Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Where Have I Been?

I have had a couple of inquiries lately why I haven't posted in a long
time. I really am okay, it's just that life got in the way. My full time
job involves a considerable amount of travel and that travel has spiked
recently. One period, I didn't unpack my suitcase for three weekends -
just removed the dirty clothes, replaced them with clean clothes and
zipped the suitcase closed for the following week. I spent a week in
North Carolina, the next week in Orlando, Florida and the following week
in Tucson, Arizona. That has finally quieted down and just in time, as
you will learn if you keep reading.

My youngest daughter is graduating from high school this spring and we
have been doing all the things parents do when their child is about to
go off to college - college tours, orientation visits, and satisfying
all the administrative, medical, educational, and financial requirements
that go along with college application, selection, and entrance.  The
big rush will come later when we have to get computer, books, clothes,
and the hundreds of other things we can't get ahead of time.

But the biggest news and the most time-consuming in the last month is
that we are buying a quilt shop!  




The only quilt shop in the county was
on the verge of closing and came available at a price we could afford.


Stock is way down and so is customer traffic. 




We were shocked at all the
things required by the town, state, and federal governments: Federal
Employer ID Number, Workmen's Comp, federal and state unemployment
insurance, sales tax number, trader's license, occupancy permit, even a
sign permit to allow us to display a sign.




 Then there's liability
insurance, attorney's fees, and lease. Bank account, post office box,
credit card processor, website, phone service, Internet, and so many
other things necessary to running a shop. Because I still work full
time, Kathie has been taking care of the vast majority of the details
and is really stressed out. The only bright spot for her so far has been
meeting with the fabric reps and ordering many thousands of dollars
worth of fabric and patterns. Deliveries are spaced out over the next
six months but the first shipments have begun arriving and are piling up
in our living room waiting until the day we take over the business and
can re-stock the shelves.


I am hoping that the quilt shop will provide fodder for this blog in the
upcoming months because I plan to offer servicing of vintage sewing
machines. With luck, I will get my hands on some unusual machines that I
can photograph and write about, then return to their owners when I am
finished and won't have to find space to store them.

So don't give up, check back occasionally and things should pick up
eventually.



21 comments:

Tammy said...

Congratulations Ed. Best of luck to you and Kathie with your quilt shop. I hope you are getting all kinds of lovely threads to go with the fabric. Will you be offering on-line sales as well? I think that servicing vintage sewing machines will be a valuable added service to local sewers. Looking forward to seeing more sewing machine stories on your blog.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your shop! May the fruits of your labor bring you back profits in more ways than money! I was told i can aquire a coronado - gambles manaual. Any idea what site -link i go to print? Thanks in advance. - julie duff, mulliken Michigan. Solgatj2@yahoo.com

JustGail said...

Congratulations and best wishes for success on the new business. Will you also be selling vintage machines in addition to servicing them?

Unknown said...

Thanks for all your wishes. We went to settlement Friday morning and spent the rest of the day rearranging and carrying new stock into the store. Kathie's business license doesn't go into effect until 1 May, so we have a few days to play before opening.
We learned that Bank of America has no idea how to set up an account for an LLC that was purchased. They refused to open an account because the Articles of Organization are in the original owner's name, even though we had plenty of documentation showing we had purchased the LLC. Fortunately, other banks are more knowledgeable and we went down the street and opened an account with BOA's competitor.

As for online selling, there are other, larger quilt shops in the area who have really nice websites. We probably can't compete in their ballpark, but have decided to provide what the larger shops don't - personal service. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list to learn details, send an email to oldetownestitchery@verizon.net -Ed

Unknown said...

As for selling vintage sewing machines, I really don't have many to sell. I have kept one of each model for my personal collection and plan to display some around the shop but unless I stumble upon some cache of vintage sewing machines, there aren't any to sell. -Ed

Amanda said...

Congrats on your new shop! I am a beginner quilter but have been sewing since I was a child. I just recently started my first quilt and just as I was about finished machine basting it my Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12 began making a horrible noise. (I made a video of it so people could hear what I'm talking about, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDlY9R7ABXk ). I oiled the entire machine everywhere that my manual suggests but the noise didn't go away. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be wrong with it. Besides the fact that it is older. I hate to get rid of it since it's a solid machine.

Unknown said...

It's about impossible to say where the noise is coming from without having the machine in front of me. My hunch is that you missed a spot in your oiling routine. Another possibility is that there is some thread caught around the hook area that is binding the machine. Is the balance wheel easy to spin by hand or tight? Try taking the shuttle out and see if that makes any difference. You can get a mechanic's stethoscope from Harbor freight for $3.99, that would be very helpful in tracking down the source. Another option is to put the tip of a screwdriver at different places on the machine while it's making noise and you ear on the handle. -Ed

Anonymous said...

Good luck with your shop. Thank you for the information.

ccsweetp said...

Ed, Many thanks for the time devoted to this blog. You've been a great source of information. I've started collecting Necchis and have a Supernova Julia that is missing the plastic outside ring on the design graduating knob. I'm also searching for an exterior light bulb cover for a black BU. Other than Ebay, do you have any suggestions for potential resources for these types of items? Thanks again....

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to you and Kathie, Edward! I'm so pleased for you and I know this is going to be a real adventure for you both.
In Stitches,
Beverly in Ohio

jimmy said...

Good luck!

handelopera said...

WANTED: 2-SPEED NECCHI ESPERIA

Please let me know where I can buy a good working straight stitch Necchi.
Thank you.

Mary Kaech said...

Hope you had fun in Tucson; that's my hometown! Would you please be able to tell me where I could find a manual for an Adler Belvedere, model 290? I can't find it anywhere online! THANK YOU!!

Unknown said...

Hi Ed, I have a Pfaff 330 that came with manuals for the 130 series and the 230-260......not the 330. Where can I get a copy of the correct manual for my machine. I know how to use it, but I like to have the correct user manual in case I choose to sell it. Good luck with your new shop. I lived in MD(near Andrews AFB) during my high school & college(Univ. of MD) years. Lucille

Anonymous said...

Just discovered your blog, and love seeing that others care about old sewing machines. I have three machines from the sixties; two Necchis and a Husqvarna.

The best of luck with your new project! :-)

Siri, Oslo/Norway

mimidapi said...

Hi There!

I have just discovered your blog.Any suggestions for repairs on the Singer fashion mate 239? The foot pedal is giving up on life, it only works when I push the wire in a certain place. Not sure if it is worth getting repaired or to just buy a new sewing machine...........

Gail said...

Hi Ed, I want to wish ya'll the best with the new shop. I drop into your blog occasionally and enjoy it so much.
I was wondering what you might know about the Neechi BV. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gail

Unknown said...

I can"t find a manual download or any info on a Necchi BV industrial machine either. I have a local shop wanting to sell me one but I need a manual at the very least.

roxantiques said...

Hello My name is Roxann and I just bought a sewing machine and cannot find it any where. it is a gold in color on the front it says General Reg. USA. Trademark and on the bottom right corner on the front it says Deluxe Super ZigZag Japan on the motor it says seamstress sewing motor 115/130 cycles 50/60 no.692 it has 2 thread holders on top it has a hook to move right to left with numbers 012345 and a up and down lever left side 43210 and RF on the base it has down and up the serial no under the machine on the right side is 588473 it is gold in color and it runs. and looks good. can you tell me anything on this machine? I'm puzzled Sincerely Roxann in MI.

Unknown said...

Roxann, Please read my May 2006 post "Japanese Clones of the 40's, 50's, and 60's". I think it will answer your question. -Ed

Phyllis said...

I wish I lived on the East Coast- I would definitely visit your shop!!
As for Anonymous who had the Belvedere Adler questions--I have one and finally figured out that the Mother company is Riccar, and once I went to Riccar.com, I was able to find a manual for my machine. Hope that helps, but I know their post is old. Phyllis