"Have some cheese

to go with your whine."

OK  I am finally going to admit it.  I broke my serger.  I know it is broken.  I had the knife up and out of the way and I turned it the wrong way, late at night, when I was tired.  There was a terrible noise and everything jammed and the upper looper now hits the presser foot and the lower looper grinds its way through the cycle and everything is F*&%#D.  I know it is.  Wah Wah Wah.

I talked to The Nicest Man In The World* on Monday and explained my woes.

"The problem with Berninas is that you have to be a Bernina Dealer to get the parts. With labor and parts it will cost almost 300 dollars to fix.  I am not even sure that parts are available for a 20 year old serger."

I found TNMITW* via the WWW.  How else?  I knew the serger was done for.  I am careless and stupid but I know a broken serger when I see one.  I  shopped for a new one on line.  I decided that I wanted the Juki MO 735.  It has a 5 thread safety stitch and can be converted to do cover stitch.  Supposedly it is easier to thread than the older ones.  And it looks like my Bernina.  Dealer finder on the Juki website led me to The Sewing Shop in Sidney.  It didn't click until I was calling on Monday:  he had fixed my Viking when it  ran only in reverse 15 or more years ago.

"Hi, I am Elizabeth Perry.  Do you work on sergers?"

"It depends."

When I explained what had happened he gave me the bad news.  I knew as much.  I asked if he had the Juki MO 735 in stock.

"I don't keep them in stock.  I can order it for you and have it drop shipped to your home address. Let's see, the MO 735.  Retails for $AAAA.AA I can sell it to you for $AAA.AA. plus shipping and tax."

The quote was competitive.  Just about the same as on line.

"Oh, I have been researching them on line.  I am pretty sure this is the serger that I want.  I really want to deal locally.  Let me figure out if I want this one, or one without the coverstitch capability.  I feel like an idiot that I did this.  I fix sewing machines as a hobby.  I should have known better. My friend and I have a little business re-furbishing machines and fixing machines for little old ladies up this way."

"Oh competition, huh?  Good thing I am about to retire or I would be mad."

"Oh I doubt we could ever be competition for you.  A couple of wacky nurses who like to fix machines compared to what, thirty or more years of experience?"

I made my decision and called him on Tuesday.  He told me he would check with his distributor and call me back.  He did.

"I called and they have them in stock.  The cost will be  $AAA.AA.  (thirty dollars less than Monday's quote) and free shipping. "

Can't get around tax.

"If you send me the check I can get it ordered."

"How about if I bring it by after work tonight?"

"Even better."

His shop is just off of his house in a residential neighborhood.  I did not expect to see a display of model electric train sets.  But I was not surprised.

We talked about 201s and 221s and trains.  He showed me an 1858 New England hand crank that he had bought from a neighbor who was selling her mother's estate, years ago.  I swooned.

"What do you use for oilers?"  He asked as he headed across the shop to his amazingly tidy work bench.

"Oh I like Tri flow."

"Tri flow is good, but how about these?"  as he proudly held up two 10 cc syringes, complete with needle.  One with oil, the other with grease."

"What kind of grease is that?"  I asked, thinking I already knew the answer. 

"Vaseline" 

He double checked the vital statistics about my order and I left.  I would have stayed longer but it was supper time and I could smell dinner cooking.

"I don't want to keep you from your dinner.  It smells good."

"Oh yes, my wife is a good cook."

I could tell.

Today he called to report that he had ordered the serger and that it would be shipped today.  I might have it by Friday.  I think I may have to find a machine to take to him.  Just so I can check out that New England again.  Maybe he will let me take a photo.  Or better yet, I wonder if he needs an apprentice?