Sunday, May 17, 2009

Moving Projects Forward Has Come to an Abrupt Hault

Thursday night, I was making great progress on another UFO. I was busy adding the sashing strips to my dryer sheet diamond string blocks. I even got one full row of blocks sewn together and I was ready to put the last seam in the second row when it happened.

I had pinned my blocks together and I was busy pulling out the pins just before the presser foot reached them. I missed pulling out a pin, but my machine hit it dead on.


So now sadly, my DSM is in the hospital awaiting the technician's attention. The needle remained intact in the accident, but the pin was split in two and was jammed into the machine knocking my machine out of time.
So now, there is just a hole in my work table where Heidi would normally sit. I can tell you that I am really missing her. We have been together since 1999. My husband bought Heidi for me when I graduated from my professional accounting designation courses. It had been a long haul--10 years of study and work experience and my husband felt I deserved something very special.
This is not my Heidi, but a machine very similar to her. (I pulled this picture off the Internet.)

Prior to Heidi, I had a Kenmore that I named Zip. This machine had two speeds--super fast and stop. I had to sew with a slipper shoved into the presser foot to help slow Zip down. You always had to be ready to grab the fly wheel when Zip would get into one of his moods and take off at top speed. If Zip was happy and sewing at a comfortable speed, he would make a sound like an Austrailian diggorie-do. Zip still lives at my house, taking up space in the cupboard. My daughter has used Zip on occasion but I have not sewn on Zip since Heidi came to live with me.
The only other machine that I have is an antique Singer treadle machine that was given to me years ago by my grandmother. I posted about that Singer machine back in July 2006: http://silverthimblequilting.blogspot.com/2006/07/singer.html This machine does not have a 1/4" foot for piecing or a walking foot.
The Bernina dealer has said that Heidi will be out of commission for at least two weeks so I may have to bring either Zip or the Singer back into service

7 comments:

  1. Two weeks will fly by! I'm curious about your table... did your husband make that?

    The quilt is going to be great; it's very sparkly.

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  2. I thoroughly enjoyed your story, sorry for your delay. When my children were small and we lived far from nowhere, I made all their clothes. All outside clothing that is. They could not believe my Mom even made our underwear. Did you ever use feed sacks from the mill for fabrics. Of course we got them before they had feed put into them. They think I am making this up. I bet you will manage. You sound like a "can do" woman.
    Peggy

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  3. ack Norma! hope Heidi is home sooner than later. and i love Zip lol, you must have some fabulous stories about him

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  4. The string blocks are beautiful! Do you have enough quilting to keep you busy in the meantime?

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  5. I'm so sorry that she's in the shop. I hate it when that happens. I too am curious about your table. I'm on the lookout for a good sewing table and this looks awesome. Did you make it? Cindy

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  6. Sorry to hear the Heidi suffered an injury and had to go to the hospital! Hope she is home sooner than expected :)

    Your dryer string blocks are looking great!

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  7. Your string blocks are gorgeous!

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