Happy National Sewing Machine Day

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!  

There are TWO different National Sewing Machine days, the other one is September 10th.  

I bought some fun shoes to celebrate the day.  These shoes are really comfortable!

my sewing machine shoes

My Family Reunion was this past weekend.  We raffled off the quilt I made, that family members signed at the last reunion.  Here are the winners in front of the quilt.

Family Reunion quilt winners

I had family members sign new quilt squares for the next Family Reunion quilt.  It was a fun weekend!  I love to go to Family Reunions!

This was posted to a vintage sewing machine forum.  I've seen it before, many times.  I thought you might like to see it, too.  Big difference between 'Then' and 'Now' for sewing advice.

I'm off to finish prepping for the Missouri TOGA (Treadle On Gathering & Academy).  I'm teaching how to make Marilyn's Ruler Bag, and also how to make project boards and DIY Flying Geese trimmers.

Happy National Sewing Machine Day #1 (2022)

Today is the first National Sewing Machine Day of 2022!  (the 2nd day is September 10th).  To celebrate, I'm showing you a treadle that I cleaned and serviced for a friend.  This was his grandmother's treadle that had been in his mother's attic for years.  

dirty after sitting in an attic for years

pretty treadle peddle

nice treadle irons

wood cabinet in distressed shape

first photo I received of the treadle

The leather strap that attaches the machine lift to the table extension had snapped and wasn't fixable.  Hubby fixed this by using black paracord, which was much easier to use than trying to find another long, thin piece of leather.  Many machines use metal cord, but this one had used leather.  Hubby tested his idea of using paracord by using some of his yellow paracord first (shown in photos).

yellow is where the leather strap would have been

it took 2 of us to get the paracord 'fitted'

nice knot underneath to hold the paracord in place

Don't worry, we trimmed the ends of the black paracord that we used in the end so that the knot doesn't show (sorry, no photos of that).  

The protective glaze was coming off of the machine (the part that covers and protects the decals) so I had to be very careful when I cleaned the machine.  I think it cleaned up nicely.

nice and clean

showing the bed decals and the leaf tension

Another thing that had to be fixed was the pitman.  It had a broken pitman that was tied on with wire.  Hubby made a new pitman for the treadle.

broken pitman wired in place

broken pitman wired in place

I got to learn new things, too.  I have a machine with leaf tension, but I haven't sewn with it.  I learned about the tension on this type by testing out Doug's grandmother's treadle. 

Here is the treadle in it's new home, all cleaned up and ready to sew.  This is a New Home R treadle made in Orange, Mass around 1910-1911.

ready to sew

Remember those placemats I was working on? Well, the first 8 placemats are finished and in their new home.  I finished stitching the binding down yesterday.

fronts

backs

Guadalupe had asked for spring themed placemats and she loves these!  Almost all of the fabrics are from the Pioneer Woman fabric line (with a few from my stash).  I'll finish the other 14 placemats this fall, since I don't need them until Christmas.

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

Happy (2nd) National Sewing Machine Day 2021!

Yes, today is the 2nd National Sewing Machine Day of the year!  Sewing Machines are sew important that they get 2 days each year, June 13th and September 10th.  

To celebrate, I cleaned some vintage sewing machines. The first machine is NOT mine.  I'm cleaning it up for a friend. 

New Home 'Ruby' treadle

New Home 'Ruby' treadle

Those are the 'before' photos.  I've cleaned this machine (spent almost all of Labor Day cleaning this machine), but it is still really dirty.  I'll have to clean this machine a few more times before all the dirt and grime finally come off.  There is also some repair work to be done on the treadle base.

The next 2 sewing machines are 'new' to me.  A friend saw an advertisement for this next sewing machine and sent it to me.  The machine would move, but wouldn't make a full turn when I got it.  Also, it is missing the knob off the hand wheel.  Thank goodness it had a shuttle and bobbin, since those can sometimes be impossible to find for some machines.  These are the 'before' photos.

The Royal hand crank

lovely decal in the center

missing the knob to turn the hand crank

some rust and grime

really dirty tension

dirty

This sewing machine is called The Royal.  It was made by the Gardner Sewing Machine Company, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  The company was only in existence from 1871-1886, when it went bankrupt. The few hand cranks similar to this that I could find on the internet date from around 1875.  If that is correct, then this will be my oldest sewing machine.  There is very little information about this machine that I could find.

Here are photos of The Royal cleaned up.  It turns nicely now.  I haven't tried to sew with it yet.  I need to figure out the threading (and I didn't finish cleaning it until late at night Thursday).

The Royal

now you can see the decals

back of machine

hand wheel is clean, but still missing the hand crank knob (for the moment)

cleaned tension, but I need some felt to replace that tan piece in the tension area (it's falling apart)

Last week a friend gave me another sewing machine.  So far, she's given me a cute, vintage, Casige toy sewing machine, and another vintage sewing machine (I haven't shown it on the blog).  This time she gave me a Featherweight!!!  She bought the Featherweight years ago at a thrift store for $9.  She's never sewn with it.  It is missing the bobbin case, and needs some parts (bed cushions, belt, oil drip pan, etc).  It will also get an LED light bulb, since I reach under the arm of machines to lift the presser foot, and I've burned myself many times on my first Featherweight bulb before I bought an LED light for it.

1948 Singer 221-1 Featherweight

This machine didn't come with anything, but I don't care (other than the bobbin case).  I have 1/4" feet to fit this machine.  What else do I need?  I will probably make it a cover for the folding table, and a bag to store it in, like I did for the purple Featherweight.  

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

Happy Sewing Machine Day! and a Request

 Happy Sewing Machine Day!

Here are a couple of photos of a few of my favorite sewing machines.  This one is my most used hand crank.

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

This is my favorite electric sewing machine.

1939 Singer 221 'Betty Sue'

Betty Sue will be getting a workout this afternoon, as I sew several strips of faux piping binding together for some mug mats.

This is my favorite treadle. 

Post WWII Japanese 'Victor'

I've had some of you pray for my nieces son, Miller, over the years.  Miller has a mitochondrial disease, called Leigh's. 

Miller and his mommy

Miller's disease is rare, his sub-set of the disease is even more rare.  Miller has already survived longer than normal, and they are trying to raise funds for research for a cure or treatment. Please check out this blog post from my niece, Jacque.  Any funds contributed will be greatly appreciated, not only for Miller, but other kids with this disease.

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

Today is the first of 2 different days of National Sewing Machine Day!  Our sewing machines are sew great that we get TWO days to celebrate them (the 2nd day is September 10th).

Here are a few of my favorite sewing machines in my collection.

This is my oldest sewing machine.

1880 Willcox & Gibbs chainstitch hand crank

This is my oldest treadle.

1881 Singer 12 treadle

My 'brightest' sewing machine.

Post WWII Japanese machine that I turned into a hand crank

Yes, I do sew on a few electric machines.  This is my favorite electric machine.

'Betty Sue' my 1939 Singer 221 Featherweight

This is my favorite treadle to sew on.

'Victor' a Post WWII Japanese sewing machine

parlor style treadle cabinet

And this is the machine that I do most of my stitching on (at the moment). 

1927 Singer 15 hand crank

What is 'your' favorite sewing machine?

National Sewing Machine Day!

June 13th is the first of two National Sewing Machine Days (the other is September 10th).  Isn't it great that we get to celebrate TWICE each year?!?!?!?

Back in early 2010, I only had 2 sewing machines, the Kenmore my mother gave me (so that she wouldn't have to sew ever again) from 1972-73, and the Janome 4800QC that hubby bought me, when he decided that I needed a 'better' machine to quilt with. 

Janome 4800QC from 2004

In September 2010, that all changed.  After looking for a treadle all summer, I suddenly acquired 3 Singer treadles in 3 weeks (I still have 2 of those treadles).

1st treadle, 1896 Singer 15

The lady who gave me treadle #2 and #3, also showed me one of her hand crank sewing machines.  Now I was on the lookout for a hand crank sewing machine. 

The next July, that same lady contacted me, and had a 1959 Singer Spartan with a working motor, but, no base, that I could have for free, so that I could turn it into a hand crank. 

1959 Singer Spartan (192K) hand crank

I was hooked!  I started collecting vintage sewing machines (and sewing with them).

Over the years, I've collected quite a few vintage sewing machines (some I still have, some have gone to new homes).

After converting several machines to hand cranks (re-wiring machines still scares me), I finally got some original hand cranks.

early 1900's Gritzner VS hand crank

1911-12 Bradbury Family VS

early 1900's Frister & Rossman Model E

Don't worry, I also like electric machines.  I have a few of those, too.

1939 Singer 221 Featherweight

Post WWII Home Mark Precision class 15 machine

I do have a few very old machines, too. 

1878-1885 Wheeler & Wilson #8 (non working)

1881 Singer 12 treadle

1880 Willcox & Gibbs chainstitch hand crank

I did an unofficial inventory of my machines today (unofficial, since, hubby told me that if I count all of them then I can't collect any more).  I have less than 15 machines upstairs, more than 50 on the first floor, a few in the basement, and some (including several junkers) in the garage.  Now you know why I didn't come home from my last trip with another sewing machine.  Oh yea, I may be getting 2 more machines on Thursday (gifts from a friend).  No clue what she is giving me.

Celebrate National Sewing Machine Day by sewing something!  I know I will!