Sewing Machines can drive you to drink

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:26 pm

Sewing machines can drive you to crazy sometimes. I was sewing along on a farm apron and sewed the last tie and only had about a six inch piece of velcro to finish it. So, what did the sewing machine do? It fell apart. They couldn't repair it at the shop. They would have had to send it somewhere and it would have cost an arm and a leg. So, no thanks! The sewing machine had served it's time. I sewed a lot of teddy bears, quilts and other things on it. We let it retire.
We bought a new sewing machine. The lady at the store went all through the parts and showed me how every thing worked and I thought "I can do this." We brought it home. I plugged it in and got out the instruction book. dr insists I read instructions!!
I sat down and read through the instruction book. I've been sewing most of my lifetime and all sewing machines work the same. Right! I wound the bobbin and threaded the machine and got a piece of material and put it under the presser foot, stepped on the treadle. It sewed just fine, right! Nope! It didn't sew at all. The feed dogs wouldn't feed the material through. So, out came the instruction book. dr came and read the instructions and I checked it and it didn't work. Why? I re-threaded the bobbin and the machine and it worked just fine. I did it the same way as the first time so why didn't it work the first time?
This morning it was making a clacking noise when I sewed. It's not supposed to make a clacking noise. So, out came the instruction book. It said if the machine makes noise it needs the feed dogs and bobbin area cleaned. So, I took it apart and cleaned it. There was nothing much there and it didn't matter because when I started to sew the noise was still there. I re-threaded everything. It didn't work this time. The clacking noise was still there. I thought maybe the switch that lowers the feed dogs might have gotten bumped. I took off the part that makes the sewing table and took out the little storage drawer and checked the switch. Nope, the switch was right where it was supposed to be. I switched it off and back on and tried it and it worked just fine. No clacking noise. Put everything back together, started to sew. Clacking noise is back. Took it all apart again. Tried it and it worked just fine. So, I put the things back on one at a time. When I put the little storage drawer back the noise started up again. The little storage drawer is for the extra parts they give you for when you need a different presser foot or quilting guide or some such thing. I dumped the parts on the table, put the drawer back in the machine. I tried it and WOW! It worked just fine. I put the extra parts elsewhere. Now, those extra parts were in that drawer all week so why did it just start it's clacking today?
I did a bit of sewing and finished a garden apron but needed to make a button hole. Now, with various sewing machines over the years I must have made at least a thousand button holes. I know how to make button holes and it's sure easy with a handy dandy button hole attachment. But, you don't have to use the attachment. The attachment is for if you want to make 103 buttonholes and have them all the same size and looking quite wonderful. I only wanted to make one buttonhole. In the instruction book, it gave directions for one button hole. I took a piece of scrap material and tried it and it made a good buttonhole. So, I put the apron in the machine and lowered the presser foot and sewed. Did it make a wonderful buttonhole. Nope! It sewed a zigzagged line clear across the material but didn't stop when I told it to go back. So, out came the instruction book. I may just wear that instruction book out one of these days. I wonder how much they charge for a new one? I read the instructions and I was doing it the same way so why wouldn't it make the second buttonhole. Went back and read about making the automatic buttonholes. Wow! There is a reset switch that you have to turn to do another buttonhole. But, where did it say that in the instruction book. Not under the instructions for one buttonhole. You had to read all the instructions for making their automatic fancy 103 buttonholes to find it. I only wanted to make one buttonhole so I read the instructions for making one buttonhole.
Sewing machines are a wonderful invention. They can save you lots of time to read the instruction book. They can also drive you to drink. It's a good thing I keep a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator.

dooley

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glendann wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:21 pm:

Giggle,I know its not funny but just knowing you two and dr putting all his two-cents worth in had to be so funny.

toni wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:25 pm:

Did you buy an Elna? I had an Elna 6003Q Quilters Dream that caused me that very same confusion when I first started using it. I loved it once I got the bugs worked out of....me. It was the first computerized machine I had ever used.

eileen wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:23 pm:

I'm just glad my ancient old machine still works fine for me. OK now and then I have to give it a severe talking to or a good, hard thump but it does the job. Here's hoping it chugs along for a few years yet as I doubt I'd be able yo get my head around the instruction book, let alone a modern, all singing, all dancing machine.
I hope your teething troubles are all over now Dooley and that you can have many years of happy sewing ahead of you.

wannabe wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:28 pm:

I had to chuckle a couple of times reading about your sewing machine. I would probably have said a few nasty works and kicked it and hurt my foot. wannabe

Desert Rat wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:02 pm:

I have to answer this. The instructions that come with new products drive me wild. In most cases they seem to be written bt someone who does not really understand the product and in some cases by a person who does not understand the English language. As a retired manufacturing engineer,one of our jobs was to write specs and instructions on how to build a car starting with the flat sheet metal and ending with running the car off the end of the line. No time for bad instructions, Add to that the average woman never reads instructions till she is in trouble. Makes me crazy!!!
dr

kuntrygal wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:09 pm:

Is your iced tea caffinated or de-caf???

Maybe you should make a copy of your instruction book now, before you wear it out!

daisybeans wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:18 pm:

Oh dear, Dooley, what an ordeal! I think you should sew yourself a sewing apron with a special pocket for the instruction book...

dooley wrote on Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:49 pm:

You know it just happens to be decaf iced tea.
Daisybeans, someone just yesterday said I should make sewing aprons but they didn't suggest a pocket big enough to hold the instruction book. It sets on the three drawer storage cabinet that holds thread and odd sewing materials that I need close to the machine. Handy Dandy! dooley

Sjoerd wrote on Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:02 am:

What a story, Dooley. I had to chuckle a bit. It sounds all to familiar to me...just that I have it with computers sometimes. hahaha
I hope that you totally master that new machine of yours eventually.
Experiences like that are what put my bride off buying a fancy sewing machine last time..she said the fancier ot is--the more there is you have to read about and the more things can break. There was no discussing it with her. She just went out and bought a no frills machine, and that was that. Ha ha ha.

dooley wrote on Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:55 am:

I didn't think I bought a really fancy sewing machine. It was one of the plainest ones there. It only has 12 different stitches and I'll probably only use the straight stitch, the zigzag stitch and the buttonhole stitch. It's just the getting used to a new machine and how it works. dr says it is because all machines whether plain or fancy are run by electronics now instead of motors. They work differently. Hence the reset button on the buttonhole stitch. I do think it sews faster and has a more even stitch.
dooley

Droopy wrote on Sat Oct 17, 2009 7:01 am:

Congratulations on your lovely, new machine, Dooley. I'm certain you'll get along just fine after a while and turn out even lovelier pieces.

I had to laugh at your story, though. I do read instructions, but my husband doesn't and he's in trouble all the time.

SongofJoy57 wrote on Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:16 pm:

Dooley,
You have the patience of Job. I love your story.

dooley wrote on Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:19 pm:

You wouldn't think I had the patience of Job if you had been standing behind me. I did threaten that machine a few times. dooley

Johanna wrote on Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:39 pm:

OMG! Forget those awful new computerized plastic machines - get a wintage Singer Featherweight 221. even the ones that are 50 and 60 years old still sew like a dream! And they are easy to operate and maintain. I have an entire collection of them. I just sold one on eBay yesterday for $593 - the really nice condition ones are that much in demand. I love these little sewing machines and HIGHLY recommend them. :)

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