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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

A GOOD DAY

I have Wednesdays off every week.  Technically I work part time.  That means I get paid for working 32 hours but I usually work more like 34-35.  It is just the nature of my job.

Today I had to go in for BLS refresher.  I was finished before 10 AM.  Now that I am certified for another two years, I can save human lives, should the occasion arise.  I hope it never does.

I much prefer saving sewing machines.

 I took Wilson to the vet later this morning for his suture removal.  He was such a good boy.  He just stood there while Dr. B. snipped those stitches away.  He didn't even flinch.   Then we went to the car wash.  That was a waste of 15 minutes and 4 dollars.  Just the same, for five minutes my not yet paid for car was clean.  OK, it was clean for longer than that, but the last three miles of the trip home rendered the car muddy and salty.  With sub zero temps coming I won't be able to wash the car for weeks.

I really thought that the BLS refresher would take all morning and that the suture removal would take much of the afternoon.  Not that taking out stitches is a big deal.  Trekking to the vet and waiting sometimes takes longer than one would think.  But, no.  I was home well before 1 PM.  Bonus time.  What to do with it all?

Get that 158.1931 out and see how wide that ZZ really is.  Which is exactly what I did, after I broke trail through the back field on snow shoes so the dogs would be able to get out of the yard.  We got out, but they wanted to come right back and Frannie said " No way, I will wait here."

I knew that I had a set of attachments for this machine.  I just couldn't find them.  I looked in my box of miscellaneous Kenmore attachments and cams but did not find the set.  I did find a button hole attachment and a full set of cams.  If nothing else, I could see how they worked.

The Kenmore 158.1931 has about a 5 mm ZZ.  The button hole attachment did work well. Very nifty  set up.   Not being a garment sewer I have little interest in button holes.   I can see why folks like a built in button hole stitch.   This attachment required some effort to set up but once attached to the machine it worked quite nicely.  I might even make some button holes, for fun.  

I played with some cams, too.  I have never had success with the duck, fish or tulip cams on other Kenmores.  They worked beautifully on this machine.  The built in special stitches were equally gorgeous.  So now what?

"No wonder I have a problem," I said to Steven as he helped himself to a snack.  "I love all these machines."

"Well, it's better than boats or cars."  he replied.





 It makes me nuts that I can't find stuff.  I remembered putting all the attachments that came with this machine in a box.  I knew that they had to be in the shop.  I looked for a third time, I moved a bunch of empty shoe boxes (I am saving them for some reason) and there they were.  WHEW!

Now, machine and attachments are all together in a canvas LL Bean bag I bought really cheap at the outlet store years ago. Who cares if my name isn't Harrison?  The bag is tough, big and will house this machine AND its attachments in one place.

So, it was a good day: BLS re-certified, Wilson sutureless and happy, sewing machine and attachments reunited, car cleaner than it was and a path made for the dog walk.

Oh, yes, and Steven did the dishes tonight.  I suppose I should make note of it on the calendar.




 



15 comments:

  1. Wow, lots of snow there. I have a lot also, especially the banks on the sides of the roads. My friend has that exact machine. She bought when she got her first job. The sales lady at Sears talked her into this model saying it has superior stitches and she would have it for years and years. I cleaned it for her, and it runs like a champ. Could you imagine a sales lady saying that now? With a straight face?

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  2. I live in Whitesboro and have 3 Dachsunds. We shovel a run for them. I think I need snow shoes too!

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  3. The Bernina saleslady said that in 1998, right after they would not repair my beloved Elna. They've been cleaning the B and tuning it up for years and years since then (last trip: $170 plus tax), so someone is getting something out of it.

    That sums up why I love your blog. Oh, and the dogs, too.

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  4. That gears photo - is that a stray thread in the bobbin base space?

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  5. Harrison seems like a pretty good name for a Kenny anyway.
    Or Rex, Rex Harrison. I amuse only myself.

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  6. Had to chuckle at the making a dog trail with snow shoes part though I would be not happy at having to deal with the white stuff . Glad your dog has the stitches out and is doing well. I recently bought a lower level kenmore 158 16600 that looks like new but when I set the dials (found manual online) the stitches are not what the dial says. I could live with that but I am having trouble finding a true zz setting. I cleaned and oiled it per the instructions but so far the dial problem is there. I am planning to have it worked on when the weather gets nicer but is was wondering if that sounds like something broken inside. It makes some nice stitches just the dial settings and trouble getting a narrow plain zz are annoying. When I got it, the hand wheel was sort of tight and I don't think it had been oiled in its entire life or sewn that much with either. Talk about major machine abuse. I am sort of thinking I should have passed this one by and gotten one with the cams and more features. I have only the foot that was on it but think it is a low shank model and I have some from a 70s white that might work. Any thoughts on why the upper dial on mine doesn't correspond to the stitches? It makes a great straight stitch but it was supposed to be a back up zz model. I am like you and just like machines-all of them.

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  7. i had another question could you post a pic of the cams? (pattern disks?!?) I don't know much about this machine and would totally appreciate any knowledge you are willing to share!!!

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    1. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/37928821835008415/

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  8. Sewing machines are like toys here & winter is the time we get to play with them. The nice stitching from your Kenmore makes me want to try a Montgomery Ward that hasn't been out for a while. We've been playing around with a 128k & a Fashion Mate that belong to a friend & like them both.

    Nice dogs, are those Labradoodles?

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    1. Standard Poodle (skinny Red one) Labradoodle (chunky White one)

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  9. Love the Kenmore 158's. Maruzen did a nice job building those.

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