He replied, 'No'

Eventually, we drug ourselves away from the fountain and the lovely breeze and collected the Pfaff and got it in the car, and I decided I'd go take one last look at the 2014.  Miss A headed to the Expo stage to wait for the drawing...which was scheduled in about 30 minutes. I started down the hall to the Janome dealership, thinking.  About half way there, I made up my mind...I had to get that throat plate and foot from Ken, anyway,  I might as well just get the machine from him.  So I turned around and headed back towards the stage area.

But I passed a little seating/lounge area, and sitting in one of those seats was one of the Janome dealers.  As I walked by, he looked at me and said, 'So, did you buy your machine?'

'No, ' I said.  'I've decided to get it from my local dealer when I get home.'

So he asked me where I was from, and who the local guy was, and which machine I was looking at.

I told him, then added, 'You're selling that for 11 dollars less than Ken, but he's got a $50 voucher with his and I need some accessories, so, you know, I think I'll just go see him.'

He looked at me and said, 'I'll sell you the machine that you were sewing on for [$109 less than we've got it marked] if you'll take it home today.'

I am no fool.  Behold the new resident:

Notice that it fits the same table as the old one?  How convenient.  I haven't gotten to sew with it much yet...just a wee bit finishing up the Eureka top and a little on the knit tops that are currently in  progress.  I really like the even feed foot...

Monday night, I ordered the straight stitch plate and foot from Ken; it arrived Wednesday.  Just for grins, I tried it on the old machine.

It fits.

Ah, well, I now have a much lighter machine to haul around for any costuming I might do...