Surprise Packages

I'm not much of a surprise person, preferring to know what's coming up rather than having it sprung on me but once in awhile it can be nice. This busy weekend I had two or three nice surprises so read on.

Goodwill online is always a bit of a crap shoot since they do not stand behind what they offer and it is always "as is." My husband and I agreed we could take a chance on a Huskylock 905 serger  since it was only one cent for shipping. The only problem was it didn't work and only the light turned on but we figured maybe it could be fixed. What would be the worst? Electrical connection? Bad motor? Let's just see what we get. It shipped fast and I got it before the weekend, well packed, and seemingly with no damage:

Huskylock 905 serger

It even came with four cones of thread, all ready to sew. When plugged in, the light did turn on and what-did-you-know  it worked! I got to thinking about it and figured out that it was a somewhat newer model that had the safety feature of not running when the door was open. It also doesn't run when there is even a tiny hitch in the door that makes it look like it is closed but it needs an extra push or slide to seal that connection. They just didn't have the door shut all the way. Sweet surprise, and it stitches very nicely, too.

Natalie and I spent a morning together with a private lesson with her new-to-her Elna 9000, known as the Diva. It was fully loaded but no manual, just a workbook, and a notebook type of holder with zippered compartments of snap-on feet. Most were not Elna but there were photos and labels so we could figure out how they worked. It was a nice machine but computerized and a bit confusing if you have never had that type of sewing machine. We worked on the basic functions and then learned how to use the blind hem foot, narrow hemmer foot, and a blanket stitch. It was fun for me and helped Natalie put this machine to use instead of sitting in a box.

My next stop was to pick up a Bernina 1010, a very nice sewing machine that came with all of its bells and whistles and is in fine shape. Barb is a fine sewer with many machines so we had to have a bit of show-and-tell and, wouldn't you know it, I came home with a Bernette 334D serger. It does have its problems that I was hoping I could figure out but after much disassembly and reassembly it still hesitates on the startup. I hope I don't have to spring for a new power cord/foot control because they are a bit pricey for this model:

Bernette 334D serger

My daughter, Kelly, came over with fabric today that I picked out from photos she sent last week. We are all getting ready for the Textile Center Garage Sale on April 14 and she really purged this year but asked me first what I would like from her stash. Here's what arrived today:

Cotton fabric donation

That's 15 pieces of cotton prints I can make up into hot mitts, my best selling item at the craft fairs. Aren't they cute? I'm always energized by new fabric and these are nice quality and kitchen-y for your oven, stove, and microwave hot dishes. It's my hope I'll be able to resist buy too much at the sale when I already have new fabric at home. I can only hope.