Well, it's taken me a bit to get my Happy New Year message out, hasn't it? You'd think I'd be johnny on the spot with no classes being taught and just sewing getting done. But, that sewing has captured my days and I have really gotten a lot done.
Do you remember those 7 vintage quilts that I was given to finish up? I'm down to the last one to quilt and if it weren't for the wedding quilt to finish for my grandson and his new wife, I'd have that last one done, too. The wedding quilt is on the LA now and I should have it finished by the end of the month. The wedding is on April 10th so I will be relaxed and ready for that celebration.
Did you get all your FWs oiled, greased and lubed back at the end of December? If not, any day would be a good time to do that. One thing that I find is pretty important to do is to put that little drop of oil in the bobbin race before you sew each day. And, to be honest, I forget sometimes. Of course, the sound of my machine reminds me so I keep a bottle of the Tri-Flow handy.
But a problem you can have when you start to sew is that the oil you add could get on your bobbin thread and transfer to your sewing project. We can't have that! I've come up with a method to solve that problem.
First of all, don't squirt a ton of oil on that bobbin race. A tiny drop, a 1/2 drop if it was possible is all you really need. Wipe out any extra with a soft cloth if you happen to use too much. But then, I always unthread the needle and sew a bit on my cotton stitch sample before I put the bobbin back in. Once the bobbin is in, I retread the needle and sew a line or two to be sure no oil is going to transfer to my sewing project.
I know that sounds like a lot of work but really, it's what the Singer company recommends and it does make a huge difference in the way your sweet FW responds to you. We want to keep our FWs happy, right?
So, I've gotten my second covid vaccine and feel comfortable now to teach a few maintenace classes. We had to cancel one in November due to the increase in cases of covid. There are 3 classes in March and one still has a few openings. If you need a class, call the Quilt Patch (517-423-0053) to get your name on the March 6th class. That's a Saturday. We only have 6 people in a class and there is plenty of space between each person.
And, if your little FW is acting up, let me know. I have been able to work on a few machines for people that have contacted me. You don't want to miss a single day of sewing with your little jewel. I've gotten a few machines for sale if you are interested and I'll always looking for more machines if you know of one someone is wanting to part with.
The August retreat/workshops are nearly full. I'll get a message out to all those signed up very soon. It's 6 months away but I know you all are probably ready for a FW get away just like me. I'm looking forward to those get togethers.
So, have a good sewing day. Don't let this snow get you down. We should start getting warmer really soon and if you're like me, you'll be wanting to get out and about again very soon. Let's hope the worst is over, we all get our vaccines and life resumes. Have a good one, all.
