Is it OK to mourn your sewing machine?

      I'm sitting here feeling kind of lost at the moment. My Bernina had a bad weekend and is in the shop for a while. I was free motion quilting and it started whistling. Not good. I googled "whistling sewing machine" and the best suggestion was to oil it. Well, Bernina users know that isn't possible except around the bobbin area so that's what I did. I took it apart, cleaned any visible lint and put a drop of oil. I ran the machine to spread the oil (that's what you're supposed to do) and then realized the thread had sucked in and was wrapped around the drive shaft thingy many many times. It was impossible to get it out. I ran it to see what would happen and now it whistles and clunks. So I had to stop immediately.
     To  make it worse I do have another machine that has been stored in Mitch's basement. Over the years I have looked for it and can't find it! Mitch is looking now also. But even if I do find it I will have to replace the foot pedal. It's electronic and has a problem--it has two speeds, off and zoom!
      There is another machine in my house. Emma's grandma gave it to her when she tried sewing but I tried to use it and it doesn't work. It's old and appears the major gear is shot so it is going bye-bye.
      And I may as well mention my Coeur d'Alene machine. It was a great machine and I'd use it when I was there. Last summer I packed up a project to work on and went to get the machine and it wasn't there. Mom said, "I must have given it away". Really?!!!! She has no memory of where my $500 machine went without asking me!
      I sent out an SOS to my quilt guild and a couple other friends and did get a referral to a guy who will come to your home but since I have been a very bad girl and haven't had it serviced in more years than I am willing to admit I felt it needed to go to the actual Bernina service center. That place is BUSY and it could be 2 weeks! I'm in mourning and wondering what to do with all my free time. I guess that binding will get done, huh? Or maybe I'll get more embroidery done on my crazy quilt? Or, heaven forbid, I might clean the house? (Nah...) or the crafting room?  So at the moment I sit and blog and pout. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and the machine will get fixed sooner rather than later! I have a deadline looming...

Threads=Inspiration

I just got home from an interesting Sunday afternoon activity. The owner of the Aurofil thread company was in town for a presentation at Emma's Quilt Cupboard.  http://www.aurifil.com/ I'm a sucker for anything that teaches how something is  made so I loved the video showing the factory and every step of the process. I will never take thread for granted again! I am definitely not a thread snob unless I am doing a decorative technique. I love my variegated threads for machine quilting and my fine threads for some machine quilting, but now I am wanting to upgrade! The trunk show of beautiful projects was so inspiring. I am briefly coveting an embroidery machine or longarm. Plus we all left with a sample pack of each weight of thread and a color card so now I will be dreaming of threads. Something tells me Aurofil will be on my wish list next Christmas!