A Pain in the Necchi ((Neck!))

I’ve been searching high and low for a walking foot that will fit my Necchi Supernova Ultra, Sophia. So far, no avail.

I hate having to return parts that I’ve ordered online – they usually have such things as “re-stocking” fees, even though the website states it WILL fit your model of machine. SIGH --- not so!!

This is the foot I was so looking for…..

It was specifically recommended on THIS PAGE that “The professional high shank walking foot will fit the needle stroke of the Supernova without modification. “

It doesn’t.

I emailed the company, and they said that it fit on “their” Supernova, so I went over to check their video and see that their set up looked like.

It definitely fits THEIR Supernova, so why doesn’t it fit MINE?!

Let’s take a look:

My nekkid needle bar minus any foot.

My push-button needle release sits at front…my thread threads from left to right…that post on the right hand side of the needle clamp? TOO WIDE! It won’t let the fork fit over it. And that extra oil? That came from tipping the machine back to get it out of its case to put it into my Janome table – more on that below!

Here I am struggling to get the foot on, and getting the fork over the screw thingy… ((which doesn’t have a screw, because the needle release is push-button in front.

It DOES fit if the fork is in the down position…so it’s not the height of the shank…that part is a good fit.

It just ain’t gonna go over that bar, folks!

I’m writing this post mostly for the benefit of the yahoo necchi group ---I wanted to be able to direct them to this post to see what I was dealing with – pictures are worth a thousand words, right? I hope someone has an answer for me on what to do.

I am afraid to bend the fork….I need to be able to return it in its "original condition" if need be. What I want to know is if there is a different needle clamp assembly that has a regular needle screw. That might solve the problem.

Oh, and for those on the Necchi group who wondered about a low shank walking foot with a low-to-high shank adapter added -- that doesn't work either. Putting the adapter on a low shank walking foot meant that the fork was in NO WAY going to reach over that needle bar that high up either. Rats.

And another thing ---I’ve wanted a table for this machine, but Necchis are a lot longer-bodied than any standard Singer size…so it wouldn’t fit my Singer cabinets. I turned around and looked at my empty Janome table just sitting there and wondered --- what if…..

Aha!!!!

I had to put a 3/4” thick board across the brackets on the underside of the table to lift the machine flush with the table top. And that gap to the right? Not a problem!

A basket covers the hole and becomes a great place for keeping – well---more STUFF!!

I find a machine that threads from the side NEEDS a good old-fashioned needle threader for me to be able to thread the dang things….bending around the side of a machine like a pretzel to thread a needle just isn’t working for me. I could KISS the engineer who finally got machines to thread from the FRONT!

I also pulled out my old not-very-often-used Sidewinder --- I can’t get the bobbins to fit the bobbin winder on this machine, nor can figure out the right way to wind them, even WITH studying the manual. I need to keep it simple. Often!

And that’s the story of Sophia, the Walking Foot Cunundrum, and how she came to live in my Janome 6500 table!

I’ll deal with where to put the Janome when I get her home, but she is just going to have to learn to SHARE!

iPhone-o-Gram! Afternoon Chiro Edition!

The one thing about the iPhone app for blogger that I don't like is that you can't space the text between the photos or put the photos in any given order, so bear with these! It's all I can do but a fun way to share.

I looked at the clock and saw that I was going to be late-

Where are my flip flops?? Buried under the pile of leader ender 4 patches I'm designing with!! Lol!! I had to un-bury part of them to show you---much morning fun in the basement.

And man that is a load of 4 patches built between-the-lines of chain piecing over the past couple years!

The flower beds at the chiro are in full summer bloom. I just had to share their colorful beauty with you too.

I especially love the cone flowers!

The shot from yesterday has me achy and sore--steroids flush my face and give me a queasy tummy and make it hard to sleep at night but I'm hoping to be on the mend!

Quiltmaker Block Party Update!!

I’ve heard from many of you who are in my classes in August in Williamsburg! I’m so excited for this event ---Quiltmaker Magazine – in my corner of the country! They really have a great line up of teachers for the fun weekend and it’s going to be exciting and wonderful.

And yes, my fingers are crossed that String Fling will be in my hands by then --- but I remain a bit cautiously skeptical on that. I'm not sure what the actual print or ship dates are scheduled to be yet.

But please consider coming to this event! It's going to be wonderful, String Fling or Not!

Click HERE for the full PDF Brochure!

Details are coming together and I got the whole itinerary in my inbox this morning:

WEDNEDSDAY:

• MEET & GREET

Plan to join us at the Meet and Greet on Wednesday August 1, 2012 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. After our attendees check in and pick up their registration packet they will come into the Meet & Greet where they will be able to mingle with each teacher, ask general quilting or class questions. This gives the attendee the opportunity to get to know each instructor and will be a great way for you to meet people who will be in your classes throughout the week.

THURSDAY

• FIRST DAY OF CLASS

Classes will begin on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. If you are shipping any items to the hotel, please take a minute to make sure that your boxes have arrived at the hotel and that you have everything you need for class.

• DINNER & KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Please join us for dinner and a keynote presentation by Bonnie Hunter, dinner and presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

• SECOND DAY OF CLASS

Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

• DINNER & KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Please join us for dinner and a keynote presentation by Jennifer Chiaverini. Dinner and presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

• LAST DAY OF CLASS

Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

My classes ARE sold out – but there are so many more great ones available --- seats for my presentation are still available –won’t you still think about coming?!

Click HERE for the full PDF Brochure!

Check the class lists – find something you want to do, come join the fun!

Love those Antique Beauties!

I love haunting the corridors of antique malls all across the country and seeing what things are "local" to where I am.

If I'm in Tennessee I'm looking for things FROM Tennessee...if I'm in Ohio, I want to see things that have a history and connectin to Ohio.

Quilts are household items, so it's hard to tell if one as "local"origins or not. People tended to bring their quilts with them when they moved from place to place.

I do have my favorites that tug at my heart strings though-

These quirky ones! The TRUE scrap-baggers, where a quilter was forced to work strictly from what was in that humbe scrap bag ----look closely at this section…there is lots of “substitution” going on in several of the blocks…ran out of this blue? no problem, we’ll throw in a red and a peach instead! And aren’t those fans wonderful?

Floor space was limited, but we did what we could to lay it out. We determined that these top and bottom borders were actually “whisker guard” casings over the inner border and binding. Tops and bottoms of quilts are usually the first to wear out, and often times a “whisker guard” was stitched in place to keep the oils from grandpa’s beard and the tugging of hands pulling the quilt up in the night from doing more damage to the quilt.

In this case, the quilt dates to about 1900-1920. The whisker guard fabric looks almost like a bark cloth, late 1940s-1950s. This was a family quilt with many generations sleeping beneath its warmth.

There was a bit of a churn dash theme going on too….we found another one, so adorable!

What a difference a few changes makes! Smaller blocks, though still quite scrappy ---on a field of pink with 4-patches as cornerstones…and a gently curved binding. DARLING!

Here’s a better close up --- lots of fun 1950s fabrics in this one.

Loved the display of old luggage sitting here, but what really caught my eye was the luggage tag on the middle case with the CLT marking ---

Piedmont Airlines!

Piedmont Airlines were very busy here between 1948-1989 when they became part of USAir.

So how long has this tag been hanging on this piece of luggage? I wonder where they had traveled to?!

Which reminds me of how we had to LUG suitcases without wheels in the “olden days”. I’m sure glad I don’t have to do that now! Well, in a way I do --- all the quilt bags. But that’s what the little rental carts are for and I don’t hesitate to pay my 4 to 5 bucks and wheel them in!

Sherry spied a very nice trip around the world, also in 1950s fabrics! I love the leaning of the strips and how the rows of color go. There is something to be learned when making a trip around the world. You can’t just go light/dark/light/dark/light or you get something that looks like a checkerboard! But see the center where you have more intense color up against color? That’s where your eye will be drawn.

LOVED the orange up against the black! I think it’s that tartain plaid up against solid green that makes this look kind of Christmassy, but other than that, it really didn’t.

ALWAYS STRINGS!

This is a String Snow Ball, the strings are pieced and then quarter circles, much like with a Drunkard’s Path are pieced to the string pieced units to fill in the corners. Really fun old fabrics in this one…but it’s pretty hammered in the wear department!

I just loved the displays hanging over the railing!

Log cabin, Grandmother’s Flower garden and a great double-framed 9 patch on a field of blue.

This one! I wanted this one! But I think I’ll make one instead. I’ve already drawn it out in my mind……oh this one will be fun!

I love that there are borders only at the top and bottom…Did you notice?

A very busy and cool many trips around the world postage stamp, and a pair of double wedding rings on either side of a woven coverlet.

A wonderfully hand quilted dresden plate with bubble gum pink sashings. This one was really sweet and in great condition!

Can you resist a red and white double 9 patch? This one was shredding pretty badly in places, but look at the texture of that quilting!

I love a double Irish chain in blue and white! And the diamond border..NICE!

Such a variety of indigoes in this one…and the quilting was very fine.

This one was interesting --- it was an older top that someone had machine quilted --- a LONG TIME AGO.

It has very basic loops and figure 8s in the quilting. Longarm quilting machines have been around for decades, the upholstery industry had used them forever for doing quilted bedspreads, etc, so there is no way in knowing how long ago this was quilted. It was not recent. This quilt has been used and loved and washed and used and loved and :::rinse & repeat::: It’s in very good condition.

I love finding machine quilting on antique quilts!

So what came home with me? I’m not ready to divulge that bit of info yet! You’ll have to wait for that reveal in an up and coming post!

The hip feels “okay” this morning, but I haven’t really done much moving around yet. So we’ll see, but I’m hopeful. Ive got a repeat visit with the chiropractor this afternoon….and then I’m heading over to Barrister’s Block for the next 2 installments of Randy’s Sow-A-Long that came out yesterday! I wanna sew!

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Return to Sender!

I am HOWLING with laughter….

There is an inbox in Facebook where you get “email” messages from your friends, and if messages come that are “NOT” from the safety of your known and friended friends, they go into this folder called “Other.”

That's it right there -- the one with the 12 by it.

I always forget to CHECK Other ----and lots of times there are things in there I need to reply to about book questions, about teaching dates in various cities, and website/pattern stuff, etc – most of the time it’s all legit.

But I am dying laughing at this one…..Sometimes you just GOT to “Read it before you delete it”, you know?

Hi, How are you doing?I hope you are doing great?

I want to use this opportunity to inform you that I sincerely appreciate your looks!

I believe you don't mind us knowing each other.My Name is Steven,I am from Austin,Texas.Am a 9years widower,I live with my pet dogs Wamma and Sandy.

I am Man with sense of humor,I am passionate and romantic,I have the fear of God in me, I have respect for my fellow human being,Till when we get to understand each other more, you learn everything about me!

For me distance does not matter, Am ready to relocate and come for you. Age difference is not a problem, what matters most is the Heart of loving! It will be wonderful of you to send me a feedback if you want us to get along,I promise to make you happy!Thanks.

OH BOY!!

((I am imagining this said with a Russian accent, whether he is from Austin, or not! LOL!))

And he BETTER have the fear of GOD in him…..

My looks? I’m past 50, dude! And my profile says “MARRIED!”

But what’s even funnier --

I must have SUCH a ONE TRACK MIND ----

I read the second line and actually thought he was saying that he “sincerely appreciates my BOOKS!”

Guffaw.

I’m way too old for these kinds of shenanigans.

Especially since the last picture of “me” posted on my facebook page was of Sherry’s & my FEET from yesterday's pedicure! ((oh, now that's a scary thought!))

Thanks for the chuckle guy, wherever you are really from!

I need to warn you, I carry a rotary cutter and I’m not afraid to use it!

Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

I’m leaving this for you to download while the Hubster and I go have a very special birthday dinner with Baby Michelle, who is getting to be a VERY BIG GIRL!

I can’t believe she is one already. And sadly, it may be our last dinner together, as Michelle and her parents, Michael & Harriet, are moving to Texas where Michael has a new job. It will be so sad to see them go. I’ve really enjoyed having them close.

There are not enough little girls in my life, and I’m going to miss this one especially!

I’ve been laying on the couch on an ice pack, with my kindle fire at my side. This freebie came across my radar, and I know several of you love civil war stories as well as civil war era quilts, and thought you might enjoy this one. It was still free when I downloaded it a bit ago.

Noble Cause by Jessica James is free in the Amazon Kindle store.

Genre: Historical Drama.

Book Description:

This is the tale of Colonel Alexander Hunter, a dauntless and daring Confederate cavalry officer, who, with his band of intrepid outcasts, becomes a legend in the rolling hills of northern Virginia.

Inspired by love of country and guided by a sense of duty and honor, Hunter must make a desperate choice when he discovers the woman he promised his dying brother he would protect is the Union spy he vowed to his men he would destroy.

Readers will discover the fine line between friends and enemies when the paths of these two tenacious foes cross by the fates of war and their destinies become entwined forever.

Noble Cause is the recipient of the coveted John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction and captured the title for Regional Fiction in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Award contest. It was also a Finalist in the USA "Best Books 2011" Awards for Historical Fiction.

In April 2012, it was named a Finalist in Foreword Magazine's BOOK OF THE YEAR contest in the Romance category. Winners to be announced in June.
Often compared to Gone with the Wind, Midwest Book Review called Noble Cause "a riveting piece of historical fiction."

There may be more couch time for me when we get back ---but it should be a nice and fun low-key evening – and who can resist Kenyan food for dinner? It’s not something I get every day!

Antiquing in Mooresville!

My doctor’s appointment this morning was a pain in the patootey--- literally! I wound up with a steroid shot in the butt, which means you really CAN say I’m now quilting on steroids!

Turns out that what I have is known as “Piriformis Syndrome” Which basically means that my sciatic nerve is inflamed between the piriformis muscle and the superior gemellus muscle – the nerve travels between these two deep hip rotators and can become inflamed --- and the pain follows the pathway of the nerve, below the knee following the entire path of the sciatic nerve. Below the knee is the peroneal nerve, and that seems to be inflamed too, so the doc thought a good ole shot in the butt might help things heal a bit faster. ((Yes, all that good neuromuscular therapy training still comes into good reference use at times!))

It’s just horrible when it hurts to sit, hurts to sit and sew, hurts to sit in the car to go anywhere, hurts to sit in an airplane ---

I’ve been dealing with this for months now, and I’ve got a driving trip up to Ohio on the 10th so I needed to see a doc to see if there was something we could do. I’m supposed to call back on Friday if this is not significantly better, and maybe start a supplementary steroid pack as well.

She also recommended I get another shot before taking that long plane ride to Bali in August. Sounds like a good idea to me because although I am ecstatic about that adventurous trip, the thought of being chained to a seat on a plane for that many hours really had me worried with how bad this has been hurting.

Besides – how can I ride an elephant if I’m bothered by pain down my leg?!

So I’m home. And I’m hopeful.

I’m also going through some of the photos from yesterday’s antique run to Mooresville, NC --- Oh, did we find some goodies!

And Cindy, the Purple Quilter – I thought of you when we arrived there. Did you think of me waving at you? I was!

The antique mall, American Classic Antiques, is large and is two stories – lots of bannister space to hang delicious quilts! You can tell from the photo above that we found plenty of eye candy to behold!

My eyes went directly to the Perkiomen Valley 9 patch variation at the far left of the photo. There were actually two related quilts in this pattern here. Whether they were by the same maker, we couldn’t tell…but TWO Perkiomen Valley 9 patch quilts in ONE antique mall? Oh. BOY!

This is the first one. Isn’t this Awesome!?

Close up of corner section. I loved all the light shirting fabrics used on the “light side” of the 9 patch unit ---the dark side of the block uses 2 fabrics per block – I liked the effect. You could see where one block ended and another one started. It was so interesting to follow the progression of the blocks this way. Can you see the maker arranging these on her “design floor” before selecting a final lay-out?

The bottom half of the quilt as it hung over the railing. What a WONDERFUL quilt!

Circa 1900. Price has been marked down from $450 to $295. Still too rich for my blood, but I was thrilled to see that it did come from the Perkiomen Valley of Pennsylvania!

And the “Sister” quilt:

There was not as much room to lay this one out as the other…we did the best we could with the narrow space we had! The “lights” have more color in them than the “lights” in the previous quilt – though some of the fabrics are the same. Also – these blocks have 3 fabrics per “dark side” of the block, where the other quilt had only 2 fabrics on the dark side. Can you see the difference between them? This one has a much more “Muddy” look to it just because it is more intensely scrappy. I love this block, it is so versatile and can be arranged in any log cabin lay out!

Close up of blocks!

There are more quilts to show, but I need to go lie down and ice this hip.

More to follow!

Smelly Musty Machine Cases!

I don’t have time to write my antique mall run with Sherry this morning….acckkk! I’ve got a doctor’s appointment that I’ve completely forgotten about!

So instead – I’m going to post a question from a reader, along with some responses for her on what she can do with the problem!  If you have any other ideas --- please chime in with your comment below!  Let’s find out what to do with these stinky cases!

While most of these comments deal with featherweight case issues, it applies to ANY machine case of “a certain age” where wood cases were covered with vinyl “leatherette” and animal based glue was used to adhere the vinyl to the wood.  In some cases

the wood was even particle board, and that could have been made with animal based glue to hold the wood chips together as well.

 Debbie Writes:

Bonnie:
In reading your email about your Great-Grandma's machine and seeing the picture of the machine I wonder if you could answer a question for me?

I have a machine that sits in the same kind of case your machine sat in. That brown kind of case, not sure what it is really made of but my question is this....

I purchased a machine that sits in a case like that and the case smells horrible, like someone had left it on the floor when they sprayed for bugs. You can't even touch the machine without having your hands smell like bug spray. So I thought no problem I would air it out and it would take care of itself right???

Wrong I have had it sitting outside for the past 2 months LOL and it still smells horrible.... Any ideas how I can get the smell out without destroying the case?

I thought if anyone would know about this you would.... with your love of vintage machines and all.

 Anabeth writes:

I acquired my 1934 FW in May from a woman in my textile arts guild. It
belonged to her mother and she learned to sew on it. The poor machine had
sat in a damp basement for the last 20 years and it had that musty smell
that everyone talks about.  During August, when it was above 90 degrees
every day -- hot and dry -- it occurred to me to put the case in the attic
to bake. It worked! The smell is no longer there! The machine works like a
dream.

Jodi writes:

...and when my little friend was returned, it had a very bad mildew
problem.  I cleaned it up, but it still has that distinctive smell :( !  I
have tried airing, sunning, crumpled newspaper, all to no end...

Try a mild solution of spic and span with clorox.  It will not hurt the paint
and it will kill the mildew.  Be sure to rinse it off throughly and dry it.

Marilyn writes:

About the odor in the cases - I don't have this problem but thought it
might help to close the case in a big plastic bag with a box of baking
soda. Also if the odor is caused by moisture, maybe put kitty litter in
the bag or silica gel which is used to dry flowers.

Anonymous writes:

Someone posted a note to quiltnet that she got rid of the old smell in
her Featherweight by using "lava rocks" which she purchased at Bed, Bath and
Beyond.  I haven't bought  them...I agree with Janice who posted that she
enjoyed the smell.

Lynda writes:

Last year, I tried washing out the inside of the case and then airing it outside in full sun and it did help with the smell for a while.

I had a brainstorm, first i cleaned the inside with a dilute bleach solution paying special attention to the corners and crevices and then I baked the open case in the hottest place I could think of, my car.

We are just starting summer here it was 90 outside and probably 120 or so in the car. I did the case in early morning, and did not have to use the car all day. when I took it out this evening, it smelled pretty good. I think i'll try keeping an open bag of kitty litter in there this winter.

Jane writes:

My FW also had an awful mildewy/musty odor when I first purchased it. I took the advice of several people and wiped down my case with a mild clorox solution. I then put the case on my deck for several days on the really hot days during summer and it did a great job on most of the odor.

When I brought my case inside, I just couldn't make myself put kitty litter or any of the other remedies in my case. Instead, I stuffed about 5 scented dryer sheets in the case and when I open it....... ummmm.... it smells sooooo good.

I also think that putting your case in a HOT & DRY area for awhile is a good idea. I know that the airing on the deck sure helped mine.

Lynda writes:

Here is a method that I have used pretty successfully to eliminate the dreaded "Featherweight Odor". first i wash the inside of the case with a diluted bleach solution. Then I let it dry out in the hottest place that I know, a carwith all of the windows closed, on a sunny day.

I baked the case in the closed car in direct sun for as long as possible. This is usually pretty successful, but in very stubborn cases may need to be repeated. If your winters are damp, you may need to repeat this every summer.

I find that it is usually the case, not the machine that has "Foul Odor", and the machine just needs to be aired out.

Carol wrote:

Referring the question about mold and mildew in the case. Try wiping out with a damp cloth and dry. Then put baking soda in a cup or bowl to absorb the smell.

If this fails try spraying with lysol and set out in the sun.

It may take several tries. I tried the lysol method on my flute case that had been stored for years. It worked for that. Hopefully the sun will arrive soon so you can try
the lysol/sun method. Let me know if it works for you.

Suzanne wrote:

Here is a method that I have used pretty successfully to eliminate the dreaded "Featherweight Odor".

You might want to try kitty litter. I have put kitty litter in musty smelling suitcases and it works! I would air the machine outside on a nice dry day first to get rid of as much musty smell as possible.

Lynn Wrote:

I have been following the trail of FW case odor and offer these hints from my experience. I too am highly allergic to molds and have a violent sneezing and shortness of breath when opening the FW case, so I am pretty convinced that white powdery stuff is mold.

My guess is that in the history of these FW cases that most were stored on the floor of a dark closet until needed. Not likely that the original owners kept the case in a dry, airy place for too long if the machines were originally purchased for mending.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: I wiped the inside and outside of my FW case with Lysol and put it in the sun to dry. This was not too effective since in near the beach in SO CA near it is never really "dry". Baking soda had only minimal effect and did not get rid of the odor.

BETTER SOLUTION: So I came up with the following for mild mold cases based on a theory about glue.

1.Keep the FW case in a dry upstairs room, up off the floor, with lots of air circulation. Never in a dark closet or on the floor.

2. Place GEL SILICATE packages in the case when it is closed. I got several in boxes along with new shoes. These little packages absorb the moisture inside the case. So far, the odor is greatly reduced and no new white mold
has grown on either the inside or outside of the case in 2 years. The odor is very slight and I can live in the same room with the case.

3. Perhaps those of you who have had success with other remedies live in dryer climates for at least part of a year. Near the beach we experience dampness and fog daily so there is no way to get the case completely dry,
but providing the gel silicate bags seems to do a pretty good job in creating a better environment for the inside of the case. It might be better for the machine too as it would cut down on moisture trapped inside and prevent rust to machine parts.

This is just a guess, but I think the GLUE used in the case construction is the reason why FW is the culprit. My case has a vinyl cloth on the inside and that would certainly trap moisture between the box and the cloth. Hide, rabbit skin,animal hoofs and blood are often used in woodworking and to "paper" or size canvas. I remembered that in art class we learned to prepare rabbit skin glue/sizing for our oil paint canvases. Each can of dry crystals came with a gel silicate package inside and we were instructed to
keep the glue crystals in a dry place. Our instructor told us that rabbit skin glue (and I would guess this is true for hide or hoof glues too) tends to mold easily. This type of glue is effective in sealing the linen canvas from the paint oils and in drawing up the canvas tight to the frame.

It occurred to me that perhaps these older FW cases might be made from pressed cardboard, wood or pressed sawdust and they may have used this cheap and effective glue. All the hide glues are still used in industry and for woodworking, although there are better glues available today. The glue crystals, prepared with hot water, will deteriorate quickly and mold when cooled--they must not have been stabilized with an agent to prevent molds. It is highly likely that these cases were made with animal glues, but even if wheat paste glues were used, the result would also be mold formation.

Lynda writes:

First, leave the machine out of it's case for awhile. Most of the machines pick up the odor from their cases, I believe it is the glue used in the cases that creates that lovely smell. Put the case with an opened box of safeguard soap in a sealed plastic bag aside for at least three weeks.

Then, if you want to to eliminate the odor from the machine, take off the plate from the bottom of the machine. You will find a felt like gasket under that plate. Take it out and trace it onto an old pizza box or other similar cardboard. Cut out the new replacement gasket and put

it in place of the felt like one.

The felt like material can absorb odors and make the machine smell badly, also the spool felt can absorb odors as well. You can get replacement spool felt discs at any Singer dealer.

Once you have replaced these felt items, and leave the machine out of the case for a few weeks, the machine's odor should go from strong to mild and possibly nonexistent over time.

I have tried so many methods, in the past, to get my case to smell better, including airing outdoors, activated charcoal, baking soda, fabric softener sheets, baking soda, cedar, etc., etc. and nothing works like a bar of safeguard soap in the case - no other brand seems to do the trick.

BTW, the odor won't leave completely, but I keep the opened box of soap in my case all the time and it is just "ok" with that.

I only put the machine in the case to transport from one place to another, then it is taken out
immediately once I am at my destination.

I hope that gives you some ideas of what to do with the musty smelly cases out there that contain the machines we love!

A Day to Play!

Such a fun day in Statesville/Mooresville!

I’m so glad this worked out, and that I had a free day to drive to Statesville and come rescue Sherry from the boredom of waiting for an RV to be worked on so they could head west on their way home.

I’ve sat in car dealerships for hours on end. I’m sure that camper world is no different – boring waiting room, really bad coffee, and terrible daytime TV.

I even offered to have both Sherry and her hubby Ray come out for lunch while the RV was being worked on, but what a great guy! He told us to go enjoy ourselves --- and he took the bundled up laundry, put it in the truck and went off to play “Mr Fluff & Fold” at the laundromat while we endulged our lunch time hungers with chips, salsa, and yummy fajitas!

There was still time to kill --- we couldn’t get a hold of Ray to see if everything was done yet, so we headed out to find the nearest nail salon for girly pedicure time. It was at this time when we saw the Chick-fil-A cow doing his thing down the road in the back of a pickup truck, and a few minutes later when we turned around in the parking lot….playing the drums on the corner of the road. ((Wait a minute – do you think this was the SAME cow? Or are there multiple cows?!!))

Doesn’t Sherry look relaxed?! I love the massage chairs!

We talked and laughed and caught up --- it had been since January when I stayed with her in California while I was out there. It was fun having her on MY side of the country and hearing of her exploits of the past 6 weeks that she and Ray have been RV-ing it cross-country.

Yes, she caught me mid-texting! But my feet are feeling very happy!

And on go the funky foamy faux-sandals. How does anyone walk in these things? I trip over them every time!

Dark Purple and Light Purple. That would be me on the right with ZERO suntan!

From there, we headed down to Mooresville to see what kind of Antiquing Trouble we could find ourselves in!

Sherry, taking a pic of me, taking a pic of her! This was a very cool place, and I have lots of photos to share of this one, so those are going to have to wait until tomorrow. It’s nearly 7:30 and I better figure out what to do for dinner!

As for Sherry and Ray --- they are well on their way up toward Kentucky by now! Doesn’t this look like fun?

I was right behind them at this stop sign ----then we were off on our separate ways. Be safe, friends!