Quilting machine update - don't get too excited

I'd like to be able to say that I've been so busy quilting I just haven't had time to blog. But, alas! Not so. I've been waiting to get the machine up and running so that I could blog about how cool it is and how much fun I'm having using it. Read on...

Here's the machine all cleaned up and ready to quilt. Note the practice materials loaded up and everything. Unfortunately, the machine insists on breaking my thread. Two sewing machine mechanics have been unable to resolve this difficulty. The first guy got it working except it kept throwing an occasional loop on the bottom. He said I just needed to get the tension right. Wrong!! I messed around with it till I had broken the tension, then called the second guy. He fixed the tension (replaced my take up spring - so that's how you adjust that thing.....), but now it breaks the thread really quick every time. The second guy assures me this is fixable and is not a machine killing issue, it just needs more time and attention than he had the day he came over. He promised to come back this week and fix it, but so far haven't heard from him. Tomorrow is still in 'this week' and it's before Turkey Day, so I've got my fingers crossed that he will show up tomorrow, fix my machine and I can spend the holiday quilting. Ya think?? Maybe when I grow up (and learn how to take apart a tension assembly properly...) I can become a sewing machine mechanic. Apparently, good ones are in high demand.

In the meantime, I bought a bobbin winder on ebay. Got a good deal, I think. The sewing machine place wanted $90, I got mine for $19. Bought a new tire for it (50 cents) and bobbins for the quilting machine, too, and have identified the things I want to quilt first after some initial practice. Sigh......

The good news is, have been playing around with the machine anyway with no thread and it's fun! It moves as nicely as the machines I've demo-ed and wanted to buy at quilt shows and I think with some practice I might be able to do some pretty good work. My husband hasn't said anything about moving it out yet, so that's good. Maybe after a few more months he'll be so used to seeing it there he'll forget he doesn't like it? Hmmmm...

I've also been in contact with 2 other quilters who have a machine just like this! Whoda thunk it? Both shared pics of their quilts with me and they are beautiful! And their machines work just fine, so surely mine will, too. Eventually. Till then I just get to be patient. Aaarrgghh!!!