My family is growing

This week, we welcomed my new precious niece into the world.  Her name is Layla Jane and she is absolutely perfect.

Sam, Nadia & Layla

In my house we also welcome a new little brother.  No not a child. A new Brother Inovis NV610. We’re calling him Norman. Does it make me a bad aunty to confess that I am not sure which addition to the family I am more excited about or in love with?*

So the sad story is that about 3 weeks ago I was happy stitching away with my little bitty brother when he started making noises.  And not happy noises. But glugging, chugging noises. He was going sloooooow.  He was clearly working hard for every stitch.  I crossed my fingers that maybe he just needed some quiet time and turned him off for the night.  The next day, I turned him on and he couldn’t even do a single stitch.  The hand crank was refusing to turn.  I was ready to cry.

I took him to the local sewing shop, praying for a miracle. But no. my little brother was gone to his long home.

Silver lining – time for a new machine!!!!!!

Timing wise this was not great.  I had already made a deal with hubby that I could get a new machine in October (when the Craft and Quilt Fair is on, and I could hopefully get a good deal on a fancy pants machine) so we knew this cost was on the horizon, but right now :-/ We just had a month long overseas holiday (I’ll tell you all about that later!! It was amazing! But expensive…) Forking out for a new machine was not in this weeks budget.

I lasted a week without any machine.

I was miserable. I was depressed and sad and mopey.  I had hand sewing, but I’d just spent a month on holidays with no machine and I was sick of hand sewing!! I needed a sewing machine.

I hurried back to the LQS, and looked at their machines.  I was torn.  I wanted the super fancy ones, but I just couldn’t afford them… I asked about the Brother410 – maybe I could get this one in my price range, if I fluttered my eyelashes… They don’t have that in stock, but they could give me the 610 for the 410 price and it’s on sale right now…!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-O OKAY!!!!! I was already pushing my budget limits to buy the 410, but the 610 is even fancier and with the 410 sale price, I could just do it!!!  I’ve never been so excited in my life.  That’s a lie.  I was even more excited on Saturday when I picked it up.  The poor salesgirls thought I was a bit deranged.  I was giddy, I tells ya!

Ok, so slightly crazy in the eyes, but I was very, very excited :-D

Oh how I love my little Norman.  He is so quiet and fast (not as quiet or fast as the super doper machines but compared to my original machine it’s incredible).  It’s a struggle to go to work this week, because I just want to be at home and playing with him.  I am a little scared of him.  I haven’t worked out all the knobs and buttons, but I am learning all his idiosyncrasies. I am playing with the different stitch settings and trying to work out how to set it up for a proper ¼” seam.

I’ve made a little zippy pouch (as a play thing – to try different stitches and whatnot) and have pieced a simple quilt top.  Next up – a proper quilt top.  I haven’t picked which one yet, but there are lots of options to choose from.

So much excitement!!!!!! Love, love, love, love, love! Welcome to the family, Norman.  So glad to have you here.

*Note that I clearly love my niece the most.  Just so my big sis knows that I’m not really comparing her new daughter to my new sewing machine.**

**Quilters, you totes know what I mean right – Come on! New sewing machine! It’s totally comparable to a new baby. I will love it and feed it and take it for walks…