Contagion

I have been sewing quilts with my vintage machines. (I wrote about the machines here!) I attended a "Sew-in Saturday" at a local quilt guild and met an amazing young woman. She also admires the Singer Featherweights and owns 10 of them. Oops, Shhh! Her husband thinks she only has 9, the 10th was still in its packing in the garage! She came over to our house to make a "table" for her Featherweights. (That's another Blog post!) While she was here she greased and oiled and tweaked my second Featherweight. She has learned how to service her own machines. Oh, my gosh!  After she worked with my machine "She" became so quiet. I found out from my new friend that many people name their machines. Names for my machines became evident to me as I got to know them. The first machine I acquired, a 1947 model, was christened as "Sewphia Claire". Claire passed away last year. She is my DIL's grandmother, and I have some of her "stash" to use in future quilts. My second acquisition was 'born' in 1938. I named her after my Mother-in-Law. Moving forward she will be called, "Elizabeth". But... I digress!

So, when my friend came to visit, Mr. Dreamy's ear tuned into our conversation. As he was sitting in front of his computer, he began looking around on eBay. My Mr. Dreamy decided he would like to learn more about the Featherweights. He wanted to find a "junker" to play with. And thus, the yearning for Singer Featherweights shows its contagious nature! He caught the bug.
Mr. Dreamy found a torn down skeleton of a Featherweight and soon it was at our home. But, while looking at other machines, and reading about Featherweights, Mr. Dreamy decided he'd like to find unusual machines. He is obviously in the throes of the illness! He soon had a white Featherweight on its way, and a Featherweight Free Arm. Both rather rare machines.

When UPS delivered the free arm, the black machine, we discovered notes to "Bette" from someone who had serviced the machine. 

So, of course, this 1955 model must be called "Bette"!

Then, FedEx delivered Hubby's machine Number 2, the white  machine, circa 1964. I opened the carton, and immediately gagged. Bleech! The case, the accessories, and the machine smelled of mildew. Not just a little bit. Enough that the case, the manual and the cardboard box for the accessories went out onto the porch to sit in the sun.... for several days! The machine sat on the table and gave off wretched, mildewy odors. Yuck! The machine had to be called "Stinky"! Nothing else was fitting. 

Mr. Dreamy set out to work on the white machine. He pulled out the hook and cleaned all of the pieces. He reassembled the machine and adjusted a drive shaft, and.... oh, my! The machine actually does work! After cleaning most of the machine, inside and out, it no longer smelled quite as bad. So.... she will now be called "Flower". Flower was the skunk with a leading role on "Bambi". Or,.... maybe she should be "Betty White"?!

And.... the illness quest continues. Mr. Dreamy found a bargain machine that wasn't in very good shape. Most recently he has been working at stripping its paint so he can repaint the machine. It has proven to be quite the task. 

Besides sewing with the machines, what is my role? I have been working on restoring the cases that came with Elizabeth. The handle on the case was half off, and the wooden bottom was split and in danger of falling off. I  removed split rivets to take off the hardware on the case, and then began the task of removing the Tolex cover. The covers were originally applied with "hide" glue. This glue has been used for years for adhering wood for furniture and instruments. It is water soluble, so dunking the case into hot water for a few minutes loosens the glue so that the cover can be pulled off. 

I ordered new "Tolex" material and we have "hide" glue. When I run out of sewing projects, maybe I'll have a moment to finish the case!

And what's next?! What knows! More machines? More refurbished cases? No matter. Life will be  interesting!

How to Begin?

Should I really begin at the beginning? 

And, where is the beginning, anyway?!

My mom graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Home Economics. (Should I go that far back?) In the early 40's they didn't offer too many degrees for women.  (Do they even offer Home Ec these days?)

My mother sewed almost all of our clothing - well, clothes for the girls. She didn't particularly care for making shirts for the guys. As far back as I remember, she had a sewing machine in our 'playroom'. It was a green Elna "Supermatic". She taught me to sew on the machine. I made my first dress, a simple shift when I was 9 years old.

Is the story too boring? Maybe I shouldn't have started way back when. Maybe I should begin the story with....

OMG

I found it!

Well, to be honest I didn't look especially hard for it. 

It kinda fell into my lap.

I was feeling nostalgic. The Missouri Star Quilt Company had a display of vintage sewing machines. I pointed out my Mom's Elna to my friend. Perhaps that planted the seed. Wouldn't it be fun to have a machine just like the one on which I learned to sew?

Then I connected with Bonnie Hunter and her Quiltville group. Bonnie is teasing us with weekly clues to create a quilt. She, and other quilters on her Facebook page, often talk about sewing on vintage sewing machines. Or acquiring a new/old sewing machine. Perhaps that was the impetus.

Anyway, (I will finish this post... I promise!) Today I was on my way to visit my dad, and pulled into the Salvation Army store. I wandered around the electronics. I must admit to being a bit disappointed. No vintage sewing machines.

Then, on the way out, I walked over to the corner where they display 'valuable' items. Nice crystal, fur coats and so forth. And look,  there was a vintage machine. It looked like an old Singer. It didn't have a base. It wasn't what I was looking for. I turned the corner... and...

THERE

IT

WAS!!

"My" Elna!!

It was providence. I was meant to stop at the Salvation Army.  I have been donating to the bell ringers this year. It has been really cold. I can't help but reward them for standing in the cold listening to that bell! Maybe this was a reward!

I snatched the machine up and headed to the checkout. It was worth every penny of the $70.24 price tag. (Why such an odd amount?!!) The machine came with all of the necessary pieces. It even had old boxes with cams and presser feet. It had a new/old sewing machine needle in a paperboard package... and the manual! Wow!

I pulled out my credit card and was told the total would be $35.12, plus tax. Not only did I find my machine, but it was half-price Saturday! Don't you agree? It must all part of a bigger plan!

At this point the machine doesn't work. It sews when hand cranked - so the bobbin and needle bits work as they should. It could simply be the power cord.  That's the only non-original piece of the machine. A previous owner took a heavy-duty extension cord... well, two of them, and spliced them together. He ground off the ground plug on one end so it will fit into the machine. It is possible that the cord is bad.

Regardless, it's all OK. I love looking at it - and my money did go to a good cause. I am going to run it by my sewing machine fix-it place and see if they can give me an estimate for evaluating and repairing the machine. It is nice to have a piece of my history and that tie with my mom.

The Conversation Went Something Like This...

Dreaming: Honey, I'm thinking of getting an electric string trimmer.

Mr. Dreamy: Why would you want one of those? We have the gas one already.

Dreaming: I've never been able to get the weed wacker started.

Mr. Dreamy: Oh, it's easy. Let me show you…
First, you have to make sure it has fuel.

Dreaming: OK. I see.

Mr. Dreamy: Then, you pump this little bulb until this little fuel line has no more bubbles in it. See?

Dreaming: Oh, OK. I guess that's what I have done wrong in the past.

Mr. Dreamy: Then you push this switch all the way to the top. You grab it here, on the handle, holding the trigger. Then you pull the cord. Like this.

Dreaming: Yes, I see.

Mr. Dreamy: Well, sometimes you have to put this switch back toward the middle. Then pull a few times.

Dreaming: Uh huh.

Mr. Dreamy: Well, if it still won't start, then pull the switch all the way back. Then pull a few times.
I think maybe I've flooded it. I'll have to try starting it later.

.

.

.

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Maybe I should rethink the whole thing and get a goat!

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