Squares in blues

With this last quilt, after the influx of quilting, I had during February and March, I noticed my bobbin winder not working.  Having my machine for more than 7 years I suspected it not to last forever although I mostly used pre-wound bobbins.  I also knew I did plenty of quilting daily, so I thought it was time to give the machine a good full-body treatment and check if I didn’t have any thread or lint caught up in the winder.

I got a rather unpleasant surprise when the machine was opened up and I noticed the cables to the winder were cut and definitely not when I owned it.  I then too remembered the heaps of problems I had after the initial purchase and several so-called ‘components’ having to be replaced.  Now those were luckily still under guarantee and, as far as I know, I purchased a new machine.  Now with the cut wires, I am seriously suspecting a refurbished machine was sold to me, with Bernina, the local distributor, hoping I’d never find out.  I am sure Grace USA is totally unaware of this and when I mentioned it to the local technician in Johannesburg, he just chuckled, not denying it, not arguing or trying to prove me wrong. I am really disappointed in Bernina South Africa.

Anyway, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and with external winders (on my Pfaff domestic machines) I am still able to wind bobbins, if needed and I finished the all squares in blue by doing just that.

I just received a quilt all the way from Nelspruit but with a long weekend coming up and me having my sister visiting, not much quilting will happen until next week.