Wednesday 15 October 2008

Spare Parts Rip Off

I have a few sewing machines - until yesterday I had three. One Industrial machine and two Janome. One of my Janome machines was bought second hand and didn't come with a foot controller or a power lead. A new power lead was cheap enough to buy.

I have managed by swapping the foot controller to the machine that I was using at the time but a friend was coming to the house to do some sewing and I needed two machines. Off I trotted to the local repair shp, but there he didn't have the part. No problems, he would call Janome and find a price. Which he did. £54 plus carriage! For a foot controller!

How can companies justify that kind of price for something which is relatively simple. Faced with the choice of paying over £60 for one component, I opted to buy a second hand machine which cost just over half the price of the replacement part.

Meet machine number 4:


Admittedly not terribly pretty. But it does the job - straight stitch and zig zag stitch plus a few others.

And sitting on the machine is some vintage fabric that I just couldn't resist. Blossom barkcloth in a cheery yellow.


Not sure what it's destined for, but when has that ever stopped me bringing home more fabric?

And proof that I may have too much time on my hands


One titivated bulldog clip. It was just an excuse really to use my favourite word of the moment!

3 comments:

bigbucketgirl said...

Titivate all you want dear!
My mother uses that word all the time..the kids think she's awfully rude for a grandma!

Congrats on machine #4. I have 4..one is awaiting a new foot control from ebay...i think there's a few days of nail biting to find out if i've got it!

Ragged Roses said...

Oh I'm all for a bit of titivation!!! Love the yellow fabric.
Kimx

Jo said...

Hi, Toyota, your machine no 4 , the same machine was and still is my no1 machine I have had for the last 22 years! and I bought a new foot pedal for it over the years.
Josie
ps) it will probably break down now