Vacation Day 5

This feels like my last day of my vacation since the weekend is usually off-of-work but I managed to fill it to capacity. The Singer 201 rewire has me a bit anxious so I've started to keep an eagle eye out for another one. I also know how popular they are and my secret love so the search has intensified! None are listed locally at a price point I can afford but every hour brings new hope. Garage sales in my neighborhood get my attention but only after I sell the Singer 328. That's right, I get a call from Vince asking about it so we set up a time on Friday morning. When I answer the door it's not Vince but his mom who comes in to try out this sewing machine with Vince trailing behind. Mom's sewing machine broke when they tried to use it for some outdoor type of repair and their research showed this model as sturdy enough. They both like it, take some heavy duty size 16 needles home with it, and head on out with my husband and I right behind them to check out those garage sales.

The second house we go to has a very chatty owner talking with her neighbor as we are looking over her treasures for sale. I say "treasures" because there in the back of the garage is a Singer 201-2. I kid you not, it was open with cord draped over it, and a price tag I could live with. Did it work? Of course, and they even had it running for someone earlier who was coming back with her son but they asked too many questions she couldn't answer because she really didn't know how to use it. There was no bobbin in the bobbin case, she pointed out and I showed her it was missing the spool holder plate, a much more difficult item to replace. Oh well, I'll see if I can find one but the cords don't look too good so I suggest we not plug it in. She looked shocked: "You mean it's not safe? I already plugged it in and ran it for the other lady!" but when we get it home I see there are bare wires at the opening of the foot control. We get it out of the table and loaded into my vehicle in two parts when she asks "You are going to use it, right? I mean, you aren't one of those people who is going to turn around and sell it for $175 or something because I could sell it on Ebay, you know." Yes, she could have but didn't and once I buy it I can do whatever I would like with it. This comes home to roost later in the day.

Singer 201-2

Another garage sale had boxes of fabric all measured and priced at about $1 per yard. I have to control myself and even had to put some of it back but managed to find quite a few pieces of Berber fleece for Natalie who makes beautiful mittens. I found some embroidered flour-sack dishtowels with fun saying on them:

Makes drying dishes even fun!

We get everything home and I take time to look over my newest 201 to find it's a Centennial, marking 100 years Singer was in business at the time it was made in 1951.  I haven't had any of the Centennial's before so I'm pretty excited about it. I work with the power cord but finally give up when I chip another piece of the Bakelite plug: I would rather buy a new one that is safe! The bare wires on the foot control are taken care of but when I get it all back together it doesn't work. The light comes on but not the motor. I go over the wiring again and again, discuss this with my husband who says I should consider reversing the wires from the foot control. I'm sure he's wrong but try it anyway. Well, he wasn't wrong since it now runs!

After taking care of the rest of our treasures from the garage sales, I mow the lawn while rain starts to fall, getting it done before it comes down in earnest. When I come inside and check Craigslist, hoping to find another great sewing machine, when I spot one of my own that I sold a couple of years ago. What? She is selling that beauty? It's in a uniquely covered case so I know it was mine but I can't find it on my database. It's listed as a Singer 99 but I check and it's really a full sized Singer 66 plus she's selling it for $50 more than my price. What? I send a text message and point out I'm the one who sold it to her and it's a Singer 66, not a 99 and she might want to correct her ad. Now, she can sell it for whatever she wants and that takes me back to the sale of the Singer 201: I could do whatever I wanted with it once I bought it. Just as well, the Singer 66 owner could also sell it for whatever price she thinks she can get. She did say it was in excellent shape and very nice. Yes, indeed.