Embroidery Unit's Retirement Fund
Donation protected
Hello! Feather Stitched here!
Five years ago I purchased my first embroidery machine- the Viking Topaz 20. Every day (or very close to) for those five years, this machine has served me beautifully, embroidering and sewing to help me create products and earn my living.
My poor Topaz is struggling. There is an issue with the placement of the hoop- it will randomly make an ear splitting groan, and the whole design will shift along in a random direction, creating gaps and crooked designs. The best way to explain is is that it's supposed to be on one lane, and all of a sudden finds itself in the wrong one.
This is a very time consuming issue as it means I have to reset the machine and set it back up. Sometimes I can salvage the design, sometimes I have to start from scratch, wasting time, fabric and thread.
Designs that previously worked will start skipping and then stop. I can't predict it. It is making 30 minute projects take several hours, sometimes running into days. This is my livelihood, my only way of making money, and I can't cope if my machine loses the battle.
I've had two specialists look at her, and both have said there's not a lot I could do but cope and work around it. To buy a new unit would be nearly as expensive as buying a whole new machine. I need a machine with similar specs to my current one, as it can cope with my workload and style. I would not be able to work with a machine with a smaller embroidery area than I currently have.
It has been suggested by several people that I set up a GoFundMe!
It can't go on like this. I need to purchase a new machine. I have been window shopping for some time and I have found a model I would really like to own. It is the Janome Memory Craft 400E and has similar specifications to my current Topaz.
I would like to raise the funds sooner rather than later, as there is a window of time where I can have a family member drive the machine safely to me, rather than with a courier (my topaz is missing a piece after a haphazard house move)
The machine costs £1500 new to purchase, but is currently on a nationwide promotion for £999- less than my current one when she was new! I have got some money set aside, and I will continue to put money aside from all my sales and Patreon blogs as I go. Depending on fees I will either donate it here myself, or post updates as to how much I have saved!
(the £1050 goal is due to Stripe taking a percentage of each donation- when I match the fees I will reduce this!)
You don't have to donate for nothing!
I have an etsy shop etsy.com/shop/featherstitchedcraft where you can purchase beanies and charms that I make, and I will put those funds towards the machine too!
I hate asking for money. My stomach has been doing flipflops and I have put this off for weeks. But if I can't embroid and sew, I can't make money, and I can't live. Any donation, no matter how small, is so gratefully received and will support me more than you know.
Thank you for reading :)
Five years ago I purchased my first embroidery machine- the Viking Topaz 20. Every day (or very close to) for those five years, this machine has served me beautifully, embroidering and sewing to help me create products and earn my living.
My poor Topaz is struggling. There is an issue with the placement of the hoop- it will randomly make an ear splitting groan, and the whole design will shift along in a random direction, creating gaps and crooked designs. The best way to explain is is that it's supposed to be on one lane, and all of a sudden finds itself in the wrong one.
This is a very time consuming issue as it means I have to reset the machine and set it back up. Sometimes I can salvage the design, sometimes I have to start from scratch, wasting time, fabric and thread.
Designs that previously worked will start skipping and then stop. I can't predict it. It is making 30 minute projects take several hours, sometimes running into days. This is my livelihood, my only way of making money, and I can't cope if my machine loses the battle.
I've had two specialists look at her, and both have said there's not a lot I could do but cope and work around it. To buy a new unit would be nearly as expensive as buying a whole new machine. I need a machine with similar specs to my current one, as it can cope with my workload and style. I would not be able to work with a machine with a smaller embroidery area than I currently have.
It has been suggested by several people that I set up a GoFundMe!
It can't go on like this. I need to purchase a new machine. I have been window shopping for some time and I have found a model I would really like to own. It is the Janome Memory Craft 400E and has similar specifications to my current Topaz.
I would like to raise the funds sooner rather than later, as there is a window of time where I can have a family member drive the machine safely to me, rather than with a courier (my topaz is missing a piece after a haphazard house move)
The machine costs £1500 new to purchase, but is currently on a nationwide promotion for £999- less than my current one when she was new! I have got some money set aside, and I will continue to put money aside from all my sales and Patreon blogs as I go. Depending on fees I will either donate it here myself, or post updates as to how much I have saved!
(the £1050 goal is due to Stripe taking a percentage of each donation- when I match the fees I will reduce this!)
You don't have to donate for nothing!
I have an etsy shop etsy.com/shop/featherstitchedcraft where you can purchase beanies and charms that I make, and I will put those funds towards the machine too!
I hate asking for money. My stomach has been doing flipflops and I have put this off for weeks. But if I can't embroid and sew, I can't make money, and I can't live. Any donation, no matter how small, is so gratefully received and will support me more than you know.
Thank you for reading :)
Organizer
Raven McFarlane
Organizer