I can remember wearing clothes sewn by my mother from the time I was a toddler.  She made adorable matching outfits for myself and my younger sister for years.  I couldn’t wait for her to pass this on to me and when I was about 12, my interest was renewed by a sewing segment in home economics.  From that time, I was hooked and sewed everything from clothes for myself and household items to clothes for our two boys when they were toddlers.  During the “stretch and sew” era, I even made a suit for my husband that he actually wore to work.  There were a few dry years then about three years ago, I decided it was time to get modern and bought a Brother PC 6500, after doing loads of comparison shopping.  I told the salesperson that I was sure I would not embroider and would most likely just use the machine for sewing.  It wasn’t long before I was embroidering everything in site, made a quilt for a charity auction and curtains and drapes for our son’s first home.  Then, on one of my visits to my favorite sewing store, I spotted a new machine, the Brother Innovis 4000 and I was speachless.  It took me almost a year to finally convince my husband that it was a must have and with the promise from me that I would sell the 6500, one way or another, he wrote first the deposit check then the balance.  It was the greatest gift he’s ever given me and I’ll enjoy it till the day I die.  By the way, ebay is the way.  Somewhere in Texas, someone is hopefully enjoying the 6500 as much as I did.  Oh, I forgot to mention that the cabinet I had purchased for the 6500 wouldn’t accommodate the new machine, so I sold that on ebay as well.  It has a new home in Indiana.   I had two sons and it is not surprising that neither of them has an interest in sewing.  I was hopeful that I would be able to pass my knowledge and interest on to our granddaughter, but she hasn’t the slightest interest.  “It takes too long.”  Oh well–