Sideways

 I am pretty sure we have all had a day that goes sideways, despite our best laid plans. My Friday was like that. My boss had encouraged me to start taking some of my vacation time, so we decided I would take Friday off.

I had it all planned out. I would get up, shower, strip the bed and change the sheets, go to the town hall to register my car, pick up a few things at the grocery store, then head to Bittersweet Fabrics to bring my Elna sewing machine for servicing. Then I would drive to Peterborough NH, where I would get some fresh herbs and flavored olive oils, have a good lunch, and then drive home. I even had a restaurant picked out.

The first distraction was when I decided I should make myself a cake. After all, I have a birthday coming up. I decided I would make Dorrie Greenspan's Celebration cake, and I would use lemon curd as a filling. That meant I needed to go to Angela's because I think Stonewall Kitchen makes the best lemon curd anywhere. I don't keep the stuff in the house because lemon is my favorite flavor, and I have absolutely no problem eating the stuff out of the jar every time I open the fridge.

This is the Cocoa Yogurt Cake with Coffee Glaze and Toasted Almonds from Yossy Arefi's book, "Snacking Cakes"

 
But that was a pretty fancy cake. I could make that for my birthday and bring it to work to share. I checked out the ingredients and added them to my grocery list. I could make a "snacking cake" to enjoy right away. I had all the ingredients, and I didn't even need to get my stand mixer out. So I make that and put it in the oven, then took a shower. When I got out of the shower I stripped the bed and put the sheets in the washing machine, like I do every Friday morning. About that time I got a text from the pharmacy saying one of my prescriptions had been automagically refilled and I could pick it up. I made a note to swing by the pharmacy on the way home from the grocery store.

So I got on the road about an hour later than planned. I drove to the town hall and registered the car. On the way to the grocery store I stopped at the local farm stand to buy some fresh corn on the cob. Then I hit the grocery store, and the pharmacy. I drove home, put the stuff way, and was about a quarter mile down the road when I realize I had forgotten the list of stuff I wanted to get in Peterborough.

I drove back to get it, then I was on the road to Bittersweet Fabrics in Boscawen NH, home of Dave, the Janome and Elna dealer. I've written about the shop before. You can read that here. I brought my machine in. Dave was right there, "Did you call and make an appointment?" he asked. I had not. I explained the problem, "It needs regular maintenance, and there's some thread stuck in it. Do you want me to show you where?" "No, I'll find it," Dave responded cheerfully. Dave is the very definition of cheerfulness. "It'll be next up on my bench," he said, "you can pick it up tomorrow, but we close at 1 PM, so make sure to get here before then."

Needless to say I was dumfounded. "OK," was all I could manage. Looking around, I saw one of my former students and beta testers, Marie. We chatted for a while, and she introduced me to Dave's wife, (whose name I have forgotten) Mrs Dave and I chatted about what kinds of quilts I made, and what kinds of classes I taught, and what kinds of tutorials I wrote.

Dave came up to me, "Are you going to be in the area for the next hour and a half," he asked? "I'm going to be working on your machine next, and you can come back and get it then." 

Again, I was dumbfounded. "Yes, I was heading out to Peterborough. I can swing by on my way back." I left the shop and programmed the address of the shop in Peterborough. It was almost 90 minutes away. It was almost lunchtime. 90 minutes there and 90 minutes back was three hours. That and having lunch would make it a tight squeeze, given the late Friday afternoon traffic I'd be facing on the way back. And the leisurely day I had planned in Peterborough would be reduced to a mad dash. Not my idea for the day. So I found a restaurant in Concord, and drove there to have lunch. 

After I ordered my lunch, I thought about getting my Elna machine back right away, and the three rows of blocks I had been tinkering with all week. WELL HELL! I had already started sewing them together with the Bernina. Now I was going to have to... what? Take THOSE apart too?

Home again.

After lunch, I drove back to Bittersweet and picked up my machine. Apparently a spring had become loose and fallen off. The machine was skipping stitches. Dave got it humming like new.

You're all probably wondering why, with a Bernina, do I use my Elna as my #1 machine? Truthfully, it's the bright light. I can see so much better on it than the Bernina. I actually have one of those little clip on lights, but it isn't as bright as I'd like it to be.

 Back in the car, I decided the trip to Peterborough was not going to happen, so instead I drove home and cut out new blocks for all the rows I had previously sewn together. Yes, it was probably silly, but I figured it would be a lot less stressful than ripping and tinkering.

The afternoon's work complete.

Then I cleaned up.

OH! Do you know the absolute BEST PART of the day (NOT!) ?

When I got home and unpacked the car I realized I had left my jacket at the restaurant in Concord (a 25 minute drive away.) I drove back to get it after supper.

So when will I go to Peterborough and have a nice relaxing day visiting the artsy shops? Damned if I know.

It Followed Me Home...

If you looked at the picture of the class I taught at MQX last week, you probably noticed these sewing machines. MQX provided new sewing machines for all classes which were provided by vendors. There were twenty of these Elna Excellence 680's in my classroom.

Elna's rep, Russ, called me two hours before the class started, asking me how to set up the machines. Many of the classes were about machine quilting. "My class is all patchwork, we need a quarter inch foot." He asked about the color of thread the students would need. "It doesn't matter," I told him.

"Oh that'll be easy."

He was there when I got to my classroom, and he stuck around for the whole class answering any questions the students had, but I don't remember anybody asking anything.

Later (as part of an agreement between MQX and the vendors), Russ told the class about the Elnas. He felt they were the best of Elna's line, talked about some of the features and said they were for sale for [he gave a number] 48% off. I barely paid attention.

But later that night, after having had dinner and read a bit, I was talking to Julie about the class and the show. I don't really know where it came from, but I said to her. "I think I'm going to buy one of those sewing machines." Which was really weird, because I didn't touch one of them. "Why do you say that," Julie asked.

"It was the way they sounded," I replied. "I had twenty students in a smallish conference room. The students were in four rows of five, and they were practically climbing over each other to get around (a large cutting mat and the ironing boards were just outside.) I didn't hear a sewing machine all afternoon. They were so damn quiet. And not one student had a problem."

At 10:40 PM I texted Russ, told him my name and which class I taught, and that I was interested in buying one of the machines in the room. When I woke up the next morning I had a reply from Russ (that he sent at 5:50 AM) telling me which booth to visit.

Well, long story short the damn thing followed me home. (They actually had it packed and ready for me when I got there.) It has every bell and whistle I could ask for, sews like a dream and is incredibly quiet. I haven't had a new sewing machine since 1977 when I got a Kenmore for college graduation. (It ran for 33 years until it died around 2010.)

"You'll be doing your own free motion quilting with this pretty soon," Russ teased as he loaded the box into my car.

Oh no I won't.

"Oh, yes you will."

Oh HELL no I won't.

We both laughed.

I'm old enough to know to never set yourself up for something you can't or won't do, so, I guess we'll find out next year!