Bookworm's Musings

My sewing machine arrived last night!
It's a Brother XL 2600 that I got for $90 on Overstock.com (yeah, I was shocked by the price, too. I had budgeted around $400 for this, but..). I've taken it out of the shipping box, but not out of it's plastic bag yet, but it looks great. It's refurbished, but appears to be in good condition.
I'm so excited! I'll be really unpacking it this weekend, after I get my midterm paper done. I've got some material I picked up at a yard sale that I'm planning to use to make an apron as a warm-up project, plus a couple of pillow covers that need finishing, a t-shirt I'm going to turn into a pillow cover, some mending & taking up, etc. Then, after finals are done, the real projects will begin!
I decided to get back into sewing again because it's so difficult to find clothes that fit me, look nice on me, are comfortable, and don't cost an arm and a leg. Skirts and pants are especially hard to find. I've been trying to find some new clothes, a very frustrating task, and wandered into the fabric store. The new owner was very friendly, coming right over, asking about what kind of sewing I do, was I planning any projects, etc. I told her about my dilemma, and she showed me some nice patterns, etc. Next thing I know, I'm dragging my mom down there to consider things further, and then buying a sewing machine and all the sewing supplies, planning what skirts I'm going to make, looking at fabric, etc. And here I am. I plan to add at least two more skirts, a pair of pants, and possibly a couple of dresses or jumpers to my wardrobe this summer. We found the cutest skirt and jacket pattern that will be perfect for work once I graduate. I never wear tight skirts (if it has a slit, it's too tight) or anything much shorter than mid-calf, so finding an actual suit that I like is usually a case of mix & match & make do, but this will look so nice. Sooo excited! Can you tell?
And, since most of my equipment budget is still left, I might even get a serger. I remember how wonderful they are, but now that I've got such a good price on the sewing machine, I've suddenly turned into a pinchpenny, lol. Besides, I'm not exactly sure what kind of serger I need, since I've never had one before. The sewing machine was easy, we used to do a lot of sewing when I was a kid, and mom helped me decide on the right one, but neither of us has ever owned a serger, although I used one in Home Ec. in High School. There are so many choices! All I want to do is finish seams and maybe do rolled hems, but the machines look so complicated! Maybe I'll just spend the money on more outfits instead. We'll see.
A side effect of this is that I might become more social. The more pretty outfits I see, the more I want a reason to wear them! Sewing - #1 reason not to become a hermit.