I’ve been working hard on the fourth quilt in my Venetian lace series. It’s progressing quite nicely. The stitches were flowing smoothly and gently from underneath the needle of my machine when the trouble began. Suddenly, the track-ball of my beloved Bernina 1530 refused to budge. No matter how I coaxed it, cooed to it, cajoled or caressed it, it just wouldn’t move. Damn! Time for repair!
And then I realized it. I haven’t been following my own advice. I always tell my students how important it is to bring their machines in for a day of beauty once a year. A yearly tune-up is so very important! With my move to Vermont, and then back here to Westchester again, I completely forgot to get my machine serviced! It was due to be done at least a year and a half ago, when I began having trouble with the foot pedal. Instead of having it taken care of immediately right then and there, I put it off. With a move imminent, and so much to do, I decided instead to simply switch the foot with the one from my other machine, a 1630. And I’ve been using the other foot pedal with my 1530 ever since.
So the time has come to bring my darling machine to the shop for a cleaning and repair — and this time, I’ll be bringing the machine to a shop I’ve never used before, since I live much further south in Westchester county than I used to. It’s a bit scary using a new service tech. It’s sort of like a new surgeon operating on a favorite body part. In fact, I remember feeling just this way just before my carpal tunnel surgery!
Well, at least I have the 1630 to use until the repair is completed. I like the machine, and I did buy it years ago for just such an emergency, but it doesn’t feel like an extension of my hands, the way my 1530 does. Even though the two machines are so very similar, the feel is different. The motor moves just a little bit differently, and I have to really think about each movement, instead of just letting it happen naturally.
Well, hopefully my faithful 1530 will simply need a cleaning to be back to her old self. And hopefully, that foot pedal problem will be a simple fix, too. My fingers would be crossed if I didn’t need them to continue working!