The Germs Are A Flyin
Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been a bit lax at reading and commenting on your blog posts. Unfortunately I’ve been ill. My lack of energy kept me from doing anything but relaxing on my couch. Thankfully I have turned the corner and am finally on the mend. This uptick in energy has helped me to catchup on my reading and my interactions with your posts.
Just Before
Shortly before hitting the wall I was working on finishing up three on-going art pieces as well as a brand new one. All that was left to do on the on-going art pieces was the hand stitching. The new art piece had reached the quilting stage.
The plan was to quilt my project using my Pfaff Performance 5.0 because the piece was too small for my longarm machine. Sadly the machine had begun to have issues; issues that I couldn’t ignore. Even though I had been doing regular maintenance the machine just wouldn’t cooperate.
After ripping-out my quilting twice I finally threw in the towel and admitted the repair shop was my only alternative. Sad as it was to be without my workhorse I knew I could always rely my old sewing machine, or could I?
My Backup
Knowing that I needed to put it back into use I went to my storage closet to remove my Pfaff 1475CD. This trusty machine has been with me since the early 1990’s. I’ve successfully used it to create many, many items.
The machine had been sitting idle for more than a year which meant it would probably need a bit of cleaning. I removed the cover and layers of dust that had gathered. Next I checked for any lint accumulation that may have been forgotten, replaced the needle, wound a bobbin, threaded the machine and grabbed my art piece. As I released the lever that suspended the presser foot in mid-air I assumed the shaft would slide down and engage the presser foot with my fabric. After releasing the lever I waited, and I waited, and I waited but that little critter refused to go down on its own. Who would have thought that my second machine wouldn’t work either?
Time to Dismantle
Since the warranty on my Pfaff 1475CD had expired eons ago I figured I might as well attempt to troubleshoot the problem. I did research on the internet to find a solution. Through my searching I discovered that this is a common problem with this machine. Using the knowledge I acquired I proceeded to disassemble the machine.
I followed all of the suggestions, even enlisting the assistance of my hubby to try to revive my machine. After days of oiling, cleaning, poking and prodding we came to the conclusion that the issue was beyond our abilities. I bet you can guess what happened next…that’s right! Not only did my Pfaff Performance 5.0 take a ride to the repair shop but so did this one.
To the Rescue
I was so distraught. The thought of being without my machines for three weeks along with the fatigue of my illness was more than I could bear. Tears came rolling down my face as I struggled with my emotional dilemma. I shared my issue with my family via iMessage. In no time my oldest daughter was offering me the opportunity to use one of hers. I did accept her offer and made arrangements to bring one of her sewing machines home. Having her machine available means the next three weeks, sans my own machines, will be less painful.
Tin Lizzie
Since I’m on the subject of ailing sewing machines I thought I might as well give an update on my Tin Lizzie.
For a while I have been sharing the troubles I have been experiencing with my longarm quilt machine. My machine has been randomly deciding not to turn on. I reached out to the company for assistance but received very little if any response. Thankfully the issue I was having was intermittent.
One day, out-of-the-blue, I received a random phone call from my Tin Lizzie repairman. I was absolutely aghast to hear from him because my previous cries for help had gone unanswered. As our conversation progressed it was obvious he was oblivious to my issues. His reason for calling was totally unrelated. Thankfully he promptly made an appointment to stop by to trouble-shoot my machine.
After diagnosing the performance of my Tin Lizzie he was able to determine that there were parts in the motor which needed replacing. Thank goodness there was actually something wrong and it wasn’t just my crazy thinking. He immediately placed a call to order the parts. As soon as they arrive he will stop back to install them. I plan on enticing him to checkout a few more things while he is here, just because. My warranty expires in a few short months so it’s now or never.
Who would have ever thought that all three of my machines would have issues at the same time!!!
Thank You!
Thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder! I really needed the support.
Talk with you soon!
Wow feeling ill and your machines were acting up – sorry to hear of the double whammy and I hope you are on the mend and your machines behave so you can keep up the inspiring creativity 🙂
Tierney, I am feeling much better. Still waiting for my buddies to come back home all fixed. 🙂
Glad you are on the mend. Hope you allow yourself to fully recover. I know it is frustrating when the tools don’t work…especially when you are on a creative roll. It’s a good thing you have a good repairman for your machines…three weeks though…wow…he must be superb and in demand. Sorry to hear about the Tin Lizzie. One of the things I am noticing with many businesses is the lack of customer service. The time has come to put the customer and service back in this concept…from banking to repair to hospitality and on and on to everyone that depends on customers.
Thank you! I am taking time to relax. We rely on machines so much in our lives. Unfortunately they don’t last as long as they used to and, as you have said, customer service is lacking. There aren’t a lot of certified Pfaff repairmen, thus huge backlogs for repairs. I have to tell myself to relax and be patient. 😊
I’m so grateful to have an excellent repairman who lets me make an appointment and cleans and fixes while I hang out around the town where he’s located. I’ve never had to leave my machine, and I don’t know if I actually could!
Susan, lucky you! It is hard to leave it, especially for weeks. But it’s my only option. 😁
And all this with sick and post-sick, not a time when we can handle small ant hills, let alone giant mountains. I would have had a really good cry myself! Thank goodness for a daughter who walks in her mom’s footsteps with multiple machines. I’m so aghast at the response from Tin Lizzie, a company I’ve always heard such wonderful things about, as far as customer service. I’m surprised there are mechanical issues when the machine isn’t that old, too. I’m glad the story is having a happy ending. I hope all these repairs aren’t wiping out your retirement savings. =P
Sometimes ant hills seem like sky scrapers. All we have to do is look around and someone is bound to be struggling with something worse. I’m am very thankful for all of my daughters. They are very supportive. I think my TL has had issues since day one! I guess I should have been a pistol about it. Hard to when nobody is listening though. Perhaps my machine is a lemon. My retirement is intact. 😊 ❤️
WOW. A lot all at once. Hopefully you are done for a while. Feel better.
I agree! That’s enough. Thank You!
Hi Cindy,
Holy moly! I am stressed just reading this – all three out of service at the same time?! How is that even possible. I am freaking about taking my machine in for service while we go on vacation in June, and that is a planned one. Waaaaaaa – I’m crying for you. How nice that DD would offer you one of hers! {{Hugs}} That coupled with not feeling well is just too much. ~smile~ Roseanne
Murphy’s Law I guess! Time to make lemonade. 😊
‘When it rains, it pours.” Unfortunately, you were stuck inside without a cozy sewing machine (of any sort!) to keep you happily busy.
Hope you’re feeling better.
It sure does! What are the odds? LOL! 😊
Everything seems worse when you’re sick… I can’t wait to see your designs come to life when you’re up and running!
It does! Thank you! 😊
Sounds terrible!!! Worse than when your have to wipe your computer clean! I hope you end up with two good as new machines.
I think that is very possible! Thank you!
I’m sorry you’ve been ill and that you are without your machines. Your daughter was so sweet to come to your rescue! Hope you will be up and running soon.
She was! Thank you for your well wishes! 😊