Discouragement and Encouragement

The last craft fair came and went without any good news: it was a bust for us, barely covering expenses. We have analysed it and think it's possible this is too big of a venue and my kitchenie type of craft does not appeal to the younger women that come to this particular show. Between the two craft shows I worked like crazy making up 25 new hot mitts, five more aprons, two new tea cozies, and fixing the display hardware and soft ware (pressing the tablecloths to be exact).

There was interest in the men's shirt aprons where I added vintage linen and most of them sold:

Corner of a vintage tablecloth

Center circle of vintage tablecloth (lace added)

Nice to have a good idea for the linen and great comments from the women who looked so I'll continue to use the vintage linen with other ideas I have. On the bright side, my mom wants four of the hot mitt sets with towels so I consider that goes with the craft show sale and makes it a bit better. Thanks, Mom!

Just when we think life is treating us cruel we are in for a surprise. After picking up a turkey in preparation for Thanksgiving, I stopped at a local thrift store to see if I could pick up a kitchen tool I like to sell with my hot mitt sets.There was a sign on the door announcing their furniture with orange tags were half price today so that peaked my interest, too. I just got to the back by the furniture when I spied a desk with a split top, a sure sign there is or was a sewing machine inside. It was a very nice desk, a newer solid wood style in light oak with a price tag that was a little high for this particular store. I open the top up and see the back side of...a Viking sewing machine. Not just any Viking, but as I pull it up into place I see it's a Viking Husqvarna 1070, very similar to my beloved Viking 1100.

Cabinet fit for a Viking!

Storage, storage, storage!

 I'm pretty excited by now and as I open the doors and drawers that are loaded with supplies, I see the foot control. After asking if I could move it over to an outlet and scooting it over seven feet, I get it plugged in and see that everything lights up but the needle is broken off and the bobbin has a ton of thread wrapped around the finger. That was the cause of the jamming and broken needle so I think I can fix that pretty easily. With shaking hands I get it up to the check out where I only have to pay half the amount on the tag. YES! I have to drive around to the back for loading (so much for dragging it up to the front) and talk the young men into letting me use my screw driver to take out the two screws that bolt the machine into the top leaf. I also insist on removing the drawers so the contents don't end up all over the back of my car but they are good sports and go along with my requests before loading it in the car for me.

Once I get it home with the turkey I have to tell my husband that I bought another cabinet model. After I exclaim about the great turkey we are going to have in a few days I tell the story about the half price Viking I found. He's not mad or even unhappy but I know he feels his space is shrinking. It is. Dinner is made and eaten and I have to fly out the door to babysit but the anticipation of coming home to find out if I made a big mistake with this purchase looms.

Viking Husqvarna 1070 sewing machine

I end up using a razor blade to remove the knot of threads but then the bobbin really rattles so the whole casing and hook needs to be removed and the area under the needleplate is also in need of a cleaning. It's full of packed lint but nothing terrible or alarming so I get everything clean and reassembled. Without the bobbin case it sounds very smooth so I run it again with the bobbin and case to find it seems a little loose. When all threaded and trying out a variety of stitches, I need to adjust the presser foot pressure but everything else works great. Unlike the Viking 1100, there are no stitch cassettes to remove and lose: everything is built in and seems to work perfectly. It came with only one additional foot and is missing the extension table, but has the original manual and another printed set of papers where you can see the owner took a learn-to-use-your-Viking sewing machine class. I'm in heaven!

Built-in stitches with the push of a button

The next evening I get another Viking in the mail, an Ebay bid I won for a Viking #1+. I get it for a ridiculous price because there is no foot control. I see it uses the same one as my 1100 so at least I can try it out before investing in one for this machine alone that is over $100. It does come with the extension table that is full of additional feet and bobbins, maybe ones that can be used with the new-to-me Viking 1070.

Viking 1250 a.k.a. #1+

Extension table with front and back storage for feet, accessories, bobbins

Although this one had stitch cassette A, it looks pretty beat up yet it works:

Viking 1250 with stitch cassette A

I think this might be one from the earlier 1100 series because the Viking #1+ has cassettes that are fairly bright blue. With only one cassette, I need to look for the rest and find L is available for only $20 so it's now coming in the mail this week. The manual, a free download from the Viking website, shows only cassettes A, B, D, and L were to come with the machine and now I have two of the four.

Each machine has parts missing but I'm not ready to put them together to make one machine: both are just too good to use for parts! I'm excited to try them both to see what they can do and hope this long weekend gives me some time for sewing. Already two calls have come in for sewing machine appointments (cabinet models!) so let's hope there will be more space available for that great cabinet/table of the Viking 1070, now waiting in the garage.

Nice sewing space, huh? Get me out of the garage!

 For all of the above I'm grateful. I have a roof over my head that I share with a generous man, good health, a great job, and a wonderful hobby that I get to share with you, my readers.

Thank you, dear readers of this blog about sewing machines and my adventures with them!