Notes on a new sewing machine

Got a new sewing machine this weekend, a Pfaff Hobby 1142. Woo! Rockin' the cotton!

It's the top end of the low end machines, but I'm told the line is good, and won't explode like the cheap-o machine I've been using and misusing for most of the year.

I'm almost entirely self-taught when it comes to sewing, and it shows. When running through the basics of this new machine, I learned three things I had been doing wrong that probably created my troubles with my previous machine. So this Pfaff will probably run better, just by virtue of understanding how to operate the machine.

In researching, I asked my friend, Tracey, what she uses (Bernina). To my surprise, her husband, Paul, had strong opinions about the superiority of Pfaff machines. As an engineer, Paul is hilariously thorough in all aspects of his life, including sewing machine preference, despite the fact that he does not sew.

I also looked at the Consumer Reports Web site, where hundreds of commenters grabbed virtual torches and pitchforks because CR hasn't reviewed sewing machines in a decade. Many signed up for CR online specifically to get sewing machine advice, and wanted their DAMN MONEY BACK. It seems strange that people who wanted to research a purchase didn't research the research-purchase.

So far, the Pfaff runs better, and I have been promised a "warhorse" machine, which is exactly what I want. I don't want fancy, I want indestructible. Also, this machine has blue imprinting instead of the girly pink of my previous one, so that's better.