I Feel SEW Much Better

A few weeks ago, Winona emailed me with a question about her sewing machine. Seems her up/down button stopped working, and she wondered if I had any ideas. Well, I usually work on vintage sewing machines, and I can clean the newer ones, but that’s about it. I told her I had bought one off ebay a few years ago that had the same problem. I bought it, because I had bought the same model machine new for a friend about 4-5 years ago, and I knew it was an awesome machine from watching  her use it. At the time I bought it for a friend, I didn’t know it had the start/stop feature, or anything about it, for that matter. (Did you know Kenmore machines are made by Janome exclusively for Sears?)

Post Script: A good friend of mine said she had heard that Janome was not making machines for Sears anymore, so I emailed Sears and asked. This is their reply:

I thank you for your continued interest in the sewing machines from Kenmore and Sears. Janome is the manufacturer of most of the Kenmore branded sewing machines. I hope this information has been helpful to you. Roxane D.

My main sewing machine is a Janome 6600. My husband lowered into a custom sewing table for me, and I love the needle up/down feature. I also love the start/stop button. There are so many things I love about this machine.

When I bought the Kenmore 16231 model pictured way above for me, I felt the normal guilt I feel when I buy retail, and I put it on a shelf, thinking I would use it for a retreat/traveling machine. Last February, I was invited to a retreat. I pulled the Kenmore 16231 machine out and thought, ‘Well, I guess I should try this baby out!’ Guess what? The needle up/down button didn’t work. The start/stop button worked. (Did you know you have to unplug your foot control for the start/stop button to work?) Well, I love my up/down button, and I use it all the time, so I disappointedly put the machine back on the shelf, thinking that ‘someday’ I would get brave and take a sledgehammer to it try to figure out how to get the case off of it and see if it was disconnected, or if my hubby could figure out how to fix it. That was 7 months ago.

A few days after Winona emailed me, she emailed me again and said that she had figured her machine out. Her bobbin winder was not in the ‘off’ position. Her machine would not function that way. As soon as she pushed the winder back, her up/down button worked. Hallelujah!

Tonight, I looked at the mess in my quilting area. I have been moving things around on shelves, and trying to get better organized. My husband went to play pool with some friends, and I pulled the machine off the shelf to see if my machine had the same problem at Winona. GUESS WHAT???? Oh happy day!!!! The bobbin winder was in the wind position!! I pushed it back over, plugged it in, and my up/down button works!

When Winona figured it out, she said it was just one of her DUH moments.

Well, sweetie, your DUH moment fixed my problem, so thank you for sharing your experience with me! I will be using this machine more now.

In other news. I have had some health issues in the past couple months. I’ve had a few doctor appointments over that time, went to see a specialist, and although things seemed to be getting better, the specialist recommended a procedure. I had that done today, and I am happy *overjoyed* to report I am perfectly healthy. Thanks to all those who prayed for me, kept me in their thoughts, and let me know they cared.  Prayer is powerful! I love you all!

Have a great weekend!

Michelle

overjoyed

adjective:

 delighted, happy, pleased, thrilled, ecstatic, jubilant, joyous, joyful, elated, over the moon (informal), euphoric, rapturous, rapt, only too happy, gladdened, on cloud nine (informal), transported, cock-a-hoop, blissed out, in raptures, tickled pink (informal), deliriously happy, in seventh heaven, floating on air