Colorado get-together?
03-30-2022, 08:37 AM
#311
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
April 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 4
Janey
Janey made a tool roll up and started making a bag for a foot controller for an Emdeko machine.
There is a Surplus Tool store near where I work that has been there for 70 years and is going out of business. I picked up some wrenches that I want to use at work. For some of the hand tools, I like having my own, so that I know where they are. I decided I needed something to hold them together. I decided on some fabric that I got at a thrift store that is stiff. I decided on the 66-6 or 13 machine. I had gotten some snap on feet and thought I would try the adjustable bias tape binder foot. I had some 3/4" twill tape to bind the edges. For the most part it worked well. I did have to re-start a couple of times on the sides. I found that if I went from the single layer to the double layer that it did work better.
Then I was reminded of the Emdeko that takes cams and got it out. I realized that I had not made a bag for the foot controller, nor had I tried the cams. So I found some other fabric (from the thrift store) that I believe is used in upholstery work. It was a heavy flannel type fabric. I wasn't sure what size or type of bag, but thought that I would start using the cams in order. I found two that would not fit on the post. Also using the cams, you have to set it to put the cam in and used the same "lock" to unlock for the cam follower to work. There was one complete row that I forgot to unlock when I started sewing. I have since removed that row and re did it. There were a couple of others that I started and realized I hadn't unlocked. There were also some tension issues. As it turns out the presser foot wasn't releasing the tension discs. I was able to remove it only to find that it really did not screw in like some of the other machines nor could you separate the assembly. The pin does work, sometimes. I probably should have changed the check spring as the part that is supposed to go into the channels on the stem was bent out of shape. I could not get it bent correctly so ended up just snipping it off. I was able to finally finish using all the cams that would fit on the post. I still haven't decided on how I'm going to make it into a drawstring bag as I wanted all the stitched rows to be kind of even around the bag. I also will use some other fabric for the top of the bag as I do not want the abrasion of the drawstring against the fluffy/linty material that I used.
In Closing
We appreciate the efforts of our members with their write-ups and pictures which we present here. As always, we will post again next month.
05-04-2022, 07:40 AM
#312
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
May 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
Here we are again for the May posting of the Colorado Get-Together. April was a very dry month in Colorado, with Denver getting only 6 hundredths of an inch of rain or snow. On May 1st it started raining and we certainly need it.
We have write-ups from several of our members that have sent us their work, along with many pictures. We'll start with Courtney.
Courtney
Courtney, who lives in northern Colorado, has been working on treadlizing a Featherweight. He sends us his write-up and pictures of his success with it:
A couple of weeks ago I had to go to Denver to pick up a quilt I had at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. I met Janey and John for lunch at a Denny's and we had a great time. It was the first time we had seen each other in real life for nearly a year. After my post in January on making a Featherweight treadle, Janey had purchased some 3-1/2 inch pulleys for me from a company going out of business. In additional to our great visit she was able to give me the pulleys.
I had originally used homemade wooden pulleys then a cast v-belt pulley from Ace hardware. Both did work. The new formed steel pulleys had with a much narrower bottom than the cast pulleys. They seemed to work much better with the round sewing machine treadle belts. I have now tried three different pulleys for the Featherweight treadle, originally I manufactured pulleys from wood, next I used the cast pulleys form Ace, and finally the formed pulleys from Janey. All three work!
Inside view
Outside view
Groove view
I found it easy to cut the round wooden pulley but it was not easy to make the belt groove. The wooden pulleys are also the easiest to get to work with a stop-motion pin by just pounding a small nail. The only draw back to the wooden pulley is its lack of inertia. It is necessary to use a treadle with a weighted drive wheel. Singer treadles do not work well.
Both of the metal pulleys require a drilled hole to insert the stop-motion pin. I have not done this yet because I have been to the shop yet but that is coming soon. At this point I am using a lock washer and just tightening the screw by hand. Not a good long term solution, but it does work. Both metal pulleys have a greater inertia than the wooden pulley but a treadle with a weighted drive wheel is still recommended. The groove on the cast pulley is flat and wider than a treadle belt. It did work but I but a produce rubber band to increase the traction. The bottom of the formed steel pulley fits a treadle belt perfectly.
Below are pictures that show what has to go onto the Featherweight to make it into a treadle and what has to come off.
On the left are the parts that need to go on to the machine
The produce rubber band can go in the grove of the drive wheel to allow the bobbin winder to work although the whole mechanism will operate while winding bobbins.
On the left are the two pieces that have to be removed
Changing the featherweight into a treadle and back again is very easy and requires no permanent modifications. Note: for a treadle belt I tried a piece of oxygen tubing connected with a staple. It is great for playing around since it does have a bit of stretch and doesn't have to be the exact length for each different setup. Don't know how well it will work long term though. So far I have been pleased with how things are working out. Will send more pictures once I get the stamped pulley drilled with a stop-motion pin and painted black. Till then gook Luck!
Courtney
to be continued...
We have write-ups from several of our members that have sent us their work, along with many pictures. We'll start with Courtney.
Courtney
Courtney, who lives in northern Colorado, has been working on treadlizing a Featherweight. He sends us his write-up and pictures of his success with it:
A couple of weeks ago I had to go to Denver to pick up a quilt I had at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. I met Janey and John for lunch at a Denny's and we had a great time. It was the first time we had seen each other in real life for nearly a year. After my post in January on making a Featherweight treadle, Janey had purchased some 3-1/2 inch pulleys for me from a company going out of business. In additional to our great visit she was able to give me the pulleys.
I had originally used homemade wooden pulleys then a cast v-belt pulley from Ace hardware. Both did work. The new formed steel pulleys had with a much narrower bottom than the cast pulleys. They seemed to work much better with the round sewing machine treadle belts. I have now tried three different pulleys for the Featherweight treadle, originally I manufactured pulleys from wood, next I used the cast pulleys form Ace, and finally the formed pulleys from Janey. All three work!
Inside view
Outside view
Groove view
I found it easy to cut the round wooden pulley but it was not easy to make the belt groove. The wooden pulleys are also the easiest to get to work with a stop-motion pin by just pounding a small nail. The only draw back to the wooden pulley is its lack of inertia. It is necessary to use a treadle with a weighted drive wheel. Singer treadles do not work well.
Both of the metal pulleys require a drilled hole to insert the stop-motion pin. I have not done this yet because I have been to the shop yet but that is coming soon. At this point I am using a lock washer and just tightening the screw by hand. Not a good long term solution, but it does work. Both metal pulleys have a greater inertia than the wooden pulley but a treadle with a weighted drive wheel is still recommended. The groove on the cast pulley is flat and wider than a treadle belt. It did work but I but a produce rubber band to increase the traction. The bottom of the formed steel pulley fits a treadle belt perfectly.
Below are pictures that show what has to go onto the Featherweight to make it into a treadle and what has to come off.
On the left are the parts that need to go on to the machine
The produce rubber band can go in the grove of the drive wheel to allow the bobbin winder to work although the whole mechanism will operate while winding bobbins.
On the left are the two pieces that have to be removed
Changing the featherweight into a treadle and back again is very easy and requires no permanent modifications. Note: for a treadle belt I tried a piece of oxygen tubing connected with a staple. It is great for playing around since it does have a bit of stretch and doesn't have to be the exact length for each different setup. Don't know how well it will work long term though. So far I have been pleased with how things are working out. Will send more pictures once I get the stamped pulley drilled with a stop-motion pin and painted black. Till then gook Luck!
Courtney
to be continued...
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 05-04-2022 at 07:44 AM. Reason: correct pictures
05-04-2022, 07:57 AM
#313
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
May 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 2
Leon
Leon, who we call our Kansas member-at-large, sends several pictures of what has been interesting to him over the past month. He shares this:
The sewing machine fairies have been smiling up on us here in Kansas. I went see my sis and we went to an estate sale. I really had little (no actually) need for a Singer stylist. But for $2.50 I could not let it pass. That afternoon I got a pointer towards black cast Irons. Yep. Got an industrial 31-15 for $20.00.
This weekend I drove for an hour to pick up the Pfaff 130 with an embroidery attachment. Iris's garden has been keeping up busy to the point of exhaustion so the Singers are awaiting testing. The Pfaff needle moves a whole 1/4 of an inch after two days of playing with it. Badly damaged paint and decals. On well, I do enjoy a challenge.
Saturday we went to go see Iris's cousin. Her modern computerized machine was having a terrible time. I opened it partially up. Clean a bunch of lint, oiled, and "oh what is that?" 5 colors of thread made a huge nest around the take up arm's joint. That took some work, but it is happy again.
Hope all is going well with you all.
to be continued...
Leon, who we call our Kansas member-at-large, sends several pictures of what has been interesting to him over the past month. He shares this:
The sewing machine fairies have been smiling up on us here in Kansas. I went see my sis and we went to an estate sale. I really had little (no actually) need for a Singer stylist. But for $2.50 I could not let it pass. That afternoon I got a pointer towards black cast Irons. Yep. Got an industrial 31-15 for $20.00.
This weekend I drove for an hour to pick up the Pfaff 130 with an embroidery attachment. Iris's garden has been keeping up busy to the point of exhaustion so the Singers are awaiting testing. The Pfaff needle moves a whole 1/4 of an inch after two days of playing with it. Badly damaged paint and decals. On well, I do enjoy a challenge.
Saturday we went to go see Iris's cousin. Her modern computerized machine was having a terrible time. I opened it partially up. Clean a bunch of lint, oiled, and "oh what is that?" 5 colors of thread made a huge nest around the take up arm's joint. That took some work, but it is happy again.
Hope all is going well with you all.
to be continued...
05-04-2022, 08:04 AM
#314
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
May 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 3
James
James has made some recent acquisitions which he tells us about. He says:
I had quite a busy month regarding sewing machines. My first purchase was a 1920 Singer 24-65 with domed case and knee lever. It was missing the power cord and knee lever but getting a replacement standard Singer 3 prong cord with pedal worked perfectly. I tried the lever that came with my Aluminum Singer 99 but the end did not fit. So I ordered a reproduction flat end knee bar and to my surprise it is small enough to fit in the domed case although not perfectly since the replacement bar has a twist while the original 24 bar was a flat L shaped bar that extended out to a longer length. The replacement bar worked just fine although I suggest either a lower table or a higher chair for more knee contact.
The second item I got was the Third edition of Carter Bays€"The Encyclopedia of Early American and Antique Sewing Machines".
Last just the other day I picked up a National Two Spool treadle machine missing just one drawer and the front slide plate. It is also missing the back panel that keeps one set of drawers from going all the way through. I asked the seller to check for the spool can and it was there. The can does have a crack in the back and part of the can wall but it does not seem to affect the function.
So a good collecting month! I have started refinishing the Willcox and Gibbs hand crank carry case. It does not seem to ever had a protective coat just a possible light stain. I will be shellacking it after sanding the years of grime off. It was interesting to see the original saw/planing marks that showed up while sanding. The material is pine of some type probably Scots Pine since English style hand cranks were in England.
James
to be continued...
James has made some recent acquisitions which he tells us about. He says:
I had quite a busy month regarding sewing machines. My first purchase was a 1920 Singer 24-65 with domed case and knee lever. It was missing the power cord and knee lever but getting a replacement standard Singer 3 prong cord with pedal worked perfectly. I tried the lever that came with my Aluminum Singer 99 but the end did not fit. So I ordered a reproduction flat end knee bar and to my surprise it is small enough to fit in the domed case although not perfectly since the replacement bar has a twist while the original 24 bar was a flat L shaped bar that extended out to a longer length. The replacement bar worked just fine although I suggest either a lower table or a higher chair for more knee contact.
The second item I got was the Third edition of Carter Bays€"The Encyclopedia of Early American and Antique Sewing Machines".
Last just the other day I picked up a National Two Spool treadle machine missing just one drawer and the front slide plate. It is also missing the back panel that keeps one set of drawers from going all the way through. I asked the seller to check for the spool can and it was there. The can does have a crack in the back and part of the can wall but it does not seem to affect the function.
So a good collecting month! I have started refinishing the Willcox and Gibbs hand crank carry case. It does not seem to ever had a protective coat just a possible light stain. I will be shellacking it after sanding the years of grime off. It was interesting to see the original saw/planing marks that showed up while sanding. The material is pine of some type probably Scots Pine since English style hand cranks were in England.
James
to be continued...
05-04-2022, 08:12 AM
#315
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
May 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 4
Dorothy
Dorothy, who is our only member who sews professionally, sends us some of her experience with an industrial machine:
Hello!
Our past conversations in meetings have mentioned the dreaded Nylon gear which brought to mind a discovery I made on the Juki Industrial. Please excuse the "fuzz". It is actually the thread lubricant which is rather waxy. It flakes off the thread and actually builds up in the upper thread guides which can be scraped off with a finger. Prevents thread breakage from heat going through multiple layers/ materials.
There is Nylon holding the Hook. I do not think it is a gear, but the top side of the hook housing. One photo has a screw driver touching the nylon (it is very white in color) and the second, no screw driver. Everything around the white is metal.
Not sure exactly why but I may speculate that cost has driven it.
Most industrials I have worked on had a mechanism that "clutched" or disengaged the hook if something went wrong to prevent damaging or breaking.
There were 2 different methods of engaging the hook again. One you used a screw driver bracing against a lip on the hook and moved the hand wheel backwards until it clicked engaging the hook again. Other machines had a button you pushed & held moving the hand wheel back wards until it engaged.
I have also included photos of a seam guide on this machine. It folds up when not being used flipping down when needed. You can move the roller to a maximum of 1" away from the needle or as close as the out of the walking feet.
Dorothy
to be continued...
05-04-2022, 08:36 AM
#316
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
May 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 5
Thanh
Thanh sends notes and pictures of some of his most recent acquisitions. He writes:
Hey everyone,
After a few months of pretty good self-control, I went a little overboard adding to my collection this past month.
My first acquisition was an Elna Grasshopper at an estate sale. It came with the accessories and case; the only items missing are the oil cans and the reduction gear. Other than some damage on the needle plate, it's in pretty good shape. It's not a fast machine but it's so quiet and smooth. I'm really looking forward to using this one. However, before I got the chance, my wife took it on her visit to her parents in TN. I guess it travels well.
The day after the estate sale, I picked up four machines from Valerie, another CO member: Elna Supermatic, Pfaff 90, Pfaff 230 Automatic and a Necchi Esperia. The Pfaff 230 is the only one with a table and it's currently on my workbench. I got the straight and zig-zag stitches freed up and are working well now. However, I noticed a pin is missing on the top cover which engages the decorative stitches. I'll have to figure out how to source one from a spare machine off Ebay. In the meantime, the Elna Supermatic is next in line.
The last machine that I picked up a few days ago was a centennial badged Singer Featherweight. I was just swearing to myself that morning that I wouldn't buy any more until I downsized the collection but it was a good price that I couldn't pass up.
So that should be it for a while (and I mean it this time). I am looking forward to focusing more on sewing.
Regards,
Thanh
In Closing
We will post here again next month with notes and pictures from our members. Until then, thank you for your time in reading.
Thanh sends notes and pictures of some of his most recent acquisitions. He writes:
Hey everyone,
After a few months of pretty good self-control, I went a little overboard adding to my collection this past month.
My first acquisition was an Elna Grasshopper at an estate sale. It came with the accessories and case; the only items missing are the oil cans and the reduction gear. Other than some damage on the needle plate, it's in pretty good shape. It's not a fast machine but it's so quiet and smooth. I'm really looking forward to using this one. However, before I got the chance, my wife took it on her visit to her parents in TN. I guess it travels well.
The day after the estate sale, I picked up four machines from Valerie, another CO member: Elna Supermatic, Pfaff 90, Pfaff 230 Automatic and a Necchi Esperia. The Pfaff 230 is the only one with a table and it's currently on my workbench. I got the straight and zig-zag stitches freed up and are working well now. However, I noticed a pin is missing on the top cover which engages the decorative stitches. I'll have to figure out how to source one from a spare machine off Ebay. In the meantime, the Elna Supermatic is next in line.
The last machine that I picked up a few days ago was a centennial badged Singer Featherweight. I was just swearing to myself that morning that I wouldn't buy any more until I downsized the collection but it was a good price that I couldn't pass up.
So that should be it for a while (and I mean it this time). I am looking forward to focusing more on sewing.
Regards,
Thanh
In Closing
We will post here again next month with notes and pictures from our members. Until then, thank you for your time in reading.
06-01-2022, 06:21 AM
#317
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
June 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
We hope that everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend, wherever you may be. It is the time that many of us think of as the beginning of summer.
Colorado has certainly had a variety of weather. During May it went from nearly ninety degrees one day to several inches of very wet snow the next. As is typical of Colorado, the snow was completely gone on the following day. Despite some broken tree limbs, we needed the moisture and we are once again looking forward to summer.
We have news, notes and pictures from our members to share. We'll start with Courtney.
Courtney
Courtney sent us some notes about his activities earlier in the month. Unfortunately Courtney experienced a health issue later in the month, which he tells us about. We all wish him the best for a speedy recovery.
Towards the beginning of the month, I continued on with my treadle Featherweight project of the last couple of months. I had an old New Home treadle up at the shop and found it had a weighted drive wheel so I thought it would be perfect! I cleaned it up and put an old Singer No. 40 cabinet top on it. I brought it home and set the Featherweight on it. I used some of the old plastic oxygen tubing as a drive belt. The oxygen tubing has a bit of stretch which means I do not have to cut it exactly each time I try something new. The treadle worked well, and I could easily get the Featherweight sewing with the treadle.
I did learn something however; every treadle has its own treadling characteristics. I really enjoyed treadling the Featherweight when it was on one of my Willcox and Gibbs treadles but, the New Home was quite different. For some reason, the New Home treadle just did not seem to have the right rhythm. I did notice that the foot pedal was mounted differently. The W&G foot pedal axis goes right through the center of the pedal while the New Home pedal is mounted so the axis is about 1/3 to 3/4 of the way down the pedal. This meant the edge of the pedal closest to you does not seem to move as much as the W&G pedal. I though this might be making the difference. While there is no way I can easily change the foot pedal I thought that shortening the pitman rod might make a difference. The pitman rod is wooden, and I had already replaced the original broken one so I thought I could just make a new shorter one.
Before I could get to the shop and get to work real life intruded. Things have been quite hectic the last two to three of weeks. At the last minute, Connie was asked to be the virtually host the Nebula Awards on the 21st and that meant two weeks of trying to get a better WiFi connection, a better webcam and microphone, and a more powerful computer. Fortunately, the Physics department at UNC came through and things went well.
On the 24th I had to go to the hospital and have a stent inserted into left atrium of my heart. I am doing quite well but haven't got to any of my sewing machine projects since. Hopefully, next month will be much more tranquil!
Oh, I almost forgot. Each year our local library has a small quilt contest. I am pleased to say I got an Honorable Mention.
Leon
Leon, our roving member from Kansas, sent some notes and interesting pictures of his recent findings:
I was going to say that this month had been pretty quiet with maintenance and messing about. However, Friday found me driving 17 miles to pick up this Franklin 117.851. Manual and accessories but I fell in love with the travel case. Pretty wild stuff. It rolls by hand and I will mess with it later. Then yesterday GF and I were out and about and she talked me into going to a least favorite thrift.. Oh lookee here. Necchi Supernova came home. Looks intact except for controller. Should be fun.
to be continued...
Colorado has certainly had a variety of weather. During May it went from nearly ninety degrees one day to several inches of very wet snow the next. As is typical of Colorado, the snow was completely gone on the following day. Despite some broken tree limbs, we needed the moisture and we are once again looking forward to summer.
We have news, notes and pictures from our members to share. We'll start with Courtney.
Courtney
Courtney sent us some notes about his activities earlier in the month. Unfortunately Courtney experienced a health issue later in the month, which he tells us about. We all wish him the best for a speedy recovery.
Towards the beginning of the month, I continued on with my treadle Featherweight project of the last couple of months. I had an old New Home treadle up at the shop and found it had a weighted drive wheel so I thought it would be perfect! I cleaned it up and put an old Singer No. 40 cabinet top on it. I brought it home and set the Featherweight on it. I used some of the old plastic oxygen tubing as a drive belt. The oxygen tubing has a bit of stretch which means I do not have to cut it exactly each time I try something new. The treadle worked well, and I could easily get the Featherweight sewing with the treadle.
I did learn something however; every treadle has its own treadling characteristics. I really enjoyed treadling the Featherweight when it was on one of my Willcox and Gibbs treadles but, the New Home was quite different. For some reason, the New Home treadle just did not seem to have the right rhythm. I did notice that the foot pedal was mounted differently. The W&G foot pedal axis goes right through the center of the pedal while the New Home pedal is mounted so the axis is about 1/3 to 3/4 of the way down the pedal. This meant the edge of the pedal closest to you does not seem to move as much as the W&G pedal. I though this might be making the difference. While there is no way I can easily change the foot pedal I thought that shortening the pitman rod might make a difference. The pitman rod is wooden, and I had already replaced the original broken one so I thought I could just make a new shorter one.
Before I could get to the shop and get to work real life intruded. Things have been quite hectic the last two to three of weeks. At the last minute, Connie was asked to be the virtually host the Nebula Awards on the 21st and that meant two weeks of trying to get a better WiFi connection, a better webcam and microphone, and a more powerful computer. Fortunately, the Physics department at UNC came through and things went well.
On the 24th I had to go to the hospital and have a stent inserted into left atrium of my heart. I am doing quite well but haven't got to any of my sewing machine projects since. Hopefully, next month will be much more tranquil!
Oh, I almost forgot. Each year our local library has a small quilt contest. I am pleased to say I got an Honorable Mention.
Leon
Leon, our roving member from Kansas, sent some notes and interesting pictures of his recent findings:
I was going to say that this month had been pretty quiet with maintenance and messing about. However, Friday found me driving 17 miles to pick up this Franklin 117.851. Manual and accessories but I fell in love with the travel case. Pretty wild stuff. It rolls by hand and I will mess with it later. Then yesterday GF and I were out and about and she talked me into going to a least favorite thrift.. Oh lookee here. Necchi Supernova came home. Looks intact except for controller. Should be fun.
to be continued...
06-01-2022, 06:29 AM
#318
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,271
June 2022 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 2
Dianne
Dianne and her husband have been enjoying the coming of summer. She sends the following note:
I have nothing of substance to report this month either! The great outdoors - on our property and farther afield - has kept me busy most of the time. A couple quilt projects have been completed.
Dan just brought me a little cardboard box, filled with plastic and metal bits - a walking foot that quit working some time ago. He said he would take a look at it... and he certainly did! Maybe the problem was a spring, he thought, but he couldn't really tell and so proceeded to totally dismantle it. It makes for an amusing pile of rubble. Once before he did fix one, but it must have had a different problem.
Hope you are well.
Janey
Janey has a followup to a project she was working on recently. She writes:
A couple of months ago, I was working on a controller bag for my Emdeko that showed the different cam stitches. I had decided to make the drawstring area of a different fabric. After I had stitched samples, I realized that I hadn't spaced them so that it would only need a small casing on the ends. I made the different fabric a little larger than I had originally intended so that the sample stitches would be divided equally front and back.
This is a picture of the stitches before I took a couple of rows out, as I had forgotten to unlock the zig zag lever to follow the cam. I didn't get a picture of the corrected stitches. There were two cams that would not fit on the post.
This is the completed bag sitting on the bed of the Emdeko.
Here are the cams.
John
Lastly, John has a question about feed mechanisms to share with the group and any other readers:
Hi everyone,
I was talking to Janey a while back. I was curious about the different classes or categories of sewing machine feed mechanisms. I don't think we ever reached a definitive conclusion.
For example, the vast majority of machines depend solely on feed dog movement to move the fabric. I know that among these, some feed dogs move in an oval pattern and some have a more box-shaped or rectangular motion as viewed from the side. To me, this distinction would not warrant two separate categories.
But there are other systems, such as vertical feed, needle feed, walking foot. roller foot and others that I'd like to have categorized better in my mind. Could some of these be different names for the same things?
Many here know more about this than I do, so if anyone can help to shed light on the different movement systems, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to feel I have all the various categories straight in my mind. Looking forward to any helpful responses. Thanks.
John
In Closing
We will post here again next month.
Dianne and her husband have been enjoying the coming of summer. She sends the following note:
I have nothing of substance to report this month either! The great outdoors - on our property and farther afield - has kept me busy most of the time. A couple quilt projects have been completed.
Dan just brought me a little cardboard box, filled with plastic and metal bits - a walking foot that quit working some time ago. He said he would take a look at it... and he certainly did! Maybe the problem was a spring, he thought, but he couldn't really tell and so proceeded to totally dismantle it. It makes for an amusing pile of rubble. Once before he did fix one, but it must have had a different problem.
Hope you are well.
Janey
Janey has a followup to a project she was working on recently. She writes:
A couple of months ago, I was working on a controller bag for my Emdeko that showed the different cam stitches. I had decided to make the drawstring area of a different fabric. After I had stitched samples, I realized that I hadn't spaced them so that it would only need a small casing on the ends. I made the different fabric a little larger than I had originally intended so that the sample stitches would be divided equally front and back.
This is a picture of the stitches before I took a couple of rows out, as I had forgotten to unlock the zig zag lever to follow the cam. I didn't get a picture of the corrected stitches. There were two cams that would not fit on the post.
This is the completed bag sitting on the bed of the Emdeko.
Here are the cams.
John
Lastly, John has a question about feed mechanisms to share with the group and any other readers:
Hi everyone,
I was talking to Janey a while back. I was curious about the different classes or categories of sewing machine feed mechanisms. I don't think we ever reached a definitive conclusion.
For example, the vast majority of machines depend solely on feed dog movement to move the fabric. I know that among these, some feed dogs move in an oval pattern and some have a more box-shaped or rectangular motion as viewed from the side. To me, this distinction would not warrant two separate categories.
But there are other systems, such as vertical feed, needle feed, walking foot. roller foot and others that I'd like to have categorized better in my mind. Could some of these be different names for the same things?
Many here know more about this than I do, so if anyone can help to shed light on the different movement systems, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to feel I have all the various categories straight in my mind. Looking forward to any helpful responses. Thanks.
John
In Closing
We will post here again next month.
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sewcrazygirl
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
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04-21-2011 08:51 PM
