Scottie Dogs and Scraps

Finally finished the scrappy quilt yesterday! Since I was dragging from getting the flu shot the day before, I didn't feel like doing much over the weekend. So, I finished off the quilted quilt that had been sitting for weeks on the sewing machine waiting for the scrappy binding to be sewn onto it.

The back of the quilt has a Scottie dog and newspaper theme. I made sure all those cute Scottie dogs were well taken care of with the center square being a fabric with newspaper motif.

After completing the quilt, I then curled up in the warmth of the quilt and watched my favorite you-tubers for the rest of the day.

Scrappy Jean Quilt

I been indoors staying cool this past weekend. Way too hot, temperatures were in the high 90s. I started this quilt top a couple of months ago. I then ignored it while I went on camping trips, visited family back East, and worked on some gardening projects. There are 360 small squares and 30 jean squares that I had cut and needed to be pieced. Well, this weekend I felt motivated to assemble the quilt top. I had seen a similar quilt made with jean material on Pinterest. When I saw that quilt, I knew that I wanted to make that design since I could use my scrap materials along with the jean material from my stash.

The backside will be the doggie and newspaper print fabric. Next, I will have to figure out how I want to quilt it.  

1080 Squares

Surprisingly, there are 1080 small squares! It didn't seem like I was making that many squares during construction and piecing. By using Bonnie Hunter's method for this scrappy Trip Around the World, this quilt top came together very quickly.

Next step is designing the back of the quilt. The back will not be constructed as quickly as the front since I'll be cutting out each of the 50 States. My classes start up next week; so, I will only be working on the back design during my free time, which will be weekends.

Sharing

Yesterday, I participated in the sharing portion of the quilt guild meeting for the first time. I nervously showed off my newly done chevron baby quilt and my Shattered Bones quilt. We are told to give a quick description on the quilts; so, I informed the guild that these quilts were pieced and quilted using 100 year old sewing machines that I treadle. While walking back to my seat, a lady handed me her business card with a note written on it stating that she had a treadle that she wants to give me. During the break, I spoke with her to make arrangements for picking up the machine after the guild meeting. Yes, I came home with beautiful Red-Eye Singer 66-1 machine, gorgeous cabinet, and treadle!

Somehow vintage machines have a way of finding their new steward.

Made in Japan

 When I learned that some Singer machines were made in Japan after WWII, I started my hunt for a Singer from Japan. I didn't want a cloned Singer. Why? Because I spent four years living in Tokyo in the early 1990s, and I have such wonderful memories of the time spent there.  And I love vintage Singer sewing machines!  Well to my surprise, this week a Singer 224 was posted on CL.  They posted it as a Singer 401, but I knew that it wasn't a 401. At first, I couldn't identify the machine since the Singer 224 machines are rare in the States.

The Singer 224 are designed to be treadled, takes 15x1 needles, and takes the flat cams for the decorative stitching.  No need to bypass a motor to treadle this machine like I have done with my Singer 328 or my Necchi Supernova Ultra.  This machine treadles so smoothly!  Cabinet has the look of duct tape attack, but that should clean up.

Replacing the Race Wick on 66-1

Here are photos of the process of getting to the race wick that helps oil the race. While cleaning the bobbin, case, and hook/race on the Singer 66-1, it is important to check the wick and replace it if necessary with a new felt one.

Remove bobbin plate, needle, foot, and feed dog cover plate.

Turn machine over to work on removal of the feed dog screw underneath the bobbin area of machine.

Screw is located on right side.

After removal of screw, pull out the feed dogs from top side of machine.

Now work from top side in bobbin area. Take note of red piece of material which is the oil wick inside the wick screw (located right side of ejector button). To get to this wick screw, numerous other items must be removed first.

Start by removing the pin that holds the ejector mechanism bar which is located right of wick screw on top of bar.

What pin looks like.

Take a flat head screw driver to lift finger on ejector bar, located on left, that helps keep bar in place.

Grab hold of case and ejector bar; twist them to loosen from race, then pull them up and out of race.

Clean all items. I used rubbing alcohol.

Now it is time to remove wick screw from ejector bar. Using small long nose pliers to hold screw, gently turn screw counter clockwise to remove wick.
Removal of wick may take some time and require soaking in alcohol to loosen the red wick from the wire screw. Be patient, it will come out with time.

Now that all is clean up, it is time to cut new wick from thick red felt spool pin holder.

Cutting the red wick into a V aids in getting the new wick into the very tiny screw.

Leave some wick out long enough so that it will be able to touch the race (that is the purpose of the wick).

Insert back into hole that you removed it from by turning it in clockwise.

Drop a little oil on wick.

Now drop a little bit of oil in the case groove before putting case and ejector bar back in place.

This is how the wick should look resting against race.

Put feed dogs back along with all other cleaned up parts and screws that were removed.

Simple as that!! Have fun sewing!!!

P.S. There are some very old Singer 66-1 that do not have a race wick screw. One of my machines is this way. Here is a photo of that ejector bar without the wick screw.

The Eldredge

Last year, I took pity on a machine that had been listed on CL for months by rescuing that poor thing. It sat in the garage through the winter looking dejected. Well, last weekend I cleaned the machine, cabinet, and treadle just enough to bring inside the house.

Trying to bring life back to once a beautiful machine started with a spa treatment on a warm sunny day. While sitting outside working on the machine, the sun provided the needed heat for me to loosen some screws that wouldn't budge. A blessing from the heavens!

She still needs more cleaning, but that will just have to wait until a later date.

I found a space for her. With all her weathered flaws, she graces my dining room.

The machine seems to be missing it's soul, but the treadle irons have a beautiful, smooth, rhythmic balance. I asked myself, How could a machine once so gorgeous lose its will for life; and yet, the treadle that is married to it breathes?

And with time will that change?

Considerations

I spent the last couple of days testing out most of the Necchi's decorative stitches. Here is a look at the cam and attachment box that comes with the Necchi Supernova Ultra. I spent hours constructing cams and selecting my favorite patterns.

These are my favorite decorative stitches that I feel will work well for finishing off my bindings.

During one of my breaks from testing the cams, I took Hank the Tank, Singer 328K, out of his new home and placed him in a treadle. I did this for two reasons. One, I realized that I most likely wouldn't be using my Singer 15-90 in treadle anymore for free motion quilting since I now enjoy FMQ with the Necchi. And second, there are about three decorative stitches from the Singer 328k that I would still like to use from time to time. So, hopefully Hank is finished moving.

After removing the Singer 15-90 from treadle, I swapped the spoke wheel and bobbin winder that had been on it with the Singer 15BG168 (RAF decals) hand wheel and bobbin winder. The Singer 15-90 retired to the shelf of honor, and the Singer with the RAF decals (shown in picture below) was turned in a hand crank machine. I removed the hand crank with the gaudy, gold Chinese characters off the Singer 66 (which was a weird mismatch) and attached the HC to the Singer 15 with the RAF decals. This setup looks a bit better.

A Conversation with Eunice

I know, I know...I said my focus will be on vintage sewing machines that I had never before experienced. Treadles, those are the ones I will only rescue. And I did just that. I told myself that I'll concentrate on meeting more folks that sew with their vintage machines instead of me collecting more machines this year. And so, I added to my reading list by signing up to the Yahoo's vintage treadle sewing machine group for that search.

Yup, I did just that!

I decided to read from the summer of 2010, the time I started collecting vintage machines. I read until one post captivated my interests and brought me to a halt, "anyone wanting a Necchi Supernova to treadle contact me". I told myself, NO!!! And reminded myself that I grew up sewing with a Necchi Supernova; I know this machine. But that post haunted me for days... and I found myself researching Supernovas.

Well, I have always said that the machine has a way of finding its new steward. This one sat waiting patiently for me.

So, I introduce Eunice, quiet, sweet, and innovative.

I figured a way around my dilemma with the bobbin winder cover and treadle belt. At first, I thought I could just remove the bobbin winder cover from the bobbin winder so that the treadle belt wouldn't hit the cover, but that couldn't be done.

I discovered after taking the motor plate cover off that the bobbin winder extends down to this point which then clears the bobbin winder out of the way of the treadle belt.

And so, Sebastian lends me a claw with a smile. He's my hero!

On this clear winter day, I marvel at my wintergreen Necchi Supernova Ultra and Sebastian...such an odd couple...and I'm sure Eunice approves.

Thank you Eunice Winters.

I Did It Again!

Yes, I rescued another lost soul screaming to be helped.
This cabinet is gorgeous looking- regardless of her damaged skin.
Someone had picked the machine up as a restoration project, never got around to it, and sold it to me. The top requires a new wood laminate and repairs. All of this will be an adventure for me, since I have never restored a cabinet that is this badly damaged. The machine's decals have silvered from improper cleaning at one time, while other parts of the machine are rusted. I have all the unique drawer knobs. For now, this gal will have to wait in garage until I complete a couple of quilts.