Cheaper By The Dozen

Editiors note: sorry for the long delay in finishing up this post. I always want to include more photos but while I'm thinking about it I'm cleaning up and putting them away. I'll try harder "next time" 

When it rains it pours and sewing machines have started to pile up here in Minnesota. It started with an offer to buy six sewing machines from a young woman who wanted to start a business in sewing high end clothing. She traveled the world buying fabric, renting a space to work and store supplies but then things took a turn and she decided to go back to school instead. Not only was she selling off all of the fabric, she had six very nice sewing machines for sale: two Bernina's, two Elna's, a Brother and a Signature dedicated to buttonholes.

Brother CS 100

Signature ZigZag

We made arrangements and I picked them up a couple weeks ago. While there I could see how much fabric she had and it was overwhelming and a bit reassuring: I don't have that much fabric! I should have brought my husband along so he could see how fortunate he is that my fabric collection is much smaller! My sewing daughter and I went to her "bundle" sale last weekend, vowing we were just going to look but we each managed to spend $42 for some pretty nice fabric.

How about those machines: they seemed to be very complete with cases and accessories so I got own to cleaning and checking them out. The Elna 8000 was very complete and in good shape but the Elna 9000/Diva is missing the spool pin and doesn't have the extra vertical pin either. That got ordered and in the meantime I tried out all of the cassettes for more stitches, something only the Diva has, not the 8000. Don't let anyone tell you the 8000 and the 9000 are the same because they are clearly not.

The Berninas were also great with accessories and cases. Just a little loving care was needed and I think one might already be going out the door. The Brother CS-100 did sell right away to a grandmother who is teaching her granddaughter to sew, something I heartily approve of! The only one left is the Signature that came with a Singer buttonhole attachment, use solely for making buttonholes. They do work up very nice buttonholes! Here's my bundle of fabrics I brought back from my second visit that includes the stretch velvet, leather like fabric, a nice dress fabric, and some scraps that I couldn't resist for only $1.

From knits to leather, I can't wait to sew them up!

While I was busy with this group of machines I answered an ad for a set of four machines up in Lindstrom so off we went. This was a much more rugged group that I suspect came from an auction. It included a Pfaff 77, Bernina 700, another Signature, and a Kenmore 158-19412. Unfortunately, the Pfaff 77 bit the dust early and I had to strip down for parts, the Bernina 700 has stitch width problems, and the Signature has a bad case of smelly case. The real winner here is the Kenmore: very dirty but working just fine. I spent some quality time with it and she's looking good, just needs a Kenmore case that I think might be in the garage attic. 

Whew! But I wasn't finished. There's also a Singer 301 in a lovely table that included a full set of accessories and the cradle for easy lifting out of the machine from the table for transport. I'll have to tell you about the fabulous Elna Quilting Queen I picked up and even a New Home/Janome MyExcel 15S that works perfectly (and was free). Now I have to stop buying and need to get these sewing machines in shape so someone else can revel in their "new" machine as I have. Sew on!

Eight in Spades

It's been another grand weekend with rain and raining sewing machines. We planning a day at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday but rain and thunderstorms helped us change our minds. Instead, we traveled over the border to Wisconsin to visit friends who are moving to Tennessee and she had sewing machines she was not going to take. I was lured by the offer of some-are-free so we took the Jeep and headed over.

Despite the rain we had a great time together, the men deep into discussions about hunting and fishing while we discussed their new home and new adventures. Between the basement workshop and the "barn" I took home eight sewing machines and no tables or desks.

Loaded up!

Although I have a million other things to do, I couldn't resist seeing what I had and what still needed to be done. There was a Singer 237 with parts in a bag so it was put at the back of the workbench. The Singer 327K kept slipping so it was next to the back. A Davis vertical feed was frozen up with parts in a bag and it is now on the floor of the garage, a place of shame but also in the garage, at the top of the list is a Brother Super Select-O-Matic, favorite of mine, in two tone:

Brother Super Select-O-Matic (HZ3B3 Model 100)

This was the big find of the day but it wasn't free and that was just fine. Isn't she a beauty? She will get a future post with comparisons to other Brother models of this Select-O-Matic fame. Next up are the four that need some work and clean up but all are doing quite well.

The Elgin is actually a Japanese model JA-38, a great machine I have seen with other names. It was dry inside and very dirty but that's not hard to rectify. It got a new motor and a used motor block set for the power cords and foot control with only one trip to the hardware store for a new long screw. Don't ask, it works.

Elgin (JA-38)

Stitches fine, sounds good, a nice smooth operation and is cosmetically perfect. Good find for someone who wants straight and zigzag and doesn't mind a heavy machine!

The next cutie is a New Home that is not heavy and includes just the basics of straight, zigzag, 4 step buttonhole, blind hem, elastic zigzag, and two stretch stitches. Nothing wrong with this one except a big clean up and a new motor block/foot control. Because of the cute factor and lack of heft, I put it in one of the Brother mod carrying cases so it looks cute in storage, too.

New Home 1300

New Home 1300 in carrying case

Then there is a 3/4 sized National S-40, a vibrating shuttle model that has oh so many differences. Note that large round plate?

National S-40 3/4 sized sewing machine

No real purpose, just for design intrigue! Then there are the double tires on the rotary wheel, both replaced, and the bobbin winding spring. I couldn't figure out how the bobbin winder worked since it didn't line up with the hand wheel  but it did line up with the wheel in the back. Then I remembered finding a large spring formed into a circle and put two and two together to see how it worked:

National S-40 bobbin winding mechanism

I still don't have it stitching but that's due to the wrong needle, misthreading, and/or tension but I will work that out yet. The case is in excellent shape and the original cords are soft, strong, and pliable. Now, if I could only find a manual.

And, finally, there is a Signature URR-56X271, a nice machine that is turning over but I haven't tested out the stitching capability just yet. It is extremely heavy so think it will go out to a table in the garage since this is clearly not a portable sewing machine. It came with a box of attachments, cams, and a print manual so that one hit the jackpot. UPDATE: It got a new motor and a re-tread on the motor block, using one that was missing the foot control that was among the mix of items in this haul. It does stitch nicely and the cams work just fine, too.

Signature URR-56X271

As you can tell, I'm super excited to be working on these machines, it was so nice to get to pick the ones I want instead of having them appear on my doorstep. My friend was more than generous and she still had more that I wouldn't take but we agreed that she would strip them down and bring over the bases for me to send to my metal recycler. By this time next week I should have a bunch more that I can now move along. Sorry, folks, but not all of them get saved but at least they are not ending up in a landfill. Most of them were on my parts shelf for several years and didn't have much to save left so to let them go was the humane thing to do. Yes, they are a bit like my pets: beloved and with us just for awhile.

Discovery

With my last big buying spree in Windfall, I am working to bring many of them inside to avoid any problems with garage storage. It's getting cool at night and sewing machines need to be kept at a stable temperature so they are making their way inside. The first one I looked at is the Signature URR-988C:

Signature URR-988C

a nice looking machine that has been dropped. That's right, it was dropped or hit with enough force the presser foot tension knob was bent and broke off the housing. This housing is part of the cast framework of the sewing machine so it cannot be replaced, only repaired.

Presser foot tension knob

Broken part circled on left: see the cracks?

 Why go to all of the fuss for one machine? I took a good look at it and noticed there was a large flat disk on the top of it, the changeable cam for decorative stitches, and thought it looked familiar. Looking through my sets of cams I found this:

Complete set of accessories and cams for Signature URR-988

I found this set of accessories at a resale shop sometime in the past three years and picked it up, hoping I could use it one day. Today is that day! Except I need to get this broken piece fixed. I showed it to Roland who gave me a great suggestion to have the piece drilled for screws to keep it in place (I have a new knob already) so I will need to find a machinist who can and will do this for me. So for now the Signature URR-988C is waiting.

Next up is the New Home 108, a more modern sewing machine with a built in carrying handle and a nice variety of stitches. It just needed to be cleaned up and oiled, already stitching just fine. Just to do due diligence I took off the bottom covers and found something brown and dry flaking off the bottom covers. It hadn't dripped down the sides because there were no streaks, it wasn't oily or sticky, just a thin brown sheet of something that came off in flakes. Very weird but easily cleaned off and she's a great beginner's sewing machine now.

New Home 108

The tension was perfect and stitch quality was good:

Front of stitch sample

Bobbin side of stitch sample

There was a four step buttonhole that wasn't great but did make an adequate buttonhole, nothing fancy but slightly uneven. Maybe I should have looked in the manual that came with the machine to see if I should be using a special presser foot but for my first try it wasn't too bad. Yup, a nice beginner's sewing machine that I will sell with that in mind.

Wish I could have added the Kenmore I've been practicing free motion on but that's going to have to wait until next time so stay tuned for further reviews of the machines that came in a Windfall!

Windfall

This blog puts me in touch with so many different people and some write to me with questions about their machines, some who want to buy one of my sewing machines, but this tale is about Erin who wanted to sell some "extra" sewing machines. Extra? I'm not sure I know what that means in Sewing Machine Mavin's world. There are no extras, just multiples. But Erin had sewing machines she knew she wasn't going to keep for one reason or another and proposed a group purchase. It was too good to pass up but I tried to sweeten the deal by telling Erin if she drove all the way to my house, instead of meeting part way, I would give her a tour of my sewing machines. It was a deal so we set up a time and then the countdown began. Someone was going to come into my basement and see what a mess I work in? That wasn't going to happen so I got to work in cleaning and reorganizing my machines and bins of fabric. It didn't help that I stopped at a garage sale and picked up another bin of fabric the day before. I had that bin ... but then I had all of that fabric to find homes for. This is the season for sewing up new items for the coming craft fairs so my hope was to have some of the fabric sewn up but for now it needed a new home.

In the meantime, while packing up her car and rearranging the sewing machines, she found two more for me, no additional charge, so now I was almost tingly with anticipation: how broken were the broken cases? How rare or expensive were the missing parts? Who was getting the better deal? Let's just see what happened.

Because this was a week after the garage sale, we still had some tables set up so when Erin arrived we just put them out on sturdy tables. One Kenmore, another Brother, a few no-names, a New Home, several Singers: we stopped and counted several times to see if they were all out of her car. It reminded me of a dog giving  birth to a litter of puppies: is she done yet? Are there more in there? Finally all ten were accounted for and we went over each one and its possible problems. Here's what I got: Kenmore 158-1320, Brother 1241,  Signature URR-988C, Montgomery Wards URR-385A, New Home 108, Janome 325-BBS, Helvetica (Singer 15 clone), Singer 237, Singer Merritt 1872, and a Singer 401A. Only a few needed cases or tables and missing parts were nominal. I think I scored big, Erin is glad to claim part of her basement back so it was a win-win.

After seeing what was in the garage, Erin was delighted to see how I managed to put so many sewing machines into such a small space. We fired up the White Rotary in the Martha Washington cabinet, got the treadle going, admired the decals on my Singer 99 handcrank, and she even got to see the Necchi in its hide-away cabinet:

Necchi Mira

Necchi compact cabinet: front pulls out to reveal a chair and storage

We did go downstairs and maybe she was appalled but she was a gracious guest and admired my many machines and the fabric that was intended to sew on them. Since she is a quilter and not a garment sewer, her interest was in the straight stitch models but I'm always fascinated by the decorative stitches and the stitch quality of the different machines. She did spy the Kenmore 158-1040 in its rose embossed case so we got it out to admire. Erin is a great Kenmore fan and had never seen this cute 3/4 sized machine and was pretty entranced with it.

Kenmore 158-1040

We also got out the Elna Lotus models, another 3/4 sized machine, and marveled at the ingenuity of how it all fit together. Maybe this all comes as a balance to her long arm quilting machine, a pretty large operation, to see these 3/4 sized machines that can sew but on a much smaller scale.

Elna Lotus, a 3/4 sized sewing machine

An hour had gone by and she needed to get back on the road and I needed to get back to my job at hand so we parted with a final photograph of Erin with some of her sold sewing machines:

Erin with a final goodbye to her sewing machines (why does she look so happy?)

You just never know where these stories are going to take you, do you? I'm up for an adventure and this time Erin and her extra sewing machines provided me with a reason to clean up my act but to show off a little bit, too. Thanks, Erin, for the new batch of projects and the hope of future sewers.

Let's Begin At The Beginning

Beginner's sewing machines is a bit of a misnomer: why would a beginner want a sewing machine that was "less than" any other sewing machine for a person who sews? There are several reasons why you might not want a "serious" sewing machine:

• Just trying out a new hobby: why spend much money on something you are only going to dabble in? If you like sewing you can always buy a better sewing machine later.
• Money is tight and you think you can save money by mending your clothes or making new ones cheaper.
• Your child/grandchild has expressed an interest in sewing but what if they don't stick with it? Better to buy a beginner's sewing machine.
• Money is still tight and you can only afford a beginner's sewing machine , just under $100.

Of course, I'm going to refute these ideas but, not to insult my readers, I'll just sum this up quickly. Poor equipment is just that: poor. No one would stay with a new hobby when they struggle to get the equipment to work or it produces poor results. Poor results? You might think to yourself "I must not be very good at it." Yet maybe your equipment isn't very good. Many, many people have used rather crappy sewing machines for years and wondered why their garments do not turn out too well. Of course you will get better with practice but poor equipment can only take you so far.

Enter your choices in beginning to sew:

Brother XL-3750

Brother JX-2517

Brother XL-3100

Brother XL-5130

Most people go with a Brother sewing machine or Singer because they are cheap and easy to find: they are in Walmart, Costco, even Aldi (I kid you not, I almost took a photo).  But these won't last for long and do not give you a good, even stitch. If you happen to jam the machine from sewing over a pin or trying to hem jeans, it can throw the timing off and/or break gears. Let me suggest some alternatives.

Montgomery Wards UHT J1947

Signature UHT J278

Buy vintage! Only the strong survive so the poor sewing machines have all gone to landfills and the better ones are ready for you to try out. I have been pleasantly surprised at some brands that have attached their name to some pretty nice sewing machines: Signature (Montgomery Wards), J.C. Penney's, and Kenmore (Sears), where none of them are actually made by the company that sells them. Even some big names have made more-affordable lines like Bernette by Bernina, and Elnita by Elna. Here are some I've used and thought were pretty nice:

Bernette 330

Elna 1010

J.C. Penney's Stretch Stitch

They usually sell for less than $100 and are made well. For beginning sewing I usually recommend straight, zigzag, and stretch stitches, with a 4-step buttonhole maker. This will take you quite far before you find the need to expand into a "better" sewing machine. What constitutes a better machine? It's not always about money but about performance. If you have never tried a classic Elna, Necchi, Pfaff, Singer or Bernina you are in for a treat. Each one performs differently and speaks to you (or not). If you go into dealerships they basically have the new models and only for a few of the different lines. Where can you try out all the different brands? Why, at my house, of course! I don't have all of my models out all of the time either but if you come to one of my sewing machine garage sales...then you are in for a treat.

I know, I know, I've said I won't do another one and I'm not even looking at anything in a cabinet, but next fall might be a different story. It's a bit like a siren's call but I hope I don't get dashed onto the rocks!

Bargain Basement

Years ago large department stores used to have a bargain shop, sometimes in their basement, where all of the sale items ended up. Imagine, a whole floor of bargains! We don't see that too much anymore as the sale items are usually kept within the department and relegated to a section of shelves. But I got a bargain last night and here is the story:

Tuesday is Senior Day at one of my favorite thrift stores so I make it a habit to stop and check their sewing machines and fabric to see if there is something I "need" and can now get at 40% off. The first store had three sewing machines and one was a newer Necchi but the whole aisle smelled like mold from the case so I didn't linger. The next store had two Singer's that were later versions of Touch and Sew and I only paused a moment before I turned to a Kenmore 158-1560. This one I looked over carefully and considered plugging it in but decided I already had several that fit the bill for good straight stitch and zig zag with stretch stitches and didn't need another one. The above three were on an endcap of the shelving so I was surprised when I turned the corner and found another one, a Montgomery Wards UHT-J1947. When I turned the handwheel it didn't move much so I looked at the bobbin and needle to discover it was partly jammed. I took out the bobbin case, and other two parts to find they were a bit rusty. After the needle was removed it would turn but was still pretty stiff. No foot control could be found but I could see it took a standard pin configuration and I had several at home. There were enough accessories in the storage compartment to more than pay for the low cost of this machine, now 40% off.

Montgomery Wards YHT-J1947

Then I spied a white plastic sewing machine extension table with a price sticker on it. Should I pick it up? Would it fit a machine I already had or would hope to have? I looked around and found a Brother XL-3750 on another shelf with a price sticker on it. Thinking they should go together, I removed the front compartment and fit the table right up to it: perfect! Handwheel moved easily but no power cord yet the pin configuration is one I knew I had at home so I could try it out. They both came home with me for less than $10.

Brother XL3750 with extension table (I couldn't get it off at the store!)

Once home, the MW sewing machine had that familiar thunk thunk of a broken gear. I couldn't get the motor to stop straining and it just didn't take off. I did find an extra power cord and foot control and now needed to just take a look at what I feared was a broken gear. No broken gears. There was that yucky tan grease that is not at all fluid, heading towards solidifying so I scraped it out and replaced with Triflow lubricant, oiling the other areas with Triflow oil with Teflon. Still very little movement and the motor just didn't want to turn it over. I made an executive decision to let it sit overnight and maybe the Triflow will have worked its magic and it would be ready to go in the morning.

Before I even could take a shower this morning, I sat down at the MW sewing machine and turned it on, moved the handwheel, and hit the gas: she ran! Pretty smooth except for a light ticking sound that turned out to be the left cover what housed the light needed some adjustment. I couldn't wait to see if it would stitch so I put in a new needle, threaded her up and got it to sew. Not bad, small adjustments and she sewed better, even a zig zag stitch. I dialed other stitches but she wasn't going to do that yet. Looking under the hood I could see the fingers that read the stitch cam configuration were not engaged enough and it was more of the stiff tan lubricant holding up the works so I'll need to get out the hair and get things working better. As it turns out, this did not solve the problem because I noticed the dial wasn't turning just right. Yes, there was a broken plastic part on the gear so it wasn't turning for each type of stitch. It's such a small part but essential so I'm not sure what to do next. Should I just try to sell as a straight stitch and zig zag but no special stitches? Should I take that part out and see if I can glue it? Or maybe I should just strip it down and see what parts I can use from it.  See what I have started?

See the crack in the black plastic gear in the foreground?

My other gem-of-the-day has an even sweeter story. The Brother XL-3750 needed a power cord/foot control configuration that I had on another machine but I don't have an extra so that's going to cost...only $20! The missing accessories could cost more than that so this is pretty good news. After I get it threaded up and stitch, I can see it skips stitches pretty bad so I change the needle and check the top tension and find this time she sews just fine. It is so easy to use and the wide variety of stitches isn't too difficult to figure out how to dial to each one. They all work, utility stitches and stretch stitches. The extension table is handy but feels a bit flimsy compared to working on a table made for a sewing machine but it is handy and I realize its all what you get used to. More clean-up is needed inside of the machine, at least the bobbin area needs a good cleaning, but what a gem for a lightweight plastic machine that retails for $200 and can be bought now for around $100. This will make a nice beginners or a travel machine so I plan to make a carrying bag for it so the accessories are kept with the machine as well as the awkwardly large extension table. Now I'll need to order that power cord/foot control and she's nearing completion.

Brother XL3750 without extension bed: compact!

Wow, what a day when I've said no more machines but sometimes you just have to look and then it leads to bringing them home. Can I spell A-D-D-I-C-T-I-O-N? But it's fun when your addiction turns into a small business, too. Isn't that why you are reading this, too?

Free Again

Although I do pursue and buy vintage sewing machines, sometimes they are given to me. Lately, that has been quite a blessing as I got three sewing machines given to me just this week. So here is their story.

Susan was worried about her Singer 301 and asked if I would "listen" to it. Now I am the sewing machine whisperer? For Susan, I would gladly listen to any one of her machines she is concerned about. As payment, she is bringing me a Montgomery Wards Signature sewing machine she bought just for the case and didn't need this machine.

Signature UHT-J278

I would have welcomed a visit from Susan even without the bribe but it did make the visit a bit sweeter. She arrived with not one, but two sewing machines:

New Home 443 by Janome

This classy beauty does remind me of cars from the '50's with its greenish color and chrome trim. After listening to her 301, which sounded quite healthy, I plugged my freebies in and listened to each one and they seemed to be fine. It took a few days until I could get back to them with a deeper cleaning and possible adjustments. The Signature is a great sewing machine with an early stretch stitch: according to the manual, just hold the reverse button in and turn the stitch selector dial to "Stretch" and it's ready. This is not intuitive so I was very glad to have a paper manual! It's is a very nice machine with zig zag, a four step buttonhole on a dial, blind hem stitch, and the stretch stitch that incorporates a forward and reverse movement of stitches. Montgomery Wards made some nice machines, or maybe I should say they put their name on some very good Japanese models.

The New Home 443 by Janome is another good machine in its bright color but it didn't seem to be making a very long stitch at the highest number. It also got cleaned and oiled but it still didn't seem right. I walked away as a technique for repair (insight will come later?) and when I looked at the underside again I could see the lever to drop the feed dogs had not engaged fully. This kept the feed dogs from moving the fabric along so I was getting a shorter stitch. Once I pushed the lever to fully engage, the stitches were longer. How did I know this? Same thing just happened on a Singer 201 that just wasn't performing well so I read up on the possible causes and one was about the feed dogs. As I checked them out I could see they were not raised up high enough so I raised them up by taking out one screw and rotating until the feed dog were raised higher. This made all the difference in the world so it was nice to put this new skill to use just a few days later with the New Home 443.

I'm up two new machines and I get an email from Mary Beth who bought the cool Phoenix in its refinished cabinet. She reminded me that she offered her old machine and now she was ready to bring it over. Delivery? That's just too much but her son brought it over during a stormy day and left it wrapped in a black plastic bag in a protected spot. I had never seen a Singer 177C, made in Brazil, but here she is:

Singer 177C

The finish is slightly textured and the whole thing is in pretty good shape. As I'm taking it apart I notice the bobbin case is like a Singer 15. The tension unit is exactly like a Singer 15. This is a Singer 15 model but it has a class 66 bobbin in the bobbin case. This would not be good and could have been frustrating to use a machine with the wrong size bobbin, possibly jamming or producing poorer stitches. All is right in the world now as she has a class 15 bobbin and sews very nicely. She is a bit dim as there is no light attached but that's okay as I can just use a portable light to illumine the whole area.

Speaking about lights, I have been trying out the new LED's for sewing machines and think I'm sold on this type of bulb for all of my sewing machines. They are cool to the touch so it's especially nice in  machines where your hand brushes up against the bulb, as on a Featherweight or Singer 15. The ones I bought are the cool white style so it's pretty bright and now I'm going to try the warm white style to see how I like them. I do notice it makes a difference where the light shines: a Bernina Record 830 has the light over the needle plate but a Viking 19 has the light over the bed so it's an entirely different experience. I should probably use a side light when sewing on the Bernina since I find the light, not dim, but too small of an area.

So, once again, I'm busy with sewing machines instead of actually sewing but I'm trying my best to replenish my stock for the next craft fair. Hurry, hurry, hurry...but enjoy using the machines!

Testing, Testing

A sewing machine came back to me on Saturday, something that doesn't happen very often. It was a nice basic machine that had some wear and tear so it didn't look as pretty, weighed a ton so I sold it  in a cabinet, and had one of the lowest prices ever. The problem was when it was used by its new owner it broke needles, two to be exact. Hummm. I said to bring it back and we would see what could be done. It came back with the head out, saying it had "fallen" out. What? We couldn't get it to break needles so weren't sure what was going on but this time she wanted a portable with a drop in bobbin. I didn't have a portable with a drop in bobbin for the price point she was hoping for. In fact, for that low price there were only a few others that were nice but also very basic. One that "would do" was finally found and I hoped it would perform well.

I took the returned sewing machine out for a ride. Well, not exactly a ride, but I did need to test it out by sewing with it for an extended period of time. Since it was a nice day, I moved the cabinet and machine out to the back yard into the bell tower, A.K.A. gazebo, so I could sew with the gentle afternoon breeze all around me. What a nice experience!

First I checked out the cabinet and how the machine had fallen out. The screws that held the hinges in place from the underside were loose so I replaced them with bigger screws. The top opening was a bit saggy so I tried the trick of putting toothpicks into the hole where the screw goes in and then screwing it down. This puts new wood into that too large hole and now the screws will fit tight. Sounds a bit like old age and a skin firming product but it works.

Next I tried out the sewing machine only to find I could not break a needle. The tension is a bit tight but seams were not puckered and the end results is quite good. It does have a tendency to need a fairly long tail of thread when starting out or it will unthread itself at the needle. If you pull the thread right from the needle, not a very good habit but seems to be the quickest way, it will pull the needle and break it off. It wasn't going to be my new favorite sewing machine but it did work just fine.

I'm making an interesting dress but it's a little on the plain side so I thought I'd try a technique I read about in The Encyclopedia of Sewing Machine Techniques where you stitch a scallop stitch off the edge and then go back and remove the interfacing you used as a backing. I had read it over and bought water soluble interfacing just for this project. Here it is stitched onto the interfacing and a mock edge of a sleeve:

Scallop stitch off the edge with water soluble paper

Looked pretty good but when I put it under water here's the result:

After water is applied: where did the scallops go?

Of course! The interfacing was giving it all of the shape and support. I went back to the book and checked out the instructions again. Water soluble pen and tear-away interfacing. I already had tear-away interfacing so I stitched it again with the following results:

Another test piece with tear-away paper

I'm not sure I like the size and spacing of this scallop, done on my Viking 1100, but will try a Kenmore next to see if I get results that are in better proportion. The moral of this story? We all make mistakes. Get over it. Move on. Learn from those mistakes. You will be a better person for it.

Weekend Warrior

This past weekend started out fun with a woman coming over to buy her first sewing machine. I'm not going to guess her age but she said she had teenage children but wanted to sew a few things she could sell. Because she was interested in a sewing machine that wasn't the best to look at and didn't want to spend too much, she came to try out the Signature I had in trade with Cheri:

Signature

It worked just fine and she didn't mind the nicks in the paint but it didn't come with a manual and that was a deal breaker. Could you find one online for $10? Probably, but I hadn't found one just yet. So she asked what else I had for sale and as I turned the corner heading to the basement I pointed out the nice Brother 2010 in a cabinet:

Brother 2010

This sewing machine came to me from an ad I posted for another vintage Brother, asking if I would be interested in theirs. It came with a small cabinet, all of the original accessories, and that prized manual. Without even sitting down to sew on it, she was sold due to the detailed manual. I gave a brief overview and ran it so she could hear how it sounded, but she was sure this was the one.

The next morning I made a house call to Ellen's to clean up a treadle that is going to Haiti. The treadle mechanism was jammed but with a tap from a hammer (last resort) it popped free. I worked on the head while Ellen washed windows and promised to clean up the base another day. A small SUV was in the driveway getting packed for shipping to Haiti but this treadle wasn't going to go on this trip. As it turned out, I had to take the head home with me because I couldn't get it to stitch. After much tinkering I discovered I had put the bobbin race in wrong. This is a great sewing machine and I've heard White Rotary are one of the best treadlers, but you have to keep in mind it runs backwards to the Singers: instead of turning the hand wheel toward you in a counter-clockwise motion, the hand wheel turns away from you in a clock-wise motion. Sounds simple enough but it can keep the machine from sewing stitches if this is forgotten.

Classic White Rotary head

I came home to work on sewing up more of the men's shirts as aprons when I started to feel a cold coming on but dreading I had the same virus my husband has. That has laid me low but I'm off to the doctor today to hopefully get antibiotics before this turns in pneumonia like his. And to complicate matters even further, our kitchen sink has backed up. Plumbers are on their way but I'm thinking "What else could happen?" but we will try not to go there!

UPDATE: Before I could even get this posted I have been to the doctor and now on antibiotics and other things to easy my respiratory distress and the plumber cleared the clog. It does have a silver lining: the plumber was very interested in the vintage sewing machines and took great delight in the bentwood cases since he's a woodworker, too. You just never know, huh?

What Is It Worth?

Just as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" value and worth is in the eye of the seeker. As a sewing machine owner, you might think Great Aunt Minnie's treadle sewing machine is invaluable because you remember learning to sew right on that very sewing machine. Then it's probably not for sale but in very good condition. If that very treasure has peeling veneer, rings on the top from paint cans, and the irons are rusted up, I don't think that's much of a treasure because it's been stored in a garage and used as a work surface. Please don't ask $250 for this treasure because you have not treasured it, according to its present state of disrepair.

I have some very nice sewing machines in good condition and some in no-so-good cosmetic shape but they run all the same. Here's a photo of my Singer 201, a great machine but mine is not pristine:

Karen's Singer 201

The bed has somewhat of a crackled finish and she doesn't get real shiny anymore but, boy, can she sew! I had someone over to take a look at a few of the heavier duty sewing machines and even though it ran like a dream, it's condition made it look like it was worth less. Not worthless but not worth as much. Not so because to me it's valuable to have at least one Singer 201 in my collection.

Then there are sewing machines that are almost beat up but let's think of them as well-used. One is my own Brother Select-O-Matic:

Brother Select-O-Matic: full of nicks!

Then there is the newest member to my household, a White that is so full of chips and came so dirty that it was considered scrap. But a friend of mine picked it out of the trash, tested it to make sure the motor ran, and turned it over to me. It's a great sewing machine! The stitches are wonderful and it really runs well but looks like it has acne:

White Dressmaster 346R

A machine that came as part of a trade, this Montgomery Wards gem also has a nice stitch plus a variety of decorative stitches. It's so heavy that it needed a table/cabinet so now it might be protected a bit better but it's not a candidate for repainting. It will make a nice beginner's sewing machine but in a table is not where most beginners want to start.

MW Signature: Check out the hand wheel

Of course, there is a whole line-up of sewing machines that are in poor cosmetic shape but run like nobody's business but let's get back to the question. What is it worth? Even a great running car decreases in value when it needs a paint job so these great running sewing machines decrease in value when they need a paint job, too. But wouldn't you rather have a great running car or sewing machine with a few dings and scrapes than one that looks great but is finicky in use or breaks down frequently? Great Aunt Minnie's sewing machine has value but only to you when it is in poor cosmetic shape. Don't expect anyone else to see it's worth through your eyes and please don't price it at $250 because it will stay at your house, where it belongs.