Update: First Time Sewing

I'm giving my first time sewing, a whirl!

Our week with the blue monster sewing machine, I coin this phrase out of respect, is nearing the end.

Carolle and I rented this Sailrite sewing machine from Mason Sewing Machines in Vancouver, and preceded to make enough inner tube stock for the upcoming craft shows. Our first show is June 23 at the MEC BikeFest.

As I write this post, Carolle is finishing up on a new design we started at 3:30pm. Now, it's 6:41pm and we're almost done. We've tabulated the time spent and we figure seven days at 10 hours = average time spent with the blue monster: 70 hours. Not bad, good (exhausting) time spent.

While Carolle was grappling with the blue monster I was directed, for the first time, on her sewing machine. I've never used a sewing machine until now. I discovered fun and frustration trying to grasp threading, learning zig-zag & straight stitch, filling countless empty bobbins, screaming with broken thread, and re-gaining my composure. Really, the bottom line it's fun, the steep learning curve aside. I learned how much fun her machine is, it's forty-four years old. I guess it's liken to an old Italian steel bike, hint: my Marinoni. She takes very good almost god-like care with it; cleaning, oiling it basically pampering it with the knowledge that it will return the favor. And, it does. Something about an mechanical machine devoid of plastic it's all metal and built tank tough.

She experienced, for the first time, the uncanny displacement of hearing her sewing machine without working with it. Carolle still finds it weird.

I had my turn at the blue monster and I can tell you it's big, clunky, non-ergonomic, noisy (no complaints from our neighbours, yet) a sloth due to it's slow speed. But, it sure works well a good domestique in the line up of sewing machines. It will work with pretty much anything, as long as you feed it.

We've made incredible leaps at filling our rubber inner tube stocks including a some new products.

I'm feeling good putting out a full week's run with both machines going at the same time... and having fun with both!

Richard

A rare sight...

The Sailrite (aka blue monster) at rest.