BYC Member Interview - SnapdragonQ

[SnapdragonQ]

Stop it snappy you’ve been seeing and quilting for TEN years?!? I just got so much hope for so many skills I have yet to master.

Things didn't really take off until I bought a quality straight stitch beast of a sewing machine for piecing, then the Longarm.
So, maybe 4 years now?

Before it was average stuff on a tiny beginner sewing machine on the dining room table. Everyone has to start somewhere...

 

[MaryJanet]

Things didn't really take off until I bought a quality straight stitch beast of a sewing machine for piecing, then the Longarm.
So, maybe 4 years now?

Before it was average stuff on a tiny beginner sewing machine on the dining room table. Everyone has to start somewhere...

I'm curious to know what you think: do you think starting off on that tiny beginner sewing machine gave you so many little challenges that it honed your thinking and abilities? Then, when you switched to the proper equipment, you soared?

For me, working with crappy equipment invites a lot of problem solving and deeper thought about what I'm trying to do.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I'm curious to know what you think: do you think starting off on that tiny beginner sewing machine gave you so many little challenges that it honed your thinking and abilities? Then, when you switched to the proper equipment, you soared?

For me, working with crappy equipment invites a lot of problem solving and deeper thought about what I'm trying to do.

Great question/thought exercise!

I'd say yes, partly. It honed my thinking and desires to create, but at the same time it held my abilities back because I could not make the machine do what I needed it to.
This was not all bad though...it forced me to think outside the box.
And delve into sewing machine history.

Vintage Singers (the black cast iron ones) were some of the best sewing machines ever made. A top of the line semi-industrial straight stitch machine was not in the budget 7 years ago, but vintage Singers were. Especially if it need a little work.
I learned what made those old machines tick and how to fix them. Then I waited for a good deal. The Singer 201 is the best model made and I have a beautiful one. Two other restored vintage Singers too.

They taught me what a quality machine really is and the importance of bypassing a lot of the bells and whistles of "fancy" machines* once I had saved enough for a big girl machine.

Quality then begat creativity. Having capable machines that could easily do what I asked of them. Now instead of looking at something and wistfully wishing I could make it, knowing my little machine could never do such a thing...I'm like Oh, and Ahh, and OMG I can do this, or that, or any manner of things pinging around in my brain because I'm not limited anymore.
There are a lot of ways to do things from expensive, to DIY , to using shoestrings and bubblegum wrappers. And I'm a bit of a McGyver/DIYer anyway, but I could not fudge quality work.

*Nothing wrong with fancy machines, and I desire those too, but quality has to come first. Eventually I will have a machine that has a bazillion different stitches and talks to me.

 

[MaryJanet]

Great question/thought exercise!

I'd say yes, partly. It honed my thinking and desires to create, but at the same time it held my abilities back because I could not make the machine do what I needed it to.
This was not all bad though...it forced me to think outside the box.
And delve into sewing machine history.

Vintage Singers (the black cast iron ones) were some of the best sewing machines ever made. A top of the line semi-industrial straight stitch machine was not in the budget 7 years ago, but vintage Singers were. Especially if it need a little work.
I learned what made those old machines tick and how to fix them. Then I waited for a good deal. The Singer 201 is the best model made and I have a beautiful one. Two other restored vintage Singers too.

They taught me what a quality machine really is and the importance of bypassing a lot of the bells and whistles of "fancy" machines* once I had saved enough for a big girl machine.

Quality then begat creativity. Having capable machines that could easily do what I asked of them. Now instead of looking at something and wistfully wishing I could make it, knowing my little machine could never do such a thing...I'm like Oh, and Ahh, and OMG I can do this, or that, or any manner of things pinging around in my brain because I'm not limited anymore.
There are a lot of ways to do things from expensive, to DIY , to using shoestrings and bubblegum wrappers. And I'm a bit of a McGyver/DIYer anyway, but I could not fudge quality work.

*Nothing wrong with fancy machines, and I desire those too, but quality has to come first. Eventually I will have a machine that has a bazillion different stitches and talks to me.

Thank you for such a thoughtful response

 

[janiedoe]

Great question/thought exercise!

I'd say yes, partly. It honed my thinking and desires to create, but at the same time it held my abilities back because I could not make the machine do what I needed it to.
This was not all bad though...it forced me to think outside the box.
And delve into sewing machine history.

Vintage Singers (the black cast iron ones) were some of the best sewing machines ever made. A top of the line semi-industrial straight stitch machine was not in the budget 7 years ago, but vintage Singers were. Especially if it need a little work.
I learned what made those old machines tick and how to fix them. Then I waited for a good deal. The Singer 201 is the best model made and I have a beautiful one. Two other restored vintage Singers too.

They taught me what a quality machine really is and the importance of bypassing a lot of the bells and whistles of "fancy" machines* once I had saved enough for a big girl machine.

Quality then begat creativity. Having capable machines that could easily do what I asked of them. Now instead of looking at something and wistfully wishing I could make it, knowing my little machine could never do such a thing...I'm like Oh, and Ahh, and OMG I can do this, or that, or any manner of things pinging around in my brain because I'm not limited anymore.
There are a lot of ways to do things from expensive, to DIY , to using shoestrings and bubblegum wrappers. And I'm a bit of a McGyver/DIYer anyway, but I could not fudge quality work.

*Nothing wrong with fancy machines, and I desire those too, but quality has to come first. Eventually I will have a machine that has a bazillion different stitches and talks to me.

I'm going to put "talking" machine on my list too. I rarely sew anymore, but when I do, I like company.

 

[ronott1]

Great question/thought exercise!

I'd say yes, partly. It honed my thinking and desires to create, but at the same time it held my abilities back because I could not make the machine do what I needed it to.
This was not all bad though...it forced me to think outside the box.
And delve into sewing machine history.

Vintage Singers (the black cast iron ones) were some of the best sewing machines ever made. A top of the line semi-industrial straight stitch machine was not in the budget 7 years ago, but vintage Singers were. Especially if it need a little work.
I learned what made those old machines tick and how to fix them. Then I waited for a good deal. The Singer 201 is the best model made and I have a beautiful one. Two other restored vintage Singers too.

They taught me what a quality machine really is and the importance of bypassing a lot of the bells and whistles of "fancy" machines* once I had saved enough for a big girl machine.

Quality then begat creativity. Having capable machines that could easily do what I asked of them. Now instead of looking at something and wistfully wishing I could make it, knowing my little machine could never do such a thing...I'm like Oh, and Ahh, and OMG I can do this, or that, or any manner of things pinging around in my brain because I'm not limited anymore.
There are a lot of ways to do things from expensive, to DIY , to using shoestrings and bubblegum wrappers. And I'm a bit of a McGyver/DIYer anyway, but I could not fudge quality work.

*Nothing wrong with fancy machines, and I desire those too, but quality has to come first. Eventually I will have a machine that has a bazillion different stitches and talks to me.

My Mom made a lot of clothes for us using a treadle singer sewing machine!

 

[SnapdragonQ]

My Mom made a lot of clothes for us using a treadle singer sewing machine!

I've been wanting a treadle for years! Even if I have to find the cabinet separately then retrofit a machine.
A treadle would make my vintage collection complete.
And I'd use it too.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm going to put "talking" machine on my list too. I rarely sew anymore, but when I do, I like company.

Break out the machine when the grands are around. Teach them to sew!

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Break out the machine when the grands are around. Teach them to sew!

Ditto that!

My kiddo learned to sew when younger and sometimes likes to doodle draw on the Longarm. I encourage it with hopes the spark will ignite.

 

[janiedoe]

Break out the machine when the grands are around. Teach them to sew!

Ditto that!

My kiddo learned to sew when younger and sometimes likes to doodle draw on the Longarm. I encourage it with hopes the spark will ignite.

My daughter is the seamstress in our family. I'm not sure where she got the talent. She occasionally gives sewing lessons, so I'll leave teaching to her.
I still like the idea of the talking machine. Although, in my case, it might begin using four letter words.