Hello from Kentucky!
 

Hi everyone!

I have already made a couple of posts because I had technical questions about a few vintage sewing machines that I picked up over the weekend but I realized that I forgot to introduce myself.

My name is TransportGal, AKA Meg. I am 33 and I live in central Kentucky. My screen name comes from the fact that I was a truck driver before I married my husband and the Air Force sent us to South Korea and the fact that I just earned a BA in Transportation and Logistics Management. I am currently working on a dual MBA/Master of Science in Accounting but I have found the fabric arts both quilting and apparel sewing to be a great stress reliever from the rigors of graduate school.

I am also interested in learning how to fix both contemporary and vintage sewing machines. I have Asperger's Syndrome so I tend to learn a lot very fast about whatever I am interested in. I am a very enthusiastic learner so I am probably going to be asking a lot of questions about quilting and repairing vintage machines.

I am trying to make my first quilt, a nine patch quilt from discounted 4th of July fat quarters that I found at Walmart last month. I basically cut a bunch of 4.5 inch blocks and sewed them into 9 patch blocks. I am almost done with the blocks. My main machine is a Janome New Home 8050 but I am going to try to do some of the work on one of the two working vintage machines that I picked up this weekend. I want to try a simple Bargello quilt after I am finished with the nine patch. I love bright colors so the Bargello's really caught my eye the first time that I saw one.

I am also interested in the history of sewing machines and the quilting and apparel arts. I stayed up all night to finish a midterm assignment for one of my courses and I ended up going down a rabbit hole of research about post World War 2 Japanese made sewing machines in the wee hours of the morning today. I am also a business/industry history buff and one of my dreams is to write a book about the history of sewing machine manufacturing. I actually used the brand life cycle of the Spartan by Singer in my marketing course midterm essay as an example last night.

Welcome to the Board from the Seattle area.

Fascinating history. When I went through college the second time (finished up my degree at 40), I wrote every paper I could on some aspect of quilting history. I have a very good foundation on why I believe that cotton is the reason for a lot of things, including the industrial revolution.

I love those post-war Japanese machines, have spent most of the last 30 years sewing on a Remington older than I am. For a few years I would pick up good machines at the thrift stores for super cheap, clean them up and gave them to a charity that connected them with recent refugees and immigrants. I'm not all that mechanical but I can do sewing machine basics! About a year ago I was given a modern Bernina and while the bells and whistles are great, I still love Remy.

One of the things I really like about quilting is that I can see/point to what I do. When I did payroll or other office work if I was doing my job correctly things just passed through my desk and I know I worked hard all day but didn't really have much to show. Sure that final "press button to process payroll" told me something, but it wasn't like the last stitch in a quilt.

We;come form SE Michigan. You sound to be a very talent and very knowledgeable individual. This is the place to find some help with restoration of vintage machines and all kinds of help with quilting. Welcome aboard.

a warm welcome from western Ky.

Welcome from western NY and happy quilting :)

Welcome from Southern Indiana! Interesting that you were a truck driver...my youngest daughter drives a semi...and unatil she started driving I hadn't really paid much attention to the fact that there are a lot of women truck drivers out there! Glad you've moved on to larger and greater things....(like quilting)......

Welcome from Mississippi! :wave:

Howdy & welcome from Texas. It's so good to have you join the boards. You will be happy you did because there are so many wonderful quilters here.

Welcome from NE Ohio.

Hi and welcome from North Carolina!