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Sunday, September 26, 2010

A Rainy NC Sunday....

And I'm spending it in my jammies! I am refusing to get in a car today. I don't want to go anywhere today...this day, is for UNWINDING!

And for playing with this:


IS SHE NOT GORGEOUS?!? I first saw her on Thursday morning when I arrived at the Jacksonville Quiltfest. I must have walked by her a dozen times, drooling, oohing, ahhing and telling myself...NO. MORE. MACHINES!!

She was still there Friday after my two trunk shows! Still there when the show closed down and we went to Clark's Fish Camp for dinner (More to come on Clarks, I think it deserves it's own blog post...lol!!)

Yesterday morning (Was it only yesterday?!? Saturday??) I went to take the skyrail from the hotel to the convention center, only to find that the skyrail doesn't RUN on Saturdays!! (#@($*&(@#*$&!?) So what's this girl to do? Walk! It was just about 2 miles, and it wasn't all THAT hot yet....a bit humid, but what a perfect day for walking across the bridge and enjoying Jacksonville one more time before flying out yesterday afternoon.

I got across the bridge, only to see miles and mobs of runners and walkers do a HEART WALK through the center of downtown! I just joined the mob, talked to some people, accepted a free bottle of water they were handing out....and when they turned LEFT at the end of their route, ending at Jacksonville Landing, I turned RIGHT...and continued on down to the convention center.

By this time I had convinced myself that the machine would not still be there. How could it be? It had been a fabulous show, mobs of people, the machine was SO gorgeous, it had to have found a home, right? And besides...HOW on earth was I to get it home? My checked luggage was 2 miltary duffels of quilts, a total of 100 lbs, the limit I could check. I had my roll aboard carry on with my clothes and my laptop bag as my "allowable" take-with-me luggage. There is no way on earth (Or Jacksonville) that I was going to be allowed to carry an extra package aboard the plane....

Or was there?

I got there, hot and sweaty, found my way up the aisle....and....there she was. At that moment, I knew she had to come home and I was going to risk it.

After some quick thinking, I remembered that the 2 planes I was taking were "United Express" (Nicknamed "United Distress" by a friend of mine!)and that they took the roll aboard luggage and checked it plane side, so I'd only be walking on the plane with the laptop bag and this small black FW case, which fit just fine in the overhead bins on the smaller planes.

It took some doing getting through the check point.....but even the TSA agents agreed she was a beautiful machine and she got oohs and ahhs from the passengers behind me too as she was checked out going through the x ray station!

14 lbs in her case was switched from one hand to the other as I also switched which hand was pulling the carrying on behind me with the laptop bag looped over it...my arms are TIRED!



Here she is all tucked into her little case with all the accessories. She came with a walking foot and a 1/4" foot as well as a bunch of other goodies...and look....even her foot petal is painted metallic magenta!

A further inspection shows that she was born in 1937, and she runs like a dream! I'll be taking her on a voyage with me when I go to retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana in a few weeks!

I think I need to go get a pedicure to match her paint job, don't you agree? :cD

PS! CLICK HERE if you want to visit Johnny's website. His specialty is the featherweight, but he has other vintage machines as well...301's and hand cranks and toy machines and EVERYTHING. He does repair and servicing, and he carries a full line of parts too.

I just got this email from him as I was writing this post! (You should have seen his puppy dog sad face when I said I was buying this machine, I think he thought he could KEEP it forever!!)

Hi, this is the old sewing machine man, Johnny. I didn't know who you were or anything about you at the Jacksonville quilt show. I am really impressed, I had no idea you were such a renown quilter and teacher. I can't think of anyone else I would have wanted to see my hot rod featherweight go to, I hope you will enjoy it. I have cruised your machines, you better never come to my little shop cause you would need a truck to leave with. Check out some of my machines on my web site, and those are only some of them. Of course some have found new homes, but many are still in the shop. I see you are seldom home, wow what a schedule. It was a real pleasure meeting you, best of luck and if you change your mind about my hot rod, I'll take her back.
Guess your quilting like my sewing machines (keep you in stitches!)
johnny



31 comments:

  1. She is a beauty Bonnie and it must have been her destiny to come home with you - after all, she will be well loved by you. What terrific adventures you are going to have together.
    A pink featherweight- I am drooling with envy but very happy she has gone to such a good home.
    Regards,
    Anna

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  2. Totally awesome...so glad she waited for you...does hse have a name yet? And yes, pedicure and manicure to match. Ooh, La, La!

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  3. very fun. I have a new to me 222K (with a free arm) and it is fun to see on.

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  4. OH how fabulous...of course she had to come home with you! So happy to hear about your new pink baby!
    Enjoy!

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  5. That is one slick machine in my daugther's fav color. I like that the sewing machine man called it the hot rod machine!

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  6. OH< I am just DROOLING over that beauty!!!! SO jealous!!!

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  7. She's a beautiful machine!

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  8. What a find! Of course, you just HAD to take her home! She is beautiful and I hope you have fun with her. If she were mine, I'd name her "Ruby".

    Have fun unwinding.

    Hugs, Karen

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  9. I love the feeling I get when I keep saying, "I really don't need it,,,it is too expensive...maybe I can get it later.." (etc), and after appeasing my conscience with these thoughts, then being able to buy it without guilt because I had waited so long and I could say to myself, "This is NOT an impulse buy!"

    Lucky you!

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  10. You definitely need nails to match that paint job!

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  11. Wow! She's a stunner. Definitely need a pedicure to match.

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  12. Anonymous5:35 PM EDT

    if that's not the original color, the painter did an AWESOME job with the magenta

    totally agree with a matching mani/pedi

    could become another Bonnie "trademark"

    :)

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  13. Oh wow Bonnie, what a beauty! I live in Florida and missed the Jax show because of a back injury. However I have seen Johnnys little machines at another show in Trenton. I think you need to name the sweet thing. I have a Featherweight that runs like a dream. But she isn't pink ;-)

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  14. Oooo - I never thought I'd need a featherweight, but that beauty might change my mind. So BEAUTIFUL!!
    Judie

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  15. Beautiful machine. I'm so excited I'll get to see her (and you, lol) in October in Shipshewana. Can't wait until the retreat!

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  16. She is lovely!!!! Did they have one in red????

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  17. What a BEAUTY! I love my white featherweight and sew on her ALL the time. You are going to be in my stomping grounds in Shipshe! My little brother lives there even...have fun.

    Lucy (in IN)

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  18. Bonnie, that was so sweet. I tried to get a glimpse of you at the Quilt fest but there was no way the security guard was letting me through,. Maybe another time. I thought the show this year was spectacular!

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  19. Can't wait to see her in a few weeks. You should be sewing at flaming speed with that baby.

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  20. Can you post his website? I think there should be some cruising of his site. I would love to see his work.

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  21. That is the COOLEST sewing machine I have ever seen!!!! And I'm a little sad that so many lovely people will be at this retreat that, despite living a mere 20 minutes from Shipshe, I had no idea was going on!!! Hope you all have a blast!
    And I'm pretty sure I have that color of nail polish already!

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  22. She IS a beauty! ;-) She deserves a name.

    I can't wait to read your post on Fish Camp. We were on our way home from 2010 Spring Training via St. Simons Island and stopped at the Fish Camp for dinner. It was a hoot ... and I can't wait to read your reaction. ;-)

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  23. I am so jealous, she is beautiful and I love her.Have fun with her.

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  24. Oh she is a beauty! I"ve eyes those for ages. They are so fun! What a wonderful treat for yourself!

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  25. Beautiful!!! I am so jealous!!!!

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  26. Beautiful little machine, and you work hard...you deserve it! Maybe you could call her "Maggie" or "Jen", both short for Magenta.
    Louise

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  27. I love her! Glad you got her homeok.

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  28. What a purchase, of course you had to have this machine. Yes, get a matching pedi before your quilt retreat, What fun!

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  29. My Featherweight was born in 1937 also. Alas she is only in the original color and slightly tarnished yet sews like a dream. I want to get her (I call her Sissy) painted now.geezzzz......
    Do you know what you will be working on in Shipsee??????
    XOXOXO Subee

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  30. Congratulation to the new machine - she is such a BEAUTY !!!! I'ld have bought it as well - for shure - no matter what problems the airlane brings - ;-)
    Unfortunately my FW doesn't run nicely in Germany, because we do have other power
    greetings Brigitte Baierl

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  31. cannot wait to see this beauty in just 2ish weeks! sincerely looking forward to seeing you and randi, of course. until ship time......

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