for want of a $20 piece...

A few years ago, I broke my serger. I know, with the amount of sewing I do, you'd think I'd run right out a get it fixed. But I didn't. For one reason or another, I just never got around to it. My sewing machine (which is fairly new), does a pretty good overlock stitch, so I just used that. However, my pet peeve with the sewing machine is the bobbin. I hate winding bobbins - they never hold enough thread for me, and it's a pain to stop what I'm doing to wind a new bobbin. I would rather buy two spools of thread, than wind a bobbin.
But I digress.
After a few years of seeing my shrouded serger just sitting there, I decided to take a look at the problem a little more closely.  The piece that broke was the lower looper, and for some reason I thought it was an actual welded part of the whole mechanism. Turns out it's not. It's a small piece that screws onto the assembly. Huh, who knew? So I unscrewed it, and took what was left of it to my computer, and started Googling. I found out a couple of things. You really can find ANYTHING on the Internet, and there are hundred of different lower loopers for sergers!
I started with the easy - I found some sewing supply places near me and emailed them asking if they had the part that would fit my particular serger. Two of them never got back to me (there's some customer service for you!) and the one that did, simply said "we don't have your part. Can I interest you in a new Babylock or Bernina?" Sure! Instead of a part, I'll just get a while new machine. Okay, so the search continues.
I found a great site that actually showed pictures of the parts - very handy, considering my serger is a lesser known make. After scrolling through page after page of lower loopers, I saw it! The part! It had the right curve, the right bend, it all looked right! I looked at the price, and including shipping, it cost me all of $22.46. Really? I waited 3 years to replace a $20 part?
It proves my points. The internet is a wonderful place, and I'm an idiot for waiting so long.
Now I am waiting for the part to arrive from Tennessee. I've been madly cutting into my stash of fabrics that really need proper edge finishing. First up - a pair of evening parts in black vintage satin. Yum. Because a woman that dresses as casually as I do really needs vintage satin evening pants...