off topic

This is off-topic, but it's my blog so I guess I'm allowed. My friend Angel has a blog where she writes about her travels, career, family, and food. There are lots of links to videos to sweeten the pot. Lately, it's been a lot about pets. I can't keep track of how many she has.

I figured I'm allowed to go off-topic. Especially since I'm walking less.

This post is about my sewing machine. That's her strapped into the car seat for her trip to the repair shop. She sounds like a Mack truck when she is stitching and only does straight and zig-zag. It was my mom's "new machine". I don't remember what it replaced. My sister Barb would know.

She's a 1962 Model 403 Singer in Cocoa Mocha. I didn't know that until the repairman (yes, it was a man) told me. When I lugged her in the door he thought she was a 401. But when I set her down he knew immediately that she was a 403. I love repairpeople that know their stuff.

That cannot be said for her last trip to the repair shop. We had taken her for maintenance to the Westgate Mall for years. Then they moved to Elizabeth Avenue. What I didn't know was they changed hands. About two years ago I took her to be cleaned. It had been awhile. I brought her home and she worked great for five minutes and then went clunk. Before I had a chance to take her back my niece moved into my sewing room.

Since it broke in less than an hour I decided to take it to a place Bonnie recommended in Allentown.  He was not happy when he opened her up. This was my first clue he knew what he was doing. The previous guy slapped a tag on it and told me to come back in two weeks. Apparently, the original place doesn't fix their own stuff anymore but sub-contract it out. Whoever did mine did a horrible job. There was moisture trapped inside and rust was forming at a lot of places. Things weren't connected correctly.

Thankfully she can be fixed. It will take a little more money than I planned but for the amount of sewing I do, I'm not buying a new one. Ask anyone ... especially Bonnie and Lydia. They'll tell you I'm cheap. I prefer fugal ... and environmentally responsible.