The Last Stitch

Last week my sewing machine officially died. In our our house, this sort of declaration is a big deal. "We" don't ever throw ANYTHING away, "we" just keep fixing it. Therefore, I have the good fortune of never having to inconvenience myself with selecting a shiny new dishwasher or fancy washer and dryer... sigh.

Now, the White 999 Precision Built (debatable) Zigzag lived a VERY LONG life. Before I inherited her, she belonged to the deceased great-aunt of a long-ago boyfriend. It's important to note that when I received this sewing machine, it was a vast improvement upon the one I had been using, which only sewed in reverse.

The old girl has never worked all that well. I have always spent as much time untangling messes as I have actually sewing. In spite of that, I have been able to make a few pieces of clothing and some toys for the kids. I bought a great kids' clothing book a few weeks ago and could not wait to make a dress for Addie. It seems the White 999 was in no mood.

Aidan, my machine-loving cohort, is always interested in how everything works. I am forever picking up bobbins and spools of thread scattered all over the place. I told him that the time had come to take the old girl apart. He worked for three solid hours today unscrewing anything he could reach and had a BLAST! I think it was the most fun anyone has ever had with that old machine. We finally packed her various parts and pieces up into an old bird seed box and washed our greasy hands. I did tell Aidan that this was a "one day" project. Tomorrow, we are putting the box to the curb to, "let some other friends have a chance to take her apart".

Coincidentally, my birthday is coming up soon and I have made subtle suggestions that I could really use a new sewing machine. So, if you happen to run into Matt in a craft store, remind him what a wonderful wife he has, then shove him towards the Berninas.