New and Old Loves

 Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy. For example, I answered an ad for sweater mitten supplies. Sounds innocent enough, but I didn't get my questions answered, such as how many mittens are cut out (answer: many), is a pattern included (answer: there are free patterns online), and other questions that are pretty straightforward but the answers were dodgie. I went ahead and drove out to pick up a very large box of supplies from her husband who couldn't answer any questions but would take my money and help get it into my car. After getting home and sorting through the box, I ended up with supplies for only 9 pairs of mittens, wool that hadn't been washed yet,  2 skeins of cheap yarn, a stack of thin fleece, and a huge pile of scraps that went right into my garbage. Oh my, what have I gotten into? I found a better pattern online, used my own fleece and wool, and started to sew sweater mittens. I seemed to have gotten carried away because I now have 52 pairs of mittens all ready for the fall craft fairs. Maybe this didn't turn out so bad.

Because I wanted the mittens I made to be different and, hopefully, better than some I've seen, I decided to quilt the lower palm section and add leather to the upper palm. This proved to be a bit of a problem because the leather had a small amount of stretch so it kept expanding as I sewed and there would be a pucker at the end. Then I remembered the Pfaff IDT, their version of a built in walking foot. This time I decided to get even more strategic by anchoring the leather onto the palm by using a spray used by quilters to hold the many layers of fabric together before sewing without using pins or basting. Between the spray basting and the walking foot/IDT, they went together like a breeze. I didn't put leather on all of the palms, just a selection, but all of the lower palms were quilted. I'm pleased with the end result and can now put this project away until fall when I'll add some in a child's size. Craft fairs: here we come!

Wool and fleece mittens with fleece lining.

Vintage linen continues to haunt me so I cut out a series of circles for my zipper cases to hold ear buds or anything else you might need a small holder for. I had great fun cutting them out but knew I would need to purchase extra zippers. Loving the look of lace zippers, I ordered an assortment package as well as regular all white zippers and went to town:

Zipper pouches in vintage linen

They are fun to do, no special machine needed this time, but I made up over forty! Plans are being made to make some for kids but for now I need a break. Before I leave the vintage linen projects, here's one more:

Fortune tellers

I saw this idea last year and now put it into action: linen napkins were starched using liquid starch so there are more like light cardboard, folded, and written on with a Micron pen. Did you make these with paper in school? Inside are little sayings like "You are my sunshine" and "When I count my blessings I count you twice" as well as some famous quotes. There were easy to make and are just a bit more sophisticated in the vintage linen. Now I have twenty of these to add to the craft fair stock.

And finally, something not sewn, I've made up my own shoes:

Crocheted summer shoes

I came across a pattern and decided this might be fun so I tracked down a pair of flip flops for the sole, punched holes for the crochet hook, and started picking up stitches:

Evenly spaced holes really helps

Although my first shoe looked good, it was too big and wouldn't stay on my foot. I made up the second one and this time I altered the pattern to decrease stitches after the third row and kept working at making my stitches tighter and smaller. Here's a comparison of the first and second shoes:

I wore them around the house the whole day and they were very comfortable. Next up, I'm looking for black flip flops, a color I find I'm wearing a lot and could use another pair for summer. Maybe I'll design my own this time instead of trying to adapt a pattern. A big thank you goes out to the Make and Do Crew for providing this pattern and good instructions.

I've been working on sewing machines, getting them ready for sale or admitting defeat and stripping for parts, when I came upon a Singer Quantum XL-6000 sewing and embroidery machine. This is a real top-of-the-line machine that sat on my shelf too long. I've been getting it ready for sale but find it is so sophisticated I have to sit down with the manual to set up each part. From the thread exchanger to the endless bobbin, it's way cool.

Singer Quantum XL-6000

Jelly Roll Rugs without the Jelly

 It has been another busy week with sewing machines and sewing projects. You never know which sewing machines are going to be sought after until you run an ad and the phone rings off the hook. Actually, the phone never rang at all but I did have six people who got in touch with me via text and email who wanted a pink and dark gray Brother Select-O-Matic I advertised for sale. I've had eight of this model over the years and even kept one for myself but never have they been this popular. Due to the poor condition of the paint on the bed of the machine, I repainted it in November but then let it "cure" so there would be a nice hard finish when I was ready to sell it. First contact was from Susan, a repeat customer, so I was willing to hold it for her. Then came the other inquiries and I even managed to sell the same model in teal that was in even better condition but there was just something about the pink and gray finish that is irresistible. Here's hoping Susan is loving her Brother Select-O-Matic as much as I love mine.

Brother Select-O-Matic in recovered case

I have been intrigued by the jelly roll rugs, those easy to make rugs that use a set of strips 2.5" wide and 44" long that are rolled up and sold in a bundle called a jelly roll. As if that wasn't easy enough, they also have a roll of batting that is 2.5" wide, sold in rolls of 25 or 50 yards. I had been sitting on a 50 yard roll but didn't want to use one of the jelly rolls I had in my stash so I cut my own using the Simplicity cutter. Here it is with the strips I cut for my own rug:

Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine

The dandy little machine was purchased last fall at one of the Textile Center's sales for less than $10. I found out that the widest setting is exactly 2.5", perfect for the jelly roll rugs. It takes practice to hold the fabric steady so my strips weren't as precise as when using a hand held rotary cutter on a mat, but it was fast and good enough. I sewed all of the strips together and sat down to sew then up on an industrial Singer 31-15. That didn't go very well with much puckering and struggling to keep it straight. I needed a walking foot but that doesn't really exist for industrials since they would simply use a walking foot machine, not a different presser foot. Here I was, all ready to sew, without a walking foot machine.

Strips sewing together but need to add the strip of batting

Then it dawned on me: use a Pfaff with the IDT, their version of a built in walking foot. I pull out my Pfaff 1222, set it up on the kitchen table, and get to sewing:

Here's 50 yards of tubing for a rug

Would the Pfaff 1222 also be able to sew the strips together with a zigzag? Let's hope so. I added a plexiglass table for a larger work surface and found that to be very helpful.

Pfaff 1222 with extension table

Other suggestions were to press after a few rows and that was good advice, too. In the end, it turned out to my satisfaction and now resides at the porch exterior door:

My version of a jelly roll rug

This worked out so well I found/dug out a braided rug I was working on but could no longer use the Bernina 217 industrial due to a cracked needle plate. The Pfaff 1222 can sew up those braids, too!

Waiting in the laundry room with 2 more rows to sew

I'm not sure if this is going to end up in the camper or in the garage, but it has been an experiment.

With all of the interest in the Brother sewing machine these past two weeks keeping me busy, I had one machine returned. That's not quite right: it wasn't returned but given back when it was no longer needed. I wrote about it in Maintaining Good Will back in 2018, this interesting Singer Quantum CXL. The alphabet stitches were used to write the name of a nursing home resident right on his clothes, not a tag, so they would not get mixed up with others in the laundry. Sadly, the resident died and the machine was just sitting around so it was given back to me. It's a fine machine with much life left in it but no long can stitch in a multi-directional mode: I think the step motor is dying. I hope I can find a buyer who doesn't care about those stitches since it is still working fine for all of the other stitches. It even has a cut thread feature and a needle threader. There is a sewing machine for everyone!

Next up: ready for winter mittens? I can sew up a pair for you!

Getting Creative

 With the best of intentions, I brought home a bag of "minky" scraps that were from a production of pillowcases. The factory cut the pillowcase fabric to size and it left long runs of 13" wide fabric. While I was working on an industrial sewing machine at Ellie's house last winter, she was cleaning up and asked if I wanted to take some of the scraps home to play around with. She packed up a bag with four colors of this fabric that reminds me less of minky and more like velour knit, reminiscent of velour shirts that were popular in the 1970's. During the early months of staying home last spring I pulled out the bag of scraps and decided to make up a quilt using a chevron pattern. What is mess! Every fresh cut edge made a whirlwind of fluff that sticks to everything: scissors, fabric, clothing, hands, machines, tables. I managed a few rows and then had to walk away from this project. Last week I found the bag of pieces and decided to either finish it up or throw it away.

I was now in a better frame of mind to tackle this type of fabric so I tried a few tricks others have suggested. Once cut, toss the pieces in the dryer to get the fluff off the edges. Use a sticky roller to keep fluff contained. Use a lint brush, the type that has a nap for using in only one direction (this seemed to work the best for me). Keep the vacuum cleaner nearby. Since I was almost half way done with the quilt top, I worked on it first but didn't know what size I cut the pieces. I measured and cut but they were too small but then decided since this is really a knit fabric I needed to allow extra for that flexibility. Here's how it started:

How many rows can I get away with?

Taking seams out so the points were more accurate  was painful since I was using an elastic zigzag stitch but I tried to correct as many as I could but some were better than others. Which machine did I use? This called for a Pfaff with the IDT, their built in walking foot system.

Pfaff 125?

This is such a great machine! Easy to use, comes with a full set of accessories and a flip up top with a nice sewing guide. It made the whole process easier but I have to confess I set it up on a TV tray in the family room so I would have room to place the strips on the floor and then sew on the larger piece with a machine close by. This took a couple of days and finally my husband asked how long was I going to invade every room in the house. Checking to see how much of these two colors I had left, I concluded I only had enough to make a throw sized quilt so I wrapped things up by adding a border and backing it with green flannel. I stitched around the outer edge with a serpentine stitch and then stitched in the ditch on two interior rows just to stabilize:

Chevron throw with velour fabric

I still had purple and light cream fabric strips left and I didn't have the heart to try another throw so I ended up making bears:

Howdy, folks

Using three of the strips, I made up six bears. They were a bit fussy but not as bad with shedding due to my use of lint rollers and brushes. Then I made up six more:

Just me and my friends

using the cream fabric, too. I still had more fabric but couldn't make myself sew any more bears so I decided to try to make a dress for my granddaughter Evelyn. In the process of moving pieces around I accidentally cut the opening for the zipper down the front of the dress instead of the back. I decided to make it look intentional by adding a decorative stitch by using silver thread with a satin stitch:

Making a mistake look good: silver zigzag

Using my trusty Bernina 730, some stitches still needed to be removed and corrected since it was right on the front but it still turned out cute. Never one to leave anything alone, I added a snowflake to the front

Snowflake number one

But it wasn't centered. Checking back with the instructions for the Singer Futura XL400 I was using to embroider, I needed to move the snowflake and then hit "apply" for it to actually stitch where you want it to go. Trying again, I added another snowflake to balance it out

Snowflakes 1 and 2

And now it was done. I washed it up since there was stabilizer on the front that needed to be washed out and it turned out nice. 

Never one to leave anything alone (where have I heard that one before?) I went back to the bag of scraps and had just enough left to make one much smaller bear

Mister tiny purple bear in the front

for Evelyn to carry around with her. There's a small piece left from when I was testing out the first snowflake that I'll whip up into a sleeping bag of sorts because he's going to be very tired after being carried around all day.

Oh, the fun sewing grandma's can have!

Block Exchange Tote Bag

Every year I look forward to spending a day or more with sewing friends that I have made through the Treadleon group of treadle and hand crank sewing machine enthusiasts. In the past we have met in Lake City, home of Cindy Peters, one of the founders of Treadleon and a dynamite sewer.  Cindy died in the winter of 2019 but her dream didn't as we have continued to meet in Lake City every September for the River Rats TOGA, a gathering of treadle and hand crank owners/buyers/sellers and sewers. We have only had one TOGA without Cindy before COVID19 invaded our lives and this September we knew gathering in person was not going to be a good idea. What should we do? It turned out we could have a virtual conference with plenty of Zoom sessions for learning skills and just gathering to share our current projects. 

It was a great success! Mea is our leader in this adventure but there were so many helpers in getting sessions together as well as the annual BLOCK EXCHANGE. I agonized over my blocks as I wrote about in the post Card Tricks. Imagine my surprise when I opened my package of quilt blocks that were resent via Denise, the organizer, to find someone else had also chosen the design called Card Tricks but in very different colorways. Each block was so unique and well done it was just fun to look at all of them. But what was I going to do with them? With only 15 it was going to be a pretty small quilt, I have no room for wall hangings, I could collect them and at a future date make up a larger sized quilt, or I could....make a tote bag. I had so much fun designing it and getting it done in a day that I wanted to show it off on out last free-for-all Zoom session. It was a big hit so thanks to all who gave such wonderful praise and affirmed I wasn't out of my mind to make a bag instead of a quilt. I was asked to share how I made it and I told them I would write up a blog post to show some of the steps. Here's the end result:

Quilt block tote bag: Virtual River Rats TOGA 2020

To begin with, I spread out all of the blocks and grouped by colors. Then I checked my fabric stash and grabbed what was right on top (why not?) to see if it would pull all of it together:

Side, front, lid

Back, other side

I got busy sewing the sashing onto the blocks and making a large tubular casing with them all sewn together, adding a rectangular bottom, sewing the lining, and then sitting back to determine what I needed to do to give it shaping. To start, I made an insert in the bottom that would give a nice "floor" to the bag that would also be washable. Plastic canvas that was popular a few decades ago can still be found in stores but I have a stash from my aunt just begging to be used. It wasn't long enough so I added a section on and fused it with a hot iron, protecting all of it with an old t-shirt. As it turned out, it fused onto the cotton shirt so I just cut it to size and used it as one of the layers. I made a pocket for the right sized plastic canvas out of the lining fabric, stuffed it into the pocket like a pillow in a pillow case, and sewed it up. Down into the bottom of the bag it went and even was sewn into place so there would be no shifting. The lining went in next and I pulled it up to the top, folded both the outside and lining edges in for a finished look but it just flopped there. Now I remembered a hint from another blog about making a wire rimmed top but I had never done something like that before and the materials that were used in the blog post were ones I didn't have on hand. Well, that wasn't going to stop me! Here's what I came up with:

Wire coat hangers

Using only 2 hangers, I cut off the hook on one and the hook and one arm on the other one so there was very little shape shifting needing to be done. I laid them down as in the photo above and wrapped the cut/loose edges with electrical tape and then electrical shrink wrap used in wiring. The heat shrink tubing was 1/4" - 1/8" size and I added it before assembly so I could slide it into place after wrapping the corners. Applying a bit of heat from a candle tightens up the plastic and creates a bond of sorts. Now I could insert this frame into the top of the bag:

Frame ready to be inserted

Frame stitched into top: note 2 rows of stitching

Installing it was quite the process, deciding to create a pocket for it by stitching down about 3/4" from the top folded edge, inserting the frame, using clips to hold in place, and the sewing the top edge to hold it all in. Using my Pfaff hand crank, it wasn't too difficult until the corners. All but one corner worked well but the final corner just could not fit under the arm of the machine: that will need some hand stitching.

Before I added the framework I did sew the top or lid onto the backside and it became a part of the top structure but was not in the way at all. I liked how it was turning out but realized I hadn't used one of my quilt blocks since there was only room for 14 and we were a group of 15. But I still needed handles. I check my project bin and there were five of my blocks that didn't get sent or used:

Card Trick blocks sewn together for straps

When sewn together, cut down the center, pressed, and filled with nylon webbing:

Straps ready for sewing

 I now had 2 straps to sew onto the top edge. This proved to be difficult for the Pfaff and some of the stitching has pulled out so I need to go back and hand sew into place. I'm considering adding a bit of embroidery on the outside of the bag where the straps are sewn to cover up the stitches but we shall see. Here are all of the sides of the finished tote bag:

Lid

Side

Side

Back

Front

Such a fun project that only took a day, or less, and that included the time to figure out how to engineer it all together. Next one will be much easier. Next one? We are talking about have a Mid-Winter TOGA and it just might have another quilt block exchange. Now you have another idea of what to make with your blocks!

Catching Up

I don't think I have ever taken this long a break from writing a blog post so I apologize to my reading audience for being such a slug. Machines have been bought, repairs made, failed repairs, and so much more to report on so let's get started!

Pfaff 1222's have taken center stage since I have had three donated and then one more. My own Pfaff 1222 is a great machine that I lean on when it comes to quilting due to the IDT, the Pfaff built in walking foot system. Yet they have their weaknesses, too. Every one that I have worked on had thread wrapped around the hook, right in front of the enclosed gear and behind the actual hook. On one machine I just kept pulling more and more thread out until it was all cleaned out...and then I found even more! That particular machine finally came to rights and I gave it back to the donor since I could get it working again. When I brought it back, I got one more but this time all three of the remaining machines were toast. Several have a stitch dial that is not aligned correctly and I understand I can rebuild them. That is, in theory they can be rebuilt, but I have no clue how to do this. Take a working mechanism apart and then a broken one and see how it should go back together? That seems risky but it could be worth a try.

Note white dot on inner right: cannot be moved and shouldn't be in that position!

Getting a little too confident, I decide to replace the cracked camstack from a Pfaff 1209 that I had for several years. Checking out other blogs, videos, and repair manuals, I get started. It all come apart easily, only removing what is necessary to slip out the camstack. I note the exact rotation and put the new one in the exact same spot but it doesn't turn well. Along with binding I know is going to cause damage, it is not reading the cams either. There are adjustments, more adjustments, testing, more testing but it is not working right. Sigh. Here's a bit of good news: when flipping the machine over I heard a cascade of rattling. What just came loose? This handy portable model has a pull out storage compartment full of accessories including a set of feet with the back opening for the Pfaff IDT. This is glorious!

Pfaff 1209 with accessory drawer

The machine still doesn't work but what a discovery. Next up is a Pfaff 1222E that was brought in for repair. It has never seen any repair work and recently "froze up" but her husband worked some magic and got it working again. I opened the top and found a gray grease had been sprayed on everything. Everything. This is not good news but I clean off what I can, clean out the thread behind the hook, and now have it only moving in reverse. Now, I have three parts machines to check out their differences to see what exactly is going on but they are not helping much. Thank goodness the owner is busy in her garden now and doesn't require her machine back soon but I still feel the pressure to get it done. I want to be out in my garden, too!

In the meantime,I have continued to find sewing machines at thrift stores, garage sales, and other sites. Right now I have a Singer 2517C, Necchi 4795, a couple Elna 1010's, even an excellent Singer 221 that are all cleaned up and ready for sale. Yesterday was the annual Johnsville Garage Sale where it is nearly a festival with so many sales and even food trucks. We got some great deals, enjoyed gyros at our friends food truck, and even came home with a Kenmore 158-14301. That Kenmore just took a bit of cleaning, much oil, and her test stitches were very nice. This should end up as a great beginner's machine, heavy enough for making gear, and oh so reliable. I just had to buy it and it was extra nice when our car was nearby when it was found.

Kenmore 158-14301

That's all I can say for right now as it is Mother's Day and we have much to celebrate: my daughter Kelly had her baby on May 1 and is a new mother at age forty. All of us are ecstatic with their good health, positive attitude, and joy in being new parents. Such a blessing!

Evelyn Kay smiling in her sleep

Good and Bad Coming in 3's

It's been too long since I posted and I fear all of my readers have left me but here's a refresh and getting back into the saddle again. Sewing machines have been coming in the door like an avalanche! We had a record snow year for us in Minnesota and it appears it has brought out the "clean-it-out" bug in many. It all started with a Singer 301.

Betsy responded to my ad and said they were tired of their crappy new Singer breaking down every time they wanted to use it. As it turns out, they were going over to Grandma's house to use her Singer 301 so why not just get one of their own? That sounded like a good idea to me, too, but when she came and saw all of my other machines she asked if I would be interested in a few more. After photos were sent they came a week later with these gems:

Singer 1507

The Singer 1507 is not one of my favorites but I think all that was wrong was using the wrong bobbin. This is a frequent error and I'm ready to suggest when you get a new sewing machine to check the bobbins and if they are a different type mark them in some way and keep them separate from the others. I have bobbins with pink nail polish dots on them: maybe that was one woman's marking system?

Singer 6110

This Singer 6110 seemed to be okay, at first, but it had not been used in so long that some of the functions were no longer working. I could not get the dial to move to engage the stretch stitches. Even after giving it a nice oiling and cleaning out it didn't budge. The old trick of walking away worked: by the next day I could get the knob to move into the stretch stitch zone and all worked well again. As it turns out, this is a pretty decent sewing machine. I even made a zippered bag since it did not have a built in carrying handle:

Singer carrying bag with vinyl bottom and zippered top

And now to the cabinet model, a Singer 66 in a compact cabinet.

Singer 66 with no decals, c1910

This was originally a treadle machine since it has a spoked hand wheel but the treadle mechanism had been stripped out and the whole thing was painted a ghastly green. The exterior was stripped and I think the wood veneer was  removed but I'm hoping I can clean it up when it gets warmer. The sewing machine itself might be a bit plain but she is running again and shows much promise.

Love those compact cabinets

Inside painted green: pretty dingy!

As if that wasn't enough, I answered an ad for three Pfaff 1222's. Who would have three of the same model? Someone with a drapery business who needs the even feed of the Pfaff IDT system, that's who. She did not want all of the bells and whistles of a newer Pfaff and these old ones kept breaking down. In my optimism I took all three and hope to be able to fix the wandering straight stitch and other signs of worn down mechanisms.

If course, I have been working on repairs, too. Natalie had her machine back again and we determined it was fine, it just needed to have the bobbin race and ring removed and set back in place. I had another machine come in for what was suspected a shot motor. Nope, the motor was good but there were other adjustments and cleaning that took place to get it running good again. Her New Home sewing machine had been a gift from her mother-in-law years ago and it had sentimental value so it was worthwhile to have it running "extra fine" again.

There were more, such as a Kenmore 385-1764180 that was in great condition, and a Bernina 730 in a cabinet that came without any feet from an estate sale. Neither were free but were affordable and great models to have. It's getting crowded again so I better get selling so we have room to walk!

Paneled in Christmas

I continue to work on panels I have picked up for a song and hope I haven't created a monster. I like to think I run with themes in mind in my interests and activities: sometimes it's vintage, sometimes it's industrial, sometimes it's sergers.. you get the idea. After working on the Cabin-in-the-Woods quilt, I got out a series of printed panels with a Christmas in the barnyard theme:

Barnyard Christmas panels

There is only one print, just a mirror image of it and there were twenty two panels so I needed to come up with something to use them up. Not a quilt this time since there is really only one panel, but may be tote bag? My first effort came up with a decent bag with a zippered opening, lined, snaps on ends to snug it up or open it up:

First bag with zippered closing

Snaps on ends

It turned out good but feels a bit flimsy, like it needed something to stiffen it up. Batting? Quilting it into layers? Ah, how about making my own reversible quilted fabric? On the first bag I took the border print and used it for the short/narrow sides but this time I used the border for the bottom that the bag will sit or stand on. I can then quilt the sides separately from the bottom to give it the strength it needs and an area of separation. So I set the panels as I like and measure out the batting and red backing fabric and get to quilting. Each panel gets an outline or box around the main part of the design and then I draw lines to fill in the design with a diamond pattern:

Panels assembled and quilted

The bottom gets the same treatment:

Close up of the finished bottom

Now it's ready to sew up the sides, flat fell the side seams, and box the bottom. I love to finish off the seams with bias or some other way to conceal the cut edges:

Flat-felled seams for a neat interior

The top edge was trimmed and the red lining fabric was folded over to the front for a colorful top edge. The handles were added but I had to use white since my stash of webbing currently does not include red. I may have to change that. I think I like it but it seems too tall to me but that just might be personal taste.

Bag #2 quilted

Which sewing machine did I use? I tried my newest machine, the Adler 153A but without a walking foot it was not going well so I got out my reliable Pfaff 1222 with the built in even feed system, their IDT, for near perfect results. There were a few lines of stitching that had to be pulled out and at the very end I decided to let a few pass and now I regret not having higher standards. I tell myself that it was my first try at this model but who am I kidding? I just got tired of it and wanted it finished. Note there is no zipper  closure or even a Velcro tab but I might have to consider that on another one. That begs an answer to the question will-I-make-another-one? It took way to long to do the quilting but it did give me a chance to practice making straight lines. Stay tuned to another post where I use more of those panels!