Sewing Machine Review - Brother PQ1500SL

I'm not sure if I was wearing it down, or just trying to sew too fast, but lately I've been pushing my Janome HD3000 to the limit and it was complaining.  Still was sewing pretty good and I'm not getting rid of it, but I managed to tear up 3 needle plates in a year and even with filing they weren't salvageable.  (Torn up needle plates leads to uneven stitches, fabric catching, and even thread breaking).  At $20+ a pop, it was time to decide what my next machine would be or what I could do to prevent that from happening.

I'm calling this one Captain Jack...Harkness or Sparrow is yet to be determined. Also, he's already getting blinged up!

I've been eyeing all of the 'professional' (not industrial) machines for a few years now, and avidly following every time someone asks for suggestions or reviews their machine.  There are a few that are mentioned a lot, the Brother PQ1500S(L), Juki TL2000Q(i), Janome 1600P, and now the Janome HD9.  The HD9 was what really got me interested, until I saw the price.  A lot of the machines have the same features, straight stitch, faster speeds, more room, and more power.  It really came down to price for me.  The Brother was the lowest priced and had some great reviews, plus a thread cutter (oh how I've missed that!), extension table, leg lift lever, and tons of feet!  It also has a pin feed system, which I'm hoping to try with some of my slippery fabrics.

WIP Monday - Time For Fun!

The last few weeks before Christmas always get super hectic with late night finishing up orders and trying to prepare, so I always plan on taking the last week or 2 of the year as a break and sewing only what I want (or not sewing at all!), and somehow that doesn't usually happen.  I do still have orders to finish, but not that many!  I took a little time over the weekend and last week to work on some UFO's and start crocheting my baby Kevin...He's ending up HUGE and only needs one more ear, some facial features, and clothes!

These were cut and in my UFO pile for so long that I had to ask around to remember where the fabric came from! It's an older Snowy Owl print, paired with awesome hardware from Wizardry, Stitchery, and crafts

WIP Wednesday - No Time To Sleep!

I was able to bust out a ton of orders last weekend and the start of this week, so I'm not too panicked, yet.

Adorable teeny backpacks!

Mix It Up Necessary Clutch Wallet (Emmaline Bags)

The best part about doing custom orders is that I can make almost anything anyone can imagine! Want to show off multiple fandoms on one piece? I can do it!  Need a cross body strap? No problem!

The colors on this one are so pretty!

WIP Monday - I'm Still Alive

...Barely!  I have been slacking on the updates, so you get a Monday one!  I finished up all the craft shows finally and now can focus on orders, a ready to ship sale, and maybe even cleaning and decorating my house!

Adorable ornament I added to the lineup, might have a few extra later this week!

Supernatural Laney Hobo (Swoon)

It's been forever since my last Laney Hobo (affiliate link, but it's a free pattern!), I forgot how fast and cute they are!

I'd say it's a PG-13 fabric...

This fabric has everything!