callen

We do exactly the same thing. I realize that in this day & age there are lots of couples that "my money is my money & your money is your money" but we are NOT one of them. Marriage is a partnership & part of that is discussing purchases, particularly large ones, which this was. In Canada, this is a very expensive machine so I never would have gone ahead & bought it without his "opinion" & that does not mean his "permission".

callen

No, there were not 2 trips involved. I did (& he did also) a lot of research on line. Watched youtube videos etc. & because the dealer was close compared to the Bernina dealer I settled on the HV. The dealer is wonderful beyond words so that clinched it. I thought I would like the Ruby but we BOTH liked the Diamond & sealed the deal after a lot of hands on trial at the store. The HV dealer here is fantastic.

callen

You took the words right out of my mouth dc989. We also make a good team & have just celebrated our 48th Wedding Anniversary. The important word here is TEAM. He helps me stay grounded & keeps me from some "bad" impulse purchases & it works for us. Thank you for your common sense reply.

junegerbracht

I had a similar experience with my husband when I bought my Diamond - he urged me to buy the top of the line - not sorry I did although I am not big on embroidery - not the machine's fault - just my preference.

LTeachergeorge

I, like others, have several Husqvarnas. I love them!!! My dealer is about 45 minutes away, but that is just a pleasant drive. I went through the free guide classes several times and took lots of classes at their store to learn all kinds of useful hints about using them. I do not have the Diamond (yet).

Linda in Missouri

Nanax4

I hope you enjoy every moment with your new machine!!! So happy you could see your way to affording it!

NoraB

Congratulations on your new machine! It's wonderful that your husband is involved with your interests and supports them. Enjoy every stitch!

huntersgrammie

I know its off topic but why do people get riled when we consult with our spouse over major purchases. even though we both have our play money we still don't make independent purchases of greater than a few hundred dollars. this was put in play when we got married as he traveled for months at a time and if we both spent independently without discussing large spendatures we could quickly exceed our finances. enough said, on the beautiful purchase of your HQ congrats, I know how you feel. I'm a Janome girl and just bought a 9900. its amazing, so much I haven't a clue about but I'm having fun learning. I've only been sewing/quilting for 3 years so I have sew much to learn.

LyndaOH

Congrats on the new machine and the wonderful marriage! I feel much the same as you do and love having my best friend at my side and in my corner. No permission is necessary but opinion and common courtesy make things run smoothly and make me feel like we are still newlyweds, though we'll celebrate our 25th anniversary in October. Right now he's researching lighting for my quilt studio which he insisted be part of a huge renovation at the other end of the house from the studio. He'll sum up the lighting options and I'll make the final decision. I love a man with a plan!

One thing I did when I got a new machine was to create a stitch diary. Once I was comfortable with threading and the bobbin winder, I went through and stitched out each stitch, and wrote the settings right on the fabric. It's a great way to get to know the stitches but also a way to get comfortable with the machine.

Mostly make sure to have fun with it!

kellen46

I just traded in my over engineered 830QE for a Ruby Deluxe and am super pleased with the machine. There is a site called www.sewingmastery.com that has super video instructions for all the Viking machines. Great stuff, also there is a yahoo group, designer gems, that is very helpful. Don't forget the Husqvarna web site. The link for inspiration, learning center is a good source for free patterns and more instructions. Even though I miss being " a Bernina Girl". I do have a sentimental attachment for Benina, but the #@$%$# 830qe was so problematic that I went to another brand. I do miss the BSR but not the overly complicated and breakdown prone 830qe. Besides having a dealer a half hour away is so much better than one almost three hour one way trip over the mountains. Another plus is that the Ruby weighs only 23 pounds as opposed to the 46 pounds of the 830qe. Now I don't have to call the neighbor to help me load it into the truck. One trick I will pass on that helped me a lot, when using the R foot to do free motion, go into tools menu and find where you can adjust the presser foot pressure, lower it one whole number, adjust tension till it is just like you like it and save settings. You can pull it up later in the U menu for easy access. Happy sewing.

P.S. I still have my old Bernina Record which have lovingly used since 1974. I will never give up that machine and if I could have only one, it would be that one.