That's what I was thinking Charlee - IF she accepted the money for the class, then there should have been no mention of superior/inferior machines.

ah....we have a local quilt shop/bernina dealership. Not really even interesting in selling fabric to anyone who did not purchase a machine from her. Really cold shoulder...wonder how the woman ended up in retail.

I think there is an attitude in general about the type of machine you buy. Seems to me that if you don't have a top of the line Bernina (and not too many of us can afford that) then you are part of the lower echelon. Who cares? If I am correct, I think that Ricky Tims still sews his quilts on his Mom's (or could be his Grandma's) old treddle Singer sewing machine and I certainly think he does a pretty good job - don't you? I have a Janome myself that I bought at a Quilt Festival and I just love it - so much so that I bought a smaller version to take to classes with me. My one complaint is that I do not have a place less than about 100 miles where I can take my machines to have them serviced. Of course my local Bernina dealer won't (or maybe can't) do this for me even though they serviced all makes of machines before they became exclusively Bernina. I really hope you enjoy your Brother - I know you will and as someone else said you can get a bunch of information on line and from the great quilting books out there. Also - join your local quilt guild as I am sure they will have some really good classes and it won't matter what machine you have.

Ricky Tims appears in quite a bit of advertising for Bernina, so I imagine he does use their machines. He at least seems to be telling us too... Here he is talking about the 830 (a machine that, in my opinion, should drive you home from the store) http://www.berninausa.com/popup-fT-n...-p306-sUS.html.

He often mentions his mother's old electric Kenmore in interviews (and that he still has it), is that what you are thinking of?


I have to say, when I got a Bernina, I had no idea it was an "it" brand. It cost less than the Janome I was looking at, so I picked it as the affordable option. (Brother was my other choice. I recently found out there is a Viking dealer near here, but didn't know it at the time.)

I think Brother gets a bad rap. I loved my Walmart brother and had it for decades- I couldn't afford one when I was looking for a machine that go round, but wanted a CS6000i and recommend them to any beginner, the dealer machines are really good too. And the 1034d is the best entry level serger there is.

You can say she is not being a snob, but there are a multitude of ways to handle things without talking down to a person, and she sounds like a snob to me. If she's not a snob, she's doing a mighty good impression of one!

I had it explained to me this way -- when you buy a machine from other than a dealer (as an example, Wal-Mart), the machine is made to "Wal-Mart" specifications which may or may not be the same as the machine produced for a dealer. I have always bought my machines from my dealer -- I support him with my purchases and in his case, at least, he provides free embroidery clubs, serger clubs, quilting clubs. I may pay a little more for my machine but I appreciate the quick service I get when I have a probem, the clubs provided, and I figure that if we don't support our dealers, one of these days the dealers may be gone.

I don't understand people!! Who cares what kind of machine that you have as long as it works and does what you want it to do! It's like people judge you by what you have not who you are or what you can create!! Sadly there are snobs out there everywhere, just don't let them get to you and enjoy your machine!!! :)

baby catcher,
I had a similar experience when I took a class and brought along my Singer 15-90 when it was still an electric machine; it has since had a motorectomy and is treadle powered.
We were doing FMQ, the teacher was convinced that it couldn't be done on such an old machine. We showed her! :o)
Sharon W.

I wonder if 'mass produced' means knock-off. Of course they don't like that but if it sews to your liking, who cares. It is against the law, I think, to produce knock offs but not to buy it.

Having worked in a quilt shop, though, I did not like it when a customer came in to have ME figure out how much backing she needs so she can go to another shop to purchase. She never did buy much from us. If a customer wants the convenience, they do need to support the shop some. My way of thinking was this, if she wants to know how much backing she wants for her quilt, ask at the shop where she is buying.

I see the point of the machine place, but the $50 should have covered the class without a problem.... I bit my tongue when the lady wanted me to figure out her backing yardage but apparently someone told her I was offended and she could not understand why. Shop is not here anymore and people miss it.

It is tough these days. We have to do what we can to protect our own finances and businesses have to try to stay in business. I don't know what the answer is. Everybody has to do what they have to do and handle it best they can.

Enjoy your machine. I am sure it will do the job for you.

You are right they are total snobs. You may also find that local shops in addition will usually not honor any warranties for machines purchased out of their territory or online. BTW I purchased the earlier version of that machine the SE350 loved it so much I sold it and upgraded to a machine by Brother that also did 5x7. It is a great machine and easy to learn.

Oh, and BTW, in 1996 I bought the top of the line Bernina since my dad left me some money. Even though they offered classes (supposedly), they always canceled. The new dealer says "Oh yeah, come on in for a class" but whenever I go in they want to sell me a new machine. Same for taking it in to get serviced "Oh, buy a new machine." NO thank you. I like my Bernina but not sure I would buy another.

I saw a small quilt made by another lady made by the same make/model of my machine. she used all the different stitches that the machine does. It was awesome. Me? I can stitch forward, backward, zigzag, button hole (going only one way). That is it, the end. So much for my buying from a local dealer. Not any support there at all. My machine was way over kill for my needs but husband thought I needed the bestest!

Point being, even the high priced machines with a local dealer don't always come through. Don't you hate that when it happens?

The real truth is that the machines sold in these markets and at Walmart, Joanns, Hancocks etc are made with cheaper parts. That is why they sell these machines because they don't cost a lot and don't have the same types of warranty and service obligations that come on machines sold by dealers. Your dealer obviously has no tact and that is his/her problem not yours.
In the store where I sometimes teach, anyone with any machine can come take a class. We give classes for all levels of machines. No one with a machine purchased somewhere else is kept from coming or pays extra for a class. They do charge extra for servicing machines not purchased there; but that is a common practice. That doesn't mean that we wouldn't encourage persons to purchase their next machine there because we are certain that in most cases we know that those machines purchased through theseother outlets because of the us of cheaper parts will need more servicing and even replacement quicker. In the long run buying through a dealership just gives you more support functions and you come ahead in the long run. It shouldn't come off as snobbery in any case. Just for additional information our classes are usually $20 to $30 because we want our customers to learn as many different uses for their machines. However, if you do have one of the fancy embroidery machines we do have some classes that are more expensive.

Oh does this strike a cord with me. Many years ago I wanted to make a Trip around the world colorwash quilt. I paid for the class. I had the horrible experience of having the instructor picking out all my fabric. Then I loaded my Kenmore into the car. Drove 45 mins to the store. I was setting up when this same woman looks at me and says. Oh you have a kenmore machine. Think looking down her nose at me. Yes I said why? She luanched into a tirade on low end machines. Then I had the wrong thread(Coats and Clarke grey). I go to the thread rack to buy the "correct thread". They were out of the light grey so I bought the darker grey. I was never comfortable in the class. I dii finish my quilt. I actually sleep under it every night. I teach quilting now. I never ever say anything about a machine or supplies unless it really is a bad choice. But I do so with gentleness. I as a consumer would never take another class with them and I never did. BTW the 4 stores closed about 3 years later. Luann

No, it likely has nothing to do with being a knock-off. Brother has a mass market line and a dealer line. The quality of the machines in the dealer line IS better, they are made to different specifications. The mass market line CAN last a long time (especially if you only sew a few times a year), but the current ones are not as good as the ones that were at Walmart 20 years ago, and even if they are a "Brother" it isn't the same Brother you get from a dealer.

I think your point about people who use the stores and then buy elsewhere is a good one. Yes- we can get much better prices online, but if we do that, the local stores will be gone. I don't buy everything local, but I always keep this in mind when it is only a little less online.

I think it isn't necessarily so much snobbery, as exasperation. The dealer may be having a hard time staying afloat, and seeing mass market machines rubs that in. But then she shouldn't have offered the class to just everyone. The local viking dealer only allows viking machines in their classes (and you have to own it, unlike the Bernina dealer who has classroom machines- and doesn't even try a sales pitch, though their classes are often foot sales pitches...)

pw6 in Texas
 

I give classes at my home here in north Dallas, Texas and I do not care what brand of sewing machine my gals/men/girls/boys have as long as it works and can do the job at hand, I even had a classmate bring her machine to me and I showed her how her bobbing case fit together for FREE. she could not believe she was not going have it repaired... I personally do not like Brother machines because I have had about 10 people who bought them and they are lousy and a waste of their money, for a few dollars more you can guy a better machine. but use what you have until you feel you are ready to move up to a better machine, it does not have to cost thousands, sample machines and floor models are sold off every year at more dealers and you get a good deal.

I soooooo agree with GreatStarter! Enjoy your machine and your hobby and don't let those snobs get you down. In this life, there are always people who have more than others; it is only the rude and ignorant who are parade their possessions as a mark of superiority. Shame on them! As GreatStarter says, try to find a different shop owner; there are so many nice people in this world. Good luck and congratulations on your new machine!

Sometimes, I wonder how people got jobs working with people. Good thing she wasn't graded>

I had something similar with 3D embroidery software several years ago. I went to a workshop and the dealer continued to regress to D3 format for me, she was use to 4D and I would not-financially could not afford to up grade. Their attitude determines whether they get repeat business out of you later on.

I think you got a great machine. Brother has a wonderful website.

Amen! If anyone tells you need some special machine or you won't be able to sew something properly, tell them ' A poor workman always blames his tools'.

My sewing store who sells vikings, has a class called Machine savy. I think it is $10 or $15 for the afternoon. Doesn't matter what kind of machine you have, she helps you learn all about it, and use all the attachments. I loved that class!!

I think machine snobbery is quite nonsensical and a useless waste of my time and energy. I know a lady that has the top of the line Bernina embroidery/sewing machine and lives pretty much at the poverty level, but she still insists on being very snooty about people who sew on other machines are way beneath her skill level in quilting and/or embroidery. Who cares. Each person has the machine and equipment they can afford and should be encouraged to learn their skill to their highest level. I sewed on a Kenmore machine for 20 years that I purchased at Sears in Chicago. I donated it to a church friend who had two daughters and couldn't afford to buy a machine. Since that time I have been fortunate enough that my dh has graduated me through several Pfaffs (2034, 2056 and now Expression 4.0). I have a Singer Futura 350 embroidery machine that I truly love and it does everything I need it to do in the embroidery field. I personally think being snobbish about what machine someone uses is to help improve the self-image of the person doing so.

Typical of some lqs. Don't let is bother you, your machine works, that is all that matters!

I send out an AMEN for Val in In. Good Luck with the new purchase. Teresa

Years ago I took a class and offered at a lqs, I was the only one with a kenmore and every time I had a question or problem it was 'because I had a kenmore'. I even heard the owner / teacher whispering to someone else about 'the kenmore'. The class turned me off free motion work because it just wasn't going to be possible to do this on my machine.
Fast forward a while, now I have a janome and bernina. I take the smaller bernina toclasses. I was having a problem in a class at my new lqs, and I have taken several there without trouble. But this time something was going wrong for me, and the owner and another student were saying, Oh it's just the way bernina is.....
So now I know that the least reliable part of a machine is the loose screw operating it.

i had the same problem with my brother se350 my local dealer even told me that my machine was a cheap piece of crap. but i love y machine and i would love to have the se400 because mine doesnt have the usb port. i dont understand why dealers think theirs is better just because they have a higher price they do the same thing.

ASK 100 people the same question and you will get 100 different answers,,,IMHO,,,, I have 3 brother machines that are 12 to 15 yrs old...I have made thousands of $$$$$$ doing window treatments and bedspreads to complete room make overs in homes ( some yrs up to 20 complete homes in one yr)...I love my Brother machines...I have taught many people how to sew...I don t care what make their machine is...the first thing i tell them is to bring their manual with them......I teach them what their machine is capible of and how to take care of it so it will last longer.....I have had many to ask for guidence on what to buy in a sewing machine......I try to advise them as best I can by what they will use the machine for and tell them all the options that they can choose from....not the brand to choose.....I have found too that over the years,,women have looked down their nose at a brand that is not their "choice"....To me that is a lack of confidence for a person to be that judmental....have they ever had or tried ALL the other brands ??? ...I also have a singer....a kemore and 2 Babylocks.......I love and use them all.....and I just purchased 4 inexpencesive Brother 3125 machines to use in teaching beginner sewing classes.....They sew like a charm too......!!!! Happy sewing to everybody.....there's more in life to be concerned about than "brands" of anything !!!!!

No one should make you feel bad about the machine you purchased, Do you like the machine? Does the machine do what you want it to do? If you answered ye to these questions you bought the right machine for you. If someone has an issue with your machine, then it's there problem. I say, enjoy the machine you bought

It dosnt make any sense that Brother would make a machine that is not up to its standards. This would give them a bad reputation and they would lose business.
I have a Brother that cost me $129 at Tuesday Morning 5 yrs ago. It is a great machine and has never been to a repair shop.

I have been following this thread and just had to comment on your post. For many years Kenvore machines were made by Janome, as are New Home. Most of the big machines manufacturers were more than willing to make their machines for big retailers to be sold under a private label. Brother also makes machines for others. I noted a post that thought that the machines sold by JoAnns, Walmart had cheaper parts, not entirely true, unless they change a model number or private label it in someway. I teach sewing classes locally one on one and have seen so many machines that I can tell you that unless someone needs fancy stitches, if it straight stitches, zig zags, goes forward and reverse its really about all one needs other than a zipper foot. A lot of the old singers only did straight stitching, and forward/reverse and some dropped their feed dogs, not all. Perfect for quilting. Give me vintage metal gears any day over the plastic junk that is computerized and has gears guaranteed to disintegrate. I am sure some of the top of the line machines have better service records than others, but for me I know what I do not need. There is no place for snobbery in the marketplace, no wonder those people had business failures.:)

I agree, she wants you to upgrade, hold you ground! I still have a Viking 1+ and still love it! I needed it cleaned and the owner of the store tried her best to tell me that it wouldn't last forever. I told her I loved this machine. Still using it today!

I had a brother cs6000i and loved her while she was working, and I did work her daily, even fmq on a king sized quilt. The machine did everything I asked until the day she locked up (after 3 years of use). The repairman said she was toast as the plastic gears had stripped, so I bit the bullet and bought a Janome 6600. I could tell right from the start that this was a well built machine. I haven't regretted the cost once and I am sure that she will outlast me by many years. A new brother, Singer, or any of the other "cheap" brands may be appealing, but think twice. They will not last with the constant use a quilter puts a machine through. The older Singers, like previously mentioned are still good machines because of the metal parts and simplicity of design, but the new ones are mostly junk. JMHO

If the shop offered a "how to use YOUR machine" class - then it should have been honored with no belittling commentary.

I have some older "simpler" machines that sew beautifully. As someone else said, if it does a decent forward and back stitch and zigzags decently, for many people that will take care of 90% or more of their sewing needs.

One has to take into consideration what type of sewing (or styles) one might do.

I'm a jeans and t-shirt person. I need "muscle" in my machines, but not many fancy stitches.

If I worked on/with satins, laces, sheer fabrics, etc. -my needs might be different.

I have had several different types of machines...as of now I have a Brother PC-420, and a Brother PQ-1500...and I love them both! They both have several of the "high end" options such as a knee-lifter and a thread cutter, and I just could not see paying more money for a "brand" name...when my machines have exactly what I wanted! I also have run into what I would call "machine snobbery"...I just take it with a grain of salt, at my lqs meetings, my machine works just as good if not better than a lot of the other more expensive machines. Not only that, but this way I have money left over to buy more fabrics!!...:) I also must say that at the lqs I attend most of the ladies I am in group with would never make someone feel "less than" about anything, let alone the price/brand of their machine.
Take care all,
Kif

Folks do put on airs.

The machine/fabric snobs--it is their shop and inventory, they may only work on specific brands, but there is a polite way to treat people, even if they are not customers today. I, too, have experienced curt answers when inquiring about machine repair. A polite explanation of franchise rules would only take seconds more than the brush-off.

Our late, lamented local Singer store sold Singers but the repairman would work on anything. The sales staff were always patient and polite.

I have had several different types of machines...as of now, in addition to the vintage Singer 66 I inherited, I have a Brother PC-420, and a Brother PQ-1500...and I love them both! They both have several of the "high end" options such as a knee-lifter and a thread cutter, and I just could not see paying more money for a "brand" name...when my machines have exactly what I wanted! I also have run into what I would call "machine snobbery"...I just take it with a grain of salt, at my lqs meetings, my machine works just as good if not better than a lot of the other more expensive machines. Not only that, but this way I have money left over to buy more fabrics!!...:) I also must say that at the lqs I attend most of the ladies I am in group with would never make someone feel "less than" about anything, let alone the price/brand of their machine. I totally understand local sewing machine shops needing to make a living, but to pay several hundred more dollars for the same machine is just not something I want to nor am financially able to do. That's one great thing about this board, we all have differences, and we can all embrace them, and share our of love of quilting and ideas with each other!
Take care all,
Kif
Oops, went to edit last post, instead did a double post, sorry!

Well just let me change that. I have a new-to-me Singer 301a and I love her to pieces or maybe that should be "I love her piecing". There aren't any Singer dealers in my area anymore but that wouldn't make any difference. I have an older computerized Singer, a gift from brother, and a 1930's Singer and I like them all. The 301a may become my favorite, though I enjoy the fancy stitches on the comp. and the easy piecing on the oldie.

I favor simplicity in machines I have to operate and maintain--my kitchen range with burners, broiler and oven and nothing else and the plainest washer and dryer I could find. If I could have a car without a computer I'd be happier than a cow in clover.

Does she think the high end machine the dealer sells are made by hand? They are mass produced too. They may have more stitches and other amenities (and a higher price) but every sewing machine is mass produced.

P.S. I too would go elsewhere. I have no patience with people who make snide, passive-aggressive remarks. Too vexing.

Oh yeah, the lady was protecting her territory - and sales. I just find it deplorable that a reputable place would resort to such tactics. Shame, shame, shame. It would be a store I would have trouble visiting again.