This morning I "gave it the old college try" (as Dad liked to say.)

Took off the plates and cleaned my machine (again), rethreaded it, tried three different bobbins, etc. but still had no luck. 

So while I waited for Marcie's studio to "open"
I worked on the binding for her quilt while I watched TV.

It didn't take her long to join the binding tails (which were ready to go, already marked and pinned) and then stitch them down in readiness for my last little bit of hand-stitching.  It did, however, take quite an effort to make her machine happy with the invisible thread so she could quilt the two lines on the short sides of one placemat I discovered I'd missed.

I also learned that the feed dogs need to work properly in order for the bobbin to engage.  Since I've had issues with the feed dogs before I was hopeful that was the issue, but once home discovered that they are working properly.

So now I'm off to Mulqueen's to drop off my machine for service.  Unless it needs parts, their current turn-around time is only a week to ten days.

So in theory I could have it back soon -
though (obviously!) not in time for Monday's Sew Day.

Guess I'll be hand-stitching Marcie's binding
instead of working on the wedding quilt.

Marcie did make a wonderful offer today, to put together the last blocks of set D for me
so I'll be ready to put the quilt together once my machine is returned.  I won't need to take her up on that if I don't need to wait for parts, but it is an incredible offer.