Well then....

Old 12-29-2013, 05:23 AM
  #21  
Super Member
 
ThayerRags's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Default

Originally Posted by oldsewnsew View Post
....find slightly amazing....you are using a Singer Stylist for sewing denim!......
Long story. I actually started out using a Singer 538 Stylist when I was learning to mend jeans. It was the seldom used freearm machine that my wife kept near her Singer 401A sewing desk for when she needed a freearm. Since it was already there and ready to sew, that’s what I used. It took flat cams, and I only ever used a zigzag and a multi-zigzag cam. I replaced the hook gears in it after about a year of use, and my use of it kept increasing each year. The gear broke when I was mending a torn crotch. I liked the freearm for mending jeans legs because I’m not as good at “puddle-ing” my work under the needle on a flatbed as my wife is. I’ve only had to open two side seams in 8 years.

I won a Singer 834 Stylist at a sewing machine get-together 3 years later, and noticed that it had the two zz stitches that I use built-in to it, so I switched to the 834. I gave the 538 to my daughter when her 538 broke a gear. She sews crafts for a home-based business.

I haven’t broken a gear in the 834 after using it for 3 years, although I did have to replace a top shaft thrust washer in it. I expect to have a gear break one of these days, but I have new gears plus a second 834 waiting in the wings. A customer had me put new hook shaft gears in it back in 2010, but has never come back to pick it up.

I get a chuckle every time that someone says the Stylist series aren’t any good for mending denim. My wife has used her JC Penney 7057 (Polish Singer Stylist freearm) as a home and family machine since it was new in 1990, and it’s only had one gear replaced in it so far. It takes the same gears as a Singer Stylist. She sewed enough embroidered patches on our leather motorcycle vests between the years of 2000-2005 that there’s little room left for more, and all with the 7057.

With my Singers, I’ve bent and broken probably a box-full (100) of needles in the past 8 years (I use size 11, so sewing across the thick crotch seams takes a toll on needles), but that’s only about twice the cost of what I have in all three machines. I bought the first one for $11 and have gotten the second and third ones for the cost of a few gears. I do most of the jeans mending on my Stylist (she uses a 401A), and this year (though November) between the two of us, we’ve mended 139 pairs of jeans, and reattached 14 belt loops.

CD in Oklahoma

Last edited by ThayerRags; 12-29-2013 at 05:25 AM.
ThayerRags is offline  
Old 12-29-2013, 07:47 AM
  #22  
Super Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Duncan, SC, 29334 USA
Posts: 4,580
Default

**********************

To each his own, but I do not care for them.

There are people in our area who are calling
it REPURPOSING (painting beautiful antiques
funky colors) also.

It makes me sick to see a beautiful oak
treadle cabinet painted AQUA and called
a foyer table or desk.

I love pretty wood, please don't mess good wood.

*****************
jbj137 is offline  
Old 12-29-2013, 10:53 AM
  #23  
KLO
Super Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: North Central, NC
Posts: 2,741
Default

Thanks for the garden info. even though this is a quilt group .... well, we do have to eat to be able to quilt, right? My dh has been trying to get me to "container garden" so I think I will try your method in 2014. Will have to find some tubs but I don't think leaves will be a problem. And maybe I can even find some throw away treadles to use too.


Originally Posted by ThayerRags View Post
I got those 20-gal tubs from a friend who raised cattle with her husband (they had to sell the cattle 2 years ago because of the draught) and they had obtained mineral nutrients of some sort in them. I drilled four 1/2” holes around the lower part of the sides, about an inch above the bottom. They drain any excess water.

I fill the tubs about half-full with loose tree leaves and then put the dirt in. That seems to allow the holes to remain open and work. The leaves pack down and begin deteriorating, but tend to allow the water to wick through and out. I haven’t had any holes plug up with dirt. Some plants grow a mat of roots in that bottom inch to suck up the excess water. We dump the tubs out each Spring and re-do the dirt to liven it up again. They have raised us excellent gardens for the past few years, even with the draught.


CD in Oklahoma
KLO is offline  
Old 12-29-2013, 12:10 PM
  #24  
Super Member
 
ThayerRags's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Default

Yea, I know we’re off topic, but talking about gardening makes me hungry, so I’m going to keep typing. We’re running 14 tubs in our treadle garden now, and we don’t come anywhere close to growing all of the vegetables that the two of us need. I doubt that we will expand that much. We only raise selected items that we have good luck with and really like fresh. A few tomatoes, okra, jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, zucchini squash, cilantro, and cucumbers. We’ve piddled with other things over the years, but these seem to be the ones we grow.


We harvested 383 jalapenos this past season. We just can’t seem to get enough of those little “poppers” of a half pepper filled with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon. Several jalapeno halves are in the freezer to hold us over until next season. We cook them indoors and out regularly (the trick is to precook your bacon, but don’t tell anybody...hehehe).


Up until this winter, we harvested cilantro all winter. This colder winter froze the plants. It’s nice to just go out into the backyard and snip off a sprig or two to garnish a plate of Mexican Food, and even better if you can do it year around. We cook nearly all of our own Mexican Food Dishes, including enchiladas (both wrapped and stacked), tortillas (both flour and corn), and tamales (we like to use pork and chicken). Although, fresh pan-fried okra or zucchini squash is just something folks need to have when they can!


CD in Oklahoma
ThayerRags is offline  
Old 12-29-2013, 02:23 PM
  #25  
Super Member
Thread Starter
 
amcatanzaro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,079
Default

I had my jalapenos in http://www.homedepot.com/p/CITY-PICK...40D/202563845# one of these city pickers on the back patio this year. When then first frost came this year we rolled it inside. I still have a few that self pollinated.

On topic? Do we ever?
amcatanzaro is offline  
Old 12-30-2013, 06:14 PM
  #26  
Super Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Round Rock,Texas
Posts: 6,135
Default

My hubby has a working radio very much like that one in the first Etsy listing.
purplefiend is offline  
Old 06-25-2014, 07:16 AM
  #27  
Super Member
 
ThayerRags's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Default

We weren’t sure if there would be a 2014 treadle garden or not, due to the draught. We’ve been on Stage 4 Water-Use Restrictions since the first of the year. We can only water outside plants one day per week, but can capture rain water and re-use household water (we capture hand-washing and dish-rinsing water, and the water in the pipes when getting hot water to the shower), so we decided to go ahead and plant. We can capture and hold about 150 gallons of rain water at any one time.

We went with the same amount of planting tubs (14) as last year, but reconfigured some of them to make them easier to tend to and mow around. If we don’t get enough water to keep the garden going all summer, we won’t have lost much in seed costs, and our rain barrels were full at planting time, so we’re giving it a shot.

The first photo was taken on May 9th, not too long after we’d planted. The second photo was taken June 24th. We’ve gotten several good rains between the two photos, as you can tell from the weeds in the yard (most of the grass died a couple of years ago, so the “lawn” is actually weeds). We only got a hand-full of asparagus in early spring. The extra-cold winter was too hard on the plants, I guess. We’ve begun harvesting squash, cucumbers, and of course, cilantro. The bell peppers, okra, jalapenos, tomatoes, and green chilies are all coming along great, so we’ll at least get a few vegetables this year, even if we have to abandon the garden later.

The two tubs on the treadle stands have tomatoes and cilantro in them. You can see two of our dead trees in the background.

CD in Oklahoma
Attached Thumbnails garden_20140509_01.jpg   garden_20140624_01.jpg  
ThayerRags is offline  
Old 06-25-2014, 07:26 AM
  #28  
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
Default

wow.... that looks awesome.. I envy you the space...
SteveH is offline  
Old 06-25-2014, 07:35 AM
  #29  
Super Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: chicago, IL
Posts: 9,589
Default

Why would someone ruin perfectly good treadle cabinets to make them into this "junk". And the prices?!?!!!

I can understand someone taking something that if not in useable condition and using parts...less landfill. But you couldn't possibly have this many really trashy treadle cabinets to destroy.
As some one said " not my cup of tea."
Tink's Mom is offline  
Old 06-25-2014, 07:40 AM
  #30  
Super Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: chicago, IL
Posts: 9,589
Default

Thayer Rags...I have no problem with the use of the irons with your plants...I think it looks pretty cool...

I am on the lookout for a machine to plant in my yard...don't want any of those Touch and Throws...would like something different...maybe a Monkey Wards...or a Kenmore...
I had both of those way back when....
Tink's Mom is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
liont
Main
36
09-15-2012 10:12 AM
Threadbanger
Main
11
02-02-2012 01:06 PM
zyxquilts
Main
16
05-11-2007 04:32 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


FREE Quilting Newsletter