My extended family

Yvon is one of 10 children and I've got six siblings. You don't really want to hear me go on and on about them (and there's a good chance that you are one of them).

I have a smaller family right here in my house. It's a family of sewing machines. And it's much smaller than my actual extended family. Yvon seemed worried a few months ago about my growing sewing machine family, but it's not been deliberate and I have no intentions of having any more.

It's the same with babies, but I won't go into that. Just know that there will be no more. Babies, that is.

I started out with just one machine, a basic sewing machine that zigs and zags and sews nice straight lines.

Then I added a serger. It seemed very expensive at the time, but I've never regretted it. It's been in constant use for years. Someone told me it was really great for kids and knits, but I sew selfishly for myself for the most part. I do include them in some projects, but usually out of guilt for my selfishness.

Today those two machines have been pushed unceremoniously to the side as we've started to play with the older adopted models.

This was one of the reasons for moving Beth to the basement. I wanted a room for this family. Whenever I take a picture like this, I focus on the mess of cords. Don't get sidetracked. Focus on the machines themselves.

This is a lovely machine and there's a non-identical twin hiding in my bedside table. I bought the first one just because of its cabinet and I've yet to plug it in and try it. It's a Domestic, built by White for about 20 years. I always liked the industrial look of these and I hope they have industrial strength. My Janome definitely does not.

I bought the second one because I wanted to learn how to thread the first one. The second one came with a manual. I realize that I could have googled it and found the same information, but for $25 I now own a hardcopy of the manual and another machine. Beth and I played with it this week, but there seem to be some tension issues. That's a bit frustrating because Beth is just learning. I'll have to give up my bedside table one day in order to test its twin and do some more experimenting with the controls.

Today we powered up this baby.

This machine fell into my hands as a friend's mother downsized. I didn't know how lucky I was at the time. I thought I was just doing them a favour by taking it away.

I am in love. It may just become my straight stitch machine from now on. It's got power and strength, and it's quiet. Noise bothers me so that's a very good trait. I have no idea how old it is because Singer made this model for about 20 years. They were not always able to backstitch, but my model does.

However, my Janome is still assured a spot in the family because of the Singer's lack of zigzagging skills. There's no way I'm reverted to handstitching buttonholes.