Free Motion Quilting

I love sewing with my 15-90 treadle.  I have been making slip covers (update to follow).  Today I finished the fourth of eight and decided that I wanted to try something else.

I had a mini quilt sandwich pinned together.  It is stenciled with a design and I thought I would try.  I did it.  I have a lot of practicing to go but I thought it isn't too bad for my first attempt.

 Now I realize that this is very rough and that is ok.    I fell down a lot when I first learned how to ski. 
 I did not expect to be an expert first time on the slopes.  Likewise with FMQ.   I have to say, though, that it is a bit easier to control the speed of the machine with the treadle vs an electric machine.  I have done this before using my Viking Husqvarna Quilt Designer II.  But it has a speed control.  I like treading much better. 

I used wax paper on the bed of the machine and on the treadle stand, too.

I used some machine quilting gloves to give me better grip on the fabric.  The edge is hard to manage.  I have to figure that out.  

I proved to myself that I can do it.  Now it is just practice, practice, practice.

On the other hand, I am much better at FMQ on the GMQ frame.

True, I have had more practice but I do think that it is easier to move the machine than it is to move the fabric. 

I am using the Singer 66 for this project.  I love the stitch it is making.  I also love how much room I have to quilt !  When I used this frame with a free arm White Jeans Machine, I had a narrow quilting area.  The 66 affords a much larger space.  It was for that very reason that I spent SO MUCH TIME setting up the 66. 

Sewing

I am not tidy by nature.  I admire folk who keep a clean desk at work,  do the dishes every night and make the bed every morning.  I could emulate them, but it is easier to admire. 

My sewing space is a mess.  I have inherited some supplies from Ingrid and I just don't have any place to put the stuff.  My cutting table was piled high with so much stuff.  It was distressing.  Last week I decided that I would just start sewing and use up the stuff on the table.  I made a dog bed from some old quilt blocks that I bought for a dollar at the thrift store.  I liked the animal fabric (zebras and such) and did not realize that the fabric was already cut up and sewn together as squares.  I just threw them together, put in a zipper and called it good.

I found some other squares in the same stash.  I decided to make a tote bag with a tabbed zipper.  I finished it today, after several permutations on the zipper.  I am pleased with the results.  I can use it as my carry on when I travel to see Mom for a weekend. 

I started it with the 201-2 from 1940 and finished it with the 15-91.  I really like that machine.  It isn't as elegant as the 201-2.  The 15-91 is more like me; strong, peasant stock. 

I used it to mend Max's leather jacket.  It never protested. 

I also emptied out a basket and found a couple of pieces of narrow, but long, batting.  What the heck am I saving THAT for?   You know.  Just in case. 

The Kenmore was all set up so I "experimented" with one of the stretch stitches and sewed the two pieces together, edge to edge.  It worked great.  Now I have one long piece of 6 inch wide batting instead of two long pieces of 3 inch wide batting. 

I had fun making stuff with what I had on the table.  It was also quite gratifying to finally mend Max's jacket.  The other armpit seam is coming apart, too.  Guess I will have to fix it.  I honestly think that this jacket is too small for him.  But he loves it and I love him so I will fix it all up.   Then I can get it out of here.

Early Morning

 The sun comes up around 4:45.  I hear the robins singing and by 5:30 I can't sleep any longer.  I was out in the shop by 0700 with my faithful companions.  One would think these dogs were devoted to me.  Nope.  I keep treats in the shop and they get one every time they arrive.  Now, it is not a big treat.  But it is a treat and we all know that dogs are pretty much opportunists; and gluttons.  This shot of the shop was taken from my window.  Because my work bench is so deep I have to go outside to open the window.  It is the only way I can reach it.

I really wanted to finish re-wiring the light  for the 15-91.  Last night I realized that I could install an inline switch and be able to turn the light on and off.  All I needed to do was make sure the light works.

It does.

I looked over the whole machine and oiled it next.  No Gears on this machine except in the hand wheel and the motor.  Elegant mechanics.

I attended to the needle bar, presser bar, take up lever, feed dogs, shuttle and race.  It was a full morning.  By 9:30 I had to quit.  Betsy was coming over and I needed to tidy up.  The machine is ready to be re-assembled.  I just have to install the inline switch (Betsy bought one for me on her errands) put the motor back on and go for it.  The foot controller is rewired courtesy of a brand new cord with controller leads.  Easy Peasy. 

Saturday mornings, Betsy likes to go to yard sales.  At 11:00 she called me.

"What do you know about a 513?  Is that the machine someone was looking for?"

"I know nothing about them.  I think she was looking for a 518.  But what do I know? How much?"

"Twenty bucks, but it has the case and I think that this one might have all metal insides."

"The case might be worth that. Just get it."

By noon, the dogs and I had had enough of tidying up and organizing.  I was having lunch when Betsy arrived at 1300.

She carted in four machines: two 301s, the 513 and a Domestic she took in to service.

I took on the 513 while she worked on the Domestic.

"I think the bobbin case is broken.(referring to the 513)  I told her I didn't want it for more than five bucks because of that."

"Good Job."  Right just what we need another machine to fix.  And who was it who said "Let's concentrate on the good machines.  The ones we know sell." ????

Anyway, after determining that indeed the bobbin case was broken, I discovered that the slide plate spring is also broken. 

Once we cleared away all the lint and debris around the PLASTIC GEARS, we discovered that the shuttle gear has a tooth missing.
 

"Oh I bet we can replace that.  It will be easy" 

Right.  But we will also have to replace the bobbin case.  The gears are cheap (6 bucks from our supplier).  I haven't looked up the bobbin case.  Still, how fun would it be to replace GEARS?  We haven't done that yet.  Oh we would feel like big time if we did.

Next Project

It just won't stitch right

Something happened to my 201.  I don't know what happened, but something happened.  It has gradually been stitching more and more poorly.   I have tried changing the tension assembly, no better.  I tried switching the bobbin case for a different one.  I even purchased a new, unbent position bracket.

Consolation Prize

I had vowed to stay off of eBay after my last debacle with the Kenmore 158.  That seller offered to take the machine back but did not offer a partial refund, which I would have preferred.  I decided to just keep the machine.  I can fix the stupid thing and it is a free arm and it is light weight enough for classes and it is a Japanese made Kenmore......so what the heck.  Lesson learned, right?

Well, not so fast.  There was a machine relatively close by and I figured I could just pick it up should I "win" the auction.  Which I did.  And so I emailed that seller and asked SPECIFICALLY if I could pick the machine up today.  Sure, no problem.  It was, after all at a business location and "just tell them at the counter that you have an eBay purchase..."  Right.  Except that when we (Sonja went with me, this time.  I am trying to convert her) got there,  IT WAS CLOSED .  Oh boy.........I sputtered a bit...  and then sputtered a bit more.  " Well,  dog hooey."  or something else....

I tried emailing the seller.  No luck.  So much for the smart phone.  I still haven't heard from the seller as of this writing, though I did email him/her through eBay so that there is a record of how FAR I had to drive to fetch this machine.........I really do not want it shipped.  So I reckon I will trek back up that way during business hours later in the week.  GEE WHIZ.

BUT all is not lost.  Craigs List did not fail me.  I found a parts machine for 10 dollars.  Worth 2 probably but you know me and charity cases.

This is a 1951 Singer 15-91.  It is in pretty rough shape and I am not going to revive it.  It is a PARTS MACHINE.

The motor is worth ten bucks, or more.

The foot controller is probably in pretty good shape, just dirty.  It depends on how many times it has been dropped.  The female three prong connector is intact and I love having them around.  And Mr Three Pin Terminal looks pretty healthy as well.

So all was not lost today.  Sonja is great company, but I got a feeling she is not going to acquire SMAD.  She has two machines.  One is a Kenmore that she bought with her first paycheck after graduating from Nursing School sometime in the 70s.  The other is a Viking 6030 that she bought from me, which I bought from Betsy.  At least it is getting used which 79 of my 80 machines are not.

We did stop in Joann's on the way home.  I bought some interfacing for a project that you can check out on the other blog  http://sewingmachinemagic.blogspot.com/.  I also bought some elastic thread.  That is for some shirring that I want to try.  That post will be on the Magic blog too.  When I get to it.  Tomorrow I have to mow.

Anatomy of a 201/15-91 potted motor

 Sometimes we can get confused by terminology.  I am posting this so that anyone who needs to understand electric motor terminology can have actual photos to look at and understand.  I learned by doing.

This is what a 201 motor looks like once it has been removed from the machine.

 Remove the housing by unscrewing the little screws and gently wiggle it away from the motor.  Be careful.

Then you get this

The field coil is also known as the field magnet.  If you pick the motor up now and look at the inside you will see this:

The copper windings are part of the armature also known as the rotor.   The armature comes out of the field coil and housing of the motor by loosening  set screws in the worm.

 Then the armature comes out

And it looks like this.  This is a cleaned up version with the worm reattached for safe keeping'  you can see the windings are a bit stained.  Oh well.  Also this armature had been varnished, I guess at the factory,  and that brown glaze won't come off with cleaning. 

When you look into the housing at the field coil it looks like this.To remove the field coil from the housing you have to remove the screws on each side.

If the motor leads were good, you would not need to remove the field coil (magnet) from the rest of the housing.  I don't do this on a good motor.  But this one, well, it needs new motor leads  from the field coil windings to the three pin male connector.    So I took the field coil out being very careful not to detach the brush leads from their connections
Once the field coil has been removed from the housing it looks like this

 If you were to gently pick this up and turn it around you would see this.

 The grease wicks and brushes are removed to service the motor as well.  

I managed to break the brush cover on this machine.  It is bakelite and can be brittle.  I don't know why it shattered but it did.  I had to drill a new slot in it so that I could get it off.  Luckily I had another. 

 Brushes are carbon rectangles attached to springs.  They glide into brush tubes and rest on the commutator

There is a very comprehensive tutorial on how to re-wire a potted motor on The Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog http://vssmb.blogspot.com/    Go there  for all you need to know.

Stay tuned here for more fun with Kenmores

How could I say no?

Today I drove west 150 miles to fetch my Wheeler and Wilson Number 8.  When I arrived at my destination, there were five additional machines to greet me, along, of course, with the most wonderful couple in the Finger Lakes.  We laughed about my first visit.  I was so excited looking at all of their wonderful antiques and vintage sewing stuff.  There was a gorgeous spool cabinet and I opened it right up, just like I was family... OOPS......it contained some valuables.  Oh we had a laugh about my gall.

Last June when I first met them, I had the grand tour of all the machines.  I went after a Howe and came home with several additional machines.  I think my haul was five machines then.  This time I came home with six.   We were all amazed that I fit the W & W 8 with its treadle base,  a Singer 15-91 and its cabinet,  a Singer 99-13 and its cabinet, an Elna Super matic, a Domestic, and a darling Singer 128 complete with a gorgeous excellent condition carrying case in the Jetta sport wagon.  Where there is a will there is a way. 

1935 Singer 15-91

1925 Singer 128

1930 Singer 99-13

Foot pedal for 99-13. Right, my size ten is going to fit that!!!!

Domestic Rotary

The Elna Supermatic

I have benefited greatly from such generosity.  These other five machines were just given to me.  How about that?  We all love the machines and A. said she doesn't believe that she owns any of these wonderful old machines, she just is caring for them until it is time to pass them along.  I agree.