Colorado get-together?
09-07-2020, 07:58 AM
#191
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
September 2020 Colorado Sewing Machine Enthusiasts Meeting - Part 6
Janey
Janey got a motor and light for the Singer 319 which replace a black motor and broken lamp that had been previously placed on the machine just to get it working. Now it is all color coordinated. She says:
The 319 came into the herd originally in 2014. It had a broken motor, light, the controller had been hard wired to the back of the plug and had no power cord. The next day a Japanese machine with a Brother motor was found and purchased to put the motor on the 319. I had a black power cord that would work. John switched it out and a controller bag was made. I also ordered some bobbins and needles for it and it was put on a shelf.
Well, last month on my birthday, JoeJr posted a picture of a green motor, light & power cord that sure appeared to be like the ones that belonged on a 319. As it turns out, Joe didn't have any green machines and I was able to purchase them.
He packed them extremely well. I did a little cleaning and realized that I hadn't really cleaned the machine. I cleaned some on the machine - still some places that need some work, but better than it was. John was able to wire the controller to the power plug which had the controller wires cut inside the plug and switched out the light and motor.
Pictures of the original motor (gone after Brother motor put on) with tag, the cut wires, the front of the machine, the back of the machine and the motor tag.
In Closing
Thank you for reading. We will post again next month. Until then, everyone please stay safe and well.
Janey got a motor and light for the Singer 319 which replace a black motor and broken lamp that had been previously placed on the machine just to get it working. Now it is all color coordinated. She says:
The 319 came into the herd originally in 2014. It had a broken motor, light, the controller had been hard wired to the back of the plug and had no power cord. The next day a Japanese machine with a Brother motor was found and purchased to put the motor on the 319. I had a black power cord that would work. John switched it out and a controller bag was made. I also ordered some bobbins and needles for it and it was put on a shelf.
Well, last month on my birthday, JoeJr posted a picture of a green motor, light & power cord that sure appeared to be like the ones that belonged on a 319. As it turns out, Joe didn't have any green machines and I was able to purchase them.
He packed them extremely well. I did a little cleaning and realized that I hadn't really cleaned the machine. I cleaned some on the machine - still some places that need some work, but better than it was. John was able to wire the controller to the power plug which had the controller wires cut inside the plug and switched out the light and motor.
Pictures of the original motor (gone after Brother motor put on) with tag, the cut wires, the front of the machine, the back of the machine and the motor tag.
In Closing
Thank you for reading. We will post again next month. Until then, everyone please stay safe and well.
09-30-2020, 05:33 AM
#192
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
October 2020 Meeting - Colorado Get Together, Part 1
Fall weather is arriving in Colorado for our October virtual get together. In Colorado's typically fickle fashion, last month we had a day that was 91 degrees, followed by snow the next day and below freezing temperatures the night following. Then it was back to seasonal fall weather.
We have several show-and-tell contributions this month, along with a lot of pictures to share that have been sent by our members for posting.
Janey
Janey has a few pictures of things to share, both old and new:
Earlier this month I ordered some snap-on adapters and a 42 piece snap-on attachment set. I haven't tried them, yet.
I received a quilt that my sister made. It was pieced on the treadle that my brother and I refurbished for her. I found out that she had done a couple of smaller maze quilts using a pattern. She wanted to try a larger one and designed this one. Then was quilted on her long arm. She followed the lines of the quilting lines to write the 'tag.'
She also returned a vest and skirt that I had made many years ago. The flaps need repaired and I think the skirt button may have been replaced. I wish I could still wear it.
.... to be continued
We have several show-and-tell contributions this month, along with a lot of pictures to share that have been sent by our members for posting.
Janey
Janey has a few pictures of things to share, both old and new:
Earlier this month I ordered some snap-on adapters and a 42 piece snap-on attachment set. I haven't tried them, yet.
I received a quilt that my sister made. It was pieced on the treadle that my brother and I refurbished for her. I found out that she had done a couple of smaller maze quilts using a pattern. She wanted to try a larger one and designed this one. Then was quilted on her long arm. She followed the lines of the quilting lines to write the 'tag.'
She also returned a vest and skirt that I had made many years ago. The flaps need repaired and I think the skirt button may have been replaced. I wish I could still wear it.
.... to be continued
09-30-2020, 05:39 AM
#193
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
October 2020 Meeting - Colorado Get Together, Part 2
Courtney
From northern Colorado, Courtney writes:
Dear All,
I have not done a lot with sewing machines in the last month. Connie had her second knee replacement about two weeks ago and I have been nursemaid since she came home. By the time this is all over I should have earned my nurse's cap and gotten an LPN pin.
Last month I reported on my experiences with 6 different zigzaggers. I thought I was going to report on seven. When I tried the seventh I was shocked to find out that it was for a slant needle machine. I was surprised because there is a booklet with it that claims to have been printed in 1950. Which would have been before the 301's came out and I know on no other slant needle machines that predated the 301. During the last month I pulled out my 301 and gave it a try. It seemed to operate just fine but did not really press down on the fabric hard enough. Two layers were a mess but with 4 or more layers of fabric it seemed to do fine. There are some adjustments I can make but a couple of stuck screws and little time kept that from happening. It is a cute little zigzagger and quite heavy for its size. Oh well it is a project waiting to be finished at a later time.
Two inexpensive eBay purchases arrived in the mail. One was a foot I had never seen before. My eye was caught by the title: Synchronous Feed Presser Foot Walking Foot Sewing Machine Presser Foot Feet MP. A walking foot for $1.50, I had to try it. It is a clip-on foot In the picture I have it propped up on my black 301 clip-on ankle. I tried it on a 301 but it did not work well. The lever that goes over the needle screw kept hitting a screw that holds on a thread guide. When I tried it on a Featherweight it seemed to work fine with a limited amount of test sewing. Janey found a YouTube on this foot and it was called a knit foot. Try googling "How to Use a Knit Foot Fiery Phoenix."
In PPD times (pre-pandemic times) last fall I was asked to be an emergency program for a local sewing group. My topic was Featherweights and as such I displayed several and talked about the history of featherweights. I had my AD 544829 (one of the first 10,000 made in the fall of 1933), a centennial model, a white one , a tan one and of course my 222. When I was packing up I found I was missing the bobbin case to my oldest machine. We looked all over the store and to see if it had fallen on the floor or something. No Luck. While I was browsing eBay I came across a cheap Featherweight bobbin case for about $15, about a quarter or less of what an official Simanco bobbin case costs. I sent off my money. When it arrived I was surprised at how close to the original it looked, just no Simanco part number. I set the tension on it and gave it a try. It seemed to work just fine. It was a bit louder (3db) than on original but sewed just fine. I have since found a YouTube video on a similar bobbin case and he seems to have had the same observations: works well but is a bit louder. He did say that with time the tension would work loose and have to be reset. I have not sewn with mine enough to to have that happen yet. As luck would have it, as I got out my machine to try out the new bobbin case, I notice somethinng strange about on of the bobbins. Upon closer examination, I could see that the bobbin was in the bobbin case but the bobbin case was upside down so on a quick glance it looked like only a bobbin. Needless to say, I am now very happy. I have finally found my original bobbin case and now have a spare that did not cost me an arm and a leg!
Courtney
James
James received a sewing machine this past month, which he tells us about and also sent several pictures.
I would like to feature a sewing machine that just arrived the other day. It is a rarely seen aluminum Singer 99k that was part of the August 1, 1922 lot. It was made at Kilbowie, Scotland. Only 4500 machines were made for this lot.
I was hoping the knee lever was in the lid as photos did not show it and it was there! I was surprised that the the lever was so light as I was thinking of concrete rebar!
Here is how it looked before I started cleaning the case. I gave it a simple clean using Howard Restor A Finish neutral and it looks much better. Later I plan to use steel wool to remove the paint spots and smudges and reapply and probably a wax if not a reshellacing.
The decals are in great shape and features the Filagree pattern. At first I thought I was missing part of the tension assembly but it turns out that it uses much smaller than normal tension plates. I do have a broken off thread guide on the faceplate so I plan to bend wire to the correct shape and thickness and epoxy it in place as the original was riveted in. Notice the neat thread wear patterns across the face plate.
The wiring looks like it should not be too hard to replace as all the connections can be unscrewed. The knee lever assembly is the old style with what I hope is just textured insulation so I hope that I won’t have to take it apart.
The needle does not want to move when I try to turn the hand wheel but the hand wheel turns easily when I unloosen the clutch knob. So I need to clean or oil the shaft or the hook area.
All in all a very cool sewing machine!
.... to be continued
From northern Colorado, Courtney writes:
Dear All,
I have not done a lot with sewing machines in the last month. Connie had her second knee replacement about two weeks ago and I have been nursemaid since she came home. By the time this is all over I should have earned my nurse's cap and gotten an LPN pin.
Last month I reported on my experiences with 6 different zigzaggers. I thought I was going to report on seven. When I tried the seventh I was shocked to find out that it was for a slant needle machine. I was surprised because there is a booklet with it that claims to have been printed in 1950. Which would have been before the 301's came out and I know on no other slant needle machines that predated the 301. During the last month I pulled out my 301 and gave it a try. It seemed to operate just fine but did not really press down on the fabric hard enough. Two layers were a mess but with 4 or more layers of fabric it seemed to do fine. There are some adjustments I can make but a couple of stuck screws and little time kept that from happening. It is a cute little zigzagger and quite heavy for its size. Oh well it is a project waiting to be finished at a later time.
Two inexpensive eBay purchases arrived in the mail. One was a foot I had never seen before. My eye was caught by the title: Synchronous Feed Presser Foot Walking Foot Sewing Machine Presser Foot Feet MP. A walking foot for $1.50, I had to try it. It is a clip-on foot In the picture I have it propped up on my black 301 clip-on ankle. I tried it on a 301 but it did not work well. The lever that goes over the needle screw kept hitting a screw that holds on a thread guide. When I tried it on a Featherweight it seemed to work fine with a limited amount of test sewing. Janey found a YouTube on this foot and it was called a knit foot. Try googling "How to Use a Knit Foot Fiery Phoenix."
In PPD times (pre-pandemic times) last fall I was asked to be an emergency program for a local sewing group. My topic was Featherweights and as such I displayed several and talked about the history of featherweights. I had my AD 544829 (one of the first 10,000 made in the fall of 1933), a centennial model, a white one , a tan one and of course my 222. When I was packing up I found I was missing the bobbin case to my oldest machine. We looked all over the store and to see if it had fallen on the floor or something. No Luck. While I was browsing eBay I came across a cheap Featherweight bobbin case for about $15, about a quarter or less of what an official Simanco bobbin case costs. I sent off my money. When it arrived I was surprised at how close to the original it looked, just no Simanco part number. I set the tension on it and gave it a try. It seemed to work just fine. It was a bit louder (3db) than on original but sewed just fine. I have since found a YouTube video on a similar bobbin case and he seems to have had the same observations: works well but is a bit louder. He did say that with time the tension would work loose and have to be reset. I have not sewn with mine enough to to have that happen yet. As luck would have it, as I got out my machine to try out the new bobbin case, I notice somethinng strange about on of the bobbins. Upon closer examination, I could see that the bobbin was in the bobbin case but the bobbin case was upside down so on a quick glance it looked like only a bobbin. Needless to say, I am now very happy. I have finally found my original bobbin case and now have a spare that did not cost me an arm and a leg!
Courtney
James
James received a sewing machine this past month, which he tells us about and also sent several pictures.
I would like to feature a sewing machine that just arrived the other day. It is a rarely seen aluminum Singer 99k that was part of the August 1, 1922 lot. It was made at Kilbowie, Scotland. Only 4500 machines were made for this lot.
I was hoping the knee lever was in the lid as photos did not show it and it was there! I was surprised that the the lever was so light as I was thinking of concrete rebar!
Here is how it looked before I started cleaning the case. I gave it a simple clean using Howard Restor A Finish neutral and it looks much better. Later I plan to use steel wool to remove the paint spots and smudges and reapply and probably a wax if not a reshellacing.
The decals are in great shape and features the Filagree pattern. At first I thought I was missing part of the tension assembly but it turns out that it uses much smaller than normal tension plates. I do have a broken off thread guide on the faceplate so I plan to bend wire to the correct shape and thickness and epoxy it in place as the original was riveted in. Notice the neat thread wear patterns across the face plate.
The wiring looks like it should not be too hard to replace as all the connections can be unscrewed. The knee lever assembly is the old style with what I hope is just textured insulation so I hope that I won’t have to take it apart.
The needle does not want to move when I try to turn the hand wheel but the hand wheel turns easily when I unloosen the clutch knob. So I need to clean or oil the shaft or the hook area.
All in all a very cool sewing machine!
.... to be continued
09-30-2020, 05:55 AM
#196
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
October 2020 Meeting - Colorado Get Together, Part 5
Tribute to Carol
We sadly learned of the passing of one of our members this month.
These are the last things that Carol made for us (John & Janey). It was last Christmas and Carol brought these for all of our members when we met at Perkins. I wish we had learned more about how she made them. They are like embroidery on thin air.
We hung them on a lampshade and have left them there, even after the Christmas season passed, simply because they're so pretty. We look at them every day and they will have even more meaning now.
We wish our condolences to Carol's family and her many friends. We will remember her and miss her.
In Closing
We value our growing readership and will try to have interesting projects and pictures for you to read in the upcoming months, while we stay closer to home. In that spirit, we will again post our activities here next month.
Thank you for reading and everyone please stay safe and well.
10-02-2020, 04:21 PM
#199
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
October 2020 Meeting - Colorado Get Together - Late Addition
Dorothy
We've had another submission from Dorothy, who says she's been busy:
It has been busy for sure! I sewed a T shirt using a Pfaff 4872 coverlock which I had set to 4 thread safety lock. The hems and neck band top stitch were done on an Elna 62C. Lovely machine which still has reverse issues- more oil & maybe hair dryer help.
I have done a little research into the Minnesota Model A. Seems there were 2 different manufacturers of the model A which were not identical. There is a motor boss on the back and serial # which may help ID the manufacturer. There are 2 shuttle slide plates, which do not fit the machine. Slide plate has been lost since I was a kid. Temporary I will cut a piece of plastic to fit, but now the machine is serving as a cat perch. It had been my Grandmothers machine. As best my Mom can guess it was a wedding present.
The Haslam drafting system is fascinating me right now. The system covers the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. The system personalized your fit which could be carried over to their style books! The Fascinating thing about the books? They show how the style was made/ cut at the time. This is SO helpful. There are NO assembly hints, instructions or diagrams! Our Grandmothers never fail to impress me with their ability to magically put something together from an illustration.
Later-
Dorothy
We've had another submission from Dorothy, who says she's been busy:
It has been busy for sure! I sewed a T shirt using a Pfaff 4872 coverlock which I had set to 4 thread safety lock. The hems and neck band top stitch were done on an Elna 62C. Lovely machine which still has reverse issues- more oil & maybe hair dryer help.
I have done a little research into the Minnesota Model A. Seems there were 2 different manufacturers of the model A which were not identical. There is a motor boss on the back and serial # which may help ID the manufacturer. There are 2 shuttle slide plates, which do not fit the machine. Slide plate has been lost since I was a kid. Temporary I will cut a piece of plastic to fit, but now the machine is serving as a cat perch. It had been my Grandmothers machine. As best my Mom can guess it was a wedding present.
The Haslam drafting system is fascinating me right now. The system covers the 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. The system personalized your fit which could be carried over to their style books! The Fascinating thing about the books? They show how the style was made/ cut at the time. This is SO helpful. There are NO assembly hints, instructions or diagrams! Our Grandmothers never fail to impress me with their ability to magically put something together from an illustration.
Later-
Dorothy
10-04-2020, 07:26 AM
#200
Super Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: near Topeka kansas
Posts: 4,524
https://www.quiltingboard.com/member...bums20380.html
I had not planned on purchasing a new parlor cabinet, but this found me yesterday. It was very clean. In less than an hour I had it oiled and Iris had it stitching. It only had one bobbin, but that is fine.
I had not planned on purchasing a new parlor cabinet, but this found me yesterday. It was very clean. In less than an hour I had it oiled and Iris had it stitching. It only had one bobbin, but that is fine.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sewcrazygirl
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
10
04-21-2011 08:51 PM
