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!

Convertables

 Trying my best to balance crafting with sewing machine repair, crafting has won these past weeks because of Christmas. Back in the early fall, I decided I could knit each grandkid a pair of slippers. Knowing I could have up to eleven pairs to knit, you would think I would have started right away but that's not how this project launched. It wasn't until mid-November that I got serious and even then had several false starts. At first I wanted to make slippers that looked like animals but only one pair was made, green frogs, when I decided I really wanted to make a bootie type of slipper. I also wanted to add a leather sole but with the a non-slip feature so I used the backside of leather since it is a bit rough. At the last minute I got a request to add a name to an apron for a friends granddaughter and it was so easy on the Singer Futura XL-400 I decided to make a bag for each pair of slippers with the intended child's name embroidered on the bag:

Bags matched up with slippers (pink slippers in the middle are for a 14 month old so no bag)

Instant gift wrap! Not exactly instant but with just hooping the fabric, typing in their name on a laptop connected with the embroidery machine, it was only 10 minutes of stitching. I lined each bag, added buttonholes for the drawstring, and they were done. Here's a closeup of three of the bags to the oldest girls:

Bags that can hold something else after Christmas

I'll do this again since it was fairly easy and gives a bit of a thrill to have a bag with your name on it. I continue to find ways to use the embroidery machines and find I'm happily embroidering on that Singer Futura XL400!

As I continue to work on selling sewing machines, I finally bought a unit that will convert a motor using European 220V to our US 110. Over a year ago, at the last in-person River Rats TOGA, I bought a Husqvarna CB-N, one of the many sewing machines from Cindy Peter's estate. It's a handsome model in an interesting base.

Husqvarna CB-N

Take a look a how the knee lever engages the motor:

As the knee lever is inserted into the machine, it engages the lever you see above on the floor of the wood base. As you push the lever with your knee it in turn connects with the lever you see circled  in the above photo. Here is a closeup of that area:

The wire on the right side feeds up to a switch box that causes the motor to engage and run:

Small wire comes up from the base to connect to a switch

With a system like this I didn't want to take the original motor off and just add a modern motor. In comes a step up/step down transformer. On one side we chose the intended target voltage

Moveable pin circled in yellow, set for 110V

With the European plug that came with the Husqvarna CB-N

It was plugged into the opposite side of the transformer:

into output 220V. This all seems backwards to me but my husband and I read over the instructions several times and recalled our electrician son-in-law explaining the process as backwards. The transformer was plugged into a power strip with surge protection, recommended, the unit was turned on, and the light didn't even turn on. What happened? I inserted the knee lever and with a fair amount of push it engaged the motor and she ran! As it turns out, the light bulb is broken so I'm going to take it to a battery and bulb supply shop and see if they have 220V bulbs of this size. 

I did some practice sewing and it works just fine. The presser foot is really high up from the base of the machine but it does come right down on the feed dogs. It should take a whole lot of layers of fabric but I've only tried it with a size 16 needle and four layers of medium weight upholstery. It would sew but wasn't very happy so I'm going to try other samples and needles to test out its strength. It uses standard needles and low shank feet plus a free manual in English was found. Now I can see what was included with the original machine and I can search in my stash of presser feet for the right ones.

Why did this take so long for me to get this sewing machine up and running? The voltage transformer box just scared me! Did I need a step up or a step down transformer? What about watts? Can I just use a simple plug converter? This is where being a librarian comes into play: I love to research so I read up on why I would need a transformer unit and not just a plug end, what size I needed, and if I needed step up or down. Because I'm not an electrician, I consulted with the family expert first so I would be safe and not burn the motor out. It seems to be overkill but better safe than sorry. I will sell this machine with the transformer and it can easily sit on the floor next to the power strip so you do not have to make room for it on the table top with the sewing machine. It was a worthwhile adventure and I'm hoping there is someone in the Twin Cities who would like this somewhat different sewing machine. Let's hope so/sew!

A Prize Inside

 Remember the boxes of Cracker Jacks, a peanut and caramel corn mix in a box "with a prize inside"? Despite the trivial nature of the prize, I always got sucked into their advertising in the hope of finding something special. Nowadays I prefer a better quality caramel corn than Cracker Jacks but I continue to be thrilled when there is some kind of a hidden prize. Today I have to share with you a New Home sewing machine with a hidden prize inside.

The New Home Travel Mate was up for auction but didn't come with a foot control. Sometimes that is no problem, just an added expense, but if the parts are unique you can get into trouble. If you can't find it you end up with a real boat anchor! I stuck my neck out and hoped I could get one but while checking out parts I was skeptical the right one was being advertised to fit this model. But I got the bid, picked it up, and dashed home:

What's inside? How does this come off?

I couldn't figure out how to get the plexiglass cover off! It sorta pries off with small slots in the front and back. It needed a bit of cleaning but first I wanted to see what all was in the storage compartment in front. It had a nice set of snap on presser feet and extra needles, always welcome, but when you take the compartment off so you can sew free arm, there was a surprise:

Storage compartment pulls off to reveal more storage

Oh, be still my beating heart: there was the foot control, all snug in the compartment!

Foot control hidden away (is this a secret?)

I pulled it out and checked the plug end to find it was very unique

Three pin plug foot control

I did suspect, since it was promoted as a portable travel sewing machine, it might have attachments or foot controls built into a sliding out drawer under the machine or somewhere else and this time I was right. How cool was that?

A sewing machine is nothing if it cannot sew but it does sew very nicely. On the front of the machine it boasts "Micro Computer" and it does sound and run like an electronic sewing machine. It has the typical variety of stitches and even a needle threader. All it is missing is a needle up/down feature but does have a speed control lever as a little extra feature. Zigzag stitches are given in three levels so no dial for incremental increase in width but I can live with that, too.

Selection of stitches, speed control, and what's under the top lid

It is a really nice portable sewing machine! My risk paid off this time but I know it could have easily gone the other way and I would have to buy that 3-pin foot control for $40. Still not a bad deal but one I now don't have to deal with. 

As the fall decorations are getting boxed up and we head into Christmas, I better get hustling here or we will not get anything ready beyond the outside lights. A Christmas newsletter needs to be written, presents are only about a third purchased, and here I am writing to you about my latest sewing machine. Yes, this is the land of the sewing machine obsessed but I know I'm in good company!

New Home Travel Mate CE2200

Free Motion Quilting...on a treadle

 At the last in-person River Rats TOGA, September 2019, I picked up a variety of quilting projects that were UFO's. That's right, they were UnFinished Objects and I love to take something someone else gave up on the bring it to completion. That might mean a different ending than the original maker planned on but, hey, they gave up on it so now it's my turn. 

Original pattern: Thimbleberries Countyside Wreaths

I had a wonderful time finishing up a red and brown quilt that had fade marks due to exposure to the sun. It meant I needed to remake a few of the blocks and then finish a few more for a grand total of 16 blocks plus sashing and borders.

Assembled blocks with sashing

Top of quilt complete with borders

Since this quilt was started with either a treadle or hand crank sewing machine, I felt obligated to continue it with a similar machine so I finished this up with my treadle, a Singer 66 Red Eye in a parlor cabinet. Now that it was read to quilt it together with batting and a backing, I realised I wasn't ready to use my treadle for free motion quilting. Maybe I could use a walking foot but, no, that wasn't going to work either because my machine was a back clamping model. Helen Howes has a nice explanation of this phenomenon and a whole page of back clamping feet. There is no darning or free motion foot nor a walking foot as an attachment for my Singer 66. I tried bare needle but that was a disaster so I had to set it aside until I either gained the skills I needed or found a different way to do this.

Several quilts later, I have more skill with free motion but it was a session at the Virtual River Rats TOGA in September where we could watch and learn how to quilt better with a treadle. It gave me the confidence to try again but this time I came prepared. I traded out my Red Eye for a much plainer Singer 66 that had a side clamp for a standard darning foot plus I now use gripper gloves and a super slider. Here's how I set this all up:

First, I needed to cover the feed dogs since they didn't drop. I already had a plate for this model so I slid it into place:

Feed dogs "cap" and clear plastic free motion presser foot

Next, I added a smoother surface so the fabric can glide better. I bought an oven mat that is a somewhat thin sheet that I could tape into place:

Mat taped in place plus additional light

Now I was ready to try this out. It worked! I decided to fill in the stars with straight lines so tried it with a walking foot as well as free motion and FM won hands down. Why? With FM you move the quilt but you can go backwards and on an angle, too. Using a walking foot you need to stop and turn the quilt for each line since you can only move forward and that's just too difficult. After I finished the stars I didn't know what to do with the other parts so I set it aside again but only for a couple weeks. By then I had finished Michelle's quilt and had more ideas of what pattern or design to quilt where. The first border had a version of triangles, sashing has X's that could look like diamonds, and the outer border got a diamond treatment using tape.

Detail of quilting pattern

The tape idea came from the book One Line at a Time Encore by Charlotte Warr Andersen. Using her concept but modifying it so I could use the same four pieces of tape on each side, here's how it looked:

Step 1: set up tape for 4 rows of stitches

I laid down four pieces of inch wide painters blue tape side by side. Starting in the corner, even with the red border, I marked the tape in two inch increments, drawing a line across all four pieces of tape. Then I removed the second one from the right

Step 2: first row of stitches in the second lane

and stitched from one side to the next in a long zigzag pattern at the two inch marks. Next, I removed the strip between where I just stitched and the red border. I made the same direction stitches to "ghost" this pattern:

Step 3: second row of stitches in the first lane

I tried to move the tape over to cover the row of stitches just made but then I couldn't see the exact point where I had stitched. Remember, this is on a treadle and I'm still working on getting it to stop exactly where I want! For the last two rows I reversed the design by removing the third piece of tape

Step 4: third row of stitches in mirror image mode

and stitching the opposite points. Where I had moved left to right I now went right to left for a diamond shape. The above photo shows the fourth piece of tape removed but I left it in place while stitching. The final row was identical to the third row for a finished look:

Step 5: last row of stitches just like third row

I liked this concept, although they stitched right through the tape and then even managed to reuse it. This worked for me and gave me much needed practice in slow treadling and free motion control.

The binding was added and now it is DONE. I cannot say I made this whole quilt on a treadle sewing machine because someone else constructed most of the blocks, but I did finish it on a treadle and even learned to free motion quilt on a treadle. Important take aways: use grippy gloves (can use gardening gloves that are sometimes dipped in a silicone-like substance), lay down a surface that helps your quilt to slide better, try different machines to find one that can use a darning/free motion foot.  It also helped to use books to get ideas on how you can make the process work better and for ideas on designs to use.

I have ideas for about four more quilts but I think I should put them on hold while I sew some other items in my pile of projects, including getting machines ready for sale. The Phoenix 283 is almost ready! Here's a view of the red/brown star quilt finished:

One version of Countryside Wreaths by Thimbleberries

Girlfriends

 I enjoy a wide variety of friends: neighbors, work, church, sewing, quilting, crafting, friends of friends. This week it was my turn to reach out to a friend who needed a hug (but we can't do that right now). 

Michelle had a great idea a year ago: why not have quilts on the back of the pews at church? It would give a warm and welcoming look to the sanctuary as well as a colorful and cozy touch. It sounded nice but was something we were not going to be able to do. Where would the quilts come from? Who was going to wash them every week? It was just too impractical but was still a great idea. Thank you, Michelle, and now you can sit down. This plea made me think about what was behind it and I could understand what Michelle was after, a feeling of warmth and welcoming that goes beyond words. So in the weeks after we rejected her idea, I asked Michelle if I could make a quilt for her and showed her some patterns and a few samples of fabric. She looked at all of the pretty colors and patterns and got real quiet, pointing to one pattern but had a deer-in-the-headlights look. Sometimes offers like this seem overwhelming so I figured I would ask later when she had a chance to think about it.

Along comes a pandemic where we are all stuck at home and unable to get out and do the things we normally do, at least in the usual ways. Michelle and her quilt kept calling to me so I got out a stash of colorful fat quarters and the pattern she liked and got some blocks made up:

Blocks light to dark

Each block was made up of a pair of fat quarters, making one the opposite of the other.  The pattern said to label the lighter colored block A and the reverse darker block in the sets B then arrange them by laying them out ABABAB. I tried it but it was too random so I tried lighter blocks at the top and working down to darker blocks as you can see in the photo above. That didn't seems to resonate with me either so I put them in sets by color:

Blocks in color sets of four

This was a better idea but now I needed more blocks, from 42 to 48, yet I could now balance out colors with the final six blocks. Without sashing, how should I quilt this together? Oh, did I have fun.  On the verticals I used variegated purple thread making loops and long curves. On the horizontals I used white thread and wrote Bible verses about hope and faith: you have to look really hard to see them! Finally, in the center of each block is a great big space where I made a large eight petaled flower

Free motion quilting of center flower, purple curves, and words

When first starting you have to keep from telling yourself  "that's 48 flowers!" but just to dive in and keep sewing. When it was all done I remembered to make up a label and had one downloaded in my machine embroidery files. It wasn't exactly a label but  a design I could use for one:

"To Michelle In the quilt of life friends are the stitches that hold it together. Karen November 2020"

Once I had the Singer Futura XL 400 out to play I made up a sewing machine cover out of some fabric I ordered from Spoonflower, using solid colored fabric for the embroidered side panels:

And I want one of those, and this one, and where's the pink model?

End panel

End panel using downloaded embroidery file

Didn't that turn out way too cute? I've had the fabric for several years and finally put the ideas together for something I will find joy in using and just looking at.

Quilt finished and ready for Michelle, I arranged to meet her at church where she was working in a children's program. It definitely took her by surprise but she loved it. We agreed the idea of quilts on pews sounded nice but was never going to fly with a pandemic! Although this was one of the quickest quilts I have made, it was about the most rewarding. Here's one final photo of the finished quilt:

Finished quilt for Michelle

Even during a pandemic we can find ways to hug each other. Feel the love!

The Girl Next Door

 Winter is here in the frozen north, even if they think we might have a few 50 degree days ahead. The snow pack is very real and now we hunker down and get sewing! I need to get a few more sewing machines listed for sale so everyone has a greater choice of models but I've been sewing and quilting and even with retirement there are only 24 hours in a day.

Back when I had 3-4 cabinet sewing machines in the garage, I sold a Singer 15-125 and received a Singer 66 as part of the deal. Why was it going out the door? It just wasn't used anymore and the table had a few dings in it. I finally got around to checking it out when we had a whole week of warm weather

Singer 66 table top

only to find a large chip on the front and a nifty piece missing on the top surface.  Above you can see the general flaking of the finish so it was going to need a complete stripping of the finish. I rarely deal with veneer problems but this one begged to be fixed:

Chip

 

A close up shows the degree of damage. Using a piece of the veneer from the front I cut and pieced it in:

Veneer glued down

It doesn't look too great at this point but when wood filler and stain were added it ended up looking pretty normal

Finished top

With a chunk of the veneer missing from the front, I chipped it all off, sanded it down and left it lighter than the original finish for a completely new look:

Two tone finish

What about the machine inside? It's a beauty, a classic Singer 66 in excellent shape:

Classic Singer 66 in her refinished table

I love a Singer 66, so basic yet so reliable. I think of it as "the boy or girl next door" who is always there and smiling, underappreciated, until someone realizes the beauty within:

Singer 66: where's that chipped piece?

Quilting has been taking up my time as I've been working on a quilt for a friend. It was an easy pattern and quick to put together:

Pieced blocks in one arrangement

Above is one version of the arrangement of blocks but I found I needed to even things out so instead of 42 blocks I ended up with 48 blocks. Right now I'm quilting it with various free motion patterns and writing. When it is all done I'll show you some of the features of this one but, for now, it needs to remain a bit hidden. A nifty surprise was finding 109" wide fabric for backing at Hobby Lobby. I only needed around 2 yards, it wasn't on sale so I could use my 40% off coupon for a real deal of only $15 for the backing. Saving my judgement until after washing, it came through the laundry just fine but did shrink. I'll need to buy a little extra next time. 

I better get those machines ready for sale because the weather calls for sewing, sewing, sewing!