As a quick explanation of this, my doctor has told me to stop working 12 hour days, especially during the summer heat, and while there's a pandemic rolling around. So, in order to cap out at about 10-12 hours per day, I will be limiting shop hours until my current back-log is caught up. Thank you for understanding. 

     Hello, and thanks for visiting the site! The shop will be closed from 7/18/20 through 7/27/20. If you have any questions, feel free to email me, or text the number listed. I will have little access to calls. If you have an emergency, text me and I'll see what help I can do remotely. 
     I apologize if this causes any issues. Thank you for understanding, and have a wonderful week. 

     It seems that the most common question I've been asked lately is, "Hey, I got a new machine in the past couple of years and it's just not working anymore, can you repair it?" Usually along with that question I get a few pictures of a new machine in the $150-$300 range. These people are generally trying to use a newer craft machine to sew a ton of masks for family and friends. While these machines are usually good for the average project sewer, they aren't the best work horses. 
     I see them usually have a stripped gear, or one of the stepper motors that controls the stitch length or width lose full range of motion either from a sensor malfunction, or something goes wrong with the motor itself. They aren't very expensive parts, and that usually shows pretty easily. Sometimes they also require special tools in order to disassemble. After several years of every now and then use, the plastic holding it together can weaken. 
     The point of this is primarily that you're better off getting an older machine if you don't need specialty stitches. Oftentimes you can find an older, all metal, machine on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for $50-$150 that was found in someone's attic, or passed down from a parent or grandparent and people are looking to get rid of them. Some of the better ones might go for $150-$300, but any of these machines will likely last longer than I will. "They don't make them like they used to," is a very appropriate saying. 
     Fixing an older machine often takes 1-2 hours, and if they need a part it is often a metal one that just wore out after 5-7 decades of use. They are meant to be taken apart and serviced semi-regularly and most parts are easily accessed. 
     On the other hand, newer machines are meant to be serviced by "licensed technicians" or replaced under warranty. Sadly, with the pandemic, a lot of places' warranty can't be accessed, even if it's within the 1, 3, or 5 year plan just because you can't reach the company that provides it. The average time for me to repair them removes an entire casing, and then parts of the internal casing to access a small gear that may or may not be stripped.
     The average cost to have me do a hefty repair on an older machine is probably $60-$90 not including the part. Newer machines, the cost of just one of the stepper motors is just in the $50 range, let alone taking it apart and rethreading the wires through the shell. 
     Suffice to say, if you're going to get a project machine that may last a few years for a couple projects a year and don't plan on keeping it forever, a newer machine is probably fine. If you're looking to have a machine that will last at least a few generations, invest in an older machine, the cost of maintenance will be significantly lower than a new machine every 3-8 years. 

     It's the little joys that keep us going, or, in this case, the joyous times where we had a fairly mild winter followed quickly by a reasonably hot summer. With temperatures going up, and COVID-19 still being a big issue around NC, I am going to be modifying some of my hours for part of the near future, and aiming for semi-regular updates. 
     Since early mornings are usually cooler, I will be modifying my schedule to work on machines in shop early in the morning, and schedule no appointments during this time. Breaks in concentration will cause them to take a bit longer. 
     As far as drop-offs go, we are still doing contactless drop offs, and a new requirement by order of the Mayor is that masks are mandatory. Please wear one even if you aren't going to be interacting with anyone. On average, I will be having drop offs and pickups from 5 PM to 8 PM weekdays with an appointment. Saturdays will be by appointment only. 
     If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please text or email me and I will do my best to answer or address any issues that you may have. I will also be aiming to resume doing blog posts about tidbits of knowledge. 

     Hello everyone! Some little personal information about me, I am a Type 1 diabetic, therefore I fall under the "immunocompromised" section under the high risk people with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Fun times!
     With everything going on, I will be updating the website and my information on Google to reflect some updates due to the growing pandemic. If you have an emergency sewing machine call, and you are one of the "essential" services listed by Gov. Cooper, I will make an appointment to see about servicing the machines. If you are trying to have a home machine serviced and need it for the purposes of sewing face masks or gowns for medical personnel or "essential" services, please text me and we can set up an appointment for you to come by the shop. 
     Per everyone else, if you are a "non-essential" service as deemed by Gov Cooper, you should probably close up shop or work from home. 

I'll be out of state starting this Friday, 11/22/19, through Sunday 12/1/19 to visit with family. If anyone has any questions that I can answer remotely, please feel free to text me or email me, as I will be in a low-signal area, and might not be able to receive calls. 

I will be back to work on 12/2/19, and will likely be doing a lot of catch up. The holiday season has a tendency to be a little busier than average, so I will be doing my best to meet everyone's requests. I hope everyone has a safe season, as this winter is rumored to be much snowier/icier than average for the Raleigh area. Be safe, and be well!

     Hello everyone!
     I will be out of town starting this Friday and will be back in town the next Tuesday after it. Part of it will be vacation, the other will be helping out family. I'll be able to handle remote issues if anyone has things I can talk them through, or sourcing parts/materials as I normally do. 
     Next week, I will be back in town for an evening between travelling, so, if there are any emergencies, please call and I will let you know if I can make any availability. 
     Apologies for any inconveniences this causes, but I've always tried to keep family first, and this is one of those cases. Have a great week!

     It's one of those things that you don't think would ever mix well, but in some ways, it makes sense. If you're a little weird in the head and have a lot of patience, they can kind of make sense. Or, it does in my head, anyway. I've never met another sewing machine mechanic that also does mid-range IT support. If there are any out there, I'd love to hear your opinions
     To me it all boils down to pattern recognition and knowing how it should, ideally, operate. If something is wrong in a network or with a machine, there will either be something telling that it's not running efficiently. In a machine, that might mean a skipped stitch. On a computer or on a network, that might mean that either is running a little slower than normal, or it'll pop an error code. 
      On a machine, power should flow in, make the motor turn, which turns the main drive shaft of the sewing machine, and then get transferred internally until it causes the needle and hook to make a stitch. On a network setup, you have your line come in from the outside world, and then hit the modem, and then hit a router, and then get transferred internally across ports or wireless until it eventually hits your computer/phone/etc. Depending on the network equipment, it could be easier or harder than looking at a sewing machine depending on the sewing machine. 
     Old shuttle bobbin treadle machines only had a few, comparatively, moving parts, while some home networks have their modem, router and wifi all combined in one unit where all you have to do is make sure it's plugged in and everything works fine. Then you have computerized home or computerized industrial machines versus commercial IT infrastructure. When computers get in the mix, the network systems I deal with will always and forever be easier to work with. 
​     Thank you for listening to my ramblings. Have a great week!

     Last week I found out that one of my first repeat customers passed away. I found this out while going to pick up some fabric for my wife's upcoming projects for Sewing Acts of Kindness this year. This year, we're dedicating that event in her name, Anita Williams. 
     It may be farther down the year, but you can check out the link above in order to register or look into the details. She would likely be amused that we're doing this. That woman was amazing at her craft, and I only got to see the parts when something went wrong with a machine. She did embroidery of all kinds as well as upholstery work, and even made pillows for people. 
     This post won't be much of a long one. I still have some semblance of shock from finding out the news. It is a good reminder to cherish your friends and family, and let them know what they mean to you. 

     One thing I've noticed a lot lately is that people with animals always seem to be worried that their animals will annoy me or bother me while I'm working. Please, please, please, please let them come over and pester me. I love my little assistants and their wonderful little bits of love. Last week I worked on a few machines and had a relatively large French Bulldog as an assistant. He made the cutest noises and he kept coming over and laying on my feet or headbutting my hand while I was working under the machine. They bring me joy and are some of the most rewarding parts of service calls. 
     I have two dogs and a cat, and they are almost always acting as assistants while I am working. Either by being foot warmers, elbow nudgers, or, in the case of my cat, a table assistant sleeping on the edge of the table while I'm tinkering away. Sometimes it leads to me having to clean little bits of oil out of their fur, but it's well worth it. 
     So, please, if you have pets, please let them come and bother me because I will love them forever. I will likely ask about their stories as much as I will ask about the stories of your machine. It's the little things in life, and a lot of those include small creatures that cohabitate with us.