Oberon Swap Meet

On Sunday morning we drove out to Oberon to attend the annual Swap Meet in the freezing cold.  We had already decided not to have a stall, but you have to go along to support them.  We planned on buying an egg and bacon roll and nothing more.

As you can guess, that didn't happen.......

There was a lady selling nice looking pumpkins and a young lad was selling his eggs.....then another lady was selling "Mother-in-Law's Tongue" plants (which I have been wanting for a while), and another lady had chocolate mint plants (that is definitely worth testing out) as well as another little plant that I don't know the name of, but was cute.  They were all as cheap as chips. I know, no will power at all.

My teddy bear tin that I am using for my Splendid Sampler blocks was rapidly filling up, so when I spied a pretty tin the same size I grabbed it quick smart.  It now holds the first 45 blocks that I have completed.  I can't believe that I am nearly half way there.

When we saw a couple of interesting old tins and a couple of green glass bowls for next to nothing they came home with us too. They may just end up at another swap meet in the future.

Books are always of interest to us and I was super happy to see a copy of "What Wildflower is That?".  I've half heartedly been looking for a copy for the best part of 25 years, after borrowing a copy from the library to identify a flower we saw half way up a mountain at the Warrumbungles.  It will be a great reference resource in the caravan. Yes, cheap as chips as well.

Of course, I'm always on the lookout for interesting sewing bits and bobs.  As we walked past one stall I noticed a Bernina 830 Record for the princely sum of $10.00.  No, I don't need a Bernina.  I'm more of an Elna girl.  The only experience I have of Berninas is high school sewing classes.  I still have the bobbin case from those days.  I do have a Bernina quick unpick that the sewing machine shop gave me when I bought my Janome.  I have more than sufficient sewing machines as it is. (I still haven't shared some of them here.)  We walked on.  We saw a couple of other non descript 1960s machines, in very average condition.  Not interested.  Nothing else that caught my eye.

Before long, I weakened and went back to have a better look at the Bernina.  It looked good cosmetically.  There was the extension table, foot pedal, cord and accessory tray.  Upon enquiry, no, there wasn't a case and there was only one foot.  The bobbin case was there and just one bobbin.  Apparently, the machine had lived in a sewing table, so the other bits were gone.  I was strong and left it there. No, I don't need a Bernina.

On our next walk around I had another look.  The man said, that seeing the bits were missing I could have it for $5.00.  As  you can guess, I caved.  I'd be able to sell it again, or offer it to someone for spares or something.  It was worth $5.00 to me.  Mick just rolled his eyes as he played pack camel and carried it back to the car for me.  He's a keeper.

When I got home I had a better look at it.  In the accessory tray there was a packet of jeans sewing machine needles and a big reel of Gutermann thread.  That was $5.00 worth there.  To my delight, there was the original manual.  That saved me doing a google search for one.  I did do a google search and established that it is a 1975 model.

The upside is that it is not at all knocked around.  Yes, there is only one presser foot, but it is the zigzag one, which realistically is the one that is most used and you can get onto feet fairly easily.  There was a sticker on the back, which showed that it had been serviced by someone with a mobile phone number, so relatively recently.  I worked out how to have a peek at the innards and it was clean as a whistle.  No fluff anywhere.  I guess that it probably hasn't been used at all since it was serviced at some stage.  It moves quite freely by hand.  

On the downside, the case is missing, which also means that the knee lifter is missing, but that isn't the end of the world.  Let's face it, most machines that age don't have one. As I said, the other feet were missing.

I was brave and plugged it in. Yes, it definitely goes, but seems a bit stiff.  I need to have a better look at where it gets oiled and lubed.  The only spot in the manual is behind the bobbin case.  You would think there are more points.  I'll investigate.

It may be a good excuse to make a pretty machine cover........Hold on, I wonder if the one I made for Mum's machine fits?  I made it for her back in 2009 and blogged about it here. Mum's machine actually has a built in cover and is stored on a shelf out of the dust.

You beauty.  

Do you get the impression that I may keep this machine, for the time being at least?  It appears to be a good machine.  You don't happen to know where I could find a case, knee lifter and presser feet for a 1975 Bernina 830 Record by any chance?

Like I said, no will power whatsoever.