creatively detoured

I have no idea what is growing here.  It just struck me strong enough I had to pull over and snap it.

I have finished all of the machine-sewing parts of the periwinkle quilt and have it beside me now to handstitch the binding.  I'll post photos when it is actually done.  Hopefully, this week. 

Sadly, progress is s.l.o.w. in the garment division.  I pin basted and tried on the athleisure pant project and hate the fabric. It shines and thus highlights every bulge.  Definitely pajama pants.  The fit looks right.  I haven't decided whether to skip the pockets and just serge them up, breaking in the new machine.  I'll check for old zippers tomorrow or Sunday or Monday......  Locate some old ribbing or decide to skip that part... Definitely saving the new zippers and ribbing for a "real wearable" pair, I'm sure I've got some better suited fabric in those two big cardboard boxes.

Anyway, this nurse weekend (known to y'all as Monday and Tuesday) I got sidetracked by machine embroidery, specifically cutwork.  I've a certain amount of experience mucking about with embroidery but every time I tried the cutwork part I failed miserably.  This time after watching several inspiring videos on YouTube, it just worked!

I did the flower and cut work on the right first, then I came back the next day to continue practice and did the one on the left.  My satin stitch is very clumsy, this is done on a straight stitch machine by rapidly shaking the work in a hoop, to free motion the zigzag.  Yeah, it can be done very beautifully with loads and loads and loads of practice. If I were doing a design for real, I would probably have to use a zigzag machine and cheat a little.  The fabric is a poly-blend mistake that tends to pucker up, if this were cotton or linen most of that puckering surrounding the stitching could be pressed out, I never bothered putting iron to this sample, or spraying out the marker.  I did come back the third day to play some more and then THIS happened:

Over and over and over and over.  I checked and re threaded a couple times.  Checked and reseated he needle, flat side correctly oriented.  Changed the needle. Played with upper tension.  Took off the entire needle plate and thoroughly cleaned everywhere in the bobbin area, oiled the bobbin race.  Finally, this machine's (my singer 201-2) bobbin case has never seemed quite right, the thread likes to jump out of the track from time to time.  Enough so that I had purchased a replacement bobbin assembly off eBay, but not yet switched it out.  So I did that and could see this one will probably work better.

Hopefully, tension will now remain like the top most sample and not require frequent fiddling.  So, I gave the satin stitch one more whirl.....

No dice. I put it up and went to sleep like I was supposed to.  Next try will be on the good ole Kenmore 90 model, using the machine's zig zag for the satin stitches.  I'd like to master the cutwork first on wovens, then take it to knits and see if I could use some more modern shapes on garments.  Possibly to leave open as cutwork or back as in reverse applique.  I love Alabama Chanin but hand working it.....yeah, but.  I'd like to try to master a machine technique first.

If you'd like to see an in depth tutorial of this technique by someone way better than me, here's a link.  A faster and very inspiring demo without any teaching aspect to it can be found here.

creatively trickling

 but at least it's not damned up.  I have been a tad distracted, but most days get in 5 or 10 minutes on something or another.  Some days more.  I bought a darn digital pressure cooker last week and that took me on a detour for a few days.  It's got a bit of a learning curve.  I made lasagna soup in it last night, though that was not my intent.  Ate it anyway.  I have to learn about how much liquid and how much time.  I think I'll get it in time.

Meanwhile, I've been quilting away on the periwinkle and I have 1 and 1/4 border left, and then binding.  I'll take some pics when it is finished.

The guilt is starting to gnaw a little because I have a serger and a large pile of knits and new patterns and no new clothes yet.  I'm a little befuddled (or was) about whether to sew for spring or winter, but I procrastinated long enough for that to be settled.  I did kind of want to finish the quilt before dragging out all the stuff for a new project but I've gone ahead and dipped my toes in. Just the toes, like a toddler in the kiddie pool.

 I whine all the time about nightshift influencing how much natural daylight comes into my life.  Let me also let you know I'm severely nearsighted but do most of my cutting and ALL of my sewing with my glasses off, because I focus everything closer than a foot better with naked eyes.  As soon as I sit up straight, this is how my world looks or worse.  Out of focus with weak lighting. My world.

So, I finally decided on one pair of sweatpants for walks I hope to take with my daughter's dog. I measured my hip and thigh and compared to the pattern and laid my pants sloper that I made last year under to check for any glaring need for adjustments.  I added my crotch depth 1 1/4 back and front and gave 2" to the lower legs and then cut the fabric.  Of course there is stretch involved and it's not extremely fitted so I am hoping this is enough fussing.  These are the slightly more fitted type of sweats though, and of course there's always some way of messing a garment up, so we will see.  I am grateful I've still got all the doo dads from years of sewing- look at that beat up old curved ruler.

I bought another PILE of fabric from Fabric.com last night.  MUST SEW CLOTHES.  I have nowhere to store it unless I move it out of the bedroom.  That's a slippery slope as the house is pretty big.

New fabric stash

Assembling and cutting PDF files seems to be the perfect night shift activity.  If  I knew more sewists close by, I could hire my services out for this.

going on at my house since I bought the serger.  And, no, I haven't actually sewn anything with the blasted thing yet. To be fair, I have been washing said fabric and assembling purchased PDF patterns, no small feat.  I've also been quilting on the periwinkle, pretty much some daily. I'm grateful for every time I fought to reduce bulk on that sucker, because it is indeed a bulky sucker and a challenge for using a ruler with.  It should improve my technique significantly, even though it may not actually show on this quilt!



One bumpy seamed sucker.  I made many pains to reduce bulk, but there are so many seams coming together in relatively small spaces.

I caught a great sale at Style Arc and purchased 6 or 7 patterns from them, and then went over and got one more from Hot Patterns.  Most of them required knit fabric, of which I only had a few in the stash.  Of COURSE I had to get more.

This is where the picture of the overflowing pile of new fabrics should be. Having prewashed any with cotton content and then folding them all neatly in an ugly cardboard box, I forgot.  So instead here's a shot of yet another delivery truck in my yard, braving the sideways rain that knocked panels off my neighbor's fence again. 60 degrees the day after surprise accumulation of 2" of snow.  I haven't got tired of winter this year, it keeps spinning off in different directions.

Fabric Mart was my first internet stop.  I've never bought from them before but have read their name on some great sewing blogs.  I purchased 4 lengths with specific projects in mind, then threw in a mystery "grab bag" of 6 yards of their choice.  I wasn't blown away with the package on arrival.  None of the 4 specifics were exactly what I had in mind. The best of the four was this mind-blowingly HUGE floral stretch twill.

I bought this on purpose!

I thought it was smaller (because who would use that huge of a print for what?) and when I hold it up and imagine it as tight capris I just have to laugh.  I've pondered making a jumper or jacket with it, but it still remains very very huge and quite colorful.  I may just have the chutzpah to carry it off though.  Drapery style from the 80's  squeezing up on my 5'11" 270 lb 50 something year old frame, going to walmart and then the slots.  I'd just have to remember to grin or scowl, and keep the lipstick fresh.

The knits I picked for the active/leisure wear seem somehow wrong weight/stretch, though they might work.  A ponte I picked for dress slacks has a ribbed appearance selvedge to selvedge that may look odd with the legs cut lengthwise grain.  The surprise bag had some pleasantly nice pieces, probably nothing that I would have personally picked but I think I'll use it all.  Quality of the whole lot appears to be quite good, and prices were excellent.  I'll just have to get better at internet buying fabric, a tricky business for an old sewer like me.  I use to spend hours in fabric stores, feeling, scrunching and stretching.

I then went to Mood online and purchased a lovely, appropriately grandma and (bland, safe, oh, what's that word for socially normal?) khaki stretch twill. It did take 10 days to get here, a little long in my opinion since I can actually DRIVE to the NYC metro bus station in 4 to 6 hours, depending on driver and conditions.  Shipping is cheaper, but one day I'm going to have to go in person. 

The lovely Fabricmart person who packed this stuff gave thought several times about color coordinating me. The indigo sheer in the back will have to work into some details with the knit print on the bottom.  There's enough for a scarf that could go with the tourist print.

Subtle shimmer, sweet lightweight knit. The classic tourist petting it.

The tiny mirrors throw off  multi color lights.

ANYWAY, I gave FabricMart another try.  This time they had the grab bags at buy one get one free.  12 yards for 10 bucks.  I know, if it sounds too good, etc etc.  But I didn't get any obvious garbage in the first bag, and there's always wearable muslins to be done.  It was only 10 darn dollars. Well.  I was thrilled!  There was some pretty good stuff in there!!!  Maybe I would never pick out that lacy tiny mirror embossed fluid knit stuff, but you know, it's really cool.  It will make an awesome dress, or part of one because 3 yards would be a smallish dress on my afore-described frame. Or a fabulous top, just not to wear with the billboard capri pants.  There was some very lovely slightly gold shimmery t-shirt knit, some bodacious bold cotton sateen print, a great sheer nylon net in a nice modern print that exactly complements the swimsuit fabric I purchased separately from the grab bags. Finally, a classy but kind of modern cotton plaid that is perfect for a summer shirt.  All  in very  useable lengths, thank you very much!

mustard colored lycra on bottom, chiffon-like sheer print happy on top

My fabric storage is filled, there is no room to store any of this. I need new clothes.  I guess I better start sewing!

Starting

 

to quilt the periwinkle, FINALLY.  Projects sure get paused at my house. I started out on the singer 15-91 because I had read on several reviews/forums/blogs that it was superior for free motion quilting to my 201-2 because the 15 has an oscillating bobbin.  The 201 has a drop in bobbin and the thread is more likely to drag they say.  I was playing with the straight ruler and the 15 would not play nice.  Then I tried just free motion and I couldn't get the groove going there either.  The feed dogs drop in both machines, but seem to drop further down in the 201 and I wonder if that was a contributing factor.  Even with dogs down and stitch length at zero there is still a little up down movement of the dogs on the 15. I wonder if I push my layers down enough for them to enter the hole and drag.  Or perhaps that machine would be happier with a darning foot that does not hop. I have one good one right now that I prefer to hop on the 201, so I'm not modifying it.  Besides, the 201 has more harp space and I like the sound of the motor more.  It does resist slightly for side to side quilt movement compared to forward and back, but I've learned to adjust my fabric manipulation for that. 

 

All that said, the going on the 201 was a little rough too.  I guess you should quilt every now and then if you want to be good at it.  I have two blocks that need the little hummingbird center quilting all ripped out to redo because I didn't play on practice blocks (imagine).  I figure I'll probably be 1/4 to 1/2 the way done before I really get a smoother consistent stitch size and better in the ditch and just better.  But it'll get done and  maybe I'll do another before a year is up.  I hope so, because I've still got that sampler quilt in the back of my brain and a box under the bed.

 

Speaking of ambition!  I saw a great sale at Style Arc for 30% all of their  downloadable patterns, one day only.  I bought 6.  Then ordered 2 more in paper.  I haven't sewn a real garment for me in many many years.  But I DID get that serger and need to break it in.  And I really need some new clothes, as I haven't bought much of anything the past few years, and nothing but underwear and socks for the past 18 months or so.  I COULD be motivated AND ambitious.  We'll see.

 

(UPDATE THE NEXT NIGHTSHIFT: I've just spent 2 1/2 hours combing fabricmart online for deals and will be awaiting a nice package of knits from them to start the garment sewing.  Exciting!)

copious mucus

or, snot and snot and snot!  I've been coming down with, actively suffering from, or starting to recover from colds and RSV infections and other vague "viral" infections non stop for more than 3 weeks.  I had one day last week when I thought I had it all figured out ("I'll just take Flonase and fix that sinus") and for 20 hours or so I was wonderful.  Then my client started spewing vibrant yellow and needed oxygen for the first time in 10 months or so, and my lungs started feeling really tight and heavy.  KA boom.  In bed 4 days, a luxury allowed by another client getting hospitalized in the ICU for more snot and snot and snot.  Then there's the grandkids that live and frequently visit with me, and some of the adults too, coughing and whining about throats and ears, and letting loose with more  of that distinctive colored snot snot snot.

So no sewing. No machine repair.  I finally found a nice deal on a good entry level serger that has been sitting for two weeks now. I've only run about 6 inches of stitches to make sure it wasn't a dud.  It took me 2 days to wind bobbins and clean bobbin dust and oil the 15-91, but she's now waiting for me to feel alive enough to quilt. 

Picture in your mind's eye a new Janome 400d (I think) or a finished periwinkle top in a sea foam green background, because I couldn't be bothered enough to stand up and take a snapshot, and I think it's evident how much time I don't usually take to take a snapshot.  I would have had to move the Kleenex, too much.

Update, 2023-

It took about six months into 2020 to realize that 2016 bout of SARS (both clients spent time in the ICU and came back with cultures identifying it) had left me with long haul symptoms years before Covid 19 hit us. Same family, just an older uncle. I got better, but my lungs declined over weeks and months until I had to quit smoking and go on inhalers just to breathe at all. Activity tolerance died. Pretty horrible. It’s only really turned around with the keto diet over the past year, though I’ll never be the same. Just saw this post and thought, oh, there’s my record. Had no health insurance so I teeth gritted through it. It was less transmissible, and maybe less lethal but it was bad. I feel for all the Covid long haulers.

Working on the Singer 306k

That has been waiting for me since I bought it early last spring.  I oiled every thing up and plugged it in to see if it worked (the tag from the thrift store said it did not, but we know how that is).  It DID!  And pretty nicely too, except when I went to adjust stitch length with that pretty steel lever bottom right of the machine's neck, that lever snapped right off.  It was set in teeny tiny stitch mode.  It took a while to find another lever, until earlier this month as a matter of fact.  I've had it sitting on a book shelf on my stair landing all these moons. Most days as I walked by I twisted a knob or two, maybe took it for a few threadless stitches, to keep it all free moving and somewhere closer on my to-do list.

I downloaded a service adjuster's manual for a 306w because that's what I found.  Basically the same machine except I couldn't find any light/lamp on the W model.  These vintage manuals can have illustrations that are hard to see, not to mention at times hard to find at all for some of the more obscure machines.  So, I'm offering some illustrations of my repair of the stitch length regulator.  I'm not a pro, yaddi yaddi yaddi. And unplug your machine before starting to take it apart. 

























First I had to take off the little numbered plate in front. Actually I didn't have to. That step is to remove the lever that I had already snapped off.  I hoped I would be able to see if my assembly was repairable by looking in there before I took the machine further apart. I really could not.

Next part was down under.  I thought I had cleaned this machine, but I guess I stopped after oiling when that leaver broke.  It will get thoroughly cleaned before it gets put into use.  The eccentric stud (so named by the manual) that the screwdriver is pointing to needs to come out, after loosening the screw just to the left (ingloriously named "C-3").  I did not use the screwdriver seen.  It won't work.  Mr. Rain at the fabulous Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog can tell you all about the right screwdrivers and a wealth of other stuff.  I picked up some screwdrivers from Walmart that will work because they are open at 6am. I am sure they are not as nice as the ones he directed readers to.  They do fit the screw slots on the machine well, and  that's the important part. By the way, that stud only unscrews so much, then you have to pull it out. Don't drive yourself crazy.

Then, ta-da, your assy is off from the bottom. There is one more screw however.  The book names it "screw E", ominously warns you not to strip it (Yikes!), and then tells you vaguely that it's behind the motor,  no diagram.  So, you have to flip it around unless you already had it backside up.  And to answer your other question, yes you do have to take the motor off.  Don't worry, this is really really easy.

It's just that one big ole screw there, holding it on by the bracket.  This is where and how to get most external motors off machines and how you get a new belt on too.

 Motor off, and there's screw E. More dirt, dirt, dirt! And look, this Singer was made in Great Britain. For giggles, read up on ole Mr. Singer one day.  Not if you're a churchy lady though. He was a cad, especially for his time.  Was not received in nice homes. Drummed out of the country and off his company's board too. ANYWAY, I found screw E no trouble to remove at all.  It also has much length without threads, so as soon as I could use my fingers to unscrew I did. Then you can feel when to pull it out.

Now you can pull out the stitch regulator assembly, from the bottom. It really was wedged in nicely.  I'm just a little nervous about getting it back in just right in the dark.

But, dammit!!!  The first lever is snapped off too low to pull out and replace with the new one.  I'm going to ask the guys at my friendly auto repair shop if they can ream it out, but I'm thinking I'll have to order the rest of the assembly. At least I know who to order from.  I have an  Ebay dealer named r0npm who told me he has lots of vintage parts machines, and since he had the lever I'll bet he has the assembly it came out of.  He was quick to respond to my inquiry for a part he did not have listed, confirmed with photo that it was what I needed, even offered technical advice.  Shipped it fast and it was less than $10, shipping included.
For today I still have no control of stitch length or reverse either.  I did clean quite a bit of the external crud from the machine as I replaced all of the screws I took out.

This is the light that the 306W apparently doesn't have.  It's in the back of the machine and very sturdily made.  For some reason it reminds me of Army equipment, WWII to cold war post Vietnam era.  I can almost smell a RATT rig.  I had to tinker  a little to figure out how to get it open  to try a new bulb in it.

If you twist it, it will pop off.  Goes back on easy.  That rust looks fresh. Did I get it damp back there?  I'll clean that up too.  Another day. Had to clean up and come to my 6th nightshift in a row.  Next night I'll sleep, which is tonight because it's black as heck past 5am and I gotta go attend to things.

I don't really like sewing

except for pieces of it.  I like doing free motion quilting or embroidery.  I like making bits and pieces, especially when they come out well, like a good button hole or some very nice pleats.  When I sewed a lot the first time in the mid 80's till the early 90's it was mostly for my kids.  I liked how quickly their little outfits could come out.  I loved how it made me feel like I was honoring my mother's memory, she sewed for all of us and died when my eldest was an infant. Even though it was kind of a grudging hobby, often frustrating and full of feelings of obligation, I threw myself into it the way I do with most interests.  I checked out every library book, watched any programing I could (Sewing with Nancy was pretty much it) and bought more than a few books and magazines.  I practiced and practiced techniques.  I bought every gizmo I could, sometimes waiting years but buying what I could.

This time I was motivated by stuff I started seeing on the internet. There were some fabulous bloggers out there and in particular I was mind blown by the ones sewing for kids, often self drafting patterns.  Wow!  Next came quilts, especially loving the modern trends.  I also love the fashion bloggers although I've only managed to sew myself a first time run for jeans, shorts length because it was just to be a wearable muslin.  I never got up to making the serious pair, though the fit of those short ones is kind of fabulous if I say so myself.  Well, I will, those jeans fit and look great.  Anyway, I can sew, I have a wealth of knowledge, I have the equipment and a pretty good fabric stash too. I suspect I still don't really enjoy it.  I hate how long it takes and how much mess it generates when I have a project in motion.  And I HATE cutting!

However, I really really love how thinking about sewing, reading about it, and occasionally doing it distracts me from bad stuff in my life and the world.  And I love it when I actually complete a project, especially one I'm proud of.  Mostly if I finish one, I'm proud of it.  I get the additional kick now of using machines I either restored or at least oiled and cajoled back to life.  Old honorable work horses that had previous lives in homes where they were probably needed and relied on more than in mine.