Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Bernadette is Back

On Friday, I packed up my wonderful Abby (the Artista) to take a little visit to the Sewing Doc's for her annual check-up and cleaning.  Now if you don't recall from when I got Abby, I love this machine.  So it is always hard to go without her for a few days.


So, I have to remind myself to be grateful that I have good old Bernadette to back me up.   I was at a conference over the weekend where the speaker said "A Luxury once enjoyed becomes a Necessity."   And oh, does that apply to Abby and Bernadette.   I am waiting to quilt my finished top because I just can't bring myself to quilting in that tiny harp space again :)  But, I really am glad that I don't have to completely stop sewing altogether while I wait for Abby to return and it will make me appreciate Abby all the more.  


Oh, and there is an extra  silver lining to this annual machine drama.  When I packed up Abby and took the sewing table off the desk, I realized just how dusty the desk was.  So of course, I cleaned it off.  Which lead to cleaning the floors, which led to a general overall cleaning of the studio ;)  I even managed to finish folding and organizing the Fat Quarter shelf.  Doesn't it look pretty :)


So, I'm curious,  Do you miss your machine like crazy when it is in the shop, or am I the only one overly attached to a sewing machine??


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27 comments:

  1. I miss my machine when it goes in, definately! Its like taking your car in...dont like that either!

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  2. I plan my sewing machine check-up for the same time as our family vacation time, that way I don't have to sit and look at the empty space in my studio and be sad! So, yeah, I miss mine like crazy too!

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  3. Miss it isn't the word!!! Its almost like not breathing! lol If you read on my blog what happened to my little gal you'll see what happened to me that wasn't to funny at the time but as I reflect back...oye! there is a follow up post on October 8th....the OH NO!!! one is October 5th of this year. Glad you cleaned out your space! It looks great!

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  4. Yes, I miss my machine like crazy if I have to take it to the shop even though I have 3 back-up machines! But my main machine is like an extension of myself. I need to get it to the shop for a cleaning and checkup soon......maybe after Christmas!

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  5. I spent way too much money to rescue my beloved 25 year old Bernina when the main board died, and it is now my retreat/backup machine. It does have a new sister machine...

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  6. I almost never take mine into the shop because I can't live without it!! Plus i'm terrified of getting a tech who makes my machine worse instead of better. Is that paranoid? LOL. My machines may be quirky but if i KNOW what they are I can work around that. If it comes back with new quirks i'll have to start all over.

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  7. When my Nina goes in for her checkup (less often now that I learned how to clean her from Libby Lehman), I use my feather weight instead and barely miss Nina. Shhh. Don't tell her I wrote that.

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  8. Wow...looks good, nice and clean. =) I haven't had to leave my new machine in the shop, thank God...usually, I can have it cleaned while I'm in the area and pick it back up...since it's an hour drive. But my old machine went to shop and it was gone so long I needed a back up.

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  9. Yes, I would miss my machine too. Actually to put it in another way. I even miss my sewing room when I am sewing outside. At home everything is setup the way I want and even a single thing out of place makes me uncomfortable.

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  10. girlfriend, I tried to to a self-cleaning a few weeks ago after getting a lesson. I promptly dropped the screw that holds the presser foot onto the bar into the bowels of the machine. I tried EVERY long, pointy, clampy, magnetic thing in the whole house to no avail. The screw just sat there looking at me - until I took my hubs advice and turned my baby upside and shook it. HOW DUMB. Now it's way in there someplace and I can't be without her to take her to the shop. So.. after about 50 attempts, I found a replacement screw - it's about 3 inches too long, but it's holding so far. Ridiculous - so yes I miss my machine when she's away. Your FQ shelf looks awesome!

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  11. I'm jealous of your pretty shelves!! drool!

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  12. Big Brother totally needs to go in for a service, but I keep thinking I can't do with out him (although I have Baby Brother) the irony is, I haven't touched him for 2 weeks because of the day job, and it's looking like another good few days before I'll get to yet!

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  13. I am absolutely lost without my machine even if I wouldn't of had time to use it anyway.

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  14. I just haven't taken mine in since I bought it!! About 8 years!!! Our local repairman has such a stack of machines in line in his shop and I know I wouldn't get it back for months!! (But he is our authorized Bernina dealer and GOOD, and that's why he's so busy!!) Your shelves look great!!

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  15. I only have the one so when mine broke last week I was nearly in tears. It was tragic. Thankfully they were able to fix it right there in the store, free of charge no less, and get me back on my way with the promise that I'd take it in for a thorough cleaning and workup. Well, since it's my only machine and I have so many projects for Christmas I don't know that it's going to happen any time soon.

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  16. Since my repair shop is about an hour from home I try to schedule maintenance/repair when I can drop it off and pick it back up the same day. Making that trip just to drop off a machine or just to pick it up is not good for the fabric budget. ;)

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  17. Helen on comment #14 says the back up for repair is MONTHS??? How can that even be acceptable?? Uh, no.

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  18. Pfrieda, my go-to machine, desperately needs to be cleaned. Sweetness, the Singer 301, needs to have its foot pedal rewired. I know, I know -- I need to attend to one and then I can attend to the other. But meanwhile, I have this project to work on....and that project....

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  19. I just bought a floor model Bernina and the tension is out of whack ~ after having it for only a week sure do hope this isn't going to be a problem in the future)! I do miss it but luckily I've got a feather weight and a tiny Janome (that I take on sewing outings) that I can fall back on.

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  20. Yes! My "separation anxiety" comes when I leave the state to go visit my family. Need to figure out how to convince my Mom or Sister that one of them needs a new "good" sewing machine when neither of them sew or quilt . . .

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  21. I sure do. The repair shop here is an hour away. My best machine is over do for cleaning because i hate to have it out of the house!

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  22. I am overly attached too :) My plan is for my Pfaff to go in for her annual checkup when I am on vacation the end of the month, then I won't miss her so much because I won't be at home :)

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  23. I am way attached to my machine and dread when I have to take it in.

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  24. Sometimes taking it in can be scary! The last time I did that, I walked out with a brand new machine, LOL!
    Great job on the cleanup :-)

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  25. I second everything you're saying! I just got my machine back from a two-week tune up. I fired her up for the first time last night, and she runs like new -- definitely worth the two-week hiatus, even if it was painful! I hope yours comes back soon, too :)

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  26. I am lucky my hubby does the maint on my machine. I love that he can do that..

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  27. ty melisa.someday I will be quilting like a pro LOL.

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Thank you so much for your sweet comments. I just love hearing from you!!
Have a Happy Quilting Day :)

Melissa