Every picture tells a story....

Except that I am fresh out of photos.

I upgraded and have a new Mac Book Pro.  It is fast, light and powerful.  No disc drive.  I can't upload Photo Shop Elements, my editing program, yet.  No external disc drive until just today.

So, until I can get it together to do that, no photos.  (OK for all of you computer geeks: Yes, it is possible to down load the program from the internet.  I live in the country.  I don't have unlimited bandwidth and we are near our "quota" of use for March.  So I am going to do it the old fashioned way.  From something plastic, on a little round disc.)

I must say this.  Betsy came over yesterday and we worked on machines.  She worked on a very nice Japanese badge Necchi Alco.  I worked on the Singer 5808C. 

I couldn't get the tension right.  Turns out, the tension assembly wouldn't work.   I finally gave up, called it a goner and declared it done.  Betsy left for home and I went back to the Quilt Zoo (QZ) to return Barb's machine.  I explained the dilemma and  told her that I couldn't fix it.  She suggested she buy a Kenmore from us and arranged to come over to look.  I went home, hopeful for a sale. 

"There's a message on the machine, honey"  declared TBHITW last night just after dinner.

I saw the blinking light.

".....HI, it's me.  I figured it out. That tension assembly just pops out.  It's plastic.  Just be careful that you don't break it..."

I called her back. She had looked at the Singer 5817 we now own (broken gears, not worth fixing but very similar to the 5808) and removed the tension assembly.  I could tell that she really, really wanted me to fix that machine. 

"OK I will call Barb and let her know that we might be able to salvage her machine after all."

Betsy brought the 5817 over this morning on her way out of town. She also brought over two Kenmores to show Barb if she did call.

So, when Barb did, indeed, call today I explained the whole story to her. 

"What do you think?" she asked. 

Honestly.  I was pretty sick of the  5808C   but I hate to give up. If we could fix it, I could re-coup some of my investment in effort.  I advised that she should bring the machine over and if we can fix it, great.  If not, she can look at the machines we have. 

She brought the 5808C back.  She pulled the old assembly out and we popped the used one from the 5817 in.   It makes a nice stitch, every stitch.  It has stretch stitches and zz and a built in button hole.  But the presser foot lifter was FUNKY.

I handed her the screw drivers and she took the top and the needle bar covers off.  I figured I had spent enough time on that machine.  She looked at the 5817, figured out what was wrong and I looked at the 5808C and agreed.  We fixed it.  She put the machine back together and that, my friends was that. 

"Oh, I love this stuff."  she declared. 

Good.  I may have infected another with SMAD.