SORRY, LINDA.

When I was cutting up my 2.5 inch blocks I stashed the smaller stuff in a bag intending to send it to my friend Linda.  She likes the small stuff for crumb quilting.   I don't know how she uses them.  I don't like working with small pieces and was feeling pretty darn magnanimous as I stashed the small stuff to send off.

But then I learned about cutting squares out of those slick ads stuffed in the Sunday paper to use   as foundation for blocks.  It is paper piecing but with no design.  I cut several 6 inch paper squares and just started sewing scraps on to the paper.  I followed no pattern.  Then, I decided to try to use the long strips and start in the middle and work out.  I like that effect.

Sorry, Linda.  I might not be sending you the crumbs, after all.  I am having too much fun. 

6 inch squares

I don't know how I will put them together.  It might be possible to arrange them in blocks of four. 

You can see it too.  I need to put the white strips all together in one four block.  Might be interesting.

When I am working on a quilt, I am all about getting it done.  PRODUCTION.  I read the instructions and follow the pattern.  I time how long each step takes and focus on that, rather than the creative process.  Oh, the creative process.  It has undoubtedly been good for me to just sit at the machine and sew  with no regard to a real pattern.   I definitely have not fretted about how long it is taking.  I made these ten squares this afternoon, along with about six strips of leaders and enders for the 2.5 inch LE quilt.  The Necchi is quieter since I put some felt between it and the cabinet.  I also oiled it.  I could hear the sigh of relief with each drop of Tri-flow on her ports.  Poor thing. 

I have three quilt tops ready for Fancesca, the Nolting.  All of them will require ruler work.  I have no rulers.  I have one hand.  I guess those tops will wait.

SO FAST

I really can't use the treadle right now.  My right hand is encased in a huge bulky dressing.  I have limited use of my fingers.  In planning for this surgery, I thought that I would use the 301 if I could sew at all. 

The Necchi Super Nova, though, was all set up. I have a high shank, quarter inch foot for it and so......

I do understand the irony of the water mark.  As soon as I am able I will go back to the 201-1 but for now I am loving this machine  It makes a very consist, straight stitch.  I like the three different needle positions.  It is not quiet but I can live with that.  It is very, very fast.

Of course I don't need speed for piecing.  I don't need speed for much of anything that I sew.  Just the same sometimes it is just plain fun to go very, very, very fast

I had a quilt to bind. I could have serged the edges because it is a dog quilt.  I used the Necchi instead.  Honestly, this machine is as fast as the Singer Industrial over at Betsy's.   If I had two working hands I would have taken a video. 

Before my surgery I had cut scraps into 2.5 inch squares.  I wasn't all that accurate with the cutting.  It shows in the final product.  I didn't pay attention to color comnbo much either.  The idea is to sew these small pieces together at the end or beginning of your chain stitching when working on another quilt.  Eventually you have many of these pieces sewn together and can piece them into a quilt too.  I had never used leaders and enders before but I decided to when I was piecing the arrowhead quilt.  Since I can't really trim up that quilt yet, I went to my little squares and just sewed away to keep from getting more cranky. 

MORE NECCHI TALES: Hand Wheel

Once I  determined that the SuperNova's power plant is healthy, I decided to give the mechanical a look see.  It really is pretty clean.  This is a pleasant surprise.

I removed the hand wheel, following the directions I downloaded from, yup, you guessed it, the Necchi Yahoo group.

First I loosened the belt, but that you already knew about since I did it in a previous post.  Then  I removed the clutch knob from the hand wheel.

I removed one screw, but found that you don't have to remove the screws at all.  Just loosen them.  That way they won't drop to the floor, or worse, get lost.

Turn the knob left loosey and unscrew it all the way off.

The stop washer is integral to this piece.  See how the stop washer fits into a notch in the shaft?

This slipped right off along with a couple of washers.

The hand wheel itself slipped off next.  I have never seen a wick inside a hand wheel.  Ever.

Upon Andrea's advice, I removed the wick,

The oil wick channel wasn't awful, but it was dirty.

I soaked the wick in alcohol to clean it up. (This was not an original idea.  Andrea told me to do it). Once every thing was clean I reassembled the hand wheel.  Thank goodness I took photos, so that I could figure out where the washers went.

Note the position of the bobbin winder.  This is significant.  The belt is a generic, lug, belt.  While it is the correct diameter, the belt is too wide.  It rides above the belt channel in the hand wheel and interferes with the functioning of the bobbin winder.  I can't wind a bobbin.  Bummer. 

I think I will wander on over to Ed Lamoureux's blog  http://sewing-machines.blogspot.com/ and ask him about the belt. 

More Necchi Tales: Needle Plate

The circular needle plate fascinates me.  Unfortunately it looked as if it were broken.  The central stud is loose.  When the presser foot was down the needle plate would rise up opposite the foot.  I feared that a part was missing. 

According to the manual:

So I looked under the plate:

And I fixed it.

Maybe this machine will work out after all.

Random Decision

 After breakfast I pulled myself away from the computer and headed out to either the sewing loft or the shop. Admittedly I was reluctant to tackle the Necchi.  I had not checked in with the Yahoo Necchi Group (which turned out to be a poor decision).  I really wanted to sew but that dang Necchi was calling to me.   I went to the shop first, thinking that if the door is unlocked I will work on the Necchi, if not, I will sew. 

 It was unlocked.  My fate was sealed.

The electrical problems plaguing this machine have been haunting me.  I did solve one of the  problems.   I bought a new cord and the machine ran well, the light worked appropriately, but the motor smoked.  That was worry number one.  

I took a good look at the electrical on the underside of the machine.  It looked complicated and threatening.  I wondered how I would get at it.

 I took another look at the motor itself.  I decided that those bolts looked less threatening. 

So I loosened the ones attached to the motor and released the belt.

 Then I felt a presence behind me. It was almost as if he were saying "Do you really think you should do that?"  

I ignored him.  I think he was waiting for a treat.

I took another look under the machine.  This time I located the motor leads and where they connect to the electrical terminal.  I labeled the top one.  You can't see it but I wrote TOP on that yellow tape.  I need to be very explicit when I am venturing into new territory. 

I removed the plastic protection device.

I then loosened the screws holding the motor leads in place and released the motor leads.  

Then I removed the motor mount bolts and  VERY CAREFULLY removed the motor.

The rubber grommets in the motor housing and the machine bed were shot.  They were melted from over exposure to oil.

 

The brushes and commutator were easily accessible.

The brushes were saturated with oil.

I soaked them in denatured alcohol for a while and then burned the oil off using a lighter.  When there was no more flame, I declared them done.

All clean and shiny

Just as carefully as I took the motor out, I placed the motor back inside the machine.  As I turned the machine over, a washer fell out.    I wondered where it belonged. Then I figured it out (see the photo above) .  I found the other inside the machine.  Lucky me.

It didn't take me long to figure out that I had to remove the mounting bracket from the machine bed in order to get the motor and these washers back together the right way.  That's because my brain was working.

The bolt into the machine was pretty oily

and there was a little puddle of oil between the machine and the mount.  I got a bit concerned that maybe the oil had filtered into the terminal.  So, I took another look at that and decided that I would see if I could get it off the machine.  

There were only three screws that held it in place .  I did have to remove the lamp connection, but that was easy peasy.  I don't have a photo for that .

I was pretty relieved to see that it wasn't oily or compromised at all.  I was able to slip it back together.

Problem number 2: the power cord that came with the machine is wired incorrectly.   When I use it   the light comes on but dims when I apply the foot controller and the motor doesn't run at all.  If I switch the cord around in the wall plug, the machine runs slowly and the light dims and the light doesn't turn off.   There is no change in power from min to max.  Something is wacko.   The machine runs fine with the after market replacement cord but the insulation on the wires prevents a good fit.  The cord will wear out in no time.

In fact, in an effort to figure out how the cord should be wired, I took apart the new cord and discovered that it was already wearing out.  In my effort to understand the wiring, it broke.

A and B are actually two different wires.  I point this out because they look like the same wire in this photo.

The next few hours were spent in a futile effort to get the power cord re-wired.   Oh how I wish I had checked the Necchi group first, as I had planned.   Finally, I did . There I found clear instructions with a photo and in less than thirty minutes I had the sucker re-wired.   The motor doesn't smoke, the machine runs in Min or Max and the light doesn't dim when I apply the foot controller.  In other words.  I FIXED IT!!

Wan smile.

 "Honey, can you help me get something out of the car?"

"What is it?"

"A sewing machine cabinet."

He gave me a wan smile.  I knew that he was less than pleased.

"Where did it come from?"

"Delhi."

"From a patient?"

"Well, no, actually.  It is an interesting story."

A. belongs to the Necchi Yahoo group and she emailed me about a member from this part of the country who was giving away a Necchi SuperNova.  I somewhat reluctantly advised A. that she could send along my contact information.  The woman contacted me and informed me that the Necchi was spoken for but she had a 500A and two treadles.  I indicated that I was interested in the 500A and that I could drop by after work and take a look at it and the treadles.  After I made arrangements to stop over on Monday, she contacted me to let me know that the Necchi was available and would I be interested.  I told her I would take a look.  So I stopped over after work today and got them.

"So, it's for A., right?  You got the Necchi for A.?"  I could hear the hope in his voice.

"Nope, it's for me.  I want to play with it for a while and then I will give it away."  Another wan smile.  Poor guy.

"Where are you going to keep it?"  The man is full of questions.

"Well, you won't be using your shop while you are in Alaska, right?"  Another wan smile.

We hauled it out of the Jetta. 

"It's not the prettiest cabinet in the world.  Oh but look at that cute little chair.  What is it from, the 70s?"

"Nope I bet the 60s or earlier."

"Oh well it is a cool looking machine.  And what is that other cabinet?"

"Oh, that's from the 500A.  It probably can go to the curb.  But not tonight it is going to rain."

"Right,  it will just become junk," and he hauled it to the barn.

"So, two in, two out.  That's my motto now, honey."

Right.  Another wan smile.