7/18/09

Lane is a very, very, very bad boy...

Okay, you know how you want something, but you don't NEED it, so you don't get it. Well, until you find it at a really good price. I couldn't help it. I've wanted a featherweight since I first started hearing people talk about them on quilt blogs. It's very light, although not quite as light as I expected. And, I don't have a quarter inch foot for it, but I found a place to buy one. It will be great for taking when my mentor and I sew, or when I want to take a machine on a driving trip. If you have a minute, I can justify this a hundred different ways.



When we found it, I walked right away because the price was more than I wanted to pay, so as we walked through the rest of the city wide garage sale, I thought about what I'd be willing to pay...maximum. So, when we'd looked at everything in the place and I'd only found a table cloth and a cheap ring, I went back and offered the guy less than my maximum and he countered and I countered and I sent Rob to the car for my checkbook. While I waited, the man's wife showed me how to thread it and use it and oil it and was starting to teach me to sew when I gently explained I'd been a quilter for years. They had the card table that is built for it to sit into, but that would have been another $85 firm and while I'll kick myself in the rear for not spending it, I just couldn't justify it for what I plan to use it for. It's not my main machine, after all. There are a few pin scratches on the machine bed and some rubbing on about an inch of the gold decals, but all the electrical parts look brand new and it's clearly been well cared for. And, the case doesn't have a mark on it. It came with all the original attachments, which I'll never use, and a zig-zagger and a button holer. Again, things I'll probably never use. But, I'm pretty excited! When I got it home, I lubed and oiled and cleaned the insides up, using instructions found on the internet where I also found out it was made in 1956 and I just finished piecing an orange peel piece with it. Worked like a charm.
And, hey, so what's a couple of weeks of balogna sandwiches compared to a new toy.
Y'all take care and have a great rest of your weekend. I did not get to sew with my mentor today. Hopefully, we'll try again next week.
Lane

9 comments:

Hazel said...

It's beautiful I've wanted one for a long time but here in Canada there very expensive .Don't feel guilty we all should treat ourselves once in awhile , you deserve it .Do you know there is a Yahoo group for featherweights ,I bet there is all kinds of information on there .Enjoy it Lane its worth the balogna sandwiches .

Shirley said...

Great buy Lane! I've always wanted one but I want the anniversary edition one that was made in 1951 (same year as me *LOL*). We just don't have the $ right now for me to get one but I sure love the look of them and a friend has one that she uses for classes all the time.

Becky said...

What a find, Lane!!! You had a great day at the garage sale for sure! Enjoy!

Quiltluver said...

I've always admired others with those machines in quilt class. Sometimes you just have to go with your instinct. I imagine if you didn't buy it, you would be beating yourself up right now. Enjoy it! I did the same thing a few years ago, only my purchase was the Bernina. I've enjoyed it very much. Now, if I could only master the FMQ I bought it for.
Thanks for the computer tip. I've fooled with it enough to know that it probably needs to be reformatted with Windows. Processes are sucking up 100% cpu time, and Windows is acting funky. For now, it's working. Karen

marlene@ByTheSeam said...

Just enjoy it now that you have it. I am glad you got it.

My name is Riet said...

Congratulations Lane. It is good to spoil yourself now and then. I don't know anything about featherweights, it actually looks like an old sewingmachine to me, but there must be something that people go for.....
Have fun.

Molly said...

Oh Lane, good for you!! What a great find, and I know you will have lots of fun with it. When I got my first one I couldn't sleep a wink that night, I finally got up and went and played with it. I'm so proud for you. Congrats

Vesuviusmama said...

It's beautiful, Lane. I'm still holding out hope that I'll own one someday. First, I need to get my treadle sewing machine refurbished, though. I can't really justify having a machine in the house that I can't actually use.

Nancy-Rose said...

You got a GOOOOOD deal.

Want to hear my confession? I bought a Featherweight last year, and haven't test driven it yet. Can you believe that?!?!?!