I'M A SURGEON

See this picture? Know what it is?? Well... I'll give you a clue: it's a transplant of sorts. And I'm really proud my surgical skill, I must admit. MAJOR proud, to be exact. To be clear, this is the "before" transplant. The "after" is way better looking, given it's brand new and correctly installed. 

Turns out, the other day I performed surgery on my sewing machine and I am SHOCKED I figured out how to do it.

Normally, whenever I have a problem with the machine, I'm forced to travel about a half hour away, leave the machine for at least a week, drive back home another half hour, then of course make the trip all over again to it pick up all spiffy and repaired. True... the place does an entire fabulous spring cleaning on my machine but I'm still forced to go this sewing store for even the smallest of troubles. Plus, of course, I have to ante up plenty of bucks.

But, it's worth it. This is a sewing machine my Mother had given me YEARS and YEARS ago, and I love it despite it's age. In fact, after Mom passed away, I took her updated machine, but I never even opened it yet. I'm still sticking with my old tried and true one. Who needs all the fancy schmancy computerized buttons, anyway?? 

Besides... while my mother was a master seamstress, I am nothing but a pretend sort of sewer. I do my own tailoring of ready to wear clothing, yes. But I do it the alltime easiest and/or most simplistic way known to man. My Mother on the other hand, created fantastic, fine styled clothing from scratch. If pressed, she could even sew a gentleman's sport coat for instance. Me?? I'm more into sewing leggings from scratch. They come out damn good, but it's a completely different approach than my Mom's.

In the meantime, my recent surgery was a HUGE deal to me. It's probably Mickey Mouse to most others but who cares. Get this...

I had to change the light bulb above the presser foot! So I could actually SEE the stitching as it was moving right along. I can't believe it... after allllll these years, the light bulb burnt out. EEKS. Enter: surgical procedure.

How in hell DOES one replace that bulb, anyway?? There was absolutely NO WAY whatsoever I could find an opening to allow me to do so. How does one even GET to it?? I was totally stymied. And was totally too lazy to drive a half hour back and forth to find out how.

Soooo... while I was in a fabric store the other day, a light bulb... no pun intended... went off in my head. As in: Ask them if they sold bulbs for a Bernina Sewing Machine and then come home... and Google how to do it myself! Bingo. I was half way through Sewing Machine Medical School.  

I got the correct bulb, came home, indeed Googled the info I needed and THEN... I went to YouTube to watch and learn exactly how how this procedure was to go down . OMG... THIS WAS SHEER GENIUS. Best of all, there actually WAS a video showing me EXACTLY how to perform the replacement... in easy step by step instructions no less!

Talk about being in heaven. I WAS IN MY GLORY. I watched the video... got out the tools I needed to open a part of the sewing machine I'd never even noticed before AND WHAMMO.... SWITCHED OUT THE LIGHTS. It was nothing short of miraculous. I'M A MECHANICAL SURGEON. Who knew??

Which only  means that NOW... I have a brand spanking new light bulb in my machine AND I can see my stitching. WHAT A DEAL. Anddddddddd... best of all??? IT COST ME ALL OF $1.99!!! Oh man... I can't tell you how thrilled I was to see this all work out so well. I only WISHED my Mother could have seen this! On the other hand, I'll bet SHE would have known how to tear the entire machine apart and do all the maintenance ever needed for a lifetime.

No wonder. She was my Mother. She knew everything.