Something borrowed...

The FabricLady and I are new friends, collaborators and all around fans of everything "sewing". She is a testament to the success of women in business who work hard, evidenced by the crowds of fellow seamstresses and quilters lined up every day at her downtown Berkeley store, StoneMountain and Daughter Fabrics.

Suzan is generous to a fault, so taking advantage of our fledgling friendship was the farthest thing from my mind. But when my own Viking went kaput last week, she brought her faithful "Scarlet Begonias" out of the closet for me to use while The Viking is being repaired. I drove down to pick her up on Tuesday, as I had already lost several sewing days drowning in my despair over The Viking's "issues".

Scarlet made herself at home on my sewing table...she seemed comfortable.  I installed a new Ikea light above her, plugged her in and spent the next hour and a half working with her dials and settings, testing her stitches on various fabrics, adjusting as needed. We were all getting along so swimmingly.

I did some research online to clarify her threading instructions, and learned that she was manufactured in 1983, a model 6690 Viking. Suzan verified that she bought her back in 80's for a pretty penny...women who sew do that...nothing but the best machine, the newest, the fastest, the most features, etc. I spent a boatload on my own Viking seven years ago, so I understand.

But I digress. I was just getting ready to email Suzan that Scarlet and I were getting ready to rock and roll.  I turned my back on her to head for the computer. I heard what I thought was a crackling sound...then another. Then "kerPOP!". Very loud. I whizzed around and to my horror, Scarlet was smoking from every nook and cranny of her heavy steel frame.

HOLY )(*@^)&*(@%*$_@)&!!!!!! I ran over, quickly unplugged her as she filled my sewing room with smelly, "electrical fire" smoke. And she was hot - if she had been a newer Viking, she would have melted.  I quickly snapped a photo (we bloggers never miss an opportunity) and decided she might explode, so I grabbed her and took her out to the courtyard on the cement.

As watched her steam on the steps of my courtyard, I couldn't help myself...I started to laugh...not the "ha, ha, isn't that funny" kinda laugh, but the crazy, insane, WTF kind of laugh you have when things just keep imploding on your life.

I am not totally a believer in karma, but I began to wonder if I have a Viking curse of some kind or just bad sewing "Juju" as I stared at Suzan's now completely disabled machine.  Was it something I said?  Did I not thank her enough for coming to my rescue??

Alas, I am out of business AGAIN.  I called Suzan and gave her the bad news, and in between our gales of laughter, a part of me was sad that another workhorse machine had, for all intents and purposes, died.  I don't think even Bill can fix her....but then again, she does sport a Grateful Dead sticker on her frame, and we all know that Jerry Garcia lives on. Never say die.

Today, I think I'll take a break, maybe go to an art museum, stroll in midtown, buy some beads, sip a latte. Maybe I'll pray about it. Or go play golf... At any rate, my daughter-in-law is bringing my old Viking back - I gave it to her several years ago. I wonder if I can blow that puppy up???

Dave thinks I should try hand sewing for a while.

Laurel. The revolt of the machines is alive and well here at the Hacienda.