I Love my husband....
Feb. 7th, 2016 03:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiberaddicttoday started like any other Sunday. Did some running around, then measured and cut 2 2-yard lengths of denim so I could make Herself some jeans. Pulled out the serger to finish the raw edges before washing....and that's when I realized how much I HATE this serger.
It did the first seam (out of 4 - 2 raw edges per piece) just fine. Not perfectly, no - I've NEVER gotten a perfectly serged edge out of this machine, but it's good enough. It will go along perfect, then ever so often it'll have a larger loop hanging out. Not a *huge* loop, but long enough that you notice it. Anyway. I started on the 2nd edge, and it decided it hated it's life. 1 of the threads broke, then it decided that instead of sewing at all, it would just CUT the edge. :bangs head: I stopped, cut all 3 threads, re-threaded all 4, and started again. It serged about 8", then did it again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. *18* times. :sigh:
About the 15th time, SG noticed I was getting upset. (Yeah...it took him THAT long. Ah, well.....) He asked what was going on, so I showed him. And rethreaded it. And started...this time it didn't even TRY to overlock the edge, it just started cutting....only it decided to feed the fabric in all wonky, so it cut a CHUNK out of the edge. (No worries - I had measured out 6" more than 2 yards, for both shrinkage and serging. Good thing, huh?) SG whipped out the credit card and told me to go shopping - he'd advance me up to my share of the refund. (!)
At first I told him No, because I STILL hadn't made up my mind on if I wanted an upgrade or not. (Although....16 attempts and still no serged edge. I was getting closer!) He said OK, the offer's there, and went back to his RC plane.
Attempt #18, I had HAD it. I started thinking of how to ask him to take me to JoAnn's...and the bloody thing straightened right up and worked fine. For all *3* remaining edges. :figures: I told SG that I had "fixed" it, and told him what I did. He laughed, and said "OK, let's go then!".
Um.......wait. What? I pulled up JoAnn's website, because I didn't want to go in blind.
Long story short - we didn't go to JoAnn's. I hit eBay...and I have an almost new Baby Lock Diana on it's way to me. *5* thread (yeah, that'll go well, won't it?), overlock AND coverstitch, with semi-automatic tension. For about 2/3 of the list price. Am I nervous? Yes - but eBay will cover me if it turns out to not work (it says it does!).
I read up on it before jumping on it...it's the last mid-level serger they have; the next step up is the "air thread" models (at....$3K. :gulp!:) The reviews are all good; yes, there IS a learning curve, but it seems to be not as bad as the entry-level ones.
So. Why a 5-thread this time? Because I figure this'll be the last serger I'll buy, and if I'm going to spend the $$$ (OK, I paid $435 for this one. Not bad, as far as quality machines go, but more than I normally spend! The cheapest I saw it listed is $899; sometimes it goes on sale for $599.) I wanted 1 that would do it *all*. Overlock for wovens, and coverstitch for knits (a coverstitch is how RTW t-shirts and other knits are finished. Raw edge overlocked on the wrong side with 2 stitches on the right side, hemming it up at the same time). Necessary? No.....but it was within my price range (at the far end, to be honest, but there it is) and...why not? :lol: (And I had been researching sergers; Baby Lock was on my dream-only list because of the price. I had just about decided to go with an older model Elna or Pfaff, to be honest, or, maybe, a 5-thread Singer. But the Singer, new, was $799 - which was more than I wanted to spend ($500 at the most), so I was leaning towards the other 2, I just hadn't decided which one was the best for me.)
I'm going to try to get my current one to finish Herself's jeans. I have 2 ready-to-go lengths of denim - I'm hoping she'll like the fabric and let me do 2 pairs for her. If not, she'll get 1 pair and I'll make another pair of bombachas for me - with darts this time.
Oh, and why SG was so generous: Yesterday he bought Windoze 8 for his iMac so he can run a RC flight simulator program. He was feeling a bit guilty (although I told him not to. As long as the CC is completely paid off with the return, I don't care - and he promised it would be.) However, he felt bad that he was pre-spending his portion of the refund....so, I got a new serger. :lol: (And I'm scared to death! What have I done????????:aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!: :rofl:)
So, how was YOUR weekend?
It did the first seam (out of 4 - 2 raw edges per piece) just fine. Not perfectly, no - I've NEVER gotten a perfectly serged edge out of this machine, but it's good enough. It will go along perfect, then ever so often it'll have a larger loop hanging out. Not a *huge* loop, but long enough that you notice it. Anyway. I started on the 2nd edge, and it decided it hated it's life. 1 of the threads broke, then it decided that instead of sewing at all, it would just CUT the edge. :bangs head: I stopped, cut all 3 threads, re-threaded all 4, and started again. It serged about 8", then did it again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. *18* times. :sigh:
About the 15th time, SG noticed I was getting upset. (Yeah...it took him THAT long. Ah, well.....) He asked what was going on, so I showed him. And rethreaded it. And started...this time it didn't even TRY to overlock the edge, it just started cutting....only it decided to feed the fabric in all wonky, so it cut a CHUNK out of the edge. (No worries - I had measured out 6" more than 2 yards, for both shrinkage and serging. Good thing, huh?) SG whipped out the credit card and told me to go shopping - he'd advance me up to my share of the refund. (!)
At first I told him No, because I STILL hadn't made up my mind on if I wanted an upgrade or not. (Although....16 attempts and still no serged edge. I was getting closer!) He said OK, the offer's there, and went back to his RC plane.
Attempt #18, I had HAD it. I started thinking of how to ask him to take me to JoAnn's...and the bloody thing straightened right up and worked fine. For all *3* remaining edges. :figures: I told SG that I had "fixed" it, and told him what I did. He laughed, and said "OK, let's go then!".
Um.......wait. What? I pulled up JoAnn's website, because I didn't want to go in blind.
Long story short - we didn't go to JoAnn's. I hit eBay...and I have an almost new Baby Lock Diana on it's way to me. *5* thread (yeah, that'll go well, won't it?), overlock AND coverstitch, with semi-automatic tension. For about 2/3 of the list price. Am I nervous? Yes - but eBay will cover me if it turns out to not work (it says it does!).
I read up on it before jumping on it...it's the last mid-level serger they have; the next step up is the "air thread" models (at....$3K. :gulp!:) The reviews are all good; yes, there IS a learning curve, but it seems to be not as bad as the entry-level ones.
So. Why a 5-thread this time? Because I figure this'll be the last serger I'll buy, and if I'm going to spend the $$$ (OK, I paid $435 for this one. Not bad, as far as quality machines go, but more than I normally spend! The cheapest I saw it listed is $899; sometimes it goes on sale for $599.) I wanted 1 that would do it *all*. Overlock for wovens, and coverstitch for knits (a coverstitch is how RTW t-shirts and other knits are finished. Raw edge overlocked on the wrong side with 2 stitches on the right side, hemming it up at the same time). Necessary? No.....but it was within my price range (at the far end, to be honest, but there it is) and...why not? :lol: (And I had been researching sergers; Baby Lock was on my dream-only list because of the price. I had just about decided to go with an older model Elna or Pfaff, to be honest, or, maybe, a 5-thread Singer. But the Singer, new, was $799 - which was more than I wanted to spend ($500 at the most), so I was leaning towards the other 2, I just hadn't decided which one was the best for me.)
I'm going to try to get my current one to finish Herself's jeans. I have 2 ready-to-go lengths of denim - I'm hoping she'll like the fabric and let me do 2 pairs for her. If not, she'll get 1 pair and I'll make another pair of bombachas for me - with darts this time.
Oh, and why SG was so generous: Yesterday he bought Windoze 8 for his iMac so he can run a RC flight simulator program. He was feeling a bit guilty (although I told him not to. As long as the CC is completely paid off with the return, I don't care - and he promised it would be.) However, he felt bad that he was pre-spending his portion of the refund....so, I got a new serger. :lol: (And I'm scared to death! What have I done????????:aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!: :rofl:)
So, how was YOUR weekend?
no subject
Date: 2016-02-08 01:32 am (UTC)If you want less bust, do more pushups. :p Just sayin'. -sigh- No, it's a good thing. I'm sure my back is very happy. :p
I have no desire for a serger, my heart wants an embroidery machine. Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be???
Also, I decided I want a puppy. -rolls eyes- Because I need something else to do. Like a hole in my head.
In other words, I'm crazy.
You're crazy.
Let's all sew! :D
H
no subject
Date: 2016-02-08 02:27 am (UTC)As to push-ups - they are a no-go. My wrist won't let me. I'm trying to use 2 pound weights, and they're giving me fits.....so I need to figure out something else to tone my arms and bust. Walking has helped me lose 1" in my waist, so..not as dramatic as your Crossfit, but still good.
Puppies are fun! Crazy, yes - but look at it as exercise equipment. :lol:
no subject
Date: 2016-02-08 03:00 am (UTC)Like this: http://crossfitgbar3.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_9100.jpg
I can't walk, I'll lift heavy things instead :D