HOT HOT HOT

...this iron, that is.

I picked this up at the local Goodwill for $1. I usually use a 1940's iron that I love, but this little travel iron....holy crap it gets HOT! The cord is in great shape, the plate is clean and it folds for storage. I definitely have to get a cast iron trivet for it because it's a little precarious when stood up to balance on it's back "legs."

How silly to get excited over an iron, huh? I don't use one except for pressing fabric for sewing, OK, and the OCCASIONAL article of clothing if I'm going out. I'm making a bag right now for a client and got to try this out as soon as I brought it home. Very happy. Very happy indeed.

This is the machine I am sewing said bag on.

I've had it for a couple years and just took it out. I got it from the dump, with the cover on it, with the instruction manual, with the 8 discs for decorative stitches, with a container of new needles and 3 attachments. 

I worked on a Brother portable for about 20 years. It was given to me that long ago. I learned to sew when I was very young by my dad on a very old Singer that used to have me swearing at it. Oh, how I would get frustrated with it. It was probably lack of experience rather than a bad machine, the tension always got me. My dad didn't seem to have any problems with it. 

Well, I've been carrying that Brother around with me, making quilts and this and that....I  just recently gave it away to a fellow Freecycler that was looking to sew some things for Christmas. I knew I had this one (didn't know if it worked) and I have I think 7 others of various age that I could dig up out of storage. Well, I haven't sewn since giving the Brother away and although I knew I was done with it (it had a little broken piece in the swing out base that annoyed me) I was missing it, the comfort of knowing how it operated, the break away platform so that I could sew a cuff....I was also fearing the unknown. It's a sewing machine, it's simple, if it doesn't work get it fixed or go on to the next one. So funny how something so simple can you keep you procrastinating. I do very well with that on my own....I don't need a machine to add to it. Well, I finally sat down with it, threaded it, turned it on and away I went. I tested out the thickness of material that it would let me do because this bag has a few layers. Four layers of jean material and it wasn't saying BOO. Oh, happy day. I was almost giddy because it is much smoother than the Brother, probably because it's heavier...and it's faster! I didn't realize how that mattered!

I probably should get it tuned up -- it would be the responsible thing to do -- but I have a tendency to wing some things, and this will probably be one of them. 

Well, off to list things on ebay. It feels so good, shipped out some boxes today! Yeyyyy.