Tip of the Day

My tip for the day: never, ever have a wastebasket sitting close to your sewing table.  Oh yes, it is oh so handy for scrap fabric and threads that want to wander.  The garbage is picked up every Tuesday and the studio stays tidy.  It’s a good habit to get into.

I had mentioned that the sewing table was at the highest point it could be cranked to these several weeks.  It has made a huge difference not sitting so much.  I have watched quite a few sewing tutorials where the gals do quite a bit of straight seam sewing while standing.  I am not sure I am up for that.  When it comes to actually putting these baby quilt blocks together, the sewing table will be put down to the 21 inch in height.

Not!

I have always had the handy dandy crank on the back side of the sewing machine.  Today is Wednesday and as I was getting geared up to the “check . . . check” before turning the sewing machine on . . . there was no crank on the back side of the machine.  Panic!  After doing a brain scan of recent days, I recalled having a lot of fabric on the sewing table over the weekend, pushing it through the needle to do some basting.  With the wastebasket full, I would not have heard the thump of the heavy crank hitting it.

I wanted to cry!  What would Lena do?  What would Raymond tell Lena to do?  I had gone online for the Husky tables and they had various parts available, but not the crank. I called Home Depot in Mankato and got an “888” number to call for their main contact.  I had the wherewithal to have the correct model number of my table before I called and I had a credit card handy.

Working with an oriental young woman, it went one arduous step at a time.  I was put on hold several times and each time I had her promise to not drop the call.  I had told her I was an elderly grandmother that needed this crank or my children would chalk this up as one more notch on the “going to a nursing home” belt.  Praise be!  I have an email that I have printed out allowing me to know the particulars, that in ten days or so, I would be receiving the crank at my given home address.  Best blessing . . . no charge. 

I swear, when that crank shows up, I may wear it as a necklace.  As of today, the wastebasket is over by the ironing board . . . six feet away from the sewing table.  Seriously, the crank may be hung on the button tree when it arrives.

Sometimes it really hits home hard . . . to clean up your own messes.