I spend a lot more time in front of my sewing machine that I do in my car. I have a 2001 pacifica that I bought new, I think it was about 28K. If I divided my hours behind the wheel by the price, I'd have the real value I think.

If I divide the price of my Janome 8900 by the hours I've used it, it comes out pretty cheap as a tool and as entertainment.
So does anyone ever say why did you pay so much for a car? :)

And just walking by a long arm machine makes my back hurt!

My "seriously, is it just me" question would be Keffe Facett (sorry about the spelling)
The frenzy just leaves me amazed ;)

I was you until I got a job at a Bernina dealer's shop. They made there real money by doing custom sewing and alterations. Not only did I learn a lot, even though I have been sewing since I was 12 but I fell in love with the Bernina machines. The first one I purchased was the first stand alone embroidery machine Bernina sold. With my employee discount I was able to purchase it at a reasonable price. I have since invested at least $1000 in additional software for it. I used it so much I purchased another stand alone embroidery machine, this time a Brother. The only reason I went with that brand is that Bernina had changed their embroidery format away from the PES. All of the newer software would not work in my old machine. At this point I own a Bernina Artista 185 which I got in trade for my first Bernina sewing machine plus a little more money, a Bernina 240 sewing machine, much lighter in weight and portable, for workshops etc. the Bernina embroidery machine, a Brother embroidery machine and a Bernina high end serger. I do a lot of charity sewing. I make at least 20 Linus quilts a month and a lot of Pillowcase dresses for a charity that gives them to children and teen girls in third world countries. Being clothed helps prevent rape. I also own a Singer Featherweight I found at yard sale in mint condition. I got it for $20. My mother owned a Featherweight that she purchased in 1935 and brought with her from Illinois when she meet and married my father. I learned to sew on it and so did my nieces. I let them have it when she died as I had the other machines by that time. Sewing is my one vice so I treat myself by using the best machines I know of. I am a hand quilter. The only quilts I do on the machine are the ones for Linus as they will be washed and cared for by persons not likely to know much about real quilts.

I had to debate for a long while before spending $1400 on my machine. And the main reason I got it was for the larger throat space. But I know there are machines that cost as much as a new car and I could never justify that. Not because we don't have the money but because I think it would be better spent on other things.

as for the car, it's a necessity for our entire family, not just for me. And I do spend more time in it than I do at my machine (I have 3 kids, all with various activities). I feel like I can make the same quality stuff with my $1400 machine as I would with a $10K machine but a smaller and cheaper car may not be as efficient or as safe as what we have.

Everyone has different priorities. I want the bells and whistles, I can afford it. We all have our "things" I don't have or want jewelry, fancy cars or a fancy house - but I sure do want a fancy sewing machine!

If there was one feature I really wish I had .. it would be a larger throat area. Once I figured out I would never really get the value from the embroidery machine... I have been on the hunt for a industrial machine. I have a vintage 306W in a cabinet that I just love and Viking 500 ,purchased over 20 years ago. The industrial will give me a much bigger throat at a much lower cost than the big throat domestic machines that have bells and whistles I may never use , or rarely use.

My husband said if I wanted a new, large machine I'd better get it before he retired. I figured this would be my last machine. (Yeah right!) I wanted a sit down machine set in a large table with a large throat space that I could use for piecing, FMQ and other types of sewing like clothing or home dec. My smaller Bernina made me happy except for the throat space (which I complained about A LOT). I'm not interested in standing up to long arm or doing things for hire.

A Sweet 16 with a large table is starting to call to me. I hate layering quilts for FMQ. My husband is still working....and I AM expanding my sewing space...!

It's all in how you want to spend your money. Many years ago a friend at work brought down this name brand small basket with a cloth liner and plastic divider for silverware on a picnic. She had bought it at a part. The guys in the control room were giving her no end of grief over how much she spent on it. She asked me if I thought it was worth it and my answer was no. I also said you are talking to someone that spent 5 times that having two teddy bears made out of my aunts mink jacket as keepsakes! It's all about how you want to spend your money and what is important to you.

Back when my ancestors were making quilts, the 'real' quilts were made to hold up to washing and lots of children. Those who had sewing machines used them . . . and it certainly didn't make their quilts any less real. :D

SO true! For instance...I don't understand why people would spend hundreds of dollars on going out to eat...but they do...all the time.

I love KalamaQuilts line about Kaffe Fassett - I totally agree. Yet there are obviously thousands of people who love his style.

In 1985, expecting our first child, I bought a Kenmore. Although it had no fancy features, it was a stretch for us financially. I wanted to make clothing and nursery things with it. By no means was I an inexperienced sewer - I grew up in 4-H and did a lot of garment sewing.

In 1991, my father died unexpectedly at the age of 50 1/2 years old. Long story short, in an attempt to keep the farm in the family, I gave my brother (over several years, as tax laws then allowed) much of my inheritance. The one thing that I did buy for myself was a Bernina 153QE. I still have, and love, that machine. I've had a Janome Jem Platinum that I got to take to classes and retreats as the Bernina - all metal except the housing - is quite heavy. Actually, I still have it, but don't use it - I should get rid of it!

At around $2,000, this machine is now down to under $200/year. I do take it in every couple of years for a thorough clean and check, about $65.

When DD's cat lived with us, he somehow knocked the machine, at the time sitting on a table, onto a concrete floor. I'll never know how he did it - he weighed about 10 lbs and the machine over 25... He had - has - a lot of issues and has "fits" where he just runs wild. Anyhow - other than a very small crack in the plastic housing, there was absolutely no damage. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend anyone give this a try - and I'm certainly not going to offer to do it. But I don't for a moment think that a less expensive, mainly plastic machine would have survived, let alone unscathed.

This machine sews like a dream. It doesn't eat triangles, handles unbelievable bulk (multiple layers of terry and heavy flannel when making a hooded baby towel was absolutely no problem) and is just plain reliable.

Many friends go out to dinner at least once a week, spending a minimum of $30 and usually more. We don't smoke, rarely drink, and almost never "go shopping." Those are all things that plenty of people do that I just don't get - because they don't appeal to me. I don't understand people who spend lots of money on tattoos, jewelry or expensive hair styles.

We recently got rid of a car with almost 150,000 miles on it, which is pretty typical for us. We buy cars that have good repair/reliability records and drive them until it is no longer financially wise to do so. That means that we do not have a beautiful new car every few years - it's at least 12 years between new cars. We don't get big SUV's that use a lot of gas.

I also think that most of the people who are buying the more expensive machines are at a point in their lives when they are better able to do so. Our children are grown, though college, and have established their own homes and lives.

Basically, what I'm saying is what many others have said: How anyone chooses to spend their money is a personal decision. For me, that means that there aren't a lot of things I spend money on. When I do spend money, I will buy the best quality that gets me the features I'm looking for and expect to enjoy that purchase for a long time.