FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

With kids of various ages, from preteen to adult, plus grandchildren, I am always shopping for something and that something is often clothing or clothing related, which recently brought me to the discovery of sewing machines that are also fully featured embroidery machines.

First, let me make the disclaimer that I do not sew, not at all. I do all sorts of other crafts though, from crochet to scrapbook, beadwork, and everything else in between, everything that is but sewing. However, the first embroidery machine / sewing machine that I saw, I knew I had to have one. Working either as standalones (very high priced) or connected to your computer (much more reasonably priced) these machines sew and embroider just about any design imaginable.

The one I keep going back to is manufactured by the well-known Singer company, a Quantum Futura Embroidery / Sewing machine. It works as a full featured sewing machine, with a computer powered embroidery unit. By using your computer to drive the brain of the embroidery unit, connected to the machine via a basic USB cable, they are able to offer features normally found only for a much larger dollar amount on their standalone embroidery machines.

When I showed my husband the machine online, he of course asked me if I had any ideas for using it. Of course, for everything from embroidering pre-made clothing items such as jeans and sweatshirts, along with decor items like the Christmas tree skirt I am planning to make. I went on to tell him I could make him and our boys, including our grandson matching jean shirts, with his dog's image or black bears, their all-time favorite animal, and each of their names on top of the pictures.

His next question was if I knew how to sew. Now, being married for almost twenty-five years, he knows perfectly well that I do not, and I told him so. However, I also told him that I would learn, the same way I learned to bead, cross-stitch, crochet, do plastic canvas, take photos, and run my computer. All things I did not know how to do until I decided I wanted to do them. Call me a 'craftaholic' if you will, but I love learning new crafts. I also could not get over the ideas running through my head for all the clothing and apparel that I could turn into original creations.

I also have always had it in my heart to learn to quilt. As this machine works as a typical sewing machine, I would also be able to tackle that long yearned for task. A good friend has informed me that if I buy it, she will teach me how to sew, and between the two of us, we will learn how to use the embroidery part of it.

Therefore, though my husband is not yet convinced, I do have a birthday just around the corner, and I cannot think of a better gift for a crafty old person like myself, than an ingenious machine that will let me personalize my kids and grandkids clothes for years to come. So of you see my husband, tell him to be a good sport and buy me a Quantum Futura Embroidery / Sewing machine from Singer.