I have been off on new exciting adventures with my friend Mirjana...
check out her blog and amazing artwork... in search of a new industrial sewing machine. We started off by going to Mount Dora Fl. to test a semi-industrial sewing machine, and as lovely and impressive as it was, it just didn't have the punch I was going to need to take my products to the next level. After I exhausted my search in Orlando and Altamonte Springs, and really all of Florida... all signs pointed to that I needed to get my partner in crime... Mirjana... and head south to
Miami Industrial Sewing & Supply Corp. in Miami Florida and meet the owner Itzhak Erez. Before leaving for our trip Itzkak and I had spoke many times on the phone about what machine would be right for me. I knew I was in good hands with very knowledgeable Itzhak and his staff who had 25,000 sewing machines in 6 warehouses.
As all of our great adventures seem to start, Mirjana and I left at 4am and started south for our 4 hour trip to Miami, which went very smoothly as we drove up to the store front about 15 minutes early before they opened at 8.
I just love their delivery truck!
As we came in the front door there was a sea of sewing machines from floor to ceiling, but at the front of the store there she was in all her beauty, the Seiko STH-8BLD-3, my new baby! After meeting the wonderful Itzhak in person he turned me over to the head mechanic Viktor Sickus who introduced me to my new Seiko. Viktor was very patient in explaining everything that I would need to know about the maintenance and how to sew with my new powerful baby.
My new baby the Seiko STH-8BLD-3, yippee!
This is an old picture of the inside of the Miami Industrial Sewing & Supply Corp. that I took off of their website. When we were there, there were sewing machines stacked to the ceiling on shelves in front of the windows up to the ceiling. It was amazing the sea of sewing machines and the different types Itzhak has!
This is the wonderful Viktor who showed me how to find my way around the Seiko. Thanks Viktor!
Since we had come so far we thought we should see some of South Beach while we were there. We left the Seiko with Itzhak as we took off to do a little site seeing and have a little lunch along Ocean Drive.
This is me in front of the gorgeous Versace Villa that over looks the ocean. What a life Versace had here before he was killed.
It was hard to decide which restaurant to eat at because they are all so aggressive in try to get you into their place, but we decide on the "Kitchen" restaurant because they harassed us the least. The food was OK. After lunch we walked around a little more but it was blistering hot and the sun was relentless, we decided we better head back to the store to pick up Seiko and start our long drive home.
Mirjana took lots of pics of all the amazing art deco architecture as we made our way back to the Bee... my little yellow car as she's called.
We made our way back to the store to pick up Seiko and take one last photo with the wonderful Itzhak the store owner who set me up with my new work horse sewing machine. With the help of Vicktor, Ramon, and Cesar they loaded the Seiko into my tiny Bee and Mirjana and I were off to head home.
And here she is... my new Seiko STH-8BLD-3 in my studio. She's a dream machine! Love her!
Also in the last week or so I changed around my studio some more before the arrival of Seiko to get a better work flow going. The table is loaded with leather goods... like bags and jackets... that I found around the house to rip apart to use in my products.
A bowl of old jewelry that will also be taken apart so I can use them in my products.
What will be our next great adventure for Mirjana and I, hopefully it won't start a 4am next time.
xoxo,
Jacque :)
Can you smell the salty air of the sea?
