I’ve been keeping secrets

I’ve been keeping secrets this week. On Monday, sweet hubby and I decided to add a member to our little family. George will be coming to live with us. He is expected to arrive sometime next week! (No, I didn’t have to wait nine months — it was more like nine years.)

I had been wanting to get a sewing machine that was a little bigger so it would be easier to make large quilts. Beth Schillig was kind enough to show me her George when I was at her house last week, and she even let me play with it. I knew that it would be just perfect for my needs!

The George has 20″ by 8″ throat space (that’s the space under the arm and to the right of the needle) compared to my Janome 6500 which is about 9″ by 5″ (and that’s even larger than the standard sewing machine). If you’re sewing garments or household items, you don’t need much room — just enough to move your hand around. But, if you’re free motion quilting a quilt, it helps immensely to have lots of room. Imagine if you were quilting a queen-size quilt which might be 90″ by 100″. That means if you needed to quilt the center, you would have to somehow cram 45″ of quilt (including top, backing, and all that batting) under the arm of your sewing machine, and still be able to move it around smoothly. It’s quite a trick!

I imagine it will take some time getting used to the new machine, but like any lasting relationship, I expect it will be well worth the time invested.