Because I have Posterior Tibial Tendon Disorder (PTTD - torn but healed tendons under the inner ankle bone) I wear Ace Deluxe Ankle Braces on both ankles. They cost about $15 apiece. Although they are good quality, the seam on the underside of the brace eventually wears out under the heel since I wear them all day every day.
I noticed that this seam was pulling apart so I decided to sew it back together and reinforce it with a piece of neoprene fabric.
My 1993 White sewing machine wasn’t cooperating. The upper thread kept getting caught in the tensioner and breaking. The lower thread kept breaking also.
Ultimately, I had to disassemble the machine, clean out the dust and oil the interior (both upper and lower). The plastic of the removable stage box was so stiff that I had to break off the tab to open it.
When I sewed the neoprene onto the braces the machine flew just like it had in the old days when I used to sew a lot. Before imported clothes got so cheap that it was cheaper to buy them than to buy the fabric and make my own clothes.
Of course, I could have bought new braces instead of spending 2 hours doing long-deferred maintenance on my sewing machine. But it’s against my nature to throw out repairable items.
The Living Below Your Means motto: Reduce, reuse, recycle, repair.
Wendy