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Jo Mama 03-30-2010 11:24 PM

You gotta have a back up!!!

ConnieF 03-31-2010 03:38 AM

Just why I have differnt machine for different things and never without one....It seams when you dont have one is when you need it the worst.
Hope it gets back real soon and dosent cost an arem and a leg.... Maybe a good reconditioned one is next, you can a lot of the time get a used one for not much more that the cost of getting one fixed....
Connie

mar32428 03-31-2010 03:43 AM

Yup! I found long ago that I can never be without am machine. When I went to my computer machine, I kept the old one for backup. Now I have three. Am I overdoing it?

ProLongarmARTQUILTER 03-31-2010 05:19 PM

Ya can never have too many sewing machines,Nor Fabrics either!!! And above all Learn to clean and oil them Yourself!!! Get a book or find the info online for free on sewing machine sites, Yes I would get out the old one and clean it and oil her up for the future. The old ones need the oil But some of my newer ones Don't and it would ruin them,Love em but ya just clean them only. I wish I had a Backup Washer right now. But Ah at least I'm covered on sewing machines and Fabrics!!!

mpeters1200 03-31-2010 05:23 PM

The service man at the shop showed hubby the 4 screws on the bottom of the machine and all the things to take off and clean. One drop of oil is all it needs, he says. It seems like it lessens his business, but it sure increased my faith in him.

My older Brother will be going in to him next to make sure she's in good working order. I haven't named her yet, not even sewed a lot on her, but I want to make sure I can use both of them.

zz-pd 03-31-2010 09:27 PM


Originally Posted by mpeters1200
My machine just walked through the door...well, it was carried in....I went FINALLY and jumped up and went to get it. DH carried it in...he says "I see how I rate....work all day and she runs to the machine!!"

Hee Hee

that would be me to, I would be saying put it down, put it down.. :lol: Penny

grammypatty7 04-03-2010 04:53 AM


Originally Posted by mpeters1200
I am so darn ticked off!! Something happened to my machine last weekend and it is broken and now in the shop. I wasn't very pleased with my owner's manual. It doesn't really show how to clean and oil it well and I've been so scared of breaking it trying to do it myself, so I send it in for maintenance once a year.

I've pieced more in the last 15 months than I have in my whole quilting "career". I'm in the middle of piecing a 25 block sampler for my DH for our anniversary this year (our tenth), I have all this pretty boy scout fabric I just ordered for a signature wall hanging cut out and ready to go.

I have been piecing 2 days a week 4 months in a row last year, and again from January this year working on my projects. Now I have no machine. I don't know what happened to it. I don't know how much it's going to cost or when I'm going to get it back.

I feel like I'm going stark raving mad!! I cut all my pieces for the next few piecing sessions, that didn't help. I redid my list of things I need to buy soon and things that can wait a while yet. I've looked through patterns. I've hand mended some of the older quilts around here. I don't have a quilt in the frame yet cause the DH quilt isn't completely pieced yet.

Hubby told me when I get this one out to take an old one my late MIL gave me, get it serviced and in the house so I am never without a machine again. He thinks I'm nuts and I'm right behind him. Have any of you felt like this? What helps you?

You emphatically need a second machine for when your good one goes into the shop. I never had the luxury until 2 years ago and suddenly I've gone from one to 3 but it's ok. I needed a light weight one to take to classes with my quilt chapter and it's a work horse that I doubt will end up in the shop. It's the Baby Lock Maria but I should have gone the next step up and bought the Audry but didn't want to spend $600 for it so I bought the Maria for $400. The only feature I don't have is the ability to mirror stitches but my other machines have it so it's not a big deal. I couldn't see spending $200 more for the Audry but if you're in the market, my recommendation is to checkout both.

I ended up with 3 when my Pfaff 2034 had to go in for it's annual cleaning etc last Sept. I was sputtering about the glitch in that model that requires it to go to the shop annually though I love the machine. He told me about the new Pfaff Quilter Expression 4.0 that has the longer arm and I said no thank you. The 2030 is only 5 years old and has to go another 5 minimum. Got home and my husband who was with me in the shop checked our finances and suggested I consider looking into the machine because the annoying glitch in my 2034 is NOT part of the 4.0 (Viking is now building the Pfaff and has put in the drop in bobbin which is so nice). When we went to pick up the Pfaff I asked the price and wow, it was too good a price to walk away from so I now have 3. Actually the owner wanted mine as a trade in (suspect he has a buyer) but I refused to do the trade in telling him it would be a great back up for when the 4.0 has to go into the shop. I can go seamlessly between the two machines and they even use the same feet which means my 1/4 seams are exactly the same.

Maybe one day you can get yourself a second machine or get the older one going. The members of my group prefer them for piecing anyway it seems.

mpeters1200 04-03-2010 05:10 AM

Once I had a chance to look over the service paperwork I paid for a whole sheet of work for only 70.00. Going to the dealer for that I would have paid at least twice as much. He showed my husband the screws to take out of the bottom and how to thoroughly clean the bottom of the machine. He thinks anyone who sews on a regular basis should be able to clean their machine themselves. He's a super nice man and now hubby will be digging out the old garage. I want to make sure I know how to thread that sucker cause it's a bit complicated. I'll probably post what model it is when I know and call brother to see if I can get an owner's manual for it.

ania755 04-04-2010 06:31 AM

We can never have too many machines.....

maryb119 04-04-2010 06:36 AM


Originally Posted by Oklahoma Suzie

Originally Posted by mpeters1200
They called today....estimate including cleaning, oiling whatever 70.00.

Evidently it's possible to put the needle in off center. My needle has only ever fit in one way, so he'll have to show me how I did it wrong so I know the right way. I've done it the same way every time.

I don't take the feed dog plate or whatever that plate is off and it was really dirty under there. Something was cockeyed in there a little and it affected the whole "hook assembly"? I know I've had this machine a long time, but he was speaking Greek to me.

He says everyone who really uses their machine needs to know how to clean it and oil it themselves. SO...he said when I come in to get it, he wants to show me the right screws to take off and exactly what he wants me to do to clean it. He sounds like a really nice guy and he knew exactly why I was so unsatisfied with the place I got it at.

It still seems like a lot of money, but I want it to last longer. He did say that it's not really a heavy duty machine. I should not attempt to machine quilt a queen size on it .... interesting. I can do lap sizes okay and all my charity quilts are pillowcased on it, but those are all lap sizes too. I think if I really want to start getting some serious machine quilting done I may need to upgrade.

As soon as I find the spare my MIL gave me a LONG time ago, and get it serviced, I will have 2 machines. I know that one is heavy duty because it's made of metal and about 40-50 pounds. I have to get myself reaquainted.

I'll be back to stitching this weekend...so perhaps you can expect my absence. I'm so glad there are other people like me out there. I've been going bonkers!

That's not really a bad price. Mine cost me $68.00 a few years ago.

That is what my dealer charges for a good cleaning and tune up. I have two machines so I am never without one. I would be lost if I couldn't sew.

mpeters1200 04-04-2010 07:59 AM

Spent all afternoon sewing yesterday and I have the same plan for this afternoon. I have a 25 block sampler going, pictures listed here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-36285-1.htm.

I'm sashing the blocks with a pretty green and I have all the rows containing blocks sewn now. Today, I'll stitch the rest of the rows with the sashing and corner squares. At this rate, I hope to have my top finished by next weekend.

My machine purrs and is very happy to be home.


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