Friday, January 15, 2010

diamond in the rough

I'll admit it - I actually look forward to my weekly trips to the local... dump. I know there are far more politically correct words to use to describe this bustling hub of waste shuffling activity, but come on - the place is a dump. Anyway...
I was cruising the metal pile a few months ago looking for anything that might lend itself to being useful - I've found file cabinets (heavy enough to anchor the Queen Mary), desks, chairs, buckets of nails... and also stuff that was just to cool not to bring home with me but would serve no practical purpose - rusty tricycles without pedals, wood stove parts and pieces, duct work...
Well, as I was in kind of a hurry to get the heck out of there (someone had just off-loaded a heap of not-so-fresh crab shells into the adjacent dumpster) I decided a drive-by with the windows rolled up would have to suffice. But then I saw it... in all it's eye-popping aqua-ness... right there on the edge of that tangled mass of corroded conduit and battered bed frames as if it had been placed there oh so gently for me to find...
Admittedly, my first thought was "that will make an amazing door-stop" - I mean the thing is 50lbs of solid metal and the thought that it might actually run hadn't dawned on me. Yet.
So home we went, but not before a brief detour to the Sew & Save Shop in downtown Ellsworth, Maine and my friendly sewing machine repairman who gave Old White a thorough inspection, hooked us up with a reconditioned foot pedal and announced "That's a fine machine you got there!". You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I just pulled it out of the metal pile about 15 minutes ago.
Long story short, it sews better than any machine I have ever used. It feeds beautifully, makes perfect stitches in the toughest of material, has a separate bobbin winder - not to mention it's downright gorgeous!
Funny thing is, I had been thinking seriously about purchasing a new machine for months. My WalMart-special Singer (it was a gift!) had been balking at the paces I was putting it through - it was never meant to sew the kind of stuff I sew - and I was surprised it had held up this long. But lack of funds and that little voice that was saying "wait..." prevented me from making that purchase. I'm ever so glad. I don't think I could have  found a machine more perfect for me!


8 comments:

  1. That machine is gorgeous, what a lucky find. Nice!

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  2. It really is amazing that someone would throw that AWAY! Lucky me!

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  3. I truly believe it was Divine intervention - the whole experience was almost surreal...

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  4. OMG!!!! that's amazing! and it's turquoise! what a beauty!

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  5. Oh it's truly a beauty! And amazing that it works too. I have no doubt that it was meant for you to find it! I loved reading this post -- very cool. --Lili

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  6. Glad you enjoyed this saga! As I said, I had been needing a more powerful machine and it was on my mind all the time (but in no way could I spare the money to purchase one)- I really think I just drew it right to me!

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