The Grace Cometh
Frank Reid
truck man left the frame with the neighbor (per directions), but kept the
Juki (I picked that up from the UPS depot today in a blinding thunderstorm).
My job, should I choose to accept it (yeh, like I had a choice) was to clean
out an area in the basement to put up a 12' wide sewing center. Piece of
cake. Put in some new shelves last week Finished up the job. Lets get the
frame together.
Heck, I was unemployed this weekend anyway. First time since I was 19 that
I've not had a job. I'm changing companies. Left the last on Thursday,
started the new one today. Ooops. No insurance. Wiff says she's locking
me in the basement till I start the new job. Not gonna let me out without
full coverage (I'm the Tim The Toolman Taylor of fly fishing) Hmm. If I
get the frame together, I can probably sneak out and fish whilst she ogles,
carresses and generally does all that stuff that she does with a new and
exciting piece of hardware.
I dump the two boxes out and lay out the pieces. My Heavens. My 351
Cleveland engine in my old Mach One Mustang had less parts (and all those I
could identify). I start putting this together. Hmm. Socket wrench ain't
gonna fit. Gotta buy a new 7/16ths wrench. Man, 2,736 bolts and screws.
Need a new electric screw stick (hey, she got her third sewing machine, I
can get a new ten-dollar electric screwdriver).
Holes don't line up, get out the rubber mallet. Thing doesn't go together.
Last time I had a Grace in my life, she left me a widower with a five-day
old daughter. I cried for months. Now I know it wasn't her. It was the
name Grace. Makes you cry.
Instructions are a bit weak in one area. Unfortunately its in step two.
When you get to step 13 and things don't go together, you tear the thing
apart and start all over. Do yo really need the Rear Lower Speed Control
Lever, a Front Speed Control Lever AND a Rear Upper Speed Control Lever
connected via the Lever Linkage? I don't even want to talk about the
Four-Inch Principle (page 32)(Tom Thumb go into education?).
Wiff has set up bleachers and is selling hot dogs and beer to the neighbor
guys. They can smell a tool in use from 1000 yards and zero in. They are
there giving advice. Helping? No, just giving advice. And laughing.
Laughing hysterically. Pointing out that a rubber mallet isn't one of the
recommended tools. And praying that their wives enjoy the simplicity and
beauty of hand-stitched quilts.
Thing gets together. I go fishing. Wiff gets a bad cold. Doesn't even
want to take her new Juki out of the box tonight. Next time, I'm just gonna
hire 6 Amish ladies named Gr... Grendal!!!
--
Frank Reid
Reverse email to reply
Laurie G.
after dh tackled a task like yours! We would have to supply the world
with ear plugs!!!!!!! The language....oy!
Going beyond the bad experience....can I ask where you got them from(the
frame and the machine)?
Thanks! Laurie G.
Roberta Zollner
Roberta in D
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote in message
news:vgkef85...@corp.supernews.com...
Frank Reid
> frame and the machine)?
>
> Thanks! Laurie G.
Thomas Sewing, Mesquite TX. http://www.thomassewing.com/
No, the experience wasn't bad. More on the level of "unexpected." Most
things I've put in my wiff's sewing center were relatively uncomplicated to
put together. This took many hours, involved a huge amount of parts and
will force me to buy more power tools.
Let me explain the last bit. They now have an add-on to the machine that
uses a wooden template to help you sew patterns. What it is is a piece of
wood that has the pattern routed out and a guide goes into the pattern and
you just push the machine along. Well, patterns are few and far between. I
need to get this kit for my wife and then make her new patterns. In this
way I get that new router I've been askin' for for two years, and of course,
she gets new patterns (hmmm, a repeating, jumping trout pattern...).
Kate Dicey
Sounds like you need a (((HUG))) and a smoked salmon sandwich and a cold
beer!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
Diana Curtis
A repeating jumping trout design sounds cool! Just think, you could have
opened a whole new range of business opurtunities for yourself this weekend,
assembling the *G word* for others, and making and selling unique design
templates.
Hey, anything to get more tools, eh?
Diana
--
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote in message
news:vgl6le5...@corp.supernews.com...
Linda
your calling! I would have PAID money to see this! Thanks for the saga.
Linda F,
Apex, NC
Laurie G.
patterns in wood - they replicate the paper patterns you would tape
down, right? With a router, you can copy any pattern onto wood and have
a permanent collection. Hhmmm, me thinks you have a new business
opportunity.......
Laurie G.
niasha
might me a mere 2 ft on both sides; in my case if was a solid 43 inches.
--
Niasha
"What doesn't kill you, defines you."
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote in message
news:vgkef85...@corp.supernews.com...
Sandy Foster
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote:
> The Grace Machine Quilter frame arrived Thursday. Unfortunately, the brown
> truck man left the frame with the neighbor (per directions), but kept the
> Juki (I picked that up from the UPS depot today in a blinding thunderstorm).
> My job, should I choose to accept it (yeh, like I had a choice) was to clean
> out an area in the basement to put up a 12' wide sewing center. Piece of
> cake. Put in some new shelves last week Finished up the job. Lets get the
> frame together.
<gentle snipping of hysterically funny story>
Frank, I was LOLing while I read this -- not *at* you, of course --
*with* you! Thanks for the description!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
mailto:s_fo...@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~s_foster
The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me
You are a sweetheart- just a big ol' sweetie. And so very entertaining.
;-) The offer is still open if you get the urge to start that harem!
Leslie <winky-winking!>
The HairyFacedOnes 'N Me
RCTQ- Houston 2004..... A good friend will come and bail you out of
jail.... but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...
that was fun!"
TerriLee in WA
>
> The Grace Machine Quilter frame arrived Thursday. Unfortunately, the brown
> truck man left the frame with the neighbor (per directions), but kept the
> Juki (I picked that up from the UPS depot today in a blinding thunderstorm).
> My job, should I choose to accept it (yeh, like I had a choice) was to clean
> out an area in the basement to put up a 12' wide sewing center. Piece of
> cake. Put in some new shelves last week Finished up the job. Lets get the
> frame together.
Hilarious story!! Thanks for sharing. I think I'll get my DH to read it
so he'll quit bugging me to buy a frame/long arm/whatever. Sheesh!! I
keep telling him that we just don't have room in our house.
--
TerriLee Bishop
(opinions are wholly owned by the author and don't represent anything)
;-)
my real email is tlbishop at earthlink dot net
Frank Reid
"Laurie G." <lgrn...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3F0AD48...@pacbell.net...
> I like your thought process! I have seen a few of the pre-routed
> patterns in wood - they replicate the paper patterns you would tape
> down, right? With a router, you can copy any pattern onto wood and have
> a permanent collection. Hhmmm, me thinks you have a new business
> opportunity.......
>
> Laurie G.
This is what I'm talking about. http://www.graceframe.com/guide.php
With a stylus going over paper, you are essentially using a 40lb sewing
machine as a giant, ungainly, vibrating pencil to draw on the fabric. I can
see where following a template could be difficult and take a lot of time to
get right. On the other hand, this new guide would follow a track.
Granted, its not free-hand, but you could reproduce exact copies of paper
templates, pictures, or whatever in wood. This would mean repeatable
patterns done VERY quickly. It also would give those quilt heros reason to
get more power tools, i.e. to support their spouses. Instead of the
quilting being the hobby of just one member, this puts it into the teamwork
category. Instant togetherness, lions laying down with lambs, men
understanding women, the Cubbies winning the World Series.... Well, we
shouldn't go too far.
Frank Reid
I know its tacky following up following up ones own post, but I just ordered
this from Grace. I must a glutton for punishment (Porter-Cable router here
I come! Bwahaaahahahahaha!).
Kate Dicey
But you are having sooooohhh much fun Frank! Ya gotta share! ;P Just
like us and our fabric raves!
georg
>>This is what I'm talking about. http://www.graceframe.com/guide.php
>>Frank Reid
>
>
> I know its tacky following up following up ones own post, but I just ordered
> this from Grace. I must a glutton for punishment (Porter-Cable router here
> I come! Bwahaaahahahahaha!).
May it have less parts that go together smoother than the entire Grace
machine.
Or, may your wiff invite me over for popcorn to watch. I'll bring homebrew.
=)
-georg
Francis Reid
> machine.
>
> Or, may your wiff invite me over for popcorn to watch. I'll bring homebrew.
Invite extended....
Frank
Martha in IN
I have had a great time reading your posts. What a way with words and great
sense of humor! Please keep posting.
Martha in IN
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote in message
news:vgkef85...@corp.supernews.com...
Ellison
I saw one of these set up in the big Hancock's (chain) store yesterday;
I thought of you, Frank, bowed to the machine and said, "Your Grace."
(I made sure no one was watching me at the time. <g>)
Good luck on the project. It's fun to read your account of
the process.
Ragmop/Sandy--don't want the Grace, but appreciate the
Quilting Hero Story ;-D
"Frank Reid" <moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf> wrote in message
news:vgmrrs2...@corp.supernews.com...
Nurse Ratched
already have the table saw, the lathe (with some kind of Super Deluxe Chuck),
the drill press, and the bandsaw. We no longer bother referring to it as the
garage--it's the shop. Makes it a lot easier to raise the issue of a quilting
machine!
>(Porter-Cable router here
>I come! Bwahaaahahahahaha!).
>--
>Frank Reid
Nurse Ratched (remove "cuckoo" from address to reply)
We'll all get back to normal if we put our nation first,
But the trouble with "normal" is, it always gets worse. ~Bruce Cockburn