My LQS emailed me to let me know that they are offering a class for care and maintenance of DSM's- for $10.00. Does anyone else find this ridiculous?

I don't know. Then again I don't know what a DSM is :wink:
LOL, yes, its late and im too lazy to look it up!

Domestic Sewing machine

no, Its probably geared towards newbies that don't know too much about their machines. I don't think 10 dollars is a bad price. You may not need the class, but there are a lot of beginners out there

Hmmm, that would depend on the machine and what they consider maintenance.

My old singer not the collectable ones, just an old one for the 60's or so. I could take her apart and figure how to fix her. But still rather than tell me what and easy fix something was I spent $100, cause I didn't know better.

Now I have a much more expensive machine. The store people, always say bring it in. no matter the problem bring it in. Feels like I am wasting my money, too scared and with no back up on how to take her apart and fix simple things.
If it is actually, "here this is how you can fix this" instead of "keep it nice, any problems bring it in" I wold be interested.

Oh and the manual! I aught not get started on the manual!! Trouble shooting, was lame and didn't cover any troubles, no diegrams on the mechanisms, nothing. Just no details at all, would love a behind the curtain, this how you can fix this at home class.

Our local Adult education offers a "Getting to know your machine", care for your machine, and Beginners sewing classes.
Not everyone was raised around sewing or has someone to go to for help.

Some of us don't have the confidence to take things apart without having someone show us first. Manuals aren't always helpful especially if you are a visual person. I still can't figure out where the manual is trying to show me where to oil my machine. Took a guess and it seems okay but I'm not sure I was right.. It took me years to get brave enough to clean and oil my sewing machine. I was afraid I'd do something wrong. I would have happily paid $10.00 for some guidance.

i think that is great- and wish more would- so often shops want you to take your machine in and pay them $40 and up to clean-oil your machine- i would happily pay $10 to learn to do it myself!

exactly! i took a class at joanns to learn to measure,cut and press..how to follow a pattern..etc. it was excellent for me, being a newbie at the time. (about 6 years ago.) i would of gladly taken a class to learn how to take care of my machine..ie changing the needle,oiling and where and when,understanding tension.
taking the bobbin racer out and cleaning it. $10 bucks is a deal.
not everyone got a manual with their machine,unless it was new. not everyone understands how a machine sews, or that the bottom stitches are controlled by the tension up above.
and even though my machine were bought new, i am a visual person, i learn better watching and trying,rather than reading..IMHO

i would happily pay $10 for that class - and i never pay for classes. :-)

I think it all depends on how expensive and complicated the machine is. Good care and maintenance preserves them and make them perform good.

I don't think that is ridiculous. A lot of people really don't know how to care for their machines and do a good cleaning.

Years ago had a Bernina Club session on this and found out that a lot of people really didn't know how to clean out well, and where to oil (in bobbin area only on most).

oops...double post...sorry!

that is a great price. but it probably just includes what one would find in an owners manual.

Some learn by seeing.
Some learn by hearing.
Some learn by reading.

And some ... Learn to do by doing!!
(OK 4-H'ers, this is where you jump in!!)

This could be a very valuable class, even to experienced sewers. Many are intimidated by the mechanical side of sewing!!!

My concern would be, how much does the instructor know about "all" machines that may turn up. And would I get valuable knowledge in this regard. Even if they sell machines, their knowledge may be limited to a particular brand and there are differences, from one brand to the other!

This class offering might instigate me to seek out my local dealer, and ask for a one-on-one, for a fee or for free.

There are lots of people that are new to sewing and sewing machines. They may not know the value of cleaning out the thread bunnies in their machine, oiling it if necessary, changing needles on a regular basis, not just when they break or had their machines long enough to be able to tell something is not quite right just by the sound of the machine. I would definitely be willing to get more information at this price if I did not know anything about machines.

mltquilt

I would sign up. $10 is nothing.

I would take it.

I have a very beginning machine and I am unsure how to clean it. I have brushed it out and oiled where I think it should go, but who knows.

I also have a 1903 treadle, that I took apart and forgot how to put back together. EEK!

Needless to say, someone to help take the guess work out of these things would make my sewing time more enjoyable.

What's ridiculous about it?

I think it sounds like a good idea! Most of the 3 hour classes offered at the LQS I go to are $10 so the price seems fair enough. It could be that they have noticed people need some basic knowledge and this is their way of providing some assistance in that area.

Sounds worthwhile to me.

Even when looking at the manual, sometimes I just don't "get it"

If there are several people in the class, it would also be an opportunity to get a peek at different machines, too.