Saturday, May 17, 2014

A Good Day

My friend Linda is trying to fix a machine for a friend.  She is having trouble setting the needle and believes it is because the thread guide just above the needle is missing.  I looked through my stash the other night and found a drawer labeled needle clamps.  There I found an envelope labeled:
WOOT WOOT ! Finally! Something in this stash that I can actually use ! Included in this envelope was a thread guide.

 So the very first thing I did this morning was send Linda  the screw and the thread guide.  I sent two screws because I don't know which one will fit.  But I did test it out on my machine, a very similar HA-1 Class 15 straight stitch machine.

Oh I do feel good about this.  I hope that they fit and that she can get that machine working.

Sometimes I spin my wheels and get nothing done.  Today was not one of those days.  I did a lot.  After I ran to the PO, I came home and set about organizing the shop. I rinsed the empty tool bin drawers that were  stored in a big cardboard box for months.  They were pretty dirty. Someone I know will be pleased.   I used warm water and Diswasher rinse aid so that they would dry more quickly.  Who knows if they did or not.  I was distracted next by sorting through some more of the South River Stuff. 

What do you suppose this is?  Steven thinks it is some sort of medieval torture device. 

 I culled and sorted and threw away some stuff.  Rusty bobbins, broken bobbin cases, other miscellaneous mysterious stuff.
 
I found this  Singer motor and foot control combo.  I don't really understand this set up.  There seems to be a power cord but there is also a receptacle for a power cord in the motor.  I threw it in the trash and then retrieved it.  Maybe it works.  I wonder if anyone would buy it on eBay? 
 I did some more tidying up and then I walked the dogs.  The trees have overgrown the path a bit so I trimmed some branches while we were up there.  Not much so anyone would care.  Enough so that I won't poke my eye out as Wrigley drags me down the path.

I put the clean bins away next.  That meant moving some of the full bins.  I have a lot of industrial parts.  I found some bobbin cases which I think might fit the 206 etc series.  I found some class 15 bobbin cases too.  I found some hooks.  I found some needle bars I found some antique machine parts and I found these:
The box is hand labeled "Singer 221" and one does look a little different from the other.  I guess I will have to figure that out.  I believe I have the cams for both as well.

 As part of my attempt to clear out stuff in the sewing loft, I pieced some scraps together for a practice quilt for the quilt frame this past week.    I was surprised at how much fabric I had stored in those little, plastic bins! Somehow I managed to create a quilt top 68 X 74.  The only rule I followed: if it was on the cutting table, it went into the quilt top.  I finished piecing it on Friday afternoon and set it up on the frame last evening.  Today I took my first pass.  I am using light colored thread so that I can inspect my stitches and see how I do with my design.  I have been practicing feathers and spirals.  I feel quite comfortable with meandering.  I have to say that I am pleased with the results.  No real need to tweak tension at all.  I managed to make the first pass down the quilt without jamming the needle or breaking thread. 



I may have to change to a darker thread for the border.  The bottom looks pretty good too.  The Sew Control is working fairly well.  One of these days I will set the machine up without it and see how I do.  For now, I will stick with the speed control.  I am not unhappy with it.
I really needed to get busy stitching on a Kenmore 158.1355 that I would like to re-home.  It wasn't working well when B. came to look at it so I worked on it some and got all the stitches working.  I was using it this afternoon when all of a sudden it stopped.  I figured it was a hand wheel issue because the hand wheel just locked up.  I took it to the shop, gave it a good once over, took off the hand wheel and loosened the belt.  It now whines.  That is a simple fix.  It seems to be sewing just fine. 

After supper (the dog's not mine, I had no time for food) I went back to the loft and started another practice quilt piecing project. This time with greens.  Now it is time for knitting and Season One of Cheers. 

10 comments:

  1. The "medieval torture device" looks to me like a needle from a sewing awl I had back in college.

    The quilting is looking better & better! Good on you, I have no skill at machine quilting anything other than a straight line that follows my piecing. :)

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  2. I wonder if the plug in the motor was for a light, so it could plug in, too? Your quilting looks nice.

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  3. I think the attachements are Zig Zag "feet for a Singer Featherweight...THey had cams that made different stitch widths...Very very cool.!! And Acutally I think they will work on most pre 1957 vintage machines that are low shank....I own the Featherweight ...and a 15-91 and a 201 and most of the feet are interchangeable....Thanks for the great post...we love to plunder with ya! Sheryl

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    1. Yup. I should have mentioned that they are zz attachments. They both look to be low shank, but I wonder if one is specific to the 221. One way to find out.....

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  4. I bought a new motor and foot control combo to add on to a treadle sewing machine head so I could donate it to the sewing machine project and someone could use it. The motor had a receptacle built into it from the foot control. This is not exactly what I bought and not from this seller, but this is the setup. I think someone took a newer motor that was meant to have a plug into the motor, but ended up wiring it direct into the motor instead. Think so?

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Domestic-Household-Sewing-Machine-Motor-With-Foot-Control-High-Performance-220V-/140858861845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cbd7a915

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  5. Hi, found a website with one of your zig zag feet with part no. http://singer-featherweight.class221.com/index.php/singer-featherweight-221-222-accessories/singer-featherweight-221-222-automatic-zigzagger-160985-with-cam-set-1/ hope the link works. Regards Sharon

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  6. I think the 'torture device' is a punch needle tool, used for a kind of rug-making.

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