I just traded my Ruby in for the Diamond Deluxe. I totally love the Ruby and constantly experiment and take classes for it and the software that I bought extra. There are tutorials on Vikings web site but my teacher recommends a guy who has a website called Mr Patience. He can help her use the organizer that came with it; it really can do alot. Check in her area for other places where she can take classes or get support. Here they have LQS that don't care what machine you have and it's normally a yrly price like where I go its 40 for the yr if you didn't buy your machine there and then whatever the monthly fee is (cost of material). We have a sew and vac that is like an embroidery club and you can learn from there as well. She may be able to contact someplace like this and get an individual to come to her house and offer classes. I'd do it if I didn't live so far away. There are also support groups on yahoo. If she has particular questions you can contact me and I'll try to help her. I agree about the owners manual and its limited functionality. I'll check with my teacher next week and see if she can recommend some books that deal more with the machine than the software which is what mr patience does. You can learn alot from him though. Let me know if I can help

Lori

I did a search for you for a Viking dealer near Buffalo, NY. I'm not sure if either of these places offer classes or are near your mom, but maybe they may have a suggestion.

[TABLE="width: 615"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"]VIKING SEWING GALLERY 661 BLASDELL[/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"]3540 McKINLEY PARKWAY
INSIDE JoANN FABRICS #1932
BLASDELL, NY 14219-2658
[email protected][/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"](716) 821-9858[/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceLeftShort, align: right"]7.55 Miles

Directions[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"]VIKING SEWING GALLERY 662 AMHERST[/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"]1551 NIAGARA FALLS BLVD.
INSIDE JoANN FABRICS #1930
AMHERST, NY 14228-2702
[email protected][/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"](716) 831-1233[/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceRightShort, align: left"]8.15 Miles

Directions[/TD]
[TD="class: GridColSpaceLeftShort, align: right"][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

When I first got my Janome, I was overwhelmed. I'd sewn for years, but that embroidery thing was a whole other animal! The dealer offered classes, but by the time I'd upgraded twice, I needed more classes. I have found that the internet (youtube, especially) is a great tutorial source. They are machine specific or very generic! I would ask a nice employee (if they have ONE) if there was someone who could offer coaching to get your mom up and running.

By chance is there a sewing machine repair shop near her. I was given a machine that had all kinds of bells and whistles that I had never seen before-it confused me to the point of wanting to throw it out the nearest window. I took my old Singer in for repairs and asked if he would buy or trade the 'Witch' and under glass on the counter were loads of names and numbers for help concerning every thing about machines and sewing. He recommended the right lady for me. I did learn how to use it in a very short time.

Maybe if she had a specific project to make/do it would be more rewarding & she would be more inclined to experiment.Fore example, Are there grandchildren ? You cauld say "Susie would love a bath towel with her name on it . Can you do a onsie for the baby with a teddy bear? The kids would sure like their names on Christmas stockings."etc.
Once she gets going I bet she will love it and there will be no stopping her! You might have a look at www.cuteembroidery.com It is a free forum with lots of free designs,tips,hints and "Cuties" wiling t help. You might even find someone who lives near who could help her with the first few steps.

Contact Viking customer service and see if there's someone else nearby that will 'adopt' her as a customer. That's what we did when the dealer I worked for went out of business ... the dealer I went to work for 'adopted' ALL of my customers including the discounts promised by the pervious dealer.

I tend to agree with bearisgray. I would be leery about posting on Craigslist for someone to come into my mother's home especially since you have to be very careful who you let into your house these days. The idea of the LQS is a very good one. You might want to check with a local quilting quild to see if someone there does that sort of thing. Good luck to you and your mom. Also IBQLTN has a very good idea about contacting Viking to see if they recommend someone.

Perhaps you could contact the local American Sewing Guild. I know the group I belong to has many people who use that machine.

We have an embroidery forum here on QB and I'm sure any of the ladies (or gentlemen) would be more than willing to help. There may even be someone who lives near your mum.

Lori S, there is a Pfaff dealer in Buffalo: http://www.totsewing.com/ Pfaff and Viking are 'sister' machines with many common (and some uncommon) features. The software will likely be the same, stabilizers and threads will be the same. You might contact the shop and see how they might receive her in classes with a Viking machine (in our community the Pfaff store is a little more receptive to Vikings than vice versa). As for the weight moving everything, which is an issue and I haven't been sewing for 70 years so I know I'm younger than your mother, get her a little wheeled cart (one that folds up takes up virtually no space) and a supply kit she can keep packed for class (if you're not familiar, the store can help with what she would need). Once she has some success, she'll probably be addicted like many of us! Embroidery Library has nice, inexpensive designs that can be downloaded to her machine so she can have some good results before she tackles digitizing. I wish both of you luck!