Your Mileage May Vary...

WARNING:  If you are a member of the "quilt police", you will probably want to stop reading right now!


Today I'm going to tell you about two "Quilting Commandments" that I decided to try not doing to see if it made a difference with a couple of issues I've been struggling with for quite some time.

1)  Three years ago I took a quilting class/retreat from a renowned, nationally-known quilt instructor.  I took my trusty Singer 221 Featherweight to the class and I had a non-original 1/4" foot on it.  It was one of those 1/4" flanged feet except that the flange had been removed.  (I had found that the width of the foot was a perfect scant 1/4", but if I followed the flange, my seam was 1/4", not a "scant 1/4" like patterns call for.  Also, I found the flange awkward to use when making HST's [half-square triangles] as the flange pulled the fabric out of shape when the flange traveled over it, so I had Andy remove the flange.  If I ran the fabric right down the edge of the foot, I had a nice scant 1/4" seam.)

flanged 1/4" foot

When the instructor saw this she told me that I really shouldn't use non-original feet on a featherweight because of the way the feed dogs are...the right feed dog is shorter than the left one...and the original foot was made to work specifically with those feed dogs.

Original foot

So I put the original foot back on and tried my best to sew a straight 1/4" seam.  The problem, though, is that with the original foot on the machine, the feed dogs pull the fabric to the left slightly after it leaves the needle area.  I'm trying to feed the fabric in straight but I'm fighting those feed dogs all the way, struggling to sew a straight seam even while using a piece of plastic as a seam guide. 

Because of this, I had put away my Featherweight for the last couple years and didn't even use it because it frustrated me so.  Since pulling out the Featherweight and using it for the past several days, once again my frustration level was rising.  

Today I thought I'd pull out that 1/4" foot and see if I could do a better job with it.  If I couldn't, then I was putting the machine away...possibly for good this time.  

Well....lo and behold...with using the modern 1/4" foot and keeping the piece of plastic on the machine as a seam guide, it WORKS!  The fabric does not get fed wonky by the feed dogs!  It goes straight out behind the needle like it should!!!  

YAY for me!!!  First "rule" debunked!!!

Now for the second "rule/commandment":  "Always 'set' your seam with the iron before pressing the fabric open."  The thinking behind this is that when you touch your iron to the closed seam, you are causing the sewing thread to "shrink" and tighten into the fabric.  

The problem I have, though, is that when I then go to press the pieces open the seam doesn't want to lay flat.  I especially find that irritating when pressing HST's...there is always that one side that sticks up and flaps in the breeze even after pressing...and I mean PRESSING with lots of heat and pressure!!!

So today I tried just pressing the pieces open (with the seam going towards the dark fabric) without first pressing it closed.  GUESS WHAT???  The block lays soooooooooo much flatter now!!!

BOOM!!!

Yep...so from now on I won't be "setting my seams" before pressing them.  I'm such a rebel!!! If you find blocks that don't lay flat are a nuisance to you, too, you may want to try this for yourself!  (I promise I won't report you to the Quilt Police!!  

Loretta

  

Sewing Room Change-up: Phase 1

I broached the subject with my husband about changing some things in my sewing room.  He was amenable to the changes I want to make except for the hanging of wire shelves on the wall above the cutting table.  For the record, though, I know I'll get my way...I do 99% of the time!   

So phase one of said changes was to get an additional sewing surface. This is a picture of the sewing table with...count them...FOUR sewing machines on it.  Well...three sewing machines and one serger.

My two main sewing machines are in the front...my Viking and my Juki.  Although I like to piece with the Viking and do my machine quilting on the Juki, because there was no room for the extension table for the Viking, I've been doing my piecing on the Juiki, lately.  I really miss being able to use my Viking, especially when I need it to do mending or sewing on knits.

So I said to my husband, "Husband, (because he's my husband, ya know) I need a small desk or table to place my Viking sewing machine on so that I don't have to rearrange my sewing machines every time I want to use it." 

After measuring how much space we had, he replied, "let me go out and see what I have."

For those of you who don't know us personally, let me explain something. Andy has a "hobby".  He likes to wheel and deal in antiques.  Our 32' X 24', two-car garage is basically an unofficial antique store.  Three to four times during the spring, summer and early fall, he has a "garage sale", but he only carries antiques and occasionally some furniture...so it's not your usual "garage sale".   In fact, there are several antique dealers that come to his sales to find things to sell in their stores!  He has become known around town as having very reasonably priced antiques, so people sometimes stop by the house when they are looking for something!

Lo and behold, he had this vintage 4' formica-topped kitchen table among his items!!!  The perks of having a hubby with such an unusual hobby!!!  

 It is just deep enough to fit the Viking's extension table!!!

I now have TEN FEET of sewing surface!!!  

I will keep the Viking embroidery machine and the serger towards the end of the big table for now.  When I need one, I can easily pull it towards the front, use it, and then push it back out of the way.

I'm so glad that this first phase went so painlessly...and cheaply!  LOL

Now onto one other thing that is new today...

For those of you who have a Singer Featherweight or 301, you know how worthless the standard bulbs are that go in them.  They are so dim that they are basically useless.  And HOT!  Don't accidentally hit your knuckle on it or you'll be nursing a burn!

I was perusing a blog on Monday when I came across this post by the woman's husband about some LED bulbs that he sold for vintage sewing machines.  I placed an order for three bulbs...one for each of my two Featherweights and one for my 301.  I ordered them on Monday and they arrived today!

Here is what the standard bulb looks like when it is on.  You can barely see any light output at all!

The new LED bulb is on the left and the standard bulb is on the right...

And here's what the new LED bulb looks like in the machine!!!  WOW!!! What a difference!

Because of the price, I was hesitant to buy one for each of my vintage machines, especially since I'm thinking of selling at least one of my Featherweights.  But because of the huge difference it makes in the lighting, I'm glad I went ahead and purchased 3 bulbs!  I think it will be a selling point when/if I go to sell!

Loretta

Some Quilting Updates...

Quote for the Day:

“It's tough trying to keep your feet on the ground, 

your head above the clouds, your nose to the grindstone, 

your shoulder to the wheel, your finger on the pulse, 

your eye on the ball and your ear to the ground.”

~author unknown

I have that decided that as much as I would love to JUST hand quilt my quilt tops, it is really unreasonable to think that I will ever get all of the quilts done that way.   I'm going to have to resort to machine-quilting some of my quilt tops to get them done in this lifetime.  I don't have the room or the money for a long-arm quilting machine, and if I did have the money I'd buy myself one of the "sit-down" long-arms, anyway.

However, the money issue makes it a moot point.  However, I decided that I was going to buy a machine with a larger throat/harp area that would at least make it a little easier to wrangle large quilts through it so I could get some quilt tops quilted.

After a lot of research and reading reviews, I decided on the Juki TL 2000 Qi.  And as if it was a sign from heaven, www.sewingmachinesplus.com offered a $100 off any purchase over $500 for Memorial weekend!!  With the free shipping offer, it was too enticing of a deal to turn down!  :)  

It took about 10 days for it to arrive because there was an "error" on UPS's part.  UPS wouldn't tell me what it was, but I think they routed it wrong and it ended up in Timbuktu!  

But, she finally arrived and she is NICE!!!

The body is all metal so she weighs a freaking ton!  The extension table is plastic, but most are, anyway.  She is mechanical instead of computerized and only does a straight stitch.  However, she also does 1500 stitches/minute, so she FLIES!   She is made for quilting!!  

I put her to work as soon as I got her set up.  I'm using her to piece my next project...a rainbow baby quilt...

When the top is done, I will get to use her to machine quilt it.  For those who don't know this, Juki is one of the primary companies that makes industrial sewing machines, so they are hardy, built to last, and take on the work load!!!

I am seriously thinking about selling my Husqvarna Viking Platinum 775 computerized machine and just using the Juki for piecing.  If I need to hem or sew on knit fabric, I can use my Husqvarna Viking Scandinavia 400 machine...which is my "embroidery" machine, but it does regular sewing like zigzag, too.  (When you sew in knits, you have to use a zigzag or a special stitch to keep the stitch from breaking when the knit gets stretched.)

I just don't have room for all of my machines, so I'm giving the sale of the Platinum 775 some serious thought.  I currently have one of my three Singer 221 Featherweights and my Featherweight table up for sale.  There is someone who has expressed interest in it, but nothing is final, yet, so if you live nearby and are interested in it or know someone who might be, pass the word along.   I'm asking $175 for the machine and $75 for the table.

On the hand-quilting side of things, I've finished up the row that I've been working on on the Sherbet quilt...

I have rolled the quilt and am getting ready to start the next row...

 Loretta

Sadie Mae...

Quote for the Day:

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.
~Scott Adams

That quote is soooooooooo true about appliances, including the sewing machine.  
  
I've been sewing since 1976 and I'd been dreaming of a fancy computerized machine ever since I first saw one my friend had back in the about 1990.  I finally bought myself a Husqvarna Viking Platinum 775 Royal Edition back in 2005.

I will be the first to tell you how much I love it and how nice it is to sew on.  BUT...it is heavy and ever since I'd first seen Singer Featherweights in person, I wanted one to take to quilting classes.   (Featherweights only weigh about 12 pounds!)

So April of 2011 when we were in Maine visiting Andy's family, we went to an estate auction and I picked up a featherweight with the table for a STEAL!   I named it "Sadie Mae" after Andy's grandmother and found that it was made in 1946.  She'd been used so much that she wasn't very "pretty".  Some of her decals have been rubbed off with use and her finish isn't very shiny.  I took it to a local repairman to have it gone through, oiled, lubed, and have the belt replaced. 

He gave it a clean bill of health, but I was never completely happy with the way it sewed.  I know that I had to really play with the tension to get it semi-close to where it was supposed to be and the flywheel seemed "tight" and had to be turned EVERY time you pressed on the foot pedal or else the needle wouldn't start.  I didn't think it worked quite right and I put it away in my sewing room. 

Then in September when we were in Tennessee on vacation I found another featherweight at an antique store.  The price was very reasonable and it was in better condition than Sadie Mae, with less scratches and the decals still intact.  I found out it was made in 1957 and I named it "Mary Gwendolyn" after my mother.   I found that this "new" featherweight sewed fast and easily and the tension was perfect.  So I now KNEW that something was wrong with the first one.

Since I now have 3 old Singer machines, (2 featherweights and a 301) I no longer take them into the repairman for simple service.  Instead, I do the oil and lube myself.  Aside from routine maintenance, there isn't really much that goes wrong with these machines.

I pulled Sadie Mae off of the shelf and decided that I'd give her a test run and, once again, the tension was off and I couldn't get it straightened out, and the flywheel was tight.  

Thank God for Google!  I researched it and found that the motor had been tightened down too far when the new belt was applied.  Loosening it was just a matter of turning a screw slightly and raising the motor a fraction of an inch!  :)

Now the flywheel turns freely and I no longer have to turn it when I press the foot pedal to get the needle to move.  The needle now moves as soon as I push on the pedal!  YAY!  

But what about that dang tension issue???

See how the stitches make the fabric pucker?  You can't have that.  :(    I knew that it was something in the upper tension.  The spring that is supposed to move up and down with the pull of the thread was SO difficult to move, it just wouldn't "give" like it was supposed to.

Back to Google I went...and I found this page that shows how to disassemble and reassemble the tension unit.  I figured if I couldn't fix it, I'd take it to a (different) repairman and if I was able to fix it, then I would have saved a lot of money!  :)

Well...I am happy to report that simply the act of removing all the pieces and replacing them back worked wonders and now the tension is PERFECT!!!  

With the loosening of the motor and fixing the tension, Sadie Mae now runs just as well (and as fast) as Mary Gwendolyn!  :)  And the fixes were all FREE!!!  


With the upcoming quilting retreat, I wanted to find a small travel iron to take with me so I can press right at my sewing machine rather than having to go to a pressing station for EVERY seam.  (Yes, I press a lot when I'm quilting.  Finger pressing doesn't do a good enough job for the OCD person in me!  LOL)  

I had some errands to do today, so I thought I'd check at Goodwill before going to Walmart to buy one.  Today was my lucky day!   Look what I found at Goodwill for $5.00!!!

A Black and Decker "Stowaway" travel iron!!  These retail for $22-29.00!!  The handle holds the water for the steam and when you want to pack it, you simply push a lever to lay the handle over.  

It even came with a nylon bag to store/pack it in!!!  I'm a very happy girl!  :)



I'll leave you now with a picture of Ginger in her bed by my desk.  She has to be right by me, though usually she wants to be touching me...which makes it difficult for me to sew when she's leaning up against my leg.  LOL

She flips her bed upside down before she gets into it.  If you turn it upside down, she flips it right side up before getting in it.  What's with that???  LOL


Loretta
  

A Scare and Some Quilting...

Quote for the Day:

                                                      ~source unknown

Okay...so it's a "joke" instead of a "quote".  I know, I know.  BUT, after this morning, I needed a laugh and thought I'd share it with you, too!  :)

I had a scare last night and this morning.  Yesterday I took Ginger to our vet for a check up and while there we realized that she hadn't been tested for heartworm and only her rabies immunization was up-to-date.  We decided to go ahead and take care of those things, which meant that she had two injections...one in each back leg (under the skin, not in the muscle.)  BTW, she was negative for heartworm...YAY!  :)

Last night you could tell that she wasn't feeling well and she was favoring her back legs, especially the left one, when she walked.  She didn't eat or drink last evening and even messed on the floor after Andy took her out.  :(   At one point she was able to get up on our bed and was laying on the baby quilt I had put there for her to lay on.  When I tried to pick her up to get her off the bed so I could go to bed, she yelped every time I tried to pick her up.  I finally had to have Andy lift her off the bed and put her in her basket.

This morning Andy took her out, as usual, but afterward she didn't come up and jump on the bed with me to finish sleeping.  Instead she was laying on my slippers waiting for me to get up.  I noticed that she could barely walk due to her hind-end not working very well.  It was very reminiscent of the problems that Lady had when she had the neurological problems caused by her brain tumor.  :(:(:(

I immediately jumped into the shower, got dressed, and called the vet's office when they opened.  They had me bring her right down to be seen.  They have diagnosed it as a reaction to the immunizations yesterday and gave her some steroids and pain medicine as well as some to come home on. 

She is very tired now that she has been medicated, but seems to be feeling somewhat better.  Our vet is associated with a clinic in Fairmont that has Saturday hours as well as emergency coverage and the vet told me that if there is no improvement in Ginger in the morning to go to that clinic tomorrow.  She also told me that she would note in the chart that from now on Ginger will need to be "pre-medicated" when receiving vaccines so she doesn't have another reaction. 

Whew...that was a SCARE that I don't want to have again anytime soon. 

"Do I look stoned to you???"   LOL

Now onto some quilting-jabber...

The first weekend of November I'm going to take a workshop with quilting instructor/designer, Bonnie Hunter, and the main project we will be working on is "Smith Mountain Morning".   Instead of using brown and blue like she did, I'm going to make mine a Christmas quilt in red, green, and cream.  

There is a LOT of cutting involved, and since my back pain prohibits me from standing at the cutting table for long lengths of time, I started cutting out the pieces for this quilt last night, and will work on it a little at a time, as my back allows.  

So far I've got all the neutrals (creams) cut out and am currently working on the greens.  There are 336 of those little 1.5" neutral squares...all organized in stacks of 10...

These are the reds that I've pulled from my Christmas fabric stash...
 

There are a LOT of pieces in this quilt, so I'm glad I started early in getting it cut out!  :)


Now that I have the newer Singer Featherweight that I bought last week in Nashville, TN, I think I'm going to sell the first Singer Featherweight machine that I have.  I'll also sell the table that goes with it since I don't use the table when using the Featherweight.  I think I'll list it on craigslist this weekend and see how it goes.

Here's a picture of the machine and table I'm going to sell...

This one is from 1946.   The tables are very hard to find as there weren't as many of them made as there were of the machines.  

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Loretta



 

More Vay-cay Updates...

Quote for the Day:

"Warning:  This vehicle stops at all quilt shops"

~from a bumper sticker

This past week at Erin and Dale's has been really fun!  We've done all sorts of things!

On Tuesday Erin, Dale, Andy and I all went to an antique mall that Dale and Erin like to frequent. While there Erin said, "Mom...come look at this little thing"...which happened to be a Singer 221 Featherweight sewing machine...in the original case...with attachments and original owners' manual...and the KEY to the case!  :)  Those of you who have looked for a Featherweight will recognize how hard it is to find the KEY to the case!  :)

Well...I guess you've figured out by now that this little baby came home with me!  LOL  I'm naming her Mary Gwendolyn after my mother!  According to her serial number she was born in the Spring of 1957...the sewing machine...not my mother!  :)

Also in the case were 2 receipts for servicing...one in 1985 and the other in 1986.   But take a look at the receipts...

...can anyone tell me what country these are from?  It only says "N.T."

I know it's been serviced more often than this, though, because everything moves freely and it is VERY CLEAN inside...hardly even any dust!  I've already taken it apart and oiled and lubed it, changed the needle, adjusted the tension, and done some test sewing on it!!!  She purrs like a kitten!  :)

Also, on Tuesday, I googled local quilt shops and found that there is one TWO STREETS over from where Erin and Dale live!!!  Oh my....that could be VERY dangerous!  

I went and checked it out and decided to "stimulate the economy" there as well.  :)  I picked up a book by Bonnie Hunter that I will need when I take a workshop from her in November.  On the right is a pattern that I bought, too.  There was a quilt made from this pattern hanging in the store and I instantly fell in LURVE with it!   So scrappy...just my style!  It will use up a LOT of scraps!  And with Fall just around the corner...like TOMORROW, to be exact...I thought the tree "leaves" would look great in fall colors...oranges, browns, dark greens, yellows and reds!

I also picked up these fabrics...just because I liked them...no specific plans for them, but you can never have enough neutrals!  And that BLUE!!!...what's not to LURVE???

Just doing my part to stimulate the local economy!  LOL

On Wednesday, Erin & I went wedding dress shopping!  The battery in my camera died after the first picture...but I can show you ONE of the dresses that she tried on... but ultimately rejected...

Yes, it is a beautiful dress.  But, no, she didn't choose this one.   She found it "rode up" too far on the leg when she sat down and didn't feel comfortable with that.  

And I'm not going to show you a picture of the one she did choose (I started taking pictures with her iPhone after my battery died) because she wants to keep it a surprise from her fiance.   Suffice it to say, she looks STUNNING in it!  :)

Wednesday was Sera's actual birthday, so we all went out to eat supper at McNamara's.  Great food and a live band that sang "Happy Birthday" to Sera from the stage!  :)   

On Thursday, Andy and I found an estate sale where the couple was selling everything and moving into a motor home to travel around the USA.  Fortunately for ME, the lady of the house was a QUILTER!!!  I bought some fabric off of her, too!  Just doing what I can for the economy...

I'm going to leave you with two more pictures of the grandkiddos...just because I can...it's my blog!  

When Andrew was here, he spent most of his time playing with the magnets on the fridge!  Here he is after moving them into the shape of a heart!  I think he's looking up at the ones he can't reach at the top of the fridge!  LOL

Don't you love his suspenders???  Just like Grandpa wears!  :)

And here's one of the "birfday" girl!  :)  

I just love these kiddos!  If I knew how much fun grandchildern are I would have had more children!  LOL

Loretta