So, I went for my sewing machine demo yesterday.

I found out about the clever things the Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 875Q does.

Like… cutting the thread… and fixing stitches at the beginning and end of a seam… and automatically lifting the presser foot just a bit so you can pivot with the needle and foot down… and advising you exactly what size stitch and which foot you need, just by pressing a button to tell it what type of fabric you’re using.

I saw it do some fancy stitches, and embroider some alphabets, and discussed cleaning, and accessories.

And I saw how you can adjust the speed to suit the job in hand.

I even took in my own “quilt sandwich” comprising two layers of cotton and my usual weight of quilt wadding in between, and I saw how the machine quilted it.

And after all that I took a deep breath…

… and I bought it!

I haven’t actually used it yet. Though I have got it out of it’s box and gazed upon it in wonder.

I didn’t just lose my heart to it though. I did my research. I looked at other alternatives.

I considered the price (with £150 discount off the RRP), the fact that the local dealership, Coles Sewing Centre, has an excellent reputation, offering full support (the sales lady had owned the same model) and repairing machines on the premises, and that a full day’s tuition is included in the price.

I also considered that this particular machine is reputed to be one of the easiest of computerised machines to learn to use, and is aimed specifically at quilters rather than those wanting to do embroidery, but has a good range of features for general purpose sewing.

I won’t be doing my tuition until the end of September. And I think we’ll need a while to get properly acquainted, Sapphire and I, before attempting anything too fancy.

So Bernette won’t be enjoying her retirement just yet.

I’ll let you know how we get on. ♥