Ray White Class

This is a lovely lamp in my room at Frog's Way Bed and Breakfast in Ithaca, NY's very own Ecovillage.  The gourds were grown on this land and the lamp is hand crafted.  I love it.

BUT  not as much as I  LOVE LOVE LOVE being here at the RAY WHITE SEWING MACHINE CLASS.  Today's lessons: Ray's method of learning about sewing machine repair,  tools, needles and thread which of course must include tension. One of the first things Ray said to us  was something his first instructor told him, " You know nothing about repairing machines"  And he was right.  He taught me so much today that I will never look at another machine the same way.  There is a true system and he is very methodical about his approach.   At three thirty we finally got to get our hands into a machine.  ONLY for observational purposes.  I learned to locate the feed dog adjusting cam and corresponding set screw  on the 338 and probably many other machines.  I also found the  zz needle swing adjustment worm gear and corresponding set screws.   I had to put the machine all back together and head out the door at 5:00 sharp so that I could find my way up here to Rachel Carson Way.  I met Elan Shapiro, my host, and settled in to my room.  Then back downtown (only 3 miles or less) for dinner with Andrea, Jae and Ray himself.  We ate at the Moosewood Cafe and talked sewing machines OF COURSE. 

A Master and his students

 I am in HEAVEN.  My class mates have traveled from as far away as Michigan and as close as Ithaca itself.   I was late.  I got a bit lost, having failed to enter the correct address into the Garmin.  But I arrived just in time to introduce myself, but had missed the rest of the introductions.  Our classroom is in a former storage space for Sew Green.  Wendy Skinner, of Sew Green, told me that just 36 hours previously they had cleared out the stored items and prepared the classroom.  What a BOAT load of work that must have been.

More tomorrow. I wish everyone could take this class. If you love sewing machines and love to tinker then this class is just perfect for you.  Go to Ray's website http://www.whitesewingcenter.com/index.php to find out more.