La Chatte Gitane (or The Gypsy Cat) was the name we chose for our cottage in France at the time. We chose it while on the road, moving house the first time round, from Ireland to France with 2 dogs and 7 cats in the car.
This blog began its insignificant life as a recipe book for friends and family who would ask me repeatedly for a recipe of this, that and the other.
Since then it has taken many different directions, like we did and like gypsies tend to do. Sometimes making a U-turn and revisiting familiar roads and taking a break when necessary.
You'll find recipes here, but also musings about the places we've called home, the gardens that we've established, not always successfully, the homes we've improved and the environments we've lived in. Currently, after yet another stint in Ireland, we're back in France @ Le Mas d'Ayen

Friday, September 30, 2016

New Sewing Machine.


And I really, really didn't want one. 
I've been best friends with my sewing machine for 27-odd years and I have an emotional attachment to it. My parents bought it for me at the time when I had just moved in with Bert. I wanted to make curtains for the living room windows, you see, because it was right on the road and every passer-by could look in of an evening.
Before all that, I had used my mother's old sewing machine to muddle through various sewing projects. Unfortunately, that was on its last legs.

Anyway, back to the present. In my last few sewing adventures my old buddy has been playing up. When it started sounding more like an old rusty harvester than a sewing machine I dusted and oiled all the cogs and wheels, making for a much smoother running machine.
But thread kept bunching up underneath the fabric, whatever I did to remedy, it would do a good job for 5 cm and start bunching up again.
I had to keep going to finish off the promised Cinderella dress 

Now a few days ago Bert went to the post office to pick up a parcel. It was a new sewing machine !

It's a Toyota Oekaki Renaissance.
And it's red !
And I'll have to go through a uni course of four years to be able to work with it.

It does loads of stitches and can embroider.  

I'll have my work cut out trying to understand the workings of this new machine. I guess the best way to learn is to use it and practice. 


There is this handy contraption, that attaches to the sewing machine, with the various stitches and codes for the 'operation panel'. 




Here they are side by side.
I feel very disloyal to my old harvester, but we will get it serviced and hopefully fixed.


Has anyone of my readers ever used one of these new-fandangled machines ?

Patricia xxx...x

6 comments:

  1. I haven't even seen one of those futuristic looking machines. Mine is at least 50 years old, but I hardly ever use it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It looks positively odd, in my opinion.
      We got 1 hr a week sewing lesson a week when I was in the first year of secondary school. It was called 'snit en naad'. I think we made an apron or something like that.
      After that I didn't touch a sewing machine till I was 16 or so and wanted to make my jeans trouser legs narrower. Ha ! They weren't stretch at the time which made riding a bicycle something of a nightmare. :)

      Delete
  2. Maggie T8:55 pm

    Wow...can I come for sewing lessons please? Will be great practice on what looks like an aerodynamic go faster bit of kit!! See you on 13th at The Hide for non-aerodynamic crochet...and coffee...and biscuits. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely Maggie !
      I'll be there, but I sure could use a bit of aerodynamics with crochet, because I have the speed of a dead slug.

      Delete
  3. New technology. Looks hard but once you finally understand and use it without fear you feel so proud of yourself (myself) and it is so much better than the old, you (me), just never look back. Bet you you love everything about it once you've finished Cinderella's gown

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting, local alien.
      The Cinderella dress was finished with my old machine, but I still have plenty of other projects that need tackling.
      I know, I know... I'll have to bite the bullet soon. Next week, with a clear head and tidy craft room I will sit myself down and sew to my heart's content. :)

      Delete

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