Today's sewing machines are high-tech _ and high-cost.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Frugality, make way for flamboyance.

Sewing machines, once the tools of the thrifty, are becoming the toys of the affluent. Some of today's machines can sew circles _ or perhaps custom-designed floral frames _ around the straight-stitching clunkers of the past.

The top-of-the-line machines can cross-stitch a sampler for you, replicate your dog's likeness on a pillow or embroider Elvis' sneer on your hip pocket. "You can even make designs on toilet paper," sewing machine dealer Bob Barnes points out.

He's not kidding. A roll adorned with dainty blossoms _ for decorative purposes only, of course _ is displayed at his Barnes Sewing Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Sewing machines have changed because sewing has changed, says Nancy Jewell, a spokeswoman for Viking Sewing Machines in Westlake, Ohio, which distributes the Husqvarna Viking and White brands.

"People are sewing today because they want to," Jewell says. Some sew for economy, but more do it for the creativity and sense of accomplishment involved. "Sewing empowers you," she says.

The range of sewing machines available nowadays is enormous, from basic machines that do little more than sew straight and zigzag stitches to computerized machines that can embroider while you're off fixing lunch for the kids. Just as enormous is the range of prices _ from about $150 to more than $5,500.