I'm also sorry about the snotty attitude the store/teacher dished out.

My LQS is a Bernina dealer. However, they do offer a beginners class titled "Welcome to Your Machine" which is open to anyone with any brand machine. What they do ask is that you've at least turned the machine on so that you know it works before showing up at the class. There is a modest fee to cover the teacher's time. They also offer a series of classes for new Bernina owners specific to the machine that they've purchased - those are restricted to the particular machines - and I have no issue with that policy.

I've taken several of the quilting classes through the store now, and been very impressed with their customer service. When I walked in with my "new to me" - "purchased of eBay" vintage Bernina, several people got excited about seeing one of the classic machines and told me stories about how this was the machine she bought when she started sewing in the 70's. I'm glad to give my "new to me" machines a new home.

Cheers, K

i`d finish my class then go elswhere...lots of good suggestions on here .....i only took one basic course and learned the rest on my own....your machine will do just fine....thy do have to charge for the course, that`s understandable , but thy don`t need to get snobbish lol

ditto........

That's a nice class. The three different Bernina dealers I've known all allow you to use a classroom model of their machines if you don't own a Bernina (for no cost)- but I've never known one that lets you bring another machine in.

My first sewing machine was a Walmart brother, but I took a class using a Bernina. All the skills transferred fine to my machine. Twenty or so years and another machine too, and now I own a Bernina :)

My husband always says that everyone is a potential customer. I worked as an account receivable clerk and dispatched orders for a propane and petroleum company for 8 years. I always put a smile on my face even when I didn't feel like it. I left that job in 2004. Just yesterday, I visited with one of my customers at Walmart. He is in his 80's now and still remembered me. He couldn't remember my name, but he knew where I worked and that I was the girl that always smiled.

Life is too short to let other people ruin my fun. Keep on using your machine and enjoy every stitch. btw - I sew on a Brother cs6000i and I do enjoy every stitch.

Yikes! That woman would have gotten an earful from me! If quilting, the very best machine is the simplest ever made - an old fashioned Singer (now a machine that quilters are now clamoring for!), and NOT one of those blow your mind high cost, does everything but cook your supper, machines. Just remember, some of the most beautiful quilts ever made were not made on a high cost snobby machine, but by very talented quilters on the simplest machine. Expensive machines can't help at all if the quilter is not talented. You just proudly go to the class with your machine and your talent gained by practicing and your quilting will shine. The snob is just showing everyone how ignorant she really is.

I wouldn't worry about what was said at that shop. I have the same machine you have and am very pleased with it. I did have a warranty issue and when I tried to get it repaired through an authorized shop, she told me flat out that they can't do warranty work on something that was mass produced and would only do the bigger more expensive machines.... I contacted Brother and needless to say they are no longer an authorized company as she had done this many times to others. I found another company who did it for me and didn't have any issues with the warranty. Some dealers think that if its not sold there than it isnt good enough. I say buy what you can afford and it will be what you want... Like I said, I have that machine and my mother has a bigger model, but I like mine the best as it is so easy to work with. If you have any problems I know there are tons of us who are willing to help you out, myself included

Enjoy your new toy!!

I'm not sure this is true. My quilting has become miles better since I got an expensive machine. My piecing accuracy has increased, and my FMQing ability has skyrocketed from what it was.

HOWEVER- a talented quilter (and I'm not one of them) doesn't need an expensive machine as a crutch. They can work with anything.

I've noticed that no one on this board has admitted to having a new Singer machine. Some have stated that new singers are'nt any good. I just bought a Singer Futura 4in1 back in Nov. and love it. Does everything the other brands do but about a quarter of the cost. Machine snobbery is everywhere.

I have personally experienced machine snobbery at my LQS. It's sad because they offer some great classes but I go away feeling so inferior it's not worth the pain.

Yes, there are snobs in the world. Car snobs, food snobs, wine snobs, clothing snobs, fabric snobs, sewing machine snobs, and snobs in areas I don't even know. The best approach I know is to not buy into their game. Enjoy what you have and don't let negative talk dissuade you from doing great things.

I decided to try my hand at sewing and quilting back in October. My aunt showed me her Singer she bought at Walmart for $79. My friend showed me her Kenmore that she paid a couple hundred for. I hadn't even found this board yet. My mom always had Singers, so I took myself down to Joann (I didn't even know LQS even existed! LOL) and bought the nicest Singer I could afford, the Confidence Stylist. It ended up being more machine than I would've paid for, but it was 50% off, so I ended up with a nicer machine than my actual budget allowed for. I'm pleased as punch with it. I know the newer ones have a reputation, but this thing does everything I need it to, and isn't so basic (like my aunt tried to talk me into) that I'll outgrow it soon. I use it just about every day and I love it. Don't be ashamed of your machine; your LQS should be ashamed of the way they treated you!

I'm a wedding photographer. If I treated one of my brides who couldn't afford my biggest collection the way you were treated, I'd be out of business soon enough! We all have a choice; mine, in this situation, would be to finish this class and move on to a shop that values ALL their customers equally.

Shame on that salesperson!!!!those comments were unnecessary!!! Sounds to me like she most likely lost a future sale and who knows how many people she has turned off with comments like that!!!

It tickles me every time I'm in a Fab Shop and listen to the sales pitch these people have. How did we ever sew anything on a treadle. I love my simple machine and everyone else can keep those high priced jobs. I did buy a Bernina 15 years ago when embroydery was the newest thing. I haven't used the E attachment once in all those years. I do like my bernina, and my simple singer from a school sale and my treadle the best! Oh, and my DGMs 1935 singer. Wow!
peace

Mad Quilter Rocks!

A business owner who wants my business would do well to make me feel good about me and my equipment. She doesn't know when I will want a high dollar machine like the one she sells and if she has made me feel bad, I certainly will not buy it from her shop. In these perilous economic times, shop owners/managers need to watch their attitudes! froggyintexas

don't let people like that upset you. i just tell them its great they have what they want but i am happy with my old new home. it does everything i need it too. as for the lady she just wants to make a sell places like that wouldn't see me back cause i don't like the computer machines to work with so there wouldn't be a hope of her making a sell.My SIL finally got the 5000 dollar combo she wanted and showed it to me . it was great for her but just not my thing. the other sister in law is uppity too cause her quilts win blue ribbons and she has all the toys and all. I caught on though she does the tops and sends them out to be quilted. that is fine but she shouldn't act like she did it all. I am not one to keep up with the jones and happy for what works for me. lol sell persons wouldn't be happy with me for sure

I was told the same thing about my SE270D (disney machine)...it's similar to yours. I took it to a different dealer when we moved here to TX...the dealer said Brother would not let dealers sell these machines...not because they are mass produced (all machines are mass produced...that's a copout)...but because the company wants dealers to sell the higher end machines only. This tech/dealer said my little Disney machine was one of the best & easiest to work on he has seen. I love my little machine...though I now have a 2nd embroidery/sewing machine (Futura CE150)...and like the larger hoop...I love the Brother for sewing...it cuts the thread, it has a cartridge for the top thread..and it really does thread the needle for you.

Don't worry about people putting your machine down...it's a great machine...all the brother machines I have owned have been good machines. Don't forget though...use either 60 or 90 wt bobbin thread only in the bobbin for embroidery...yep...had to have my disney machine timed 3x before I figured that one out...finally read the manual!

Sometimes the social interaction with other students is fun. I love my quilting friends, some from classes.

I so agree with you.

Dear Elliegirl, don't you ever feel diminished by any sort of snobs. I started sewing as a young wife and mother when I was 18 years old (53 years ago) on a Featherweight. First thing I made was curtains and slipcovers for my couch and chair. Then I made a lined suit. Did it all on my own, no lessons. I sewed on the FW until 11 years ago when I purchased a Singer cheepie. Have continued to sew for others (mostly bedspreads and curtains and table runners.) Never have I felt guilty or less than a good sewer than anyone who has a machine worth much more money than mine. I now have a Bernina embroidery machine (my Babylock died last year, loved that machine so much) and recently purchased a Singer 401A at Goodwill for $30.00 and it sews beautifully. A lot of money doesn't define what is good and useful. Our use of it does though. Chin up and know that you are alright. Best wishes to you and enjoy sewing on your machine.

If offered in your area through your district school, see if they offer "getting to know your machine" type class.

I thought this also. I read a post a few days ago about a woman who bought a machine and while she didn't actually apologize for it not being top of the line, she did seem a little defensive. I think we all need to remember that we buy what we can afford at the time. If we all waited for money for top of the line, none of us would have ever started quilting. Personally, if the machine works and it is all you can afford, buy it! If you lose interest in quilting, then you haven't invested a lot and can pass it on. If you love it and wear out your machine, then you can upgrade. Please never apologize for not being able to immediately afford something expensive. We all have budgets.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. There's NO excuse for such rudeness to customers! Reminds me of the scenes in Pretty Woman when she is treated like trash at a dress shop, then goes back when transformed and says "Huge Mistake" and flaunts the sales they lost out on. Back in the late 80's I took my 1st quilting classes, and though the LQS didn't sell machines there were several unfriendly comments about my "old" '76 Kenmore- by teacher and classmates. It bugged me, and I didn't take any more classes. Moved upstate, and about 2 years ago I took a class on beginning FMQ using my Brother CS6000i- never learned a thing. Instructor spent her time newbies how to thread and put feet on their fancy Bernina machines, and again there were snide potshots. There are a few "machine elitists" in the Guild I joined, and much worry about damaging expensive machines hauling them to and from sewing sessions. My machine is very light, has 60 stitches, table and many feet included in the package, and didn't cost as much as a car! Bought it used from another quilter. Still have the Kenmore that I use to teach some newbie sewers at a charity group. No one should be intimidated- sewing isn't brain surgery. Love the old metal machines- much more sturdy, and easier to maintain without the expense of a mechanic!

It's all about business, someone wants to shame you into buying expensive machines. It's like putting on pants on leg at a time. Any sewing machine must sew a straight line, and that can give you all kinds of pretty quilt tops. Plus people like that get off on making themselves feel better by belittleing you. You are a good person. Quilt on!

The same people who look down on me for buying a used, older model Janome that I could afford, also look down on me for driving an 11-year-old Toyota Camry (with 84 thousand miles, not a scratch on it, and it runs like a top). Both "machines" are in "like new" condition, and are paid for, and work well. Why should I go into debt just to satisfy some snob who thinks owning the newest and best is just "the cat's meow". I am so far beyond caring what other people think about my belongings, that I just let it go over my head. So don't let it get to you. Besides, I quilt better than the couple of snobs I'm thinking of, and I think that ticks them off, because they have the super duper machines, and thus no excuse for not turning out wonderful quilts --- except they're lazy So they focus on resenting me and my "inferior" machine, when what they really resent is my energy, talent, ambition and perfectionism. Perhaps they do with you as well?

I remember my first quilt teacher saying to the class "As long as you can sew a straight line you can make a quilt". Most LQS are dealers for one or several brands so of course they want to sell you something. What she had no right to do was to try and belittle you or your machine. Think of all the members here who love their FW and other older machines. As EasyPeezy say, there is so much information out there. You don't need to deal with rude people. You can also get lots of help here, as well as lots of encouragement. Keep going and don't let people like this ill mannered woman discourage you.
Happy Quilting

Yep, there sure is. Some dealers won't even service machines if they aren't bought through them. Of course they're all mass produced. If they weren't they'd be custom and cost a lot more. I just found out. through talking to a Brother dealer, that Brother machines, as well as others, are built with a 10 year life expectency. That's nice to know. And that came from the service man who should know.

"I remember my first quilt teacher saying to the class "As long as you can sew a straight line you can make a quilt". See...THIS TEACHER was a very good teacher.. encouraging no matter what!

Several years back I had a friend who made a baby quilt with an old childs hand crank sewing machine. The little vintage ones? I about fell on the floor laughing, but it had been her daughter's BELOVED toy sewing machine and her daughter was having her first baby. THE BABY QUILT TURNED OUT DANG GOOD too...lol

Even tho' I've already posted I came back to say take your class IF YOU WANT (hopefully you can ignore the snobby woman).. and then keep your eye peeled for your "♥ quilt shop". Eventually, you'll find it and you'll feel great. When you walk in you'll feel like you're walking into your best friend's house. You'll know it when you find it. There are a few fabric stores in my area, but I love a smaller one were everyone is like sweet family.
.

Want to have fun? Want to learn the "tricks of the trade"? Want to meet new friends who have the same love of fabric? Join a guild!!! No one is a snob there! We all share ideas, share machines, help each other to "grow" into our favorite techniques, tricks and expand our horizons, pieced, patched, recovered, appliqued - we all have fun.

I am an educator for a local sewing machine dealer and fabric retailer. We are dealers for 4 lines of machines and service all makes and models. The comment about "mass produced" machines I think is being misunderstood. Sewing machine companies produce machines specifically for the "mass merchandisers" (Walmart, Target, etc) that the dealers do not have access to. The dealers are also limited in their access to parts and service training for them. For the dealer who offers service on machines, I have seen a lot of people with machines purchased from the mass merchandisers leave our store very upset because we are unable to get parts or even service the machine and then blame us for being "machine snobs". As an educator, I try to not to take offense at these emotional moments because I have owned less expensive machines and try to help those who need to learn their machine, whatever brand. Yes, there are dealers who are machine snobs, but the very machine companies who they represent have sometimes forced them into that position by their own making.

When I wanted to buy a serger I called my quilt shop to see what they recommended and to see if they had any used ones. She recommended a Janome that cost more then I wanted to pay. She told me to forget buying a cheaper one because it would be so frustrating to use that I'd never use it. Wrong. I bought the Brother 1034 and I love it.

I hate it when people look down on us for what we have or don't have. I have expensive machines and cheap machines. These same people can't tell which one I have used to sew or embroidery on. I am just a poor girl from Arkansas and try to do the best I can. That is what most people do. I am always looking for a bargain and am not ashamed to say I buy cheap when I can. We have a Singer Dealership here where I live and they are so sweet to me. They are all wonderful people and would never make fun of any machine I have. As some of the others have said, just go ahead and get what you can out of this class and look around to find another one you might enjoy more. I have a Brother and it is cheap but it will sew anything. That was the reason I bought it because it will sew thick material.
I guess I have ranted long enough. Enjoy your Brother and learn, that is what I am doing. Have a great day. Joy

I had a similar problem with a Brother machine purchased from Amazon - took it into a local authorized dealer for repair
and was given a very hard time because I did not purchase the machine from them. Complained to Brother headquarters and did not get any satisfaction.

Oh my gosh! I bought my machine on ebay, 2 year old Elegante 2 for a fabulous price, got to know the seller and have been amazingly please with the machine. I called local dealer and asked if I could purchase classes and he refused because I did not buy the machine from him and was quite arrogant! I called a LQS that had previously sold these machine and she gave me an unlimted lesson for $20! The worst thing got the dealer is that he has lost about 10 potential customer (I was so appalled that I mention it to every quilter that I meet!)

"Same at the Pfaff shop..he is only allowed to work on Pfaff machines"

Not so where I bought my Pfaff, they are an authorized Pfaff dealer who sells and repairs all brands of machines.
They aren't a quilt shop so that maybe the difference.

EllieGirl, REMEMBER we are QUILTERS!!!! That makes us the people who see BEAUTY, GRACE and GREAT DEALS all around us. We come from STRONG! stock. We learn to make SOMETHING from NOTHING!!!! We know how to make people feel love (from the things - sewing & quilting), we make. Some of us sew by HAND. Some sew on a machine OVER 100 yerar old (with out power other than from them). Still others sew on HAND-ME-DOWN machines (from friends, sisters, mothers and grandmothers). And still others sew on NEW machines (that some can only dream about). Even after all the different quilters, machines and kinds of quilts - we ALL do the same thing in different ways. But we do this for the SAME reason - THE LOVE OF QUILTING!!!!!! Remember your quilts show YOUR HEART AND SOUL!!!! not your machine. People do not see your machine, they see YOU and YOUR LOVE AND KINDNESS. Never feel BAD about anything you make or use to make your gifts from the heart.

When I took a class at one of our LQS's the lady there also made some snobby remark about my new Janome, but when I took a class at another LQS the instructor told us if any of us was having an attitude about machines, to leave our attitude at the door. I really enjoyed that class.

There is a sewing machine etc. store here in my area and they have been in business since the early 70's and I took my sewing/embroidery machine in for a service and was looking at their "used machines (many which are quite nice and well priced) - did not find anything so looked at a new BrotherX650 which they were demoing - they wanted $999. so I looked on Ebay and found the same machine (which is now renamed but the same Brother machine) online at Ebay for $650 no tax, no shipping - factory serviced. It was new but had been used in a Brother exhibition (whatever they call it). I am the original owner with all the benefits. Got it from a sewing machine company somewhere near New Orleans and was able to call their 800 number for additional info. It works like a charm and I saved several hundred $$$. Needless to say, the store would not be happy to hear this and I would have to pay for any class I take but it is so similar to my Babylock Ellegeo.

I have a Brother SQ9000, not the most expensive machine avalible and yes mass produced, but what I can afford. I would love to afford one of the high end machines with all the bells and whistles or even one without all the bells and whistles, but I make do with what I have. It sews just fine for what i'm doing. Around here it seems at the LQS the average class is about $50 or so. To me that isn't a bad price for someone sharing their knowledge and showing you how to do something.
When I posted a topic recently about my Brother locking up when I got a thread jam and I kinda apologized for the machine not being the best, someone told me to never apologize for my equipment. So I won't anymore.
If your machine does what you want it to do, gives you features you like then enjoy it and make many lovely quilts with it. If others can't deal with that, then it's on them.

What is the big deal
 

Hi
I dont' believe I posted here yet, but with this note, I had too.
Expensive sewing machines have their place. I have several antique machines that I LOVE better than my viking. I do like my viking, but alas, also love my oldies but goodies. Beautiful quilts come from all different sources. Look to the antiques where no machines were used. You don't need a $2500..00 sewing machine to make beautiful things. Just skill. I learned to hand piece and quilt before using a machine. I love the process and the satisfaction of a job well done by any means. Use your machine and love the process. That is what is important and you can not go wrong. Your equipment is just part of the process. Enjoy it all. Don't let others diswade you from your goal. Be creative and have fun.