adventures in machine repair
So everyone knows that I'm a costume designer, right? (I think almost everyone on my flist knows that) Also, you all know that I spent three years in Japan...enjoying myself immensely, but under massive weight restrictions in terms of what I could bring either direction on the plane. (you'd be forgiven for not knowing the second thing if you've only joined me in the last few years).
So naturally, I couldn't take my sewing machine with me! Especially since it's a heavy duty home machine and completely made of metal. (you know those kinda flimsy plastic machines they sell to home sewers these days? that are so light they really need suction cups so they don't jitter across the table as they sew? ...not a problem with my machine. The only plastic in mine is the removable arm and some of the dials.) Naturally, it stayed home! I packed it into the attic of my parents house with all the other things from University and there it stayed for three years!
Unfortunately the attic is not all that well insulated; it alternately froze in the winter and boiled in the summer. When I came back, it didn't work all that well, but I muddled through for a couple of years as it slowly got worse and worse. I'd actually been trying to find a place I trusted to get it serviced, but that wasn't too easy.
But now I have a place! They took my machine and had it for almost a month, but now I have it back and it's all fixed! (including the jammed knob on the end that's supposed to let you wind bobbins without running the needle.....it'd been jammed for a couple years before it went in the attic.) Turned out the motor was completely fubar, but they got a new one and tuned it all up so it's like my machine is new again. \ ^_^ /
Suffice it to say, it's never going back in the attic.
So naturally, I couldn't take my sewing machine with me! Especially since it's a heavy duty home machine and completely made of metal. (you know those kinda flimsy plastic machines they sell to home sewers these days? that are so light they really need suction cups so they don't jitter across the table as they sew? ...not a problem with my machine. The only plastic in mine is the removable arm and some of the dials.) Naturally, it stayed home! I packed it into the attic of my parents house with all the other things from University and there it stayed for three years!
Unfortunately the attic is not all that well insulated; it alternately froze in the winter and boiled in the summer. When I came back, it didn't work all that well, but I muddled through for a couple of years as it slowly got worse and worse. I'd actually been trying to find a place I trusted to get it serviced, but that wasn't too easy.
But now I have a place! They took my machine and had it for almost a month, but now I have it back and it's all fixed! (including the jammed knob on the end that's supposed to let you wind bobbins without running the needle.....it'd been jammed for a couple years before it went in the attic.) Turned out the motor was completely fubar, but they got a new one and tuned it all up so it's like my machine is new again. \ ^_^ /
Suffice it to say, it's never going back in the attic.