Saturday, April 6, 2013

… memories. . . old ones & new ones











Whew!. . . what a busy week this has been!

As I was finishing the quilting for the 'Remember 'Whooo' Loves You' quilt for my newest little grand-nephew, my trusty Bernina died.
. . . out of the blue.
. . . no warning.
I was quilting along one minute & the next *poof* . . .  & nothing.
At first I thought that maybe the foot pedal cord had come loose, but nope.
After checking everything & anything it could be - I gave up. It would have to be taken in to the Bernina doctor. 
In my desperation to finish my quilting (as I only had one more day to finish the quilt!), I went out into the garage where I've stored the first sewing machine I ever owned, a Kenmore that I bought with $99 of my high school graduation gift-money.


Bless it's little sewing machine heart. . . even after about 10 years of being stored, it worked wonderfully. I un-earthed the free-motion foot I had for it & we finished up the quilting with no problems. (For the baby quilts - I simply quilt an allover cloud/popcorn design. . . one that withstands a lot of washing.)
But. . . just to show my appreciation to my little Kenmore - I pulled out the manual & I'm going to give it an all over oiling. It didn't give me any problems while we were sewing, but I thought that after having to live in the garage where the temps get really (really) hot in the summer. . . it deserves it.

I actually loved using it again. It brought back so many memories, & using it was like riding a bike. I remembered right way how it was threaded, & the differences with it & my Bernina. So, for now, (& maybe longer - depending on what the diagnosis is for my Bernina),  it will have it's well earned place on my sewing table. It's such a little trouper!
(. . . if only it had a buttonhole stitch!)

The quilt did get finished, washed & I carried it onto the plane on Wednesday, when Dad & I flew over to San Diego to meet Samuel (or as his brother call him - Baby Sam).
It was a long, but wonderful day (we flew home late that evening), & now little Samuel is also wrapped in memory of the loving arms of my Mom. (you can read about that here.)

The last photo is of my Dad & three of his four great-grandkids. (He's holding Samuel.)
What I love about that photo is that both of the other 'grands' had "foodie's" all over their hands (buttered biscuit on one & grapefruit on the other's). . . & they both grabbed onto Dad's trouser legs for this photo. :o) They did it so fast & at the same time, so there was nothing we could do but giggle!

Great memories.

Hope your weekend brings you some precious memories too.

Bren

12 comments:

Auntie Pami said...

Hope your baby gets well soon.

Cathy said...

My first sewing machine was a Kenmore, bought with my babysitting money during the summer between 10th and 11th grade. And though I've "upgraded" to a Bernina, I still have the Kenmore, in reserved for an emergency.

luvtoquilt said...

I, too started out with a Kenmore. When I purchased my Bernina, my daughter took over the Kenmore -- still works just great! Love the picture of your dad with the little ones. As I've share with you in the past, both of my granddaughters have the "Remember Who Loves You" quilt. Again, thanks for creating this special quilt!

Judy1522 said...

I still have my first sewing machine which is a Kenmore that I purchased with money I earned from a summer job that I had when I was about 15. The picture of your dad with his great-grandkids is sweet.

Louise said...

I thought my sister started out with a Kenmore but on second thought I believe it was a Montgomery Ward...gave her many hours of stitching though throughout her children's young years. What a wonderful photo of your Dad with the children. A fast flight but worth every mile I bet! Meanwhile we were in your corner of the world for the week prior to Easter. The warm sunshine gave us a chance to get a good
dose of vitamin D.

Vicky said...

Yep, I have a Kenmore, too, stored away. The last time I plugged her in, she sewed like a charm. What a precious picture of Dad and the little ones!

Jenny of Elefantz said...

So many wonderful things here to thank God for, Bren! Your quilt got finished thanks to that Kenmore trooper, and the visit to love and hug those gorgeous little dumplings. What blessings, my friend! xx

Delcia R. said...

My 38 year old Elna had a hook tension problem--occurred after using my twin needle on a baby jacket edge finish. So after the fix it shop had a 2 wk. backlog (I wanted to sew NOW), I Googled the problem and a sewer's fixit hubby's video had me getting inside my machine. A few allen wrench turns later and a lot of luck, it sews again! Needless to say, I'll think twice before using that needle again. I had visions of having to look for a new machine--which may be a good idea before it goes quits unexpectedly.
LOVE the picture of your dad with the grandkids! The colors in your quilt make me want to make one for our daughter (so what if she's 20).

Belle and Buttercup said...

I LOVE your Remember Whooo Loves you quilt! My first niece is arriving in August and I may have to make her one using some Hill Farm or Durham Anew. And good luck to your Bernina - I hope it's home again soon!

Sewn With Grace said...

I loved reading your post today, from the gorgeous quilt to the precious photo, it filled me up just how I needed it today. Thank you!

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

I purchase a very similar Kenmore at an estate sale in FL so I don't have to haul my machine back and forth - I love it.
The photo of your dad with the grands is so sweet - thanks for sharing.

Michelle said...

Those owls are so adorable!