MUD SEASON

We had 60 plus degrees today.  All the snow that fell last weekend is rushing down the streams to the Susquehanna River.  I am not complaining.  It was delightful to work in the shop with no fire burning.  We did light a fire first thing, to take the chill off of the sewing loft.  It was colder inside than out.  I didn't make it out to the loft to work.  I got way laid in the shop.

A neighbor called and came over with two of her machines and some photos of a Singer 44-90.  She wondered whether she should buy the 44-90 and what to offer.  What could I say?  The machine has been in the basement for 12 years.  I told her to offer 50 bucks.

Then she showed me her Singer Merritt.  I advised that I wasn't interested in working on it.  It was a bit rusty and not worth the effort.

She had a New Home 600, I failed to photograph it.  I worked on it for a bit, got the "squeak" out but couldn't access the shuttle gears.  Screws too tight.  I returned it to her today and she will sew her project and then return the machine to me to complete the service.  I happened to look at the top shelf in the shop after she left.  There I had a New Home (flat bed , hers was a free arm) and the exact Singer Merritt.  Who knew?

I then was finally able to get to the 31-15.  I want to use it for free motion. quilting.  The presser bar pressure doesn't release enough for me to move the fabric.  I guess I never serviced this machine.  Nor had anyone else in the past thirty or more years.

I worked and worked and was finally able to get the presser bar OUT of the machine.   I cleaned out a lot of crud before I took this photo.  Looking at it now, it doesn't look that terrible.  Trust me, the stuff I am getting off of those parts looks exactly like, well, MUD.