What Are You Up to Today? #6

Thank you Marie, you guys have all been such a blessing to me through all this. (((HUGS))) right back at ya.

Gini, so glad to see you back with your tales.  Does this mean things are working better with QCA server for you.  I've been afraid to write this for fear it'll disappear again but the speed has picked up by the server for me in MA.  Shh don't let this out to the powers that be yet.

Sorry Princess had to figure it out, childhood is so short these days.  Piano teacher sounds awesome, you'll have to tape some sessions so when the kids are in Carnegie Hall they could hear where they started.

Good luck catching the pack rat.

Lucky you, Hobbit will be fun.

You'll have to share your cracker recipe when you perfect it.

Sukochi, you poor thing!  Sure hope you're doing ok today... you've been so quiet since last night.

chocake2:

I am relieved to report that she didn't...or at least if she did the carpet was not the recipient.

She probably just made a smooth move.    Ginny

Wow, Thea, that is huge bill. I could just cry over this stupid Obama care.

I have a question, my DGS wants to buy a sewing machine for his mate.  She has a machine her sister gave her and she's been using it for small items and seems very interested in sewing.  My DGS asked me what I would suggest as a decent starter machine?  Keep in mind that I want to get her hooked on quilting one day.  :  )  He was browsing the web and looked at the Brother PE-770 Embroidery machine and asked what I thought about it.  It's in the $500/$600 range.  Can I get your opinions on it or any other machine you might think would be a beginner machine for her?  Thanks for your input.

Marie, That machine only does embroidery - so no not a good starter machine.  I have one and it does very nice embroidery but you can't use it for anything else.  If he wants to get her a good starter machine in that price range - I would send him to the Janome - very good starter machines with quite a few bells and whistles and good throat size for a reasonable price.  The Brother 270D is a good small machine - no good for quilting a quilt but has all the bells and whistles - does both embroidery and regular stitching - has small throat though but good enough for piecing - has needle down and scissors - price at Walmart about $400 - you can get it brand new on E-bay for about $300 - small though only hold back - great for a class machine... There are a few other Brothers I would recommend but I really like the Janome line for the throat size...none of the others for a low price have that throat space.

Christine:

Wow, Thea, that is huge bill. I could just cry over this stupid Obama care.

Yes, this was the bill for the evaluation that they did - no labs whatsoever - just talked to her for about 4 hours and sent her home - her Medicare hospitalization coverage did not cover - I have asked for an itemized bill - so far they are not forthcoming - sent them $100 and told them she would have to make payments as she does not have that kind of money... unbelievable... oh well, I can not worry about it - she did this to herself when she opted out at 65 for the doctor's part of medicare as it would cost money out of her SS check and now it would be too expensive to get although with bills like this - who knows... but if you don't sign up for medicare at 65 and want it later you pay a penalty of 10% more for each 12 months you didn't sign up - so in Mom's case that would be 210% over what the cost of medicare is... their response to me on this was she didn't pay in for all those years - WHAT!!! She did pay in for 45 years that she worked when they took that money out of her check each week... so Oh my B/P is rising...

All of you if you are approaching 65 - make sure you sign up when you are as you are severely penalized and if you think your regular insurance will cover - nope - Obama care took care of that - they only pay a percentage of what medicare doesn't pay and if medicare doesn't pay anything cuz you don't have it then they don't pay anything either... 

Love that Obama care...

 

Thank's Thea, I should have researched it myself.  I have a Janome but thought he would've thought I was biased so wanted to hear what you guys had to say before I report back to him.

Hi Marie, I guess it depends somewhat on your DGS's mates age . When my GD was a teen, I gave her my sturdy, dependable White sewing machine. It was the one I'd used to make her baby blanket and her 'Glinda the Good Witch' H'ween costume when she was 5. Those White's or similar starter machines are also inexpensive, a good thing if she decides sewing isn't her passion. I would hesitate to give a future quilter an embroidery machine. If she learns to love machine embroidery getting her to switch or add quilting could be quite a challenge. Let us know what you decide. Donna in Oregon

Spudgrandma:

Well, I'm up to no good as usual :)

Spud,

I'm so glad you're a having a good holiday season. Hope Christmas shopping was fun. I'm sitting here at work counting the minutes. Five hours to go.

Marie:

I have a question, my DGS wants to buy a sewing machine for his mate.  She has a machine her sister gave her and she's been using it for small items and seems very interested in sewing.  My DGS asked me what I would suggest as a decent starter machine?  Keep in mind that I want to get her hooked on quilting one day.  :  )  He was browsing the web and looked at the Brother PE-770 Embroidery machine and asked what I thought about it.  It's in the $500/$600 range.  Can I get your opinions on it or any other machine you might think would be a beginner machine for her?  Thanks for your input.

 

Hi Marie

     I have a Brothers PE770 Embroidery machine, and I use it only for embroidery work. I love it I have made several quilts using this machine with embroidered blocks in them.   You can buy cards with different embroidery designs these are  rather expensive between $150 and $200 each one you can go to the brothers site and see whats available these are starting to become obsolete. On the machine you can also go to any embroidery site and get designs which is a lot cheaper and use a flash drive to download once you purchase and download to your machine. You can also download designs from CD's with designs to use.  I really love this machine.  I don't remember what I paid but I have had mine for probably a year and a half. If GS mate loves embroidery work than this would be good. She can use her regular machine to sew blocks together.   I hope this will help him make his decision.

    Pat B

    Ps- I also just purchased about 3 months ago a Brothers SC 9500 sewing machine at Sears for $270. It does not do embroidery workbut it has over 135 stitches that can be used, also Alphabet letters that can be used. It also came with optional accesories for FMQ plus a little Machine quilting table to attach to sewing machine. I use this machine for  learning my Free Motion Quilting on.

      Hope this will help your GS to make a decision.

The PE 770 uses the Brother's cards also you can download patterns on flashdrive and use the flashcard on the Brother's machine.

Pat B

Marie I have to go with the Janome as well .He can go to any dealer and pick up a good used Janome that was a trade in . Unless she is going to do all embroidery I would wait until she is sure this is what she wants to do . If she get s a good machine she is more then likely to continue with learning to sew . Just my Opinion.barbara

Donna, thanks for your input but that model is off the table, I didn't realize it was just an embroidery machine.  She needs an entry level machine that has a few bells and whistles.