Ten Days

I'm trying not to whine, but I'm sure you'll pick up on just a little, or more, whining. That's my sewing machine, and yes, those are pieces. I was quilting along, very happily eyeing the eight inches and decreasing border remaining. That's all the quilting that was left on this whole quilt, which is about 40" x 50" and has many bobbins worth of thread in the making. You'll have to look close, but you can see that there is a smooth area at the top left, which is what remained to be quilted.


The machine started to clunk and the thread started to knot and it was quickly obvious that something was very wrong. Something related to the bobbin. I tried all kinds of things, including putting in a different bobbin case, but I couldn't fix it. I packed it up and took it to the dealer, which is in Steph's neighborhood. And they said it would be ten days to fix it. Now I know that is the usual repair time, maybe even a little quicker than most, but it's hard to think of being without that machine for ten days.

The dealer did offer me the option of trading it in on a new model for a mere $6000 plus my machine. Not an option for me.

Several years ago Sarah and Steph thought they might want to get into quilting and I got them each a very, very basic machine. Sarah has since brought hers back, so I do have that to use. Not a single bell or whistle, but I was able to finish the last eight inches (it has a little plastic piece to cover the feed dogs) and it has a walking foot so I can do the binding, too. And proceed with my Christmas projects.

I know I'm spoiled, don't even say it, but I use a sewing machine almost every single day. It's so nice to have the presser foot lower automatically and the machine adjust to the thickness of what I'm sewing. And I'll miss those two lights, even though I'm old enough to remember when sewing machines didn't have lights. I could go on, but this is really starting to sound like whining. And in ten days or so I'll have my machine back.

After I dropped off the machine I took a pot roast for dinner at Steph's. Both Nora and Aaron seem so much taller than last weekend. Here's Nora on our trip to Target, trying out some toys. It's almost her birthday, not to mention Christmas, and I'm sure she will have a new toy or two.