This morning I had plans! I was going to sew. I have been doing a bit of organizing (fabrics, projects, etc.). But this morning, I had plans to sew. It was going to be a productive morning! And then…
I sewed two seams. I had noticed that my machine sounded a little different, but not clacking or clicking. Just different. I looked at the back of the seams, and sure enough, there were major tension problems. I pulled out the bobbin, and it was very close to being out, so I originally thought that was the issue.
So I was getting another bobbin ready, and then I got ready to re-thread the machine. And that’s when I noticed the broken thread sticking up out of the guide/take-up lever area. It was a different color than the thread I’d been using, which was a major red flag. It was from an extra spool I had used for a bit and then set aside. Apparently not far enough aside.
I could not remove the thread without breaking it. No matter how much I moved the take-up lever back and forth, it would not budge.
I called Mid-South Sewing in Murfreesboro. I know they don’t sell Pfaff machines, but I asked if it was possible that they night look at my machine. I spoke with the man who services and repairs machines, and he graciously agreed to look at it even though their service schedule was about three weeks out.
We hopped in the car and made the drive over, and after he finished up with another customer who was there, he opened up my machine and saw the thread wrapped many times around that take-up lever. He worked on it for at least 15 minutes, maybe more, and was finally able to pick out all the little pieces (it wouldn’t just come out in one piece). He was so pleasant the entire time, explaining what he was doing and showing me why Pfaffs are so difficult to work on. They are wonderful machines, but the space is tight to get to that take-up area. Once he finished, he tested it and it stitched beautifully again, motor purring in its normal sound.
I brought it home, and we had some lunch, then I spent the afternoon with my parents, updating their computer to Windows 11, and helping them add some free tv apps to their smart tvs (Tubi, PlutoTV, and the Roku Channel). We’ve been watching Benson on The Roku Channel, and Dad was interested in having some older tv shows to watch. There is so very little on television these days that we’ve been going back and watching older shows ourselves. Some favorites (Frasier, The Mentalist), and some that we’ve never watched all the way through (The Six Million Dollar Man, Benson), only some episodes here and there. It’s been very refreshing.
I had a really nice visit with Mom and Dad. Mom picked out some potential buttons for her cardigan (once I can finally get back to working on it). The thumb is not as swollen as it was, but it still aches. I’ve tried knitting a little, but I usually have to put it down fairly quickly so the pain doesn’t flare up.
The week is filling up with activities and appointments. I hope to get a little more sewing in here and there. We’ll see how things go.