I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend. I was planning on taking it easy here, and I pretty much did. I stayed at home, caught up on house work (ugh) and worked on some customer quilts.
Monday was a beautiful morning, and I thought I'd celebrate by getting back out on my bike, since my knee had healed nicely, and the rest of me wasn't in too much discomfort to climb up on that seat again after hitting the bar with the last fall....
Do I dare even mention that if falling once is embarrassing enough, that....I fell again? :c( This time I made it all the way through my ride, but on my way up the steep driveway to my garage, I didn't downshift fast enough into a gear that would let me up the driveway without too much effort, and at the same time trying to remove myself from those (*&@#$& clip pedals...and over she went. I re-opened the knee that was healing so nicely, and now it's not! I swear, I ought to give up on those clip pedals!
Then last night, while finally having some time to sit at the sewing machine, I sit down to my trusty Bernina 1080 to wind some bobbins. The machine turns on. The panel lights up. I push the foot pedal...but NOTHING HAPPENS! It's like the lights are on but nobody is home! I unplugged, replugged, fiddled, cursed, pleaded, begged...Nada.
I walked away, snuck back up on it, tried it again...and still nope! This morning...after a good night's sleep...come on baby! GO! Nope! I think there is a short in my foot pedal...so today I took Bernie to the Bernina shop.
I don't know if the bernina shop is the same in your area as mine, but this one is a MESS! And when I told him I needed my footpedal looked at, I was told it would be 2 weeks! ACKK! So I said, it does need a cleaning/tune up too, can we add that in? (thinking it might make it more worth his while to get to it sooner) And was told that they are scheduling cleaning/tune ups 7 to 8 weeks in advance! TWO MONTHS!!! AUUUGH!
I told them that I use this machine in my machine quilting business, to apply bindings, piece backings, etc, and I am in dire straights without it. So....we are back to 2 weeks. *SIGH*
And yes, I do have a back up machine, but it has something wrong with the tension or something. It's a Pfaff and it hasn't been fixed since Lucy was here and tried to sew on it..that's a YEAR ago. BAD BONNIE. I've got my 2 featherweights, but I don't have a walking foot for them for putting bindings on with.
So, I'm kind of up a creek with one paddle going in circles! One good knee, one bad knee, one bruised ego (thank heavens the neighbors didn't see me fall over on my driveway!) but at least I treated myself to an ice cream today to make it all better!
Bonnie
Oh Bonnie - poor you on all fronts - my Bernina 1090 died on me three quarters of the way through my brother's wedding quilt (the green and lilac celtic on an earlier post on my blog) - the service guy that I use said it would need a major overhaul and threatened three months as some parts had to go back to Bernina (with the wedding only 6 weeks away - gulp!) - a very kind friend from an internet list I'm on in the UK lent me her old minimatic machine which got me out of a big hole (Isay friend but I'd never met her before I went to collect the machine, quilters are such nice people) - I learnt my lesson and bought a 1005 ex school recon as a back-up. I hope you find someone to lend you one to get you out of this hole - wish I was nearer you could've borrowed mine
ReplyDeleteThat sucks!!! Sorry too about your bike falls. I was thinking of getting clip ons for my bike, but after reading about your falls ... I think I'll stick with my toe clips. :) Got my poodle quilt finally done!
ReplyDeleteOh that stinks so much about your machine! I know I'd be in a real snit if mine died on me, as it's my only machine. Could you buy a foot pedal on eBay? It might not fix your machine, but never hurts to have an extra. Especially since it'll probably arrive faster than 2 weeks!
ReplyDeleteHope your knee gets better too!
If you are in a bind (or just with you could...quilt joke) you are welcome to borrow mine. I could pick it up on my way up North the end of the month. Let me know. You are also welcome to my backup number 2...an old Singer that still stiches fine but weighs a ton!
ReplyDeletesorry about the knee...
Siobhan
Okay...Bonnie...STAY OFFA THE BIKE!! And, if I were you, I'd stay away from anything electrical and/or that had a motor....just for a bit. To be safe and all. :oP
ReplyDeleteGeesh girlie!
I hate when that happens with my machines. Last year both of mine were in the shop at the same time. I didn't have any pressing customer quilts just a lot of frustration because I couldn't work on MY stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh and I'm thinking maybe those clips weren't such a good idea. :o)
Ow ow ow pain and despair. So sorry, Bonnie.
ReplyDeleteWell, I bought my machine at the LQS and they have the service guys there. They email when he gets slow and the wait is only about 2 WEEKS. So if that's slow, I can't imagine what busy is like.
ReplyDeleteOh those bike clips would be sooo run over with my car tires by now! Back and forth, back and forth....crush
Oww, oww! Makes me hurt to even think about falling on a knee that's already sore. Can I ask, what kind of shoes are you wearing with these clips? Maybe try... some pointy toed ones?
ReplyDelete*giggles at the thought of Bonnie riding down the street with roach stompers on*
Well, that's what we used to call them, cause a pointy toed boot can get into the corners to squish bugs.
Seriously, how 'bout some kneepads?
I think I'd have asked the Bernina dealer about a loaner. A Bernina costs as much as a new car, so you ought to be able to have loaners for it! Free ones!
Two weeks without a sewing machine !! I can't even think about it! ( Now I found out how fun machinepeicing is )
ReplyDeleteOh, Bonnie, how awful. 2 weeks without a machine would be hard to take. I know we are preparing for a yard sale and so of course all the boxes are stacked in my sewing room and it's KILLING me..I'm about ready to bring the machine to the kitchen table like I did in the "old" days b4 I had a sewing room.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jane....invest in some knee pads!!
Oh Bonnie! Once I fell off my bike I chickened out and never got back on. I can't believe you fell again - and right in your driveway!
ReplyDeleteAnd what terrible luck with your machine and the turn-around time. Yup, it does take a long time around here, but I wouldn't say 2 months for a cleaning. Baby! We have a lot of places here I won't even have them touch my machine. So needless to say I don't take it in much.
Ouch! Sorry about the knee, but it could be worse. Just heard this morning about a friend who fell riding his bike last Thursday, after getting in some gravel on a corner. He's in the hospital with a pinned hip, and they estimate it will be about 3 months before he's completely back on track.
ReplyDeleteThe sewing machine situation is really tough. I have what I refer to as "the fleet" . . . a couple extra auction finds that were clean, well-cared for, and run like a top! They aren't fancy . . . just reliable!
Yep, I think I'd get rid of those clips!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the machine. My 1230 is threatening to go out and I know it's the foot pedal too. I hope the guy surprises you and has it fixed early.
Judy L.
Not a good week Bonnie ! Lets hope this is the last fall and that by some miracle the man fixes your Bernie really fast
ReplyDeleteOh, no! It's been going around blogland lately, the busted machine and long miserable wait period. I'm so sorry. Mine decided to break down on Mother's Day... but it's back now, thank god.
ReplyDeleteHope your knee is doing much better by now!
I'm so sorry your machines are sick Bonnie. I've been having trouble too. My Kenmore's reverse hasn't worked in at least a decade, but I've left it alone. Somehow I got this bright idea that I should try it again to see what would happen. Now the feed dogs have dropped and won't come back up. :(
ReplyDeleteI figured I should get my mind off the Kenmore, so I did a load of laundry. The dryer doesn't work. It is dead, it doesn't do anything. So I tried to post a blog, and the picture thing doesn't work. Hopefully for both of us bad things happen in threes and there is nothing else.
Hi, Bonnie. I just discovered your blog and have enjoyed your entries. I can TOTALLY relate to those toe clips! I had never had them before, and when we moved near a bike path I borrowed a friend's mountain bike until I was willing to commit to buying my own. I tried to bike without putting my feet in the clips and my husband fussed so much about it that I finally said "FINE!" I put my toes in the clips and promptly fell over, unable to get my feet out of the clips in time to brace myself. I finally got used to them, but you definitely need to have smooth soled running shoes on-- I found anything with a tread just got caught in the cages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great blog! I will be sure to check back frequently for updates!
-Dawn