Snowbird Advice Needed

I have a Janome Jem. It sews very nicely and I am very pleased with it for a back-up machine to my Janome 6600 which I love to pieces. It makes a nice stitch, is fairly speedy and sits firmly without jumping around when stitching at top speed. But it also has limited stitches and limited adjustments for the zig-zag, etc. I bought mine from my Janome dealer-gently used and about 1.5 years old- for $150. But there are other considerations- if you will be renting then you will have different needs than if you are purchasing a second home. A flat work surface is best for sewing- as you already know. If you have a second home then you can have a cutting table, sewing table, etc. If renting then you'll be hauling all your equipment back and forth.

Other than the info about the Jem I can't help you, but best of luck and I'll be very envious next winter when we get our ice storms!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

We have several snowbirds here at rctq, John, and they'll be better to offer ideas. My first thought is only that you'd probably just enjoy having your Bernina 1008 with you. You already have any extra feet and bobbins that fit and you are already fast friends. Unless, of course, a good fairy drops a Featherweight in your Easter basket. Do begin auditioning sunscreens for the top of your head. You'll need one. Polly

ws: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

As an avid bicyclist, I am already a fan of SPF 50+ stuff from Neutragena. Any fairy godmothers out there who want to unload a 221 to a good and deserving home? The 1008 is the fall back option, but I have had a simmering lust for a featherweight. Until now, it was an just unrealistic, and non essential lust, much like the one I have that involves Ingrid Bergman. But we don't need to delve too deeply into that subject right now. One can always dream, about the 221, of course.

John

John, I have a very good friend who has a Gem, and she's relatively disappointed in the limited options it has for adjusting stitch length and width. If you don't need a zigzag machine, a Featherweight is a

*wonderful* machine. However, if you think you may need zigzag, and since you'd be driving, I'd just take the Bernina you're already familiar with and which has all of the capability you'd want for just about anything.

As for places to spend the winter, we get *lots* of snowbirds here in the Las Vegas area. If you're not into gambling -- and many, many people who live here aren't -- there are still so many choices of things to do here that you wouldn't hurt for options. There are hiking and skiing areas; there's Lake Mead for water activities; we have museums and theater; and we're close to California, Arizona and Utah for exploring.

John, I can't help with your questions BUT I would love to offer my house sitting services!

Judie

I think, to start, we would just rent. I have never even been to the deep South and so I really am not familiar with all that it offers. I think because we will have to haul the stuff back and forth in the van, it should be kept to a minimum. I know some people haul a trailer full of things, but I wanted to avoid that option. As to the machine. I think that a really good straight stitch, and a few mending stitches, would do for my needs. so that is why I thought about the Gem series by Janome. Sounds like I was headed in the right direction.

John

Being from California, we are familiar with Nevada and all it has to offer. I think, in order to avoid all the driving in the snow to get there, the South is a better option for us. We do take driving vacations out your way in the summers, when the weather is more conducive to overland travel and the sightseeing is more spectacular. Gotta love that desert south west. That is the place I think we will wind up to fritter away our senility, when it come to us.

John

Shameless beggar!. I will move you to the head of the line for that, though.

John

I would forget the sewing machine and kit up a gorgeous, complex, hand-applique'd masterpiece in the Baltimore tradition (but with my own palette, of course.) 'Twould take up very little room and be amenable to stitching on a sun deck, in the car, by a lake, etc.

Monique in TX

An intriguing thought. I do have Jinny Beyer's book on hand quilting and it is inspiring. Might be fertile area for thought.

John

Howdy!

I grew up in south-south Texas; we call y'all Winter Texans. Texas is the southern mid-west; you might enjoy the familiarity of the place. We're not Suthren'; we just have (mostly) great winter weather. Austin is the bike riding capital of the southern half of the U.S..

Here in the Ft.Worth/Dallas area it's a beautiful 73* today, light breezes wafting thru' the (open) doors and windows. From here all the way down thru' central Tx. (hi, Monique!) on to The Valley, this is a great place to spend winter IF you don't want lots of cold. It's not over-crowded, it's friendly, and it's very Affordable. As for what to bring for sewing: your favorite machine (why not sew on what you know?). We have quilt shops and Joann's all over the place; we stock needles & thread & patterns & books & fabric & Featherweights & ... well, the necessities of Life, AND The Really Big Quilt Show in Houston.

Happy Trails!

R/Sandy - why, yes, I could be a Tx. tour guide; I'm not from here, but lived here most of my life ;-)

p.s. I hate Tx. summer

I have friends in Austin, who rave about the Hill Country for bicycling and just being there. My only association is when I was growing up, my Father was transfered to Dallas, by the company he worked for, and he got off the plane in the middle of summer, stepped outside the terminal, and turned around and caught the next plane back to Seattle. He told the company, thanks, but no thanks, and ended up stalling his career for a few years with that company for not following orders. He thought it was the right decision. So I guess he would have agreed with you about Texas summers. I was about 8 years old at the time and was excited about going to live with the cowboys.

John

I am not a snowbird but as I sit here in So. Cal. it is snowing. Go figure, I have my sewing room torn apart to paint. Timing is everything and I have none. I have a couple of FW's but would suggest you might enjoy a SInger 301 for traveling. It has a handle so you can carry it around easy enough and without the case it weighs about the same as a FW in a case. It is a tad stronger but boy it will make a beautiful stitch. Like a FW they also have a card table that it can be dropped into. I bet you could make one of those though. 301's are a lot more affordable than FW's and I like them even better. Lots of the gals around here have the little Janome Gem machines. They are taking over what they use at classes. You might just like one of those and it is easy enough to try them out. I just think I like the old mechanical machines myself though. Gas here going to be taxed another 12 cents a gallon. I wouldn't suggest it is worth the effort anymore to snowbird here. When we were in San Diego we had lots of snow birds in the winter and then the 'zonies' in the late summer. I do miss it there. I'll look forward to hearing your machine and travel plans. Sounds like you have a smart wife! Taria

Howdy!

Cowboys in Dallas? Nah, they're in Ft.Worth. And Arlington, home of 2 professional loser ball teams.

Hey, we got quilt shops!

R/S

*snippedety-doo-dah*

hand piecing, EPP, hand applique, hand quilting, designing new quilts on the computer, designing new quilts on paper. branch out into new areas as you move south for the winter. lots to do without a machine. :) so much to do, so little time. honk honk, j.

"John" wrote... Well It appears that my wife has convinced me that we need to head south for the winter next year. This presents a series of challenges for me, as to the things I need to do so that I can accomplish this time honored tradition of midwesterners and head for Florida or other points south to escape the wintery chill of northern latitudes. My question to all of the snowbirds that inhabit this forum is what should I take as it pertains to quilting that will keep me busy during the months of migration to (hopefully) warmer climates.

John, I am a FL snowbird and live in the Leesburg area of Central FL in a small town called Eustis. We have a small mobile home located in a RV park where there are planned activities and we stay busy all the time. Some of the RV's and mobile homes are for rent during the winter. Since we owned our 12 X 40 home, I have a machine and supplies that live here all the time. We are close to Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and all the restaurants you can think of, as well as major department stores and Joanne's. It takes a little over an hour to get to Daytona (car racing), Orlando, Ocala (Silver Springs) and almost anywhere else close by, including the space coast. If yours like I can mail you a paper from the office with info on the rental units. We are a 5 star campground with 3 sections with 3 clubhouses, 2 pools, instruction learning classes on wood carving, oil painting, sewing, and lots of other things. I am located half way down and half way across FL. Good luck in finding "your" area of FL! Barbara in Central FL

There are so many things you can do without a sewing machine! I always take a bag of handwork or stitching with me when I travel -- sometimes tatting, sometimes wholecloth quilting, and sometimes piecing. My next trip is a cruise from Florida into the Caribbean for a week, crossing to the Canary Islands, and ending in Genoa, and I'll be taking piecing with me. I have everything cut and sorted out into envelopes, one envelope per block, so all I need to take is a small kit with needles, thread, pins, thimbles, and a spare pair of reading glasses.

Hi John! I'm a Canadian snowbird. We own a place in central Florida (we like to be near Disney World!). I am able to keep a mat, some basic rulers etc. here in Florida. I debated the machine issue, but then I realized that I love all the features on my regular machines, so my Pfaff and my Juki travel back and forth. I purchased a cutting table from Joann's, and DH modified a large banquet table for my machines. I do as much quilting here as I do while home in the summer. With my sewing area always set-up and ready to go, I get a lot done between bike rides, swimming, etc. DH plays golf, but I've never caught the bug. I made a bag, many years ago, to hold my mat, rulers etc. This travels with me, as I teach a quilting group here on Wednesday afternoons. It is great to have ALL my rulers along, as I have some extra large and specialty ones that I occasionally loan in class. DH and I used to come to Florida for all our vacations, so buying a place seemed to be the right idea for us. Some Snowbirds don't last more than one winter. Some miss their families and friends, but you will find that you will make lots of new ones.... If you haven't been to Florida, you might want to check out various areas. Some people like the beach, but after having storm surge issues many years ago in Panama City FL, we like to stay well inland. We can get to the beach in under an hour anytime we like. We have a double-wide mobile home, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, screen porch, sunroom and carport. I sew in the sunroom. Our community has a large clubhouse, 2 pools, hot tub, shuffleboard, tennis, horseshoes, etc. There are activities running here every day, so you can be as busy as you want, or not. It is a great way to meet new people. Most of my friends who quilt, bring their regular machine back and forth. We travel by van, and I pack large tubs full of things I need for the winter. Since we own, I am able to leave clothing, etc. during the summer, so that helps with the packing. Canadian quilt fabric is quite expensive, so I always return with lots of new fabrics to add to my stash at home. I don't leave fabric here, but I bring my own home-made kits with me, then add items to the must-do list while I am here. DH knows that I never stick the "minimum" in anything! Email me if you have any more questions. I'll be happy to help.