First the withdrawal. My trusty Bernina is in the shop for its usual checkup and, gasp!, the feed dogs are not working as well as they should. Keep my 20-year-old machine in your thoughts. Make sure it is in the good thoughts column of your brain. I really want that machine. I bought it back in the 80s and started a business sewing and adapting clothing for people who needed special assistance - Handicapable Clothing it was. I made a few caps for premature infants, sewed Velcro where there were buttons that were hard to fasten, and took the back seams out of skirts for women in wheelchairs. I'd still love to do that type of sewing, but there are many more of me out there these days and the internet makes it much easier to find someone to make adaptive clothing. When I bought the machine, I spent way too much money, but justified it because of the business and the fact that it came with a 3-thread serger, a really new thing at the time. I also got classes to learn how to use both machines. It was great and I've loved the machine ever since. I recently replaced the 3-thread Bernette with a 4-thread Bernina serger I picked up on eBay. I neeeeeed my machines!
In the interim, I've been searching for a Janome 4000 MC to make buttonholes with. I've been doing a lot of research on buttonholes, and posted about it earlier. There seems to be a love of this particular machine for its buttonhole function. Again, I kept my eye on eBay and finally found one that was a good price and in good condition. While my baby has been at the shop, I've been learning to use the Janome. It's not hard, but I'm an old dog and learning new tricks is rather interesting. This thing will write the alphabet if I figure out how! I haven't tried the buttonholes yet; I did get the tension the way I want it though. That took me a while and a half. I've made a doll outfit and played with stitches on scraps so far. I think it and I will be good friends.
It's amazing how we become attached to certain sewing machines and our sewing "stuff." I use a certain seam ripper, certain scissors, certain types of pins, a certain type of rotary cutter, and of course have preferences for certain types of patterns. I hate to sew knits, I won't sew a fly ever again, and I shy away from zippers. After 35+ years, I guess I just know what I like. But right now, I'm going through withdrawal. I want my machine back - whine, whine, whine! The good news is, it will be in better shape when I get it back than when I took it to the shop. My friend and I have a lot more years together. A lot more years.
Here's to all of our machines and sewing stuff. Long may they survive.
