Wanabee Quiltin

NO ! I lent my only sewing machine once and when it was returned, I had to had it serviced. It never ever worked right again and I had to trade it in for a different machine. Right now I buy good cheap sewing machines and if anyone needs a machine, I will sell them one for $10 but no-one touches my Bernina but me.

cricket_iscute

I've made quilts for homeless families since 1996, and in that time have had various people - generally without the skills they think they have - come sew. They expect everything, including machines, to be provided, of course. I let a woman use one of my favorite vintage machines, and that poor machine! What she did to it was a crime. It needed so much repair and never did return to it's former glory. Another woman used a machine which was working perfectly when she took it but she said the tension would not work for her (she was new at sewing). So now I have two machines here that can be used by "guests" who are sewing with me and one that I don't care a lot about and will lend out. I'm making machine covers for my machines that say "guests may use" or "ask Cricket first" or "for Cricket's use only". I will probably have to watch people when they come in to sew, in case they "didn't notice". Bottom line is, after many years of sewing and quilting and using and fixing machines, I know a lot more than most other people who want to learn from me and I trust myself with my equipment, but not some of them.

jeaninmaine

Every time I've lent out something, it's NEVER came back in the same shape it left in and that's if it came back at all. For some reason people do not take the same care of borrowed things as they do something that THEY have paid for. I've seen a friend's kids pounding on my machine with hard toys and no one saying a word to them. That ended my lending things.

Letty

That is so hard to decide.I once let someone sew on my machine,I had a 1/4 inch foot on , that was fine as she only wanted to sew up a seam -----however she decided to use a zig zag stitch, next thing I heard was a tremendous banging from my machine, broken needle and timing shot on the bobbin case.I have to say she knew about the foot and had almost done the same thing before, guess some people never learn, that goes for both of us !!

IBQUILTIN

I have an old Singer that I would lend out, but I would not let anyone take either of my Viking machines out of my sewing room

Bneighbor

Not a chance. I lent my Janome Gem two years ago, never saw it again. I now have a Brother Quattro, a brother 1250d ( which is for my motor home travels), a Babylock Enterprise (10 needle), and a babylock evolution serger . My insurance company figures I have $50,000.00 in sewing supples (machines, software, threads, stablizers, embroidery designs, etc). I have too much invested in my art to let someone destroy it. I would gladly help someone purchase an inexpensive machine if they had a true interest and desire to learn. But for someone who just wants to " play" can play somewhere else.

Noiseynana

Nope me either. I bought a $10.00 machine just for that purpose. Lent it once and never got it back. So much for lending something good . My grandpa always said if you can afford to replace it if it breaks then you can afford to get your own. I also lent a $650.00 garden tiller and a little one too, to the same fellow. Never did work after he "fixed" 'em. So now I don't lend anything and always use that as the excuse.

tessagin

If she were going to use it in my home but I don't have to worry about that. They have more machines than I do. I don't loan out anything anymore, always comes back broke. I just tell it's broken or pitched.

qltgrose

It would depend on the person and how close we were and also how much I knew about her sewing levels. That being said, one time I asked a dear friend who had one of the MOST organized sewing spaces I have ever seen help me by packing up my sewing room during a move. I thought she would be as methodical with my things as she was with her own. After the move, it was 6mos before I found the power cord to my sewing machine! LOLOL Nevermore.....

leaha

loan my machines? NOT my Pfaff' 7570's no way, my Pfaff Hobbymatic 947, or the Pfaff 2056, probally if I knew the person who wanted to use it would be gentle with them, my 2 black singer's 221s I got for my 4H students, but none of my machines leave my studio.

and I would not borrow another's machine either, the old saying' never a borrower or lender be' seems to fit.