A moment of silence for........ and a Happy Father's Day

Little did I know that a couple of weeks ago my beloved Kenmore sewing machine would stitch her last stitch.  Here is how it all went down.

Friday

The phone rings, I pick it up

Me: Hello

Owner of repair shop: We fixed your sewing machine, I had to take it down to Sarasota for the repairman to get to it, but it is all fixed now.  You can pick it up in Clearwater at 12 noon tomorrow.

Me: That is great news, I'll be there at 12.

Fade to Saturday morning, Little Buddy and I have made the three run errand route and we are both losing our patience with each other and getting in and out of the car.  We drive to the repair shop for the final errand and then we are heading home.  Entering the repair shop....

Me: Hi I am here to pick up my machines, a sewing machine and a serger.

Owner:  We have them right here, I'll get them.

Repairman and super nice guy:  Um, we fixed your serger but your sewing machine is still missing the little thing that holds the thread on it.

Owner: (Returning with serger, sewing machine and the bill) Okay that will be $80 for the sewing machine, and .........

Me: (with Little Buddy squirming on my hip) What do you mean it is still missing the little thing to hold the thread on?  If I can not use it than why am I paying you $80 to have it fixed, when it isn't fixed?

Owner:  (looking confused) Can't we put something in there?

Nice Repair guy: I am not sure we can find something to fit.

Me:  Look I am not just sticking something in there, I could have done that at home, it won't work this way, which is why I brought it in.

Owner:  (looking confused) You are right the tension won't be right without the correct spool rod. Um....... I have this great Baby Lock Anna sewing machine on sale right now, it is normally $300, but I will give it to you for $200 because we screwed up on your machine, they don't make parts for that Kenmore anymore, the machine you have is too old.

Me: Really I don't want a new machine, I just want mine fixed.

Nice repair guy: I told them they were not going to be able to find the part before they took it to Sarasota to fix it. (looking a bit smug behind the Owner's back)

Little Buddy: (squirm, squirm, squirm and starting to have a hissy fit because I left his darn bunny crackers in the car)

Owner:  Look I will give you the Anna for $180, I am sorry about your spool rod, and your serger is good to go.

Me: Deal! (Little Buddy and I were exhausted, my hip was hurting, he wanted his bunny crackers and I wanted to sew). Plus I had just looked at machines at Joann's and they were on sale for $150, so at least I felt I was in the right ballpark when it came to price.

Nice Repair Guy while taking both my machines out to the car for me:  You really got a great deal on that Anna, I am glad the Owner was here because I could never have cut you a deal like that.

Was it a deal, I may never know but that is how I came to own Ms. Anna.

She looked a bit fancy for me, but the owner told me he started his 13 year old daughter sewing on it and she did great with it,  I am not really sure if I should be offended by that statement or not. And she threads up just like the Kenmore, with really the basics and not a lot of bells and whistles.

Ms Anna is fast, she likes to move.  She has a sweet, low sound when she is sewing away and you have to be careful because she is new, fine tuned and ready to roll.  My Kenmore sort of chugged away, just like the Little Train That Could, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

Ms Anna wanted to get busy right away.  And lucky for me Little Buddy (and my hip and back) was exhausted from all the outings so he took a really LONG nap.  Hooray for me sewing time!

We made this.

 

  

And this.

These skirts were already cut out and ready to go when my Kenmore bit the dust a few weeks ago.  The sewing is the easy part, the laying out the pattern and cutting is what is so time consuming, and must be accomplished at nap time when busy and inquisitive boys are out of the way.

 

This linen fabric was a save from a dress I cut out last year.  Do you remember the white linen dress I made that made me look like a 7 year old in my Easter dress?  No offense to 7 year old's out there, you are meant to look cute in a dress, I am not.  Well this was cut out to make the same dress, it wasn't going to happen so I made it a skirt instead.

I believe Ms Anna will be right at home here in my studio.  I hope we have many, many happy years together and with her 10 year warranty, I am assured at least 10.  She does look a lot nicer than the yellowed, Kenmore, but I do miss the solid metal plate and the clear plastic presser foot I used to sew everything.  I feel a bit blind right now with the metal pressure foot.  Time to grow up I guess, I mean if the Owner's 13 year old can handle it, so can I.

Happy Father's Day to all of you out there celebrating today.  Not an easy day for some I am sure, and a joyful day for others.

And a note to the lovely elderly woman I saw on my walk today.  I passed you and we uttered our good mornings.  I made it to the corner, turned around and passed by you again.  You said, "Oh you are moving so quickly!"  I told you it was because of my long legs.  We smiled and in that smile of yours I saw that you wished, just for a second, that you could move this quickly, too.  But you see I wished that when I am your age, with my short gray hair curled around my ears, with my shoulders gently sloping forward, and my walking shoes looking too big for my feet, I wish that I can walk just like you. I wish that I will have the ability to walk outside as the morning wakes up, the birds chirp and the the sun reflects off the trees.  You remind me of my MIL, with your posture, sunny outlook and your smile.  I sure wish to be like you when I am older.

Have a great Sunday.