The Switch
I saw a cute design for a child’s mask the other day on the Bernina blog. Knowing our smallest friend was about to return to school, I thought I’d make her a little kitten mask, just in case she needed one. I cut out the pieces and went to start sewing…
Disaster. For some reason my machine was not wanting to play. The needle wasn’t in the right place and a phone call to the experts suggested that perhaps the firmware needed an update - we are effectively dealing with a computer here. I tried a couple of things with telephone support but ultimately, I think all agreed it was going to need a visit to the workshop for a service and an update. The workshop is currently closed, however, so we put a date in the diary in the hope of a return to “normal” soon and I decided that it would be no problem as I’d get “one of” my older machines out.
It took me quite some time to pack my 880 machine up, to find the case (and to clean all the spiders webs and other debris from under the table!) My Hero lifted my 1630 into place and I unpacked it, ready to sew.
Normally, my huge (578cm wide, 16kg) sewing machine sits on that worktable all the time and I’ve got used to seeing it there as I sit at my desk across the room. It’s six years since I brought it home but I still think of it as a new machine and hadn’t realised how accustomed to it I had become. Replacing it with my older 1630 model on the table for now, my first reaction was how small this one is! I plugged the cute little machine in, set it up and switched it on.
A beautiful stitch first time, right out of the case. I have always loved my 1630 and would have continued to use it as my main machine had it not been for Bernina no longer supporting this model and no spares being available for it should it break. It’s a great “spare” though and I was pleased to reaquaint myself with it.
Before I could get going though, I needed to thread it up with the right colour cotton - find a bobbin to fit in it. Now, where had I put those? I opened a drawer and saw a small box of bobbins and other bits and pieces, so I pulled the drawer out thinking that had been easier than I’d feared. In the light however, I realised that label on the box said 1030 and not 1630 - these were bits for my other, even older machine. At this point, I might have thought of my friend Clicky Needles who has a whole fmaily of sewing machines - I wondered how on earth she keeps track of all the bits and pieces that are unique to each machine.
The next drawer I opened had the bits I’d been looking for - but no bobbin with black thread on it. On to the next challenge then!
It’s surprising how quickly we forget these things - not that it’s a difficult process, but I’ve rather got used to all the electronic cleverness of my current machine and had to work out how to thread it all again.
No automatic threader either! I’ve also got used to pressing a button and the needle being magically threaded for me - but this little tool which sits in a slot on one side of the 1630 is a clever little gadget and once you’ve got the knack of using it (it took a while!) it works perfectly first time every time.
Fortunately I’d remembered where I’d put my collection of 1630 presser feet and found a couple I needed - I planned to use the cording foot for the kitten’s features and the open toe foot to applique the nose and cheeks.
After all of that, I was ready to start sewing. Except it was lunchtime!
