Play Day!

The last time I took my Singer Featherweight to our prayer quilt group, I thought it was stitching awfully slowly.  Today I got out the Tri-Flow and the tools to give it a good cleaning.  The blobs and thread you see above were stuck behind the bobbin case.  I slowly worked them out.  I don't think I've ever used black thread in this machine, but that glob is not only black thread, but also black fabric.  That thread on the right isn't really black--and I'm sure I was the one who got it caught in there.

See the shiny rectangular slit to the right of the bolt?  I could have removed thread from there even without opening the machine.  But I didn't because I figured the moving parts inside could use lubrication.

After all that, I noticed that the plate on the bottom of the foot control is cracked.  I took it apart and found the scrap of fabric that's at the top of the first photo.  I don't know how it got in there, but it's from a quilt I made three or four years ago.  I hope someone who salvages these machines has an extra bottom plate so I can replace it.  Whoever put it together last substituted a too short wood screw for one of the screws in the foot control. I've had this machine for over 20 years, so I'm wondering why I didn't notice the problem with the foot control sooner.

I'm also wondering if it's always sewn this slowly and I just didn't notice until sewing on the treadle and the hand crank.


The photos below are to show comparison of the full size machines (in this case my Redhead Treadle--a model 66) to the 1/2 size Featherweight.   And the second photo compares the size of the Featherweight to the 99. I'm told some people refer to the 99 as the little sister of the 66. They refer to it as being 3/4 size.  Those are interesting comparisons, but they're accurate only in a figurative sense.

I managed to get some piecing and ironing done, but the rest of what I accomplished today was just some housework.  (Why did I say "just.")

I won't have another day off work until the school year is over.  I did my best to enjoy it.  We had our first day of 70+ temperatures, so I was able to open a window--just one because it's really windy.  I inspected the sprouting bulbs.  My neighbor scattered single daffodils around her yard, and hers are in bloom.  But I guess I get more shade than she does.  I did go outside and gather windblown objects--mostly some pots that haven't been planted yet. With the warmth, today was a perfect day to have off work.  Temperatures will be significantly lower tomorrow.  (In fact, there are winter storm warnings active for the NW quadrant.) I loved seeing all the blooming flowers in the Easter photos from friends in other parts of the country, but at 6500 feet, and with the unusual weather El Nino has produced, it will be another week or so before they bloom here.

Singer 99 Handcrank Conversion and a Picture

I converted the Singer 99 from electric to hand crank.
Here's the conversion:

I ordered the hand crank, spoked wheel, etc. from Cindy at Stitches in Time in Lake City, MN.  She gives absolutely fantastic service!  (I love ordering bobbins from her because I know they will fit my machines and work perfectly--because she tests every batch she receives--unlike any fabric store.)

The conversion took less than 10 minutes--and that's with *no* instructions.  I just removed the motor and the original hand wheel, and then I installed the new one.  Honestly, it was so easy that my mind is still boggled!  I've spent longer trying to adjust the thread tension than it took me to convert the machine!--The needlebar was set so low that the feed dogs had begun to wear on the bottom of the presser foot.

This machine is one more reminder that the "sewing police" think they know more than they really know; I think they usually speak from lack of experience and assume that what works on one or two machines is true for all.

I am so excited that I now have a quiet little machine that I can pick up and take anywhere (that "anywhere" includes outside--when we get real spring weather). I'm debating asking someone to tell me how to get the housing for the machine light apart so that I can rewire it, just in case I want to use the little lamp that was on the machine.  It was wired into the motor--obviously the motor is off and no longer needed.  (It was making a funny rattle noise anyway.)

I do love people powered sewing machines!  (My friend Harriet reminded me that she and this little machine share the same birth year--the year my dad graduated from high school.)

Next, a picture for Aunt Katherine.  Sweet Teen has had this dress for several years--we've watched it get shorter as she's gotten taller.  (I offered to get some taffeta to lengthen a plaid dress from last year [I think], but she decided to wear this one.)

Blustery Day.....

Last weekend Alexandra played in the New Mexico Federation of Music Clubs spring festival held in Albuquerque.  As a result of that she was asked to play in an honor recital held at Charles Pianos yesterday evening.
She played beautifully--she thinks she didn't.
Getting her to the recital created some logistical problems--both time issues and mileage issues--but we got there a couple minutes before she was supposed to play.  Her current band teacher attended--but neither of us got to talk to him because of where he was seated.  I did manage to hand her current flute teacher the piano score--because she had loaned her own copy of the score to someone else.  Alex dashed to a back room to warm up.  Her band instructor from last year arrived a minute or so before Alex went on.
We had to leave as soon as Alex was finished because she was one of the lectors for last night's church service.  However, Ms. Sedillo had time to hand her a beautiful bouquet and a small stuffed tiger (the mascot at last year's school).
Aside from Alex's comment that she had "messed up" during the performance (minor error unnoticed by most people, I'm certain), Alex was amazed at how many Asians were part of the recital.  We were told she would be one of 12 students playing, but when we arrived the program included at least twice that number--however, only Alex and one other student were flautists; the rest were pianists.  Indeed, there were more Asians present than at any event we've been to in years.
Following the church service, several people commented to me how poised Alex was.  She confided that in the minutes before the church service she'd pretty much memorized the extensive scripture readings.  She is amazing.
....as were the winds yesterday.  We watched all kinds of airborne objects flying past the window of my classroom for most of the day.  I drove through wind, rain, sleet, and snow yesterday--and felt blessed for the safe travels.  Spring in New Mexico......

Singer 99 - Again

It was gray when I brought it home, but now that I've cleaned it up it's black.
One of the things that drew me to this machine the first time I saw it a year ago was its domed wooden case--because it was so much like my mother's sewing machine.  However, hers was a full size class 15 and this is a 3/4 size 99.
This case has been abused.  I've cleaned it, but I have not sanded off any of the paint splotches.

I remember my mom's case, and I even remember this metal piece inside:

I do not remember why it is there or what its purpose was.

The veneer is coming loose in a couple of places, and this corner is coming apart.  I think it must have sat in water at some point.

I wonder why there is a hole in the front of the box.......

I wonder about the point of the hole in the lid to the box.....

And I certainly wonder how the wheel became damaged in this pattern....

The tire on the bobbin winder was so large that it created too much pressure for the wheel to turn.  I replaced it with a smaller one--but it still rubs--so I'm going to have to figure out what size it really needs.  Fortunately, I can use my 66 Redhead to wind bobbins.

Ah, bobbins...they were another interesting feature.  Several came with the machine, all with thread.  I removed anywhere from 7 to 14 different colors from each bobbin.

Oh, if these old machines could only talk!  I'm wondering if all the different threads on the bobbins means it was used mostly for repairs.  The cord from the motor to the outlet has been replaced with a nice white one--but from a time before polarized plugs were the norm.

Now I want to use it--but the motor is making a rattle noise and I haven't found a place on the motor to add motor lubricant (grease).

Always an adventure.......

P. S. : I was asked what I used to clean the krinkle finish: just a paper towel swished in some water with dishwashing detergent.  Then I wiped it down with another wet paper towel.

P.P.S:  Here's some more information about this machine, information given to my by someone on the Vintage Singer list:

"...the metal lid on the right side of the machine should cover an electrical unit which operated a knee control.  The hole in the front on the wooden case is where the knee control was inserted into the control motor (?).  The hole in the rear of the metal lid  close to the motor was where the wire ran from the motor to the knee control unit."

What followed me home?.....

This is what followed me home today.
Actually, we met over a year ago, when I was looking for a treadle.  I felt I didn't know enough to purchase this machine.  Today I had training near the store, grabbed a quick bite of lunch, and went to see what was in the store.  (They did have one other sewing machine--an electric Damascus with sewing table--I hadn't seen one of those machines before.)
This one was sitting in the same place it was in last year--hadn't been moved, and I'm not sure it had been dusted.
Machine, wooden case, some attachments.  No manual.
I thought it was a 66, but it's not.

It has a really beautiful face plate.
According to Alex Askaroff's list and it's serial number, it was manufactured in 1912.  
I misread the number.  Thanks to the help of those helpful Treadleonions, and to the Ott Lite that yielded a different number after dark, I now know it was manufactured in 1939 and is a Model 99.  (Thanks, onions!)

I thought it was the 30's or 40's before machines were manufactured with the krinkle finish.
The motor and light are shiny.  And clearly, the motor has been rewired to the foot control more recently.

My plans were to turn it into a people powered machine with the addition of a handcrank.

Included more accessories than I expected.  Have no idea what the bar with clasp-pins on the right might be (although it could be what was left when armed forces medal ribbons were removed--in which case it would have nothing whatsoever to do with the sewing machine.)  I do not know what size these bobbins are--the black ones are metal.  Love the wooden sewing machine needle tube!

This is the cover of the box--which is what originally made me notice the machine, since it is the kind that contained my mom's machine.

Needs some repairs, however.  Also, that light place on the previous photo is from damage when the machine flipped on its side at some point.

I'm looking for more information on this machine--I'm guessing the folks at Treadle On can enlighten me.

Spring Sunshine

Now that this quilt has wended its way across the country to Ms. Harriet, I can show it on my blog.
As with most quilts, it looks much more beautiful in person.

Part of the reason for that is that it's a lovely pale lemon chiffon color along with a creamy mint--and they just don't photograph that well.

The fabrics are from a Moda line by Three Sisters from a couple of years ago.  After making a Victory Quilt from a couple of charm packs and some yardage, I just did not have this line out of my system.  Of course, no one in central New Mexico stocked it--so when I found some more on line, of course I ordered a couple more pieces--well, actually, three more pieces.

The third piece was the log cabin print because I wanted to use it on the back of the quilt.

It wasn't quite big enough, so I had to add some more pieces.  At first my friend thought I had pieced both sides--but I assured her I didn't have that much patience.

I quilted this one with Fil-Tec Glide thread in a slightly gold Glide thread--the color reminded me of fading August flowers.

Reminder, to see more detail of the fabrics or the quilting, right click on a picture and open in a new tab or window.

I'm glad the quilt has a new home in Georgia; hope Ms. Harriet takes a nap in the sunshine while covered with this one.

Welcome, Spring!

At least it's spring by the calendar, even if the weather says otherwise.

Our neighbor had dug out before 7:00 a.m.

This was the second snow this week--but the first one didn't close I-40.

There was so much wind that the ice stuck to some of our house windows.

Still below freezing--but the snow is evaporating so fast that it's steaming!

Results of March Friday Night Sew In

Admittedly, for me it turned out to be a Friday Night Cut In, because I didn't get to sew--I didn't even finish the cutting until this morning.
I chopped these four-patches up.  This morning I've been piecing the blue and yellow April Cornell Mariposa ones.  I made a prayer quilt from a couple fabrics from this line and a jelly roll.  When I had a chance to buy a couple more prints from this line a some time later, I jumped at the chance.

The two quilts in the front are a wonderful contrast to all the snow and ice.  Although I-40  closed for hours, Alex and I were able to use it when we tried to dash to the next town in time to mail a prayer quilt to TN.--because our local post office made us wait in line for 20 minutes so they could let us know they had no envelopes. We made it to the next town in time to pick up envelopes, but it was two minutes too late to get it in the road.  I could cry!  (It's for a young woman with two children who will get about her metastatic cancer.  I wanted it to be there to comfort her the same day.)

Traditional or Modern?

Kathleen Tracy commented about a survey published in a quilting magazine.  The survey said baby-boomers prefer modern fabrics, modern quilts, and modern [machine] construction techniques.
Verrry interesting....

Okay, I wonder what percentage of North American families eats a majority of their meals from fast food outlets or buys partially advanced-prepared foods.  Do those diets assure them of good health?--I doubt that the fact that they do it means those should be the focus of public policy for everyone.

Likewise, the fact that a survey says a group of baby boomers do not like traditional quilts or hand-piecing or hand-quilting does not mean that the findings would be identical if we were able to take a truly unbiased survey from a scientifically balanced population of quilters.  (What I'm saying is not what Kathleen said; please read her blog post.) I have not seen the survey or the results of the survey; I've seen only Kathleen's post.  However, her post has spurred me to post about what I do believe about the current state of quilt making.

I do know that the quilt magazines to which I've had access over the last few years are giving a greater focus to modern prints and quilts constructed of rectangles.  These quilts and their patterns certainly play an important role in drawing young quilters into our art and craft. By young, I'm thinking "quilters who weren't even born when I began teaching quilt-making classes over 30 years ago.  In fact, the modern rectangle quilts may also do a good job of drawing in older quilters who didn't find traditional quilts appealing.

I suspect that many of the quilters who responded to the survey don't even quilt--which is great for the many professional quilters who quilt for others for pay.  Many of us remember well [or even own] those great books from the '80s by Shirley Thompson that carried titles such as, It's Not a Quilt Until It's Quilted. I'm one of those for whom "quilt" means it's been quilted.

I'm a baby-boomer, but the results of the survey were far outside my preferences.  I love traditional patterns, although I also love to include "surprises" or something that hints that the quilt is mine, and not just a repetition of the work of someone else...For that matter, a majority of the patchwork patterns I see published these days seem to be closely copied from traditional quilts.  (And I'm happy that quiltmakers/designers as well as quilt shops are earning money with those patterns.)

I love hand piecing and hand quilting--but it's been years since I've been able to manage the time to do either. I realized decades ago that there were so many quilts I wanted to make that I'd have to find acceptable ways to speed the quiltmaking process.  For me that has meant trying to perfect machine piecing (which I do on a 90 year old treadle and  59 year old electric machines) and machine quilting (which I do on 40 and 50 year old machines).--It's not that I wouldn't love a well-functioning long-arm machine too, but I haven't found one that fits into my limited budget.

Those decisions to use machines were prompted by the recognition of my own mortality and the number and variety of quilts I really, really want to make.  I do sometimes take some "modern" steps--fabrics with "modern" designs--meaning they're more reminiscent of the 50's or 60's than earlier decades or centuries--but in all honesty, those quilts aren't nearly as satisfying as the ones that reflect earlier times.

Because so much of "tradition" is still feeding my soul and allowing the products of my efforts to bless others, I will continue to make traditional quilts (usually while listening to traditional and classical music).

What matters is that quilters have the freedom to work in a variety of styles and that we have the opportunity to make quilts that help feed our souls and enrich our lives and the lives of those who receive, view, and touch [gasp!] our quilts.

About 25 years ago one of the owners of a chain of fabric stores for which I taught, Bill Chandler, returned from a national quilt show and remarked, "I couldn't help noticing that everybody there was happy.  At every other fabric market I've attended, everyone is complaining and worrying about how they'll stay in business.  I didn't hear any of those kinds of remarks at this show."

Yep.....still quilting.....still happy.......

Promise of Spring

When I arrived at school Friday morning, I realized the daffodils were likely to bloom while we are on spring break.  When I left at the end of the day, they were blooming.  I caught these shots really quickly on the way out--and it's hard to see the screen in sunshine, so I'm glad I actually caught the blooms.

Here some more daffodils are in the background of a sculpture that honors Paula Shane, one of our third grade teachers who passed away several years ago--the flowers around the base of the sculpture are fabric. The school is about 60 miles away from our home and two thousand feet lower.  As I left, I couldn't help wondering how long it would be before the bulbs at our house would bloom.

This afternoon when Alex and I arrived home from church, we saw lovely deep green shoots of narcissus, daffodils, and  (maybe?) tulips pushing their way up through the earth.  Of course, now, a few hours later, those shoots are buried in several inches of new snow.  We hope they survive. 

Happy Birthday, Birmingham Thistle

I realized the other day that I had not taken a photo of this quilt.  I started it over 20 years ago but didn't put the last stitch in until 1995.  Familiar story, probably.

My little quilt was inspired by this one:

It's too fragile to hang for a photo.  In fact, if you look directly above the center block, you'll see the pale yellow stem of the block above--undoubtedly, it was once a comparable green.

This quilt was made by Dorothy Williams in Birmingham, Michigan, circa 1910--so I'm celebrating it's birthday!

A couple decades ago I taught at Chee Dodge Elementary north of Gallup with Tammy Somers Ashley, Dorothy's granddaughter. For a year or two we car pooled to Chee Dodge.  One afternoon I was at Tammy's apartment and saw this quilt on the back of her sofa with a cat lounging on top of it.  I admired the quilt, and we looked at it more closely, and Tammy told me what she knew of its history.

The quilt has thin cotton batting and a solid white backing of a slightly coarser weave.  Dorothy quilted it with "Baptist Fans".

I attempted to encourage Tammy to care for it gently. I thought it was such a treasure and that she was very lucky to have such a legacy from her grandmother.

That Christmas, in honor of her quilt, I made Tammy some sofa pillows from the same pattern.  At the same time I presented her with the pillows, she presented me with the quilt.  We laughed about the similarities to O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi."

I've cared for this quilt quite gently--but nevertheless, some of the patches are disintegrating--and I think the yellow that used to be green is even more faded than it was, despite the fact that this quilt is almost always inside a dark closet.

Here's another shot of the small quilt I made in honor of Dorothy's larger one:

The slightest change of camera angle seems to be yielding huge changes in color today.
I'm thinking I may need to challenge myself to make another quilt like this.  I had penned favorite quotations all over the front and back of this quilt with a violet Pigma pen, but despite the fact that this quilt has never had prolonged exposure to sunlight and has probably been laundered only a few times, the inscriptions are becoming nearly impossible to read too.

Yep, might have to find time to make another.

Thin, thin, thin!

Saturday Alex's band performed for the adjudicators in Rio Rancho.  She was not pleased with their rating, but she loves the concert uniform--black satin floor-length formals for the girls.

 

Her dress is size 0--and had never been hemmed, and was required to be hemmed by hand.  I was grateful I'd spent years making all my own clothes--as well as grateful that I no longer do that.  Because of the flared hemline and the fact that it has a five inch hem, it was not fun to do.  

When she returned, I asked her how it compared to the other girls dresses. She said, "It was great.  The other girls dresses were hemmed in red and purple, and colors like that!"  Interesting....

For my part, I was really glad to have it hemmed--I've been allergic to polyester for decades, but because I've stayed away from it, I'd more or less forgotten how I reacted to a several hour exposure of handling it.

(Unlike my daughter, I was larger than a size 0 by the time I was in third grade--not that they had size 0 back then!)

Blessings and Princesses

Surprises for my birthday....

Two of my students, who could totally overcome their disabilities if they were willing to work a little, and who are normally majorly contrary, refrained from their usual disruptive behaviors, and class went well on Tuesday.  I figured that was my birthday present from God, since it was a miracle.

But today I learned of an event even more joyous.  A few weeks ago, a woman whom I first met when she was in elementary school and whose mom was my class's educational assistant, was bemoaning the long wait for her new baby.  I suggested if she could just hang in there, perhaps she could give birth on March 2, and then her baby could share my birthday and Dr. Seuss's.  That's exactly what she did!  The new baby's name is Faith.

As for the princess above--she's my grand-niece [when did I get old enough to be a great-aunt?????], and she's pictured at Disney World earlier this year, where she too was a princess.  Her dad says she insists her favorite color is green, but there are times princesses just need to wear pink!

Happy quilting.......

Dr. Seuss and I.....

Theodore Geisel and I share a birthday--many years separated, of course.  Major differences: he disliked children; I love them!  He made a fortune writing rhyme; I don't even think in rhyme.

 

Over the years, I've  learned that if there's going to be any kind of celebration, it's up to me.

I found beautiful, gentle pink roses on sale at the grocery store (because it was the end of the day).  I added a few deep red carnations.

So, happy birthday to me!

Happy quilting to all.....

Mornin'!

 

This is what greeted us this morning.

Snow, ice, and fog.

You can tell everyone, including the people who are employed by radio and television, are tired of winter.  I drove over nearly 20 miles of iced-over interstate.  The only notice our weather received was a mention by the traffic reporter that there was fog in the next community west of here.  There was a lot more fog than that.  I was grateful to have more that 100 feet of visibility, and even more grateful when I reached the point where there was no more fog--although there was still plenty of ice.

Once I reached the other side of the highest hill between here and Albuquerque, there was nothing to suggest the weather that lay east of the Sandias.

Yes, we're weary of winter--but it was beautiful this morning!

Happy quilting...