Today I managed to pot up the wallflowers which have been sitting in water for the past month! I hope I didn't postpone things too long. It is so hard to keep things going all winter long. I haven't brought in the rosemary yet, even though it was 19F last night. (I covered it with towels) Dh has offered to help me out this weekend with the raspberries, rain barrels and hose cleanup. I have some clematis to cage and a few annuals to remove still. Phoebe has less than a week to go before getting her leg checked by her vet. I sure hope we get advice on how to re-introduce her to wild puppy activity without repeating stretching of the ligaments. Tonight I received a sweet phone call from Skyler full of excitement about various items I'd mailed him and also some Halloween jokes that I emailed. He is going out to see a Christmas movie tonight. Sigh....already Christmas stuff. Tonight the farmers are finishing their corn harvesting. I'm always surprised how they work into the night with lights on. One neighbour is allergic to corn and can't go inside his own barn. He's nearly died twice from the dust. Good thing he has three strong sons who help out. I'm having a hard time finding reading and knitting time. There's always something interrupting me, the phone, a visitor, laundry, meals. Seems DD & DSIL hope to put down a new tile floor in their hallway and kitchen this weekend. They did this for his Mom last weekend and it was not very difficult. Today was DSIL's last day of work before starting paternity leave, so he's off with his buddies having a beer (or two?). Off to read a bit. Yes, I too miss Sue. Enjoy your weekend! I hope it is sunny and warm. 'bug

I have the viking rose,and when i first got it,it was nothing but problems.I kept taking it back and they kept sending it out to be fixed,and everytime i got it back home it was the same as it was before i took it in.I'd do a few stitches and it would stop and beep at me and tell me it was out of thread,which it never was,it was also noiseier than it should have been. Then one day i had a class at the shop and the owner of the shop was the teacher.As i started to sew it did the same thing,so she comes over and says Kathi your machine doesn't sound right,and why is it beeping?? So i told her how many times i had brought it back in ,and how it was always the same when i got it back.So she called the repair shop(they own that also) and told them the problem i was having and she was having the same problem with my machine.So her son walked her thru how to calibrate it,still no luck.So she told him that she was bringing it back to the shop and he was to clear his schedule and figure out what was wrong with my machine and fix asap. When i got it back that time,it worked perfect and i havn't had any problems since. Oh by the way while i was having all those problems,i posted on some board about it,and named the machine etc.Someone at Husqvarna viking saw the post and contacted me,and told me if i didn't get it resolved to let them know and they'd have me send it to them. So keep going back til they get it right and contact husqvarna if you have to. Kathi

childstar, I have some questions. i have several machines, including 2 Singer Touch & Sews. One is a 600E, which i think was made in 1966. The other is a 626, made in 1967. The 626 has nylon gears that fell apart in my hand when i undid the bottom to check. But the 600E has metal gears. Is it worth fixing the 626? And, if i see metal gears in the 600E, does that mean it is a good machine worth keeping?

When having a feed problem, Take out all thread, top & bottom, & just put a piece of fabric through. If it feeds forward & in reverse, u have eliminated that there is a problem with the feed dog, the pressure foot downward tension, & the stitch length setting. Next, set the stitch length for 8 stitches per inch. Put a piece of paper under the pressure foot as u would a piece of fabric, lower the pressure foot & "sew" a couple of inches forward & in reverse. Count the holes...8 per inch? Good. Now, with settings that work properly, concentrate on threading correctly. (The bobbin threaded incorrectly is the problem 90% of the time). When your machine loads the bobbin with thread, the holes in the bobbin wall should be turning clockwise as u look down on it. When u place the bobbin in the bobbin case correctly, the holes should be turning COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Note this is not the easiest way for the thread to pull, & you don't want it to be. By following your direction guide carefully, it has you reversing direction as the thread feeds out of the bobbin case in order to cause the proper tension...u will have to hold 1 finger on the bobbin as u are threading it through the bobbin case to have it reverse direction. Now place the whole thing into the machine. The bobbin thread will just hang down. Now by holding lightly onto the end of the top thread, & with the pressure foot up, give 1 turn by hand on the wheel, usually toward you, so the needle goes in & out once. The top thread should pick up the bobbin thread. Tug on the top thread end where you've been holding it & it should pull the bobbin thread up through the hole under the pressure foot. With the NEEDLE in the uppermost position, pull both threads together until they are about a foot long. Now, putting the pressure foot down, sew a single piece of fabric for a couple of inches & inspect. Stitch should look smooth on both sides, no knots or looseness or pucker. If it doesn't, head for the repair shop. If convenient, take just your bobbin & bobbin case to the repair shop & make sure u are doing that step correctly. Your Brother bobbin & case fit many machines including Singer, & the shop person will be able to show you. (Am a H.Ec. teacher for 20 yrs.)