Waiting For My Foot

How is it I have an expensive sewing machine? It was given to me by my mother. I would never buy a machine that cost as much as this one did. It's fancy. It embroiders. It has a gazillion stitches. It has all the extras quilters want--needle stopping down, a knee lever that lifts the presser foot so I can keep my hands on the quilt. So many things.

So why can't I seem to bond with it? And funny enough I don't think my mother did either. I think she pieced her quilts on this machine, but did most of her sewing and embroidery on her Janome and serger.

I am trying though. I have been doing all my straight stitch quilting on it with the walking foot and have no complaints there. I can't seem to free motion quilt well on it though. One problem is the machine is sitting on my work table not in it. I like my sewing machines to be flush in a cabinet. I have only used a free arm once in my life--old machines didn't do this and that's how I learned to sew.

I'll keep trying with this machine. I think our relationship at this point is cordial. It might warm up by the end of the week.

Hot Bakelite Foot Controller

This is the original bakelite foot controller to my Singer 15-91. Generally these are great to use--work good, comfortable to use. I have been using it when I quilt.

When I did the stipple quilting on the cowboy quilt I would stop after about 45 minutes and take a break for awhile and then come back. After several sessions I unplugged the machine and reached over to move the foot--WOW--it was scorching hot!

I found out that unless you are going full speed the excess energy is turned into heat in these old carbon pile controllers. For general sewing like the 1940's housewife was doing that is fine. For long sessions of free motion quilting it's not. On the paisley quilt I reduced my time to 30 minute sessions with long breaks between. Not easy when I wanted to be sewing.

I researched and saw the controller sometimes needs adjusting. So husband and I opened it up and checked it out--no big deal. I moved the screw about an eighth of an inch to see if it helped any. I began sewing and had hardly done five minutes when I heard little popping sounds. First thing--pull the plug out of the wall! I listened to the foot controller which was making noises like the little pop-zzz that sparks make. It didn't feel that hot, but I ran and got a towel to wrap it in and cutters to cut the wires in case it caught fire so I could run it out of the house. It didn't.

You can buy new electronic controllers for vintage machines. These don't heat up the way the carbon pile ones do. Needless to say the 15-91 is on hold until the new controller gets here. I would prefer to keep the machine in its original condition but I need it to sew not just sit and look pretty.

More Nighties

More sexy nightgowns from the 1930's. Look at the seaming on these. The blue and white one have amazing detailing on the sleeves. A lot of people's dressy clothes these days don't compare to these gowns--and they were for sleeping in.

Coats Cards

These cards are from J. & P. Coats to advertise their thread. Although damaged they're still nice Victorian images of a baby playing with spools of thread.

Until we get to this next one. Someone get that spool out of that baby's mouth! Who thought this was cute?

Hated Fabric

I don't hate this fabric; I really like it in fact. It's leftover from quilts my great grandmother made in the 1930's. But remember how I posted before about how I like fabrics with circles, dots, stripes, and paisleys--and how I remembered those designs from when I was little? Memories work other ways too.

Back in the 80's a bunch of reproduction fabrics of the 30's came out. My mother and I went to a local quilt store and looked at them while the shop owner told us how a woman came in and bought a bunch of it for her mother who had been a young woman in the 30's. Only it turned out the mother took one look at the fabric and told her daughter that she would not sew with them and to get those rags out of her house. What is quaint fabric to some is a memory of the Great Depression to others.

Paisley Quilt

Here are some of the fabrics I showed earlier made up into a baby quilt. It's about 32" x 38". I machine quilted it with straight lines on the stripes and stippling on the rest. My free motion quilting has improved--the stitches are pretty even this time. The photo isn't very good. It doesn't show that this quilt turned out great--I hardly want to give it away.

It does have a mistake though. Can you see it? The binding stripes go in one direction the whole way around except for about twelve inches where I had to cut from another piece of fabric to get enough and cut the wrong way. In the far right of the photo you can see the triangle they form. I used to be such a perfectionist this sort of thing would drive me crazy until I had taken it out and fixed it. Not anymore--the laziness in me has become more predominant. So I left it and washed the thing to give it that nice "quilty" look. And the mistake...as grandmother would say, "No one would notice it from a galloping horse."

Noisy Walking Foot

I haven't used the walking foot attachment much until the past few weeks. It works great and I'm pleased with the results, but it can be a noisy little thing. The first time I heard it clunking I had to make sure it was the foot and not my sewing machine. A problem with a foot is easier than a problem with the machine. I searched online to see if it needed oiling or maintenance I was unaware of. Nothing until I found some posts from a few people discussing their noisy walking foots (feet?). Someone even wrote the sound out phonetically--kuh-junk, kuh-junk. Ahh, what a relief--apparently its normal. Although to help with it remember it's a walking foot not a running or jogging foot. In other words, don't sew too fast with it. Blah! I like sewing at a good pace most of the time. Why must everything require so much patience from me?

1930's Nightgown

In the 30's even nightgowns were classy and sexy. This one could easily pass for an evening gown. In white satin it would look like some of those dresses Jean Harlow wore. By the way, did you know she had those dresses sewn on--that's the reason they look so sleek and tight. In between sets she had a special board to lean on to rest because her dresses were too tight to sit down in. A little silver screen trivia.

I've come back to edit this post: my husband reminded me and said I should add that Jean Harlow never wore underwear. So there you go.

Fabric I Like

I enjoyed making the cowboy quilt so much I plan on making more baby quilts. The husband says we need a gift by November and one in late winter. I'm ready.

The above fabric is future quilts. Notice all the circle/bubble ones. I had to wonder why I always like these designs so much. I think maybe it has something to do with being a little girl in the late 60's early 70's. Circles abounded. Also stripes, paisleys, and daisies--you know the ones. I just simply like these fabrics--I like the colors, I like sewing with them. Since they're back in style I might have to stock pile a bunch. Just what I need--more fabric.

Singer Handcrank

Remember the Singer 128 Godzilla? Well, apparently putting a motor on a vibrating shuttle machine was not one of the Singer company's best ideas. Fun though if you step on the foot controller and stand back and watch it wiggle around on the table top. Notice in the photo it's no longer an electric machine. Normally I don't change sewing machines like this. I prefer to keep them original, but I made an exception. Plus all the wiring needed replacing--blah!

Son #2 and I attached the handcrank in very little time. Now he has fun using the machine. He's not the only one--son #1 wants to try it and husband even asked for a turn. There's something about having a sewing machine out on display--everyone wants to give it a try.

I didn't think I would like a handcrank machine. Too much fiddling. But I was wrong. This is nice--it sews smoothly and beautifully. The only thing I need to do now is put a seam guide attachment on it.

While it isn't the most attractive machine Singer made, it has its points, including the black face plate with grape vines twined upon it.

Trade Cards And Flu

In honor of being able to check Swine Flu off the "To Do" List for this Fall and the fact that I'm worn out, I'm skipping my usual sewing trade cards for these with wonderful cures.
Ayer's Ague Cure in the above photo "is warranteed to cure fever, ague, and malarial disorders." There's even a frog administering it to an alligator in the corner.

The next card is pretty damaged but reads "In every home much sickness and suffering can be prevented by the discreet (use of) Parkers Ginger Tonic." Discreet use? Probably because you would smell like a drunk.

Ok...I like tea...a lot...it even says so over in my profile, but Breast Tea?! For Coughs and Colds? What is it and couldn't they call it something else? That doesn't seem a good selling point to me. And the old woman--I'm not sure if she seems sweet and kindly or has the look of the disguise of the Wicked Stepmother when she gave Snow White the poison apple.

Cowboy Quilt

Finished! The quilt is done and the baby isn't here yet. It measures 41" x something. I found the vintage cowboys and really liked them, but it was a busy fabric.

I cut out the two main scenes and made big appliques with them and then cut out each cowboy and made a single applique with them. I satin stitched around the edges with off white and then sewed a zigzag in red over that to give it a vintage look. I outline quilted around the cowboys. There are three free motion embroidered cactii too.

I stipple quilted the rest. I wanted to use off white thread on top and red on the bobbin to match the red horseshoe fabric back (which is also the border and binding), but I couldn't get it to do so I just used the off white. The border has the red.

This was my first quilt with free motion quilting. I need more practice. You can see where the stippling is a little further apart where I started but then falls into a more even pattern. The stitches aren't all even either--some are too small and some are a bit too big. I hesitate giving something less than perfect, but it was meant to be the kind of quilt you can throw on the floor and play on. And it's for a baby--he's not going to notice the stitching.