Thoughts on Sewing Machine Maintenance

I have a confession... a BIG confession.  I bought my sewing machine in Nov 2010, a Viking Sapphire 875Q.  Almost 5 years later, I have never had my machine serviced.

Picture borrowed from here

When you buy these complicated sewing machines today you are told that they need to go in the shop once a year to be serviced.  Who has time for that?  I can barely stand to take my car in for oil changes and it's yearly inspection.  I even dread yearly doctor and dentist appointments.

However, on my most recent quilt, my machine started acting up, especially with the tension while I was free motion quilting and I decided that it was finally time to go for it's "yearly" checkup.  Luckily, I have fulfilled all my deadlines through the end of September so I had some flexible time to be without my machine.

I bought my machine as a "classroom used" machine after the Houston International Quilt Festival.  The shop I bought it from is 1+ hour drive from my house (since I live near Houston).  Therefore, I took my machine to the local Joann's (which is 10 minutes from my house), since they provide service to Viking machines. 

At my local Joann's, they told me that the Viking service center is currently taking 2 weeks to turn around machines.  After you add in time for shipping, my machine will be gone for 3-4 weeks!!!!!!  Also, it costs $129 for a tune up!

Hypothetically, if I keep this machine for 13 years and take it for tuneups once a year, that means that over it's life I would spend an equal amount for start up cost (buying the machine) and maintenance cost.  Is this crazy?  because I think it is.  The only item besides my car that gets yearly tuneups is my A/C system- it costs much more than this sewing machine but the yearly maintenance costs are about the same.  I am interested in hearing if anyone out there has any other thoughts about this?

Also, I have one other complaint.  If I am expected to be away from my sewing machine for 1 month a year, shouldn't dealers offer "loaner machines"?  Is this a thing anywhere?  Please let me know.  I only lasted 2.5 days without my sewing machine until I broke out my "emergency" machine, a 12-year only Janome with very basic functions (I keep it around because it's great to have when my sister visits me so we can sew together).  It's killing me to be without my "automatic presser foot down" function though... read on to see my favorite (and least favorite) parts of the Viking 875Q...

Things I love after using my Viking 875Q for almost 5 years:
-Large harp space
-Automatic needle threader
-Automatic thread cutter
-AUTOMATIC PRESSER FOOT DOWN (this is the #1 thing I love about this machine, it makes starting and turning corners so fast and easy!)

-Stitch choices are plentiful and I enjoy using them when the circumstances call for different stitches

-I used the "darning" feature a couple times to mend holes in clothing and it was awesome

-Bobbin thread sensor

Things I dislike about my machine:
-Automatic thread tension.  I always feel like my thread tension is off a little bit during free motion quilting and I attempt to change it manually but it doesn't seem to make a difference

Things that will hopefully be fixed when my machine comes back from it's first servicing:
1. Apparently my bobbin threading was "loose".  The woman at Joann's noticed this, I had noticed that my bobbins were getting kind of messy but I guess I ignored it?
2. Somehow I got a burr in my metal stitch plate that was causing me to shred thread when free motion quilting.  I sanded it down with a Dremel, but I am going to purchase a new stitch plate (with inch markings!) for future use
3. I just hope my machine comes back as soon as possible, in good working order, and ready to get back to sewing!

I would love to hear if you have any other thoughts about machine maintenance, let me know in the comments below!

Craftsy Pattern Update

I posted earlier this year about how I listed my "Star Power" pattern for sale on Craftsy.  It is "for sale" for free, so it's a great deal :)

Anyway, this week I noticed that it was getting a lot of downloads on Craftsy, and much to my surprise, it was temporarily listed as the #3 top selling free pattern on Craftsy!!!  I took a screenshot to memoralize the occasion!

If you haven't "bought" my free pattern yet, go here and join the 2400+ people who have already downloaded it!

Evolution of a Quilt

Today I have a long story to tell.  It is called "Evolution of a quilt".


I started a quilt about 3-4 years ago.  I wanted to made a new quilt for my bed.  I got a set of Kona fat quarters in a blue/green colorway.

Half square triangles were totally "in" 3 years ago and I started to make half square triangles.  4" half square triangles for a queen size bed!  Needless to say, I got maybe 1/4 of the way done and decided that half square triangles just weren't "me".  I put the quilt in the WIP pile and moved on.

Then, last year at the Houston Quilt Festival I saw this quilt at the Modern Quilt Guild showcase:

I had been itching for a while to try out a Wedding Ring quilt and this quilt at the quilt festival totally inspired me to try it with my half square triangles as the centers of the rings!

I came home and laid it out on my design wall with paper as the curved pieces:

and I loved the way that it looked!  Here you can see 4 3x3 squares of half square triangles, I had 9 of those squares, so it could be the perfect size for a baby quilt.

There were a couple iterations to get here, but here it is in its final state!

I am actually kind of in love with it :)  After I sewed all the white curved pieces on, the intersections where they came together were a total mess.  Way too many seams, and they weren't fitting together correctly.  So, I appliqued the little gray diamonds on top of all the intersections and cut out all the extra fabric from the back side!  I also appliqued the wedding ring portion onto the background.  

I was going to quilt it with traditional wedding ring quilting- different quilting in the curves and the centers of the rings, but I decided to go with a giant spiral and I love the way that it looks!  It makes the whole quilt just a little more modern!

My brother and his wife are having a baby boy this August so I am gifting this quilt to them.  However, I am busy thinking about how I could make another one kind of like it!

Linking up with Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts!

Spring Breeze

This spring I was able to join the Modern Quilt Guild Riley Blake Challenge.  They sent you 6 fat eighths in the mail from the Cottage Garden Collection and you had to:

• Make something fantastic that is quilted.
• Make something you've never done before.
• Challenge yourself to learn something new.
• Use only Riley Blake Cottage Garden fabrics and coordinating Riley Blake basics and solids

 This is the fabric that I was sent:

 

I quickly decided that these fabrics reminded me of Spring, because of their colors and patterns, so I wanted to make something "Springy".  I wanted to try a kind of art quilt using applique, since I have never done that before.   I decided that my subject would be a tree.

The next challenge was the fact that I only had a fat eighth of each of the fabrics.  I challenged myself to not buy any more of the Cottage Garden fabrics and I just bought a Riley Blake solid (I think it was "Pewter") for the background, backing, and binding.  Since I had so little fabric, I decided to go with half of a tree for the subject of the quilt.  I made the trunk using small improv curves (a new-to-me method) and then I appliqued down the trunk and the branches on the backing fabric.  

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of my progress.  After appliqueing the trunk and branches, I quilted it- I used a "tree bark" kind of design on the tree and swirls in the background (both of these quilting methods were also new to me).  After quilting, I appliqued and quilted down the leaves on the trees- I wanted the background quilting design to be behind, not around, the leaves.

I decided that the swirl quilting looked like a breeze in the tree so I named it "Spring Breeze".

 

It is 35" x 41", so a nice size for a baby quilt.  I really like the way that the edges of the leaves got a little "furry" after I washed it (since I did a raw-edge applique there).

Here is a picture of the backing, so you can see what the quilting looks like.  See how the leaves are green on the back too?  I like that detail :)

 

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish-it-up Friday!