This past week, I spent time in McCall, Idaho learning how to maintain my Featherweight and took a 3 day class on Farmgirl Vintage 2 led by Lori Holt.

I had a blast!  JK Quilts and the Featherweight Shop put on a first class experience for all who attended. The retreat swag was unbelievable! Fat quarter bundles, precut projects, FW tools and accessories, Lori Holt themed goodies, tumblers, bags, patterns, books…the box I shipped home weighed 20 pounds.

I literally unplugged for an entire week. This city girl only picked up her iPad to take pictures and record notes with her iPencil during Carmon Henry’s Featherweight Maintenance Workshop.  Now, I will see if I can figure out why Crystal (my white Featherweight) won’t pick up the bobbin thread.

Attendees also got to be among the first to learn about new products from the Featherweight Shop that will be coming to the marketplace soon.  We were able to try out one new product. My name is on the list to try when another new product comes available.

Not surprisingly, most attendees were from the West Coast. A handful of us came from the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. Many couldn’t believe that I flew all that way when I have other options available locally.  (I tended to agree with that observation on Saturday when it took me 15 hours and 3 plane changes to get home because bad weather in ATL caused Southwest to cancel my flight from Denver.)  I missed Carmon Henry’s workshop when they came to Georgia 3-4 years ago.  Missouri Star has retreats with Carmon Henry scheduled for August 2019, but school’s already back in session.  (Good call on my part because I’ll be using my personal days to attend an Aurifil event and other quilty retreats during the school year!).

As I mentioned earlier, I had SEW much fun on this retreat.  I laughed, stitched and unplugged for an entire week.  I got to connect with people outside of work and school. We were all so very different, yet we managed to have sewing and a love of Featherweights that brought us all together.  I was very sad to leave Karen, Terry, Sharon and a host of others on Friday morning.  I hadn’t experienced that level of camaraderie since I went back to Tampa last summer. Now that all of my major professional development for the day job is behind me, I can concentrate on reconnecting with my quilty, crafty, bookish and outdoorsy peeps in the area.  Ticket has already been purchased for the Atlanta Quilt Study Group meeting in late September – it also falls during Fall Break!  No need to take time off from work!  Woo-hoo!

Last Sunday, I spent three hours in the emergency room due to a droop on the the left side of my face. I’d gone to the local urgent care, who took my blood pressure, examined my face and told me I needed to get to the ER. A possible stroke was her biggest concern. After blood tests, two exams and a head MRI, the diagnosis – Bell’s Palsy.

Basically, the cranial nerve that moves the muscles on the left side of my face is inflamed. The left side of my face literally froze from my forehead to the bottom of my lip. It feels as if I’ve had dental work done and my mouth is still numb. Thankfully, I can now blink and close my left eye. I can eat as long as I use a fork and drink with a straw. Still pain from the ear to my nose. Cheek and jaw muscles remain tight – even with massive steroids for the past week. Not being able to smile is hard.

The prognosis from the ER and my primary care doctors was quite positive for a full recovery. I have a follow-up appointment later this week with the neurologist just to make sure everything is okay.  I’m also curious as to the cause of this episode. Was it just a combination of random factors or was the major culprit – stress?  My white blood cell count was super high with no indication of an infection.  The nurse informed me that it was also an indicator of extremely high stress levels. I was strongly encouraged to spend the summer relaxing and doing massive amounts of self-care. I was also advised to learn ways to better manage my stress.

So, in keeping with the doctor’s orders, I am taking the entire month of June and most of July off. My plans include nothing more strenuous than relaxing near a body of water with sand between my toes, a good book in my hands and a glass of wine by my side. Oh – and maybe a small project to stitch on Crystal or Juliette (my beloved Singer Featherweights) when the weather outside gets a bit too toasty.

This is more a compilation for my use, but feel free to borrow:

Singer-Featherweight  (f/n/a April 1930’s – successor to Graham Forsdyke)
Nova Montgomery
Desk Dave
Featherweight Doctor
Glenn Williams (Temple Terrace, FL)

Helpful hints:
*Original Bobbin Case is a MUST.
*Best replacement belt:  Bernina Black V-Belt part# 305.201.13
*Stick to original bobbins or reproduction bobbins from sources listed above. Bobbins from big box craft stores have mixed results.
*Screwdrivers with magnetic tips work best.
*LED bulbs are much cooler.
*If you don’t like/want to preserve original Bake-Lite foot controller – get the clamshell version with the rubber molded plug (about $40). WORTH EVERY PENNY.
*If you experience tensions issues, try a thread stand.