Driving down our tiny main street one day during the winter, we discovered workmen cleaning out one of my favorite dilapidated buildings in our town. Having researched our town when we moved here years ago, I learned that the set of buildings, originally containing the first movie theater, had since been occupied by a hardware store, repair shop, then a tarp manufacturer. With the exception of a 70+ yr. old re-upholsterer, who took up business in the last building with a roof, the row had not been occupied for 30+ years. Every year, one of the walls at the far end of the building would fall or another ceiling beam would collapse, and I’d dream of getting some of the old brick, stone or wooden beams to put in my garden. My youngest son and I even drew out what a window display for ole’ Buttercup Mercantile would look like (We play a lot like that before bedtime. lol) Dreams do come true, but not in the way I was dreaming.

As we drove past that day, one old industrial sewing machine after another came out of the rubble along with lots of industrial stands and other items unrecognizable. I urged my husband to pull off and ask one of the workers if they were going to be selling those machines. Nervous about doing so, he finally agreed. The guy leaned against a telephone pole and said, with a car salesman smirk – “Depends – ummmm whatcha wanna pay for one?”. I just leaned across my husband, laughed, and said – “I don’t know – is CHEAP an amount? I don’t have much!”. He grinned and said – “Well – we can probably work a deal here. Come back in 20 minutes after my bossman leaves for the day and I’ll meet ya behind the building with a machine.”

Tickled yet feeling really – really guilty – we ran to the ATM got $20.00 out and came back. The bossman wasn’t gone – so we circled – he still wasn’t gone. With each circling, we felt even more guilty – like the police were going to get us – maybe this guy didn’t even have the right to sell it – what if it was stolen property – we’d get charged with theft by taking!!! Just when we were about to forget it and go home, one more turn around the building to take us to main street to leave, the bossman comes out and says – “So I hear Tom has offered ya’ll this sewing machine and table for $20 (Yeah, he said he’d sell us a machine for $15 throw in a table for $5). “Yeah” I said as I saw Tom, head bowed inside the building as if he’d just been chewed out! Awww man – I didn’t want a sewing machine THAT bad!

The boss said it was okay and that he’d sell me this one but if I wanted anything else I’d have to pay alot more because he could get good money for the scrap metal! I thanked him profusely, totally relieved, and told him Tom just caved to my begging – He said it was okay. The next few days we saw Tom smiling as he worked finishing to clear the building and waved.

Tom – Wherever you are – THANK YOU and God Bless YOU! You were a godsend to me!

Here she is before she was whisked away in the arms of my sweet Slobo to the repair shop this morning:

Consew 225 – Front

Consew 225 – Back

I’ve had my eye on the Juki DDL series for many years, but even at 700. I couldn’t get it – especially with shipping costs running another 250.00 for a head with table. I’ve spent the last couple of months, cleaning and scrubbing up my new baby. I dipped her in Kerosene and scrubbed her with wire brushes to get the rust off. She’s felt old toothbrushes, q-tips and lots of flannel rags! I polished the oily kerosene residue with rubbing alcohol. Got her a new belt, bobbin winder, bed plate and a missing screw from Southstar Supply and lo and behold – she looks like she did the day she was left behind! I’ve attempted to time her – thought I had it – but the bobbin thread is still nesting under her. When I got her, she was frozen, the original steel tread belt crumbled in my hands, a waxy lint covered her bobbin case and a piece of tarp – still left in her – revealed her original problem with nested threads.

She’s gone off to our local repairman for a fixin’ fine tuning time and I cannot wait to get her back. Then all I’ll need is a new table top (the old cutout is way too big), a gooseneck lamp, a thread stand and a servo motor (the old one is rusted and I don’t have a clue about motors). A new ensemble would only be $250. My repairman mentioned he might be able to find a top and motor for me. That would be really great because I wouldn’t have to pay shipping of a new one.

Say your prayers she’ll purrrrr like a kitten and Slobo gets lots of new offers for paid postings, we have an old couch to reupholster and the boys need new jeans!

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