My machine is a hideous monster

I took the Singer 6234 sewing machine to the repair shop again. They confirmed that the machine’s timing was out, but this was covered by a warranty for having it serviced there. Apparently, they have to fix it for free for an entire year. I also had a couple of people go over the machine ...

Then again, maybe not

This sewing machine is giving me fits. After two successful little stitching projects, I decided to take the radical action of winding my own bobbin. Chilling, I know. What’s the worst that could happen? The actual bobbin winding process was straightforward and easy, but I did notice two strange things about my machine (or maybe ...

The start of something wonderful

So we got the Singer back from the shop, and it actually works! After stitching some random pieces of fabric, I moved to my first “real” project: a couple of straps of thick fabric with Velcro for holding a Philips iPod media system for the car. It actually worked! I am quite happy. There was ...

So you have chosen… pain!

The sewing machine is broken. We couldn’t get it to stitch anything, and over the course of our tests it became slower and slower until it would barely move the fabric at all. With some grousing I took it to a local sewing machine repair place, and had it serviced. It cost $120 to get ...

First step into a larger world

Grandma and I made some pretty elaborate costumes for the kids for Halloween this year: My oldest was a Jedi knight, while my middle child was a Jawa. The kids were very excited. The Jedi costume was off the shelf, but the Jawa was a lot of work. We stitched together sweater fabric and burlap ...

Allergy List

Here are two documents that describe what Andrew and I are allergic to. First, Daddy’s Allergies. And Andrew’s Allergies.

Please be patient as we shuffle the deck chairs

So sad that fonts on the Internet has become such a debacle. Also sad that Microsoft Internet Explorer doesn’t behave well at all when it comes to stylesheets. Please be patient while I redesign the site. Trying to add some nifty navigation elements, and fix some troublesome IE display bugs.

Turkey and Rice

Emily tried a hypoallergenic recipe last night consisting of — wait for it — turkey and rice. It was a huge success. The kids were happy, I was happy. We all ate together. Kudos to Emily for creating something edible without using egg, soy, diary, nuts, peanuts, beef, etc. She says she got the recipe ...

Cooking without ingredients

My youngest son has eosinophilic esophagitis, or EOE, and a host of crazy allergies. He is allergic to: egg, milk, soy, peas, peanuts, tree nuts, green beans, corn, beef and wheat. Needless to say, this cuts down on our dietary choices quite a bit. He currently eats potatoes, chicken, rice, beans, and not much else. ...

Benjamin and Andrew pictures

Two images that compare my two sons. First is Andrew. Second is Benjamin. Both were taken when the boys were two days old. And what handsome boys they are!