For want of a sewing machine

My dad and I desperately want to add a dodger to Ariel. In fact, at this year's Strictly Sail show in Chicago my dad said he would pay for all of the materials if I would buy the sewing machine. Tempting? Absolutely. Had my wife and I not just bought a new car, I would have returned home with a brand-spankin' new LSZ-1. Since I couldn't justify the purchase then, I've been searching for ways since. If we are going to add a dodger (and I'm pretty sure we will), we'll definitely want it for the upcoming season, so the sewing machine may not be so much a question of "if" but "when".
At this point I'm pretty sold on Sailrite's machine and reputation. And the demonstration that Matt Grant, the son of Sailrite founder Jim Grant, gave at the Strictly Sail show was impressive. Nice machine.
Another attractive aspect is that we can buy the machine and materials for less than what it would cost to have a dodger built and installed. And once the dodger is finished, it's on to sails!