Did you ever type up your notes from your classes?  Or was that just me, the ubergeek?  I always felt like I remembered things better if I typed them up.

I spent six hours this past weekend getting more familiar with Betsy 2.0.  I think it's no secret that I've been a little intimidated by this new machine.  It's only my second sewing machine, and my first was a total entry level machine that I used as a workhorse, but never fully learned.  My local dealer held a class on my new machine, a Husqvarna Viking Sapphire, over the weekend and I must say, it was definitely worth every minute.  Reading the manual only gets you so far, especially for me, with this being my first computerized sewing machine and all.


After sitting through this class, I feel a lot more comfortable with all of the computerized aspects of my machine not to mention all of the crazy feet it came with.  I know what all the buttons mean, and better yet, I feel like I know how to use them.  I think I can officially say that Betsy 2.0 and I are friends!

I now no longer think of this foot as a scary mystery foot...


I've learned it's an automatic sensor buttonhole foot, and I even know where to plug it in.  Best of all, I used it to make my very first buttonhole.  Buttonholes are so pretty when they're made in aqua thread, aren't they?


I also learned that when I get nasty thread spit-up on my the back of my work it's caused by one of two things - either my top thread tension is funky (not the bobbin thread, like you would think) or I need a new needle.

I made my first blind hem...well, I attempted.  Definitely not perfect, but I was pleased with how it came out, and I was excited to learn the process in person.  I'm not much of a hemmer, but when I told my husband that I had learned about hems, his response was, of course, "Now you can hem my suits!"

The dealer attempted to teach me to use the automatic needle threader, which I never bothered to learn on my old machine, but I didn't get it.  At all.  It's okay, I'll stick with threading the needle manually, I don't mind.

And get this - my machine has a different way of winding a bobbin that is apparently better for the tension of the bobbin...while the machine is threaded, I can actually wind a bobbin.   Isn't that cool?  It's apparently the best way to do it on my machine, so I'll have to remember that.

Oh - and I have decorative stitches on my machine, too.  That was a lot of fun to play with.  I have three fonts, a block font, a Russian font, and a Japanese font.  I'll have to play with the Russian and Japanese ones, I suspect they may make some cool symbols that could be pretty awesome.


There are several other little titdbits that I fear I may forget if I don't type them out, so here they are, in particular order.

• When threading the bobbin, make sure to click the bobbin thread in place.
• Change your needle after every full 6-8 hours of use.  Mental note: change needle more often!
• Wind your bobbin at a slow or medium speed, not high speed.  There are no prizes for winding a fast bobbin!