Late October is none too early to get a start on sewing projects for the holidays. Visions of a hand-sewn Christmas tree skirt danced in my head as I trudged up the attic stairs to fetch my old Singer sewing machine. I heard myself humming “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly.”

But I changed my tune when I remembered the machine’s erratic behavior the last time I used it. Instead of trilling “Tra la la la lah, la la la LAH,” I found myself uttering a tuneless “Hmmm.”

The last time I tried to sew up a storm, the machine had thrown out thread in abundance on the underside of my work, creating a messy loop-the-loop that had to be pulled out with the point of a pin – and with much frustration. Then, inexplicably, the thing sent out thread smoothly again. It seemed as if the machine was in some sort of a mood swing – in a twitch and throwing out thread too quickly at one moment, then serenely sending it out in a perfectly smooth flow the next.

It was time to get the moody machine analyzed by an expert. Quilters from several different towns all pointed me to Donald Sabins, sewing machine wiz of Union. “He really knows sewing machines. I swear by him,” was their ready refrain.

It turns out Sabins doesn’t just know sewing machines. He knows his heart when it comes to his faith. And he’s eager to let his neighbors and customers know this. Signs in his driveway at 57 Union Road invite customers to park there – and to remember, “The Wages of Sin is Death.”

Inside the shop, more signs make it clear Sabins feels close to Jesus. He will chat about this if customers bring up the topic, but otherwise, he told me, he lets the pamphlets of gospel that he tucks into perfectly fixed sewing machines speak for him. Those machines include everything from antique to up-to-date household models to machines used to sew sails and rope and upholstery.

With 30 years experience, and a faith-based commitment to “working with the skills God gave me,” Sabins found fixing my moody machine to be child’s play. It is a question of tension, which comes and goes because the machine can correct itself.

“If I explain about tension and people pay attention, they can run their machine,” he said, pointing to a prominent knob. “If it’s loose on the bottom, tighten the tension knob. If it’s loose on top, loosen the knob,” Sabins said. “It’s like the Christian life. It’s so simple. Accept the spirit of God, and there’s no more loose thread.”