Friday 2 May 2014

Do You or Don't You?

Do you have your machine serviced regularly, or don't you? I ask this question because yesterday I said to himself that when we were on holiday this summer I was putting my machine in for a full service as it hadn't had one in about forever. Seriously, this poor machine just takes everything I throw at it and keeps going. I clean out under the foot plate very regularly, and I oil the bobbin race like a good little sewing person should. But that is it.

You know what is coming next, don't you? It was like shooting myself in the foot. Today I hoped to show you a fully quilted Siblings Together churn dash quilt. I got going on a happy FMQ looping stitch.


Then the machine made an ick noise and the tension went to s**t. I barely ever touch the tension as it is always so good. I've never had to adjust it for FMQ before, ever. I tried adjusting it. Nope. I rethreaded, changed the needle, cleaned it and spoke to it (in the nicest possible way of course). Nope. It did not want to play ball.

My sewing table now looks like this.


Sob! My machine is now at the shop for a fix and a full service. Two to three weeks they said. Ugh! I talked nice, because I can when I need to. The man at the sewing machine shop said he was going to sneak it further up the queue so hopefully we will be looking at the two weeks not the three.

I would be even more traumatised if it wasn't for this lovely lady. She is actually driving close by here tomorrow on her way to somewhere else. And she is dropping off her Bernina for me to use in the interim. She is my sewing angel. I don't even have to learn a new machine. With the bad comes the good and hopefully it all works out in the end.

Susan

27 comments:

  1. Oh boo!! But hooray for Trudi!!

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  2. Something horrible is probably going to happen my machine now that I'm saying this, but I don't get my machine serviced anymore. That's because the last time I got my machine serviced, it took me 9 months to get it back!! Ended up having to ring the sewing shop almost everyday to ask where my machine was. Supposedly my machine had to go over twice to England to get fixed, but post/couriers doesn't take that long from Ireland. It's made me a bit wary of getting of my machine serviced serviced, so I'm just going to keep using it until a problem arises..

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  3. I would definitely call your friend an angel! How nice of her to come to your rescue. I would hesitate to take my machine in to any service place unless I had heard favorable things about them. Years ago I took a machine in just for a regular servicing (I hadn't had any problems with it) and when I got it back it leaked oil for months!

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  4. Isn't Trudi an absolute gem?!! I hope it gets fixed quickly and they find that it was something really easy to repair and that they don't charge extra for it! I've not had my machine serviced yet (had it three, maybe four, years but I don't use it half as often as most people) but I also clean and oil it regularly. Maybe I should look into having a service done...

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  5. Oh what a legend Trudi is! Sorry to hear about your machine, these repair queues always seem stupidly long- which is why once all of these big life changes are out of my hands, I'm going to train to be a sewing machine repair person :) Mates rates of course of course....

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  6. Trooooooods to the rescue! I advise my students to treat their machines like their cars and get them serviced every year especially if they are using them regularly! I know it's expensive but it will add longevity to it. Worth the investment imo! Jxo

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  7. Thank goodness for Trudi. I'm not going to comment on whether I get my machine serviced or not for fear of it all going wrong!!

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  8. Cleaning, oiling and sprucing it up just for you! Mwahx

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  9. Ooh poop and yay for Trudi helping you out!

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  10. Shit! Good job your deadlines have passed! Hooray for Trudi :)

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  11. Oh man... That's a bummer. I know I ought to but I don't...... (And I'm not even go to say what out loud in fear of what will strike my machine next time I turn it on). There never seems to be a right time. But I swear... As soon as I finished my fan quilt and finished quilting another top, it's going in for a check up and service.

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  12. Oh knackers! Hurrah for Troods xxx

    PS Service - never!

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  13. How awful! Thank goodness for lovely Trudi!

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  14. My machine is much happier with a 6 month tune up and clean. I clean it at least once a week too. This does remind me that I should get it done while I am away after next week. I think I might be able to book an appointment if I get on it soon. I am so glad Trudi is the quilting angel but I doubt she would drive over to my house if I needed her.

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  15. I get my machines serviced once a year - but I must confess I didn't used to do that . I had a machine once that didn't get serviced for about ummm....12 years. Dont judge me!

    Trudi is an absolute angel- bless her !

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  16. Sorry about the machine. Good thing for good friends.

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  17. Oops. I have never serviced my machine, but then it doesn't get as much use a sit should either. Good friends are wonderful. x

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  18. She is a very lovely lady! Hoe great is it to have sewing friends? I've never had my machine serviced... I probably should!

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  19. Oh she is good! And I just had my Bernina done - first time ever because it seized up! Workhorse of a a machine as I use it every single day! Hope yours recovers!

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  20. Oh no! Glad to hear that disaster was averted though and that Trudi came to your rescue. Where would we be without our quilty friends?!!

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  21. So lovely of Trudi to come to the rescue. Hope the service is speedy and good. I've been a bit anal and had mine serviced each year but always stress about when is a good time to do it (normally have to plan it for when I'm away and can't miss it too much!)

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  22. Oh Susan i feel your pain.Our local shop has a visiting gem of an engineer who turns the machinesround in a day...unless parts needed. What a gem Trudi is.

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  23. Ah buggery, you're so lucky that Trudi was just happening to be going past! (I hope she enjoyed her orange cake)

    I'm ashamed to say that I received my sewing machine as a 21st birthday pressie, I'm 33 now and it still hasn't had a service. In fact, last year was the first time I took the plate up to clean underneath! I do plan on getting the Juki (bought from Troods last year) serviced annually.

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  24. Yay for sewing angels! I only let my machines be revised if necessary, I confess. But lately I found a super nice sewing-machine-mechanic that charges affordable prices so I might give my machines away more often. It's just so annoying to be "lonely" in my sewing-"heaven-downstairs" ;o)))

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  25. Sometimes I send mine to "camp" while I'm on a long holiday. There's a great place in Ireland that picks it up and drops it off for you, so I'm happy to ring them and leave her on the front step while I'm not in the house. Poor poor you, Miss S. I'd be sad too :(

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  26. yep, I'm a regular, on time, machine service person. ALthough I must tell you before I had my Bernina , I had a 1971 Viking for 32 years and I never had it serviced, not even once! They don't make em like the old days, that's for sure.

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  27. If I've had a big sewing year, once a year. If it's like now and I'm working so much and not sewing every day/week, there's no point getting it serviced so often.

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