Yesterday we went to Topeka and picked up the sewing machine. It actually is a old Dial N Sew. No longer being made, ironically though the company is still in business just making other things, and is located in St. Louis. I am going to contact the company about possibly getting a user manual. The man's house was quite cluttered and a bit smelly from all his animals, three dogs and three cats, all indoors, with the litter box right behind me at the door! It was quite fragrant to say the least. Add that to the clutter, dust, etc. The poor guy needs fly lady. He had a house full of sewing machines though! lol I may buy more from him later if this one turns out good. He had a Nechi had I had the extra money I would of bought from him. I hope he gets a bernina or elna though! But, hmmm maybe a Neechi or Pfaft is something to consider as well... I don't know.
Thankfully the man taught me to thread the machine. It's quite the ordeal. It has a total of ten holes, and slots to go through, before reaching the needle. I must say though with all those turns and curves, and all it doesn't come unthreaded constantly like my brother! Thankfully the man left it threaded for me, but some how on the way home it came unthreaded! At first I was a little intimidated about remembering it all, and said to Vince we should of just video taped him threading it! lol haha But, whew thankfully with a little prodding my memory I remembered what he said and got it done. Then I decided I better change needles, as the one on there was a big ol' needle for doing denim and canvas and the like. So I took it off and put on a smaller medium sized universal needle. That took me a while as the oil he put on it kept making the needle slip out of my hand. And um this is the first time for me putting a needle on a machine since like middle school! But, got it done.
Before all that though I wiped every thing down with alcohol and disinfected it. The inside does look pretty clean though, and the outside is not that bad...but with all the animals and such...it did have a "smell" to it. It's aired out though and the disinfecting seemed to of helped.
Then I spent most the afternoon working on getting the right tension for my weight of thread and fabric. Finally got it how I wanted. Even though I was beginning to wonder if I would ever figure that out!
I think I thoroughly have it down pat how to thread the machine now as I have went through about three different colors of thread today and one of them I put on about three different times, going back and forth weather to use it or not, not wanting to waste it on practice. haha
After all that I finally started really sewing on it. I did a zig zag on some FOE for the nursing openings of my next night gown. Worked great! I am quite happy with the machine now! I'm glad I had the Sew In at Needle Nook last week as well, cause I must say it's features are a lot like the Bernina 817 and I wouldn't of known how to use the left and right needle positions if it hadn't been for Anne showing me that just last week! So I used it tonight on my FOE! Worked great! A lot of newer and cheaper machines today don't have the left, right and middle needle position options. To be quite honest I really didn't think I would use it much when Anne showed it to me last week, but after using it on my machine today I can see I will use that feature a TON! After getting the tension all set up correctly I am not having near the problems I was constantly having with the Brother, things like the thread getting tangled up in the bobbin, (although that did happen a few times when I was working on the tension getting just right, and oh a huge mistake I made, when I was cleaning the thread out from that, I forgot I had moved the little things back from the bobbin casing to get the thread out, cause it came out with out me removing the bobbin casing then I went to sew....and the whole casing flew out hitting me in the foot, I was sure I broke the needle, thankfully nothing bad, just had to find where the casing flew to, and put it all back together again......UHG I can't believe I didn't even remember moving those little things! I will always double check now!) and it just keeps on going through thick stuff and every thing! I am loving it. And it's heavy as a bear! I can barely even lean it back to look under it, it's so heavy!
I also really didn't think I would care for the knee control, but actually I am beginning to like it better then a foot peddle. It's always where I left it! It did take a little while for me to find my way of getting the speed to be just right for what I wanted it. I was so used to a foot peddle the knee did take me a little bit to get it just right speed control. But, really less then a day, and I think I have it? Not bad. However, I must say every time I go to sew my foot still does just go out in search of the peddle at first, instead of moving my knee to the side! lol
It also has 39 different kind of stitches, I am doubting I will ever use any except for straight and zig zag but they are there. None of them are really cute though, no ducks, bows, or curly cues. Mainly geometrics. If I was in to southwest decor they would be perfect-southwest geometric designs, trees, half moons and such as that is what they mainly consist of. I never really cared about all those fancy stitches though so it's ok. However, wouldn't mind the ducks and bows! lol haha
Went to Joann's today and got thread as I forgot to get the colors I needed for the next two night gowns. I seen fabric I am going to go back and get for another cotton gown too. I wanted to get it today but between money, this light that was blinking so much I thought I was going to have a seizure (a old light bulb about to go out, the tube fluorescent kind) and it being so hot in the store, being 110 here the mall never has any good AC and it was hot as hades in there! I just couldn't take it any more, and got the thread and left. I did let the girls know why though. I just couldn't take that blinking light any more, it was making my eyes go buggy and I couldn't even focus, I asked if they could just at least unscrew it and they said it was against mall policy that a mall maintenance man had to do it, and that they don't work on weekends! UHG! Add that to the heat, and I just couldn't keep shopping. I came out so wet from sweat, Vince asked what happened. I told him it was HOT in there! But, I did I think locate some cotton I will use, I just want to find a contrast yoke fabric as I think it's cute to have a contrasting yoke to body. Probably go back later this week or next.
Well, better get to sleep, I can't wait to play some more on my machine tomorrow!
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