Colorado get-together?
#371
April 2024 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 3
Leon
Leon has some good news to share and was able to get a few free machines.
I have retired. April 1 was my first day of freedom. I tried last years and didn't get away.
I had a bicycle friend offer me 3 machines for free. Well, maybe ( see I am slowing down) I asked for pictures. The one he had access to was a nice looking black 301 ( somehow I lost pic). I said, sure, I will take them. The others 2 were in cabinets and I didn't see them before they were mine. OK scored a nice Minnesota A in a parlor cabinet. Cabinet chain lift is not working and no innards for a treadle. Also got a Singer 66 in a rough cabinet. I am a happy guy. I have others in line so these guys will have to wait.
Two gigs coming up this month for my hand cranks.
Thanh
Thanh was able to get a machine after a few days after passing it over at first glance.
Just a short note from me this month regarding a purchase of a Singer 99K10:
I saw the ad for Singer 99 on FB Marketplace and didn't really think anything of it at first. The display photo was of the bentwood box which was painted red. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the ad a couple of days later to see the rest of the photos and was surprised to see a photo with the shiny white serial plate! I actually took a day to think about it before reaching out to the seller. I usually don't buy machines just because they're uncommon. Lucky for me, he didn't have a solid offer and I was able to pick it up the same day. This 99k was part of the first batch in August 1922; the serial number is Y722243. For comparison, the 99k weighs in at 18lbs with the base (no cover) while my Kenmore 1040 weighs 16 lbs.
In Closing
We enjoy posting the notes from our varied members each month. We want to thank them for their contributions and you for reading. See you next month.
Leon has some good news to share and was able to get a few free machines.
I have retired. April 1 was my first day of freedom. I tried last years and didn't get away.
I had a bicycle friend offer me 3 machines for free. Well, maybe ( see I am slowing down) I asked for pictures. The one he had access to was a nice looking black 301 ( somehow I lost pic). I said, sure, I will take them. The others 2 were in cabinets and I didn't see them before they were mine. OK scored a nice Minnesota A in a parlor cabinet. Cabinet chain lift is not working and no innards for a treadle. Also got a Singer 66 in a rough cabinet. I am a happy guy. I have others in line so these guys will have to wait.
Two gigs coming up this month for my hand cranks.
Thanh
Thanh was able to get a machine after a few days after passing it over at first glance.
Just a short note from me this month regarding a purchase of a Singer 99K10:
I saw the ad for Singer 99 on FB Marketplace and didn't really think anything of it at first. The display photo was of the bentwood box which was painted red. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the ad a couple of days later to see the rest of the photos and was surprised to see a photo with the shiny white serial plate! I actually took a day to think about it before reaching out to the seller. I usually don't buy machines just because they're uncommon. Lucky for me, he didn't have a solid offer and I was able to pick it up the same day. This 99k was part of the first batch in August 1922; the serial number is Y722243. For comparison, the 99k weighs in at 18lbs with the base (no cover) while my Kenmore 1040 weighs 16 lbs.
In Closing
We enjoy posting the notes from our varied members each month. We want to thank them for their contributions and you for reading. See you next month.
#372
May 2024 Colorado Get-together
The month of April showers hit Denver heavy this year. It has broken into the top 20 wettest Aprils with a record of 3.28 inches of precipitation. Turns out that it is well above the average of 1.68 inches. Evidently our members have been water logged as we only heard from Courtney and Janey.
Courtney
Most of my time this month has been devoted to speaking. The big one was on the 6th at the Southern Colorado Regional Quilt Show in Pueblo. I got home from Pueblo on Saturday night. I barely got my sewing machines put away before we had to pick up our daughter on Tuesday from the airport in Denver, and then the three of us took off for Portales New Mexico on Wednesday. We returned on Sunday and then had to drive down to Denver on Monday to put our daughter onto a plane home to California. Both in Pueblo and Portales, I met people who had older treadle machines that took a #20x1 needle. One was a Mason and the other a Husvennen. The Husvennen was interesting because it was a badged National machine which was sold by a Scandinavian language newspaper (The Decorah-Posten based in Decorah, Iowa). A one year subscription gave you a special discount on the sewing machine. Husvennen means “Friend of the House.” (see pictures) I did sent both owners the short explanation of how to fit a modern 15 x 1 needle in a machine that requires a 20 x 1 needle.
On the 25th I drove down to Parker and gave a short history of sewing machines and got to show off a few of my quilts to the Parker Piece Keepers Quilt Guild. I had a great time at the guild meeting everyone was quite friendly and I had several interesting conversations. It was rainy coming home Thursday night which continued through Saturday so I did not get everything brought in and put away until Sunday.
On three different occasions recently, when I have displayed some of my quilts, I have been surprised by the interest in both my Cowboy sugan and the flange binding I commonly use. I thought both the Sugan and binding were both well known.
My next quilting project is going to be a long one I am afraid. My daughter has a good friend who is an excellent quilter. About 6 or 7 years ago Cordy’s friend apparently bought a block of the month quilt kit from Craftsy (2017 Blazing Star). Unfortunately her long term partner was having some issues at this time and eventually passed. The interest in this quilt was lost and so she gave it to me. I have had it about two years now and have decided now is the time. I have been binge watching the videos on Craftsy so I will know what I should be doing. I have decided that I will at least get a start on the quilt in May.
Next week is History Fest at Centennial Village and I will be taking to mostly 4th graders about sewing machines. I also have them sign squares which I put into a small quilt. The theme for this upcoming quilt is Smokey the Bear. Smokey has been used for 80 years (since 1944) to make people aware of forest fires and how to prevent them. I was quite pleased when I found the focus fabric because I think the kids will like this theme and quilt!
My Featherweight maintenance workshops start up again on the 16th. I had quit in January so I would not have to fight bad weather but spring is here so time to get going again. I have been ordering materials so that I will have some on site and don’t have to panic ant the last minute. (Unfortunately, I always seem to forget something so there is always a small panic of some sort!)
Have a great month,
Courtney
Janey
I had a couple of sewing related events this month. I went to a shop in Denver that is called ReCreative Denver. It is a non-profit organization that according to there website "dedicated to promoting creativity, community and environmental stewardship through creative reuse & arts education." They accept donations of art supplies, including those for sewing. They had a few machines and some notions. I saw a buttonhole attachment that I hadn't seen before. I did get a few things that would fit into Singer attachment box. They had a blackside adjustable hemmer but wanted more than I wanted to pay for it.
The next day I went to visit my cousins in Loveland. They had their grandmother's machine - that had been restored - a very pretty 15 with Tiffany/Gingerbread decals . She had gotten some information from a shop that it was a 66 made in 1910. I then explained to her about the "G" serial numbers and was able to look up and it was from 1914. We were able to attach the treadle belt and I told her how to disengage the belt to put it back down in the cabinet.
In Closing
That is all for this month. We want to thank you for reading. See you next month.
Courtney
Most of my time this month has been devoted to speaking. The big one was on the 6th at the Southern Colorado Regional Quilt Show in Pueblo. I got home from Pueblo on Saturday night. I barely got my sewing machines put away before we had to pick up our daughter on Tuesday from the airport in Denver, and then the three of us took off for Portales New Mexico on Wednesday. We returned on Sunday and then had to drive down to Denver on Monday to put our daughter onto a plane home to California. Both in Pueblo and Portales, I met people who had older treadle machines that took a #20x1 needle. One was a Mason and the other a Husvennen. The Husvennen was interesting because it was a badged National machine which was sold by a Scandinavian language newspaper (The Decorah-Posten based in Decorah, Iowa). A one year subscription gave you a special discount on the sewing machine. Husvennen means “Friend of the House.” (see pictures) I did sent both owners the short explanation of how to fit a modern 15 x 1 needle in a machine that requires a 20 x 1 needle.
On the 25th I drove down to Parker and gave a short history of sewing machines and got to show off a few of my quilts to the Parker Piece Keepers Quilt Guild. I had a great time at the guild meeting everyone was quite friendly and I had several interesting conversations. It was rainy coming home Thursday night which continued through Saturday so I did not get everything brought in and put away until Sunday.
On three different occasions recently, when I have displayed some of my quilts, I have been surprised by the interest in both my Cowboy sugan and the flange binding I commonly use. I thought both the Sugan and binding were both well known.
My next quilting project is going to be a long one I am afraid. My daughter has a good friend who is an excellent quilter. About 6 or 7 years ago Cordy’s friend apparently bought a block of the month quilt kit from Craftsy (2017 Blazing Star). Unfortunately her long term partner was having some issues at this time and eventually passed. The interest in this quilt was lost and so she gave it to me. I have had it about two years now and have decided now is the time. I have been binge watching the videos on Craftsy so I will know what I should be doing. I have decided that I will at least get a start on the quilt in May.
Next week is History Fest at Centennial Village and I will be taking to mostly 4th graders about sewing machines. I also have them sign squares which I put into a small quilt. The theme for this upcoming quilt is Smokey the Bear. Smokey has been used for 80 years (since 1944) to make people aware of forest fires and how to prevent them. I was quite pleased when I found the focus fabric because I think the kids will like this theme and quilt!
My Featherweight maintenance workshops start up again on the 16th. I had quit in January so I would not have to fight bad weather but spring is here so time to get going again. I have been ordering materials so that I will have some on site and don’t have to panic ant the last minute. (Unfortunately, I always seem to forget something so there is always a small panic of some sort!)
Have a great month,
Courtney
Janey
I had a couple of sewing related events this month. I went to a shop in Denver that is called ReCreative Denver. It is a non-profit organization that according to there website "dedicated to promoting creativity, community and environmental stewardship through creative reuse & arts education." They accept donations of art supplies, including those for sewing. They had a few machines and some notions. I saw a buttonhole attachment that I hadn't seen before. I did get a few things that would fit into Singer attachment box. They had a blackside adjustable hemmer but wanted more than I wanted to pay for it.
The next day I went to visit my cousins in Loveland. They had their grandmother's machine - that had been restored - a very pretty 15 with Tiffany/Gingerbread decals . She had gotten some information from a shop that it was a 66 made in 1910. I then explained to her about the "G" serial numbers and was able to look up and it was from 1914. We were able to attach the treadle belt and I told her how to disengage the belt to put it back down in the cabinet.
In Closing
That is all for this month. We want to thank you for reading. See you next month.
#373
June 2024 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together
While Colorado has had some rough weather, particularly Greeley which was hit with a hail storm and flash flooding yesterday, it hasn't been as bad as some of the other areas of the country. We do have a fairly light report this month.
Dianne
Dianne writes about a very nice machine that she was able to get by chance.
Singer 66 - 1922
G9352513
Motor BZ 10-8
Controller 196131
An early May trip to a mineral dealer’s open house brought us nearby the Brass Armadillo, an antique/vintage emporium in Denver. So, on a whim, husband Dan and I stopped by.
A machine was not on my radar; accessories and such were. But this machine caught our eye and she came home with us. Condition was the main reason, as the machine is excellent, with decals only rubbed where fabric slides on the bed. Side clamp feet sealed the deal. The 1950- 1960 case has some superficial water damage, but otherwise is good. We plugged the machine in at the sales counter and it ran fine. The motor and light would have been an upgrade at some point, but how this machine started out is a question. Treadle? Early electric? Hand crank?
Is there a dating list for Singer motors and/or controllers? That would be helpful.
The machine being very clean, little work was needed before trying it out. Motor greased. Machine oiled. Bobbin winder works fine. Needle turned incorrectly – odd. Tension settings perfect. Motor strong. Sews like a dream. All is well, except the light is missing its lens and flickered out. Hopefully not a big deal. Then it was noted the controller was definitely warmer than it should be after stitching just a bit. Ten minutes later, just sitting plugged in, the controller was getting hotter. Now we know why this machine ended up for sale.
Watching videos and reading about these controllers occupied a few days. The eight videos on these button controllers by AndyTube on Utube seemed the most complete and come about as close to holding your hand as possible. Electricity frightens me, and I’ve never done anything like this before.
Not wanting to trouble my busy husband, I disassembled the controller. It opened easily and looked very clean. The rubber feet looked new. Somebody had been inside this recently, it appeared. The wiring was not professional, as the wire was just split and circles formed of exposed copper. The only sign of use was some black carbon on the contacts. BUT, some parts were different from the controller in Andy’s video, most remarkably the part that is situated under the button and tightens up the carbon disks. This part was permanently attached to the base and hinged. The rest of the parts looked similar, with the addition of a glass (?) plate, and in the same position. So maybe the problem was in the ceramic piece that holds those 100+ disks. The end of it away from the button had the correct 1/8” clearance. The cement covering the screw heads was like concrete. Dan was taking a break, and used a dremel to unearth the screw heads. They are slightly damaged, but OK. The disks were spilled out, and were only slightly dusty. One had a tiny sliver gone from an edge. The disks were dusted, contacts cleaned and polished, and the ceramic unit reassembled. That part did not appear to be the cause of the heating problem. So it was time to reassemble the controller.
This did not go well. After several attempts which resulted in obvious problems, Dan happened by to see how things were going. He concurred that the way I had it, the way it had been initially, would not work. Dan had not watched any of the videos or seen the unit before it was disassembled; he was totally new to this. I explained how the disks were compressed gradually, increasing the flow of electricity until reaching a point where contact was made across two flaps and full power applied. After studying it a bit, Dan had an idea. He fiddled and put it together in a manner which was obviously not like I found it, but made sense to him and we figured either it would work…..or not.
Using a ground fault connector, we plugged it in – and it works! The adjustment isn’t quite as nice as the controller on my featherweight, but it is fine. Leaving it plugged in for hours resulted in a totally cool controller. No, normally it would not be left plugged in, but we wanted to check it out. So thanks to Dan’s ingenuity, the machine now sews nicely without undue heating of the controller, and I look forward to using it extensively. The light is the only remaining issue, needing a source for a 5/8” base small spherical bulb.
Thanh
Thanh wrote a short note about what he is looking forward to and a recent purchase.
We’re heading to Taos for an art workshop and then head to TN the following week for Shakerag workshops. I’m not doing Shakerag this year, just tagging along and working remotely.
Nothing to report except I did pick up the buttonholer. However,I was wrong about the clamp. It’s a top clamp buttonholer and not back clamp.
In Closing
Thank you for reading what we have for this month. We will post again next month.
Dianne
Dianne writes about a very nice machine that she was able to get by chance.
Singer 66 - 1922
G9352513
Motor BZ 10-8
Controller 196131
An early May trip to a mineral dealer’s open house brought us nearby the Brass Armadillo, an antique/vintage emporium in Denver. So, on a whim, husband Dan and I stopped by.
A machine was not on my radar; accessories and such were. But this machine caught our eye and she came home with us. Condition was the main reason, as the machine is excellent, with decals only rubbed where fabric slides on the bed. Side clamp feet sealed the deal. The 1950- 1960 case has some superficial water damage, but otherwise is good. We plugged the machine in at the sales counter and it ran fine. The motor and light would have been an upgrade at some point, but how this machine started out is a question. Treadle? Early electric? Hand crank?
Is there a dating list for Singer motors and/or controllers? That would be helpful.
The machine being very clean, little work was needed before trying it out. Motor greased. Machine oiled. Bobbin winder works fine. Needle turned incorrectly – odd. Tension settings perfect. Motor strong. Sews like a dream. All is well, except the light is missing its lens and flickered out. Hopefully not a big deal. Then it was noted the controller was definitely warmer than it should be after stitching just a bit. Ten minutes later, just sitting plugged in, the controller was getting hotter. Now we know why this machine ended up for sale.
Watching videos and reading about these controllers occupied a few days. The eight videos on these button controllers by AndyTube on Utube seemed the most complete and come about as close to holding your hand as possible. Electricity frightens me, and I’ve never done anything like this before.
Not wanting to trouble my busy husband, I disassembled the controller. It opened easily and looked very clean. The rubber feet looked new. Somebody had been inside this recently, it appeared. The wiring was not professional, as the wire was just split and circles formed of exposed copper. The only sign of use was some black carbon on the contacts. BUT, some parts were different from the controller in Andy’s video, most remarkably the part that is situated under the button and tightens up the carbon disks. This part was permanently attached to the base and hinged. The rest of the parts looked similar, with the addition of a glass (?) plate, and in the same position. So maybe the problem was in the ceramic piece that holds those 100+ disks. The end of it away from the button had the correct 1/8” clearance. The cement covering the screw heads was like concrete. Dan was taking a break, and used a dremel to unearth the screw heads. They are slightly damaged, but OK. The disks were spilled out, and were only slightly dusty. One had a tiny sliver gone from an edge. The disks were dusted, contacts cleaned and polished, and the ceramic unit reassembled. That part did not appear to be the cause of the heating problem. So it was time to reassemble the controller.
This did not go well. After several attempts which resulted in obvious problems, Dan happened by to see how things were going. He concurred that the way I had it, the way it had been initially, would not work. Dan had not watched any of the videos or seen the unit before it was disassembled; he was totally new to this. I explained how the disks were compressed gradually, increasing the flow of electricity until reaching a point where contact was made across two flaps and full power applied. After studying it a bit, Dan had an idea. He fiddled and put it together in a manner which was obviously not like I found it, but made sense to him and we figured either it would work…..or not.
Using a ground fault connector, we plugged it in – and it works! The adjustment isn’t quite as nice as the controller on my featherweight, but it is fine. Leaving it plugged in for hours resulted in a totally cool controller. No, normally it would not be left plugged in, but we wanted to check it out. So thanks to Dan’s ingenuity, the machine now sews nicely without undue heating of the controller, and I look forward to using it extensively. The light is the only remaining issue, needing a source for a 5/8” base small spherical bulb.
Thanh
Thanh wrote a short note about what he is looking forward to and a recent purchase.
We’re heading to Taos for an art workshop and then head to TN the following week for Shakerag workshops. I’m not doing Shakerag this year, just tagging along and working remotely.
Nothing to report except I did pick up the buttonholer. However,I was wrong about the clamp. It’s a top clamp buttonholer and not back clamp.
In Closing
Thank you for reading what we have for this month. We will post again next month.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 05-29-2024 at 08:58 AM.
#374
June 2024 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together
While last year we had a very wet month of June, this year has been very dry and hot. As it turns out, June 2024 was the second-warmest June ever in Denver with 15 days above 90°. This month we have an extremely light report.
Dianne
Dianne tells of being able to find some 3D printed bobbins for her very nice looking Jones hand crank machine.
While looking for something else online, an Etsy seller (puzzlecatbobbins) caught my attention. Located in the UK, this seller is reproducing and selling long bobbins from various older machines. These are the bobbins which are often unobtainium, and usually quite expensive if found. One type offered was for the Jones Hand, and my machine (1891) has only one bobbin, so I ordered a set of five.
The bobbins arrived in good order and are an interesting gray material, ‘resin’ in the ad, which is strong without being brittle, presumably 3D printed. Side by side, except for the material and color differences, the old and new bobbins looked almost identical. The Jones Hand was pulled out, oiled, and a new bobbin wound. That worked fine. Also there were no problems sewing with this bobbin, so I consider this experiment a success. The machine was used to piece a few foundation blocks. Now I can use the Jones Hand without worrying about the old bobbin collapsing.
Jones Hand machines were apparently manufactured for about 20 years in large numbers. The paint on the front of the base on mine is perishing, but the arm is quite good. It has the badge on the base with a hawk or eagle with wings spread and talons grasping arrows, by the looks of it.
In Closing
Thank you for reading our short report this month. Hope you have a safe 4th of July. See you next month.
Dianne
Dianne tells of being able to find some 3D printed bobbins for her very nice looking Jones hand crank machine.
While looking for something else online, an Etsy seller (puzzlecatbobbins) caught my attention. Located in the UK, this seller is reproducing and selling long bobbins from various older machines. These are the bobbins which are often unobtainium, and usually quite expensive if found. One type offered was for the Jones Hand, and my machine (1891) has only one bobbin, so I ordered a set of five.
The bobbins arrived in good order and are an interesting gray material, ‘resin’ in the ad, which is strong without being brittle, presumably 3D printed. Side by side, except for the material and color differences, the old and new bobbins looked almost identical. The Jones Hand was pulled out, oiled, and a new bobbin wound. That worked fine. Also there were no problems sewing with this bobbin, so I consider this experiment a success. The machine was used to piece a few foundation blocks. Now I can use the Jones Hand without worrying about the old bobbin collapsing.
Jones Hand machines were apparently manufactured for about 20 years in large numbers. The paint on the front of the base on mine is perishing, but the arm is quite good. It has the badge on the base with a hawk or eagle with wings spread and talons grasping arrows, by the looks of it.
In Closing
Thank you for reading our short report this month. Hope you have a safe 4th of July. See you next month.
#375
August 2024 Colorado Get-together - Part 1
Denver broke the record high temperature for the third consecutive day on Sunday
July 14, 2024 The previous record for July 14 was 100 degrees, set in 1878.
The last time Denver broke July temperature records for three days running was in 2005,
The front range had some hazy days because of the northwest wildfires. Now there are two wildfires on the front range.
Cheryl
Cheryl tells of a New Home in a very ornate parlor cabinet that she was able to check out.
A little while ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted another treadle. I told her I'm full up but I'd love to look at it. It's a New Home in gorgeous condition and turns easily. It's quite clean. It just needs a bit of oil, a new front slide plate and some needles to make it go. I picked up some Boye needles that I believe will work and saw that a slide plate can be made from a CD jewel case that allows you to see the shuttle motion - so I think we'll try that. The owner is a former commercial seamstress and definitely knows how to sew and I've got her interested in keeping it and using it.
It's old enough that it doesn't have the top clamping foot, but has the back clamping foot, yet young enough that the bed has rounded corners.
cheryl
to be continued ...
July 14, 2024 The previous record for July 14 was 100 degrees, set in 1878.
The last time Denver broke July temperature records for three days running was in 2005,
The front range had some hazy days because of the northwest wildfires. Now there are two wildfires on the front range.
Cheryl
Cheryl tells of a New Home in a very ornate parlor cabinet that she was able to check out.
A little while ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted another treadle. I told her I'm full up but I'd love to look at it. It's a New Home in gorgeous condition and turns easily. It's quite clean. It just needs a bit of oil, a new front slide plate and some needles to make it go. I picked up some Boye needles that I believe will work and saw that a slide plate can be made from a CD jewel case that allows you to see the shuttle motion - so I think we'll try that. The owner is a former commercial seamstress and definitely knows how to sew and I've got her interested in keeping it and using it.
It's old enough that it doesn't have the top clamping foot, but has the back clamping foot, yet young enough that the bed has rounded corners.
cheryl
to be continued ...
#376
August 2024 Colorado Get-together - Part 2
Courtney
Courtney hasn't had much time for sewing machine adventures. However, he did find a little time that he tells about.
For the last three weeks I have been playing nurse to my wife who had a hip replacement . The operation went well and I think she is well on her way to recovery. I have not been able to do a lot on sewing machines recently but I did buy a little Elna tx machine for about $15 dollars. The tx machine is basically an Elna Stella. I had a similar machine that was not in working shape. I hoped between the two I could get one working machine. I was successful! The machine is sewing quite nicely. I am missing a front/back panel, but that has nothing to do with the way it sews. I will try and keep my eye open for another panel or some kind of replacement.
Last month was very hectic leading up to Connie’s surgery. The building the physics storage and shop has been housed in for many years now is being torn down and replaced with a new one. I had to get everything out of both the storage and the shop. My last trip was the day before Connie’s surgery and I haven’t had time since to even unpack my car. It has been filled with stuff for the last three weeks. I hope to get some if it unpacked this coming week. Before I had to be completely out of the shop, I did make a four wooden boxes for some of my larger sewing machines. They are not pretty but they are functional.
Saturday, while I was out on a run to get pieces to fix Connie’s rollator, I stopped at a garage sale and bought a couple of salesmen’s sample cases for $3.00 each. I have found these cases also make a good sewing machine cases for average sized machines. Hopefully things will calm down in August and I can play a bit more. I have a baby quilt to finish for a nephew and his wife and I have got to get started on a Craftsy Blazing Star quilt kit I was given some time ago.
(I have included a picture which shows on of the boxes I built and the larger machine I am going to house in it. The picture also shows the little Elna tx machine and the salesmen sample cases.)
In Closing
Thank you for reading. Hope you all enjoy the last crazy, hazy days of summer. See you next month.
Courtney hasn't had much time for sewing machine adventures. However, he did find a little time that he tells about.
For the last three weeks I have been playing nurse to my wife who had a hip replacement . The operation went well and I think she is well on her way to recovery. I have not been able to do a lot on sewing machines recently but I did buy a little Elna tx machine for about $15 dollars. The tx machine is basically an Elna Stella. I had a similar machine that was not in working shape. I hoped between the two I could get one working machine. I was successful! The machine is sewing quite nicely. I am missing a front/back panel, but that has nothing to do with the way it sews. I will try and keep my eye open for another panel or some kind of replacement.
Last month was very hectic leading up to Connie’s surgery. The building the physics storage and shop has been housed in for many years now is being torn down and replaced with a new one. I had to get everything out of both the storage and the shop. My last trip was the day before Connie’s surgery and I haven’t had time since to even unpack my car. It has been filled with stuff for the last three weeks. I hope to get some if it unpacked this coming week. Before I had to be completely out of the shop, I did make a four wooden boxes for some of my larger sewing machines. They are not pretty but they are functional.
Saturday, while I was out on a run to get pieces to fix Connie’s rollator, I stopped at a garage sale and bought a couple of salesmen’s sample cases for $3.00 each. I have found these cases also make a good sewing machine cases for average sized machines. Hopefully things will calm down in August and I can play a bit more. I have a baby quilt to finish for a nephew and his wife and I have got to get started on a Craftsy Blazing Star quilt kit I was given some time ago.
(I have included a picture which shows on of the boxes I built and the larger machine I am going to house in it. The picture also shows the little Elna tx machine and the salesmen sample cases.)
In Closing
Thank you for reading. Hope you all enjoy the last crazy, hazy days of summer. See you next month.
#377
September 2024 Colorado Get-together - Part 1
Like the rest of the country August brought a lot of heat. Denver broke the record high temperature for August 4th with a temperature 102° The Mile High City has hit 100 degrees five times so far in 2024. This has happened four other times in the city’s history in 2022, 2021, 1990 and 1989. This is tied for the third-most 100-degree days in a single year behind 2012 at 13 and 2005 at seven.
In spite of the heat we have some contributions this month.
Leon
Leon, our member at large from Kansas, had two submissions this month. He tells us how he helped a nephew speed up a Pfaff industrial.
Early in August I made a very quick trip to the Denver area, I waved at you all. One of my nephews had a new to him Pfaff industrial. Could I look it over? Out came the screwdrivers and I bought him a zoom spout oiler. Oil and cleaning nearly doubled the speed. He was surprised. How fun that was. My family came from the Kaiserlautern area, in about 1830
to be continued ...
In spite of the heat we have some contributions this month.
Leon
Leon, our member at large from Kansas, had two submissions this month. He tells us how he helped a nephew speed up a Pfaff industrial.
Early in August I made a very quick trip to the Denver area, I waved at you all. One of my nephews had a new to him Pfaff industrial. Could I look it over? Out came the screwdrivers and I bought him a zoom spout oiler. Oil and cleaning nearly doubled the speed. He was surprised. How fun that was. My family came from the Kaiserlautern area, in about 1830
to be continued ...
#378
September 2024 Colorado Get-together - Part 2
Leon continued
Then he wrote to tell about a recent acquisiton
Hello from Kansas. Iris and I got a PEARL this morning. It was all of 7 miles away. The previous owner and seen Iris and I at a hand crank event. She was pleased that we got her machine. She enjoyed it when I showed her where her bobbin had been hiding. The aftermarket swing a way motor had a radiator hose clamp as part of the mounting system. First day pics follow.
to be continued ...
Then he wrote to tell about a recent acquisiton
Hello from Kansas. Iris and I got a PEARL this morning. It was all of 7 miles away. The previous owner and seen Iris and I at a hand crank event. She was pleased that we got her machine. She enjoyed it when I showed her where her bobbin had been hiding. The aftermarket swing a way motor had a radiator hose clamp as part of the mounting system. First day pics follow.
to be continued ...
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 09-04-2024 at 07:17 AM.
#379
September 2024 Colorado Get-together - Part 3
Courtney
Courtney was able to get a couple of nice machines from old friends that he tells us about.
If you like playing around with old sewing machines you regularly seem to get people with old machines asking if you might like theirs. This has been a month in which I got two messages asking if I would like an old sewing machine. (I did say yes to both!)
The first was an email from an old friend in Science Fiction. He and his sisters were cleaning out their mother’s house. He wrote:
Last month my wife, Connie, had a hip replaced. She is doing well now but the letter above arrived while she was in the middle of Physical Therapy. Gave us a bit of sunshine and encouragement to get through the hard times. Of course good things don’t happen all the time. Just as Connie was getting back close to normal, I came down with COVID. Of course, a few days later Connie also came down with COVID. It was the first time for both of us and we both have come through just fine. A bit tired at times but we’re both doing well again. Just as I was starting to feel better I got the following Text message from an old friend with whom I used to teach. His wife also worked at the school in the office, so I knew both of them quite well.
If u find it on your front porch u know what it is. Linda has another machine so she doesn’t want it back. You might be able to sell of trade parts off of it. Good luck with it, I just hate to throw it in the trash.
KenAbout a day later the machine showed up on the porch. I had done a bit of homework and downloaded a manual and a service manual for the machine and had looked a a couple of YouTube videos to see what might be the most common failures.
When I tried the machine the motor seemed to run fine and would respond to the pedal but the machine would not make a stitch. As I started to try and remove the external panes so I could get to the mechanism, I found the hand wheel was not properly screwed tight. I got out a screwdriver and tightened the screw holding the handwheel on. The machine seemed to instantly respond. There were no broken or missing parts so supply problems were not a concern. I did go on to check the belts and a problematic capacitor but everything was in good shape. I went ahead and gave it a good lubrication and put it back together. It now seems to be running as nice and smoothly a you would expect a Bernina to run. I can’t help but think the shop she took it into was playing a fast one on her.
I felt very guilty that the problem was so simple so I wrote back saying that I had gotten it machine fixed and offering it back to them. They wrote back saying the Linda has another machine now (not nearly as nice as the Bernina I bet) and besides she no longer does much sewing so I could keep the machine. What a nice present!
The Bernina 930 has to be the penical of mechanical sewing machines. It does have a motherboard enclosed to run the electronic pedal and a couple of other special things it can do (needle up and needle down and special basting stitches.) However even if the electrical board died it could be stripped out and replaced with a modern generic foot controller and the machine would still do 90% of its capabilities and be a wonderful sewer.
This has been a good month, I have been in contact with some old friends and I have two new machines. The machines kind of cover the whold range of mechanical sewing machines from the simplest the the most sophisticated!
Courtney
In Closing
Fall is around the corner and should bring cooler temperatures. Thank you for those who follow these monthly postings. See you next month.
Courtney was able to get a couple of nice machines from old friends that he tells us about.
If you like playing around with old sewing machines you regularly seem to get people with old machines asking if you might like theirs. This has been a month in which I got two messages asking if I would like an old sewing machine. (I did say yes to both!)
The first was an email from an old friend in Science Fiction. He and his sisters were cleaning out their mother’s house. He wrote:
“Hi Courtney,
One of the things my mom still had was a 1950s Singer SewHandy machine. Neither of my sisters could recall using it, so we're not sure if it got used at all.
It has the original box and instruction manual and clamp.
Neither they nor their kids were interested in it, so I thought I'd see if this is something you could use for your collection.
If not, I thought you might know someone who would.
Lee”
He included the two enclosed pictures. It was a very cute SewHandy sewing machine. It included not only the machine but also the original clamp, the original instructions and the original box in very good condition.One of the things my mom still had was a 1950s Singer SewHandy machine. Neither of my sisters could recall using it, so we're not sure if it got used at all.
It has the original box and instruction manual and clamp.
Neither they nor their kids were interested in it, so I thought I'd see if this is something you could use for your collection.
If not, I thought you might know someone who would.
Lee”
Last month my wife, Connie, had a hip replaced. She is doing well now but the letter above arrived while she was in the middle of Physical Therapy. Gave us a bit of sunshine and encouragement to get through the hard times. Of course good things don’t happen all the time. Just as Connie was getting back close to normal, I came down with COVID. Of course, a few days later Connie also came down with COVID. It was the first time for both of us and we both have come through just fine. A bit tired at times but we’re both doing well again. Just as I was starting to feel better I got the following Text message from an old friend with whom I used to teach. His wife also worked at the school in the office, so I knew both of them quite well.
Linda has a Bernina that she has tried to get fixed but repair people said a fire wiped out parts. If you want this it’s yours.
Ken
Ken also incuded a picture of a Bernina 930 in its carring case. Apparently, Linda had taken it in to be fixed about 10 years ago and it had just been sitting taking up space and they had decided to do something with it. (Give it to me.) I of course said I would be interested. So Ken sent the following text:Ken
If u find it on your front porch u know what it is. Linda has another machine so she doesn’t want it back. You might be able to sell of trade parts off of it. Good luck with it, I just hate to throw it in the trash.
Ken
When I tried the machine the motor seemed to run fine and would respond to the pedal but the machine would not make a stitch. As I started to try and remove the external panes so I could get to the mechanism, I found the hand wheel was not properly screwed tight. I got out a screwdriver and tightened the screw holding the handwheel on. The machine seemed to instantly respond. There were no broken or missing parts so supply problems were not a concern. I did go on to check the belts and a problematic capacitor but everything was in good shape. I went ahead and gave it a good lubrication and put it back together. It now seems to be running as nice and smoothly a you would expect a Bernina to run. I can’t help but think the shop she took it into was playing a fast one on her.
I felt very guilty that the problem was so simple so I wrote back saying that I had gotten it machine fixed and offering it back to them. They wrote back saying the Linda has another machine now (not nearly as nice as the Bernina I bet) and besides she no longer does much sewing so I could keep the machine. What a nice present!
The Bernina 930 has to be the penical of mechanical sewing machines. It does have a motherboard enclosed to run the electronic pedal and a couple of other special things it can do (needle up and needle down and special basting stitches.) However even if the electrical board died it could be stripped out and replaced with a modern generic foot controller and the machine would still do 90% of its capabilities and be a wonderful sewer.
This has been a good month, I have been in contact with some old friends and I have two new machines. The machines kind of cover the whold range of mechanical sewing machines from the simplest the the most sophisticated!
Courtney
In Closing
Fall is around the corner and should bring cooler temperatures. Thank you for those who follow these monthly postings. See you next month.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 09-04-2024 at 07:24 AM.
#380
October 2024 Colorado Get-together
While we have had some cooler weather, it has been still quite warm. Denver broke and or tied some record high temperatures. Some dating back to 1892 with September being the warmest in history. They are forecasting another record breaking high temperature for today, possibly breaking a couple of records.
Dianne
Dianne tells of a couple of vintage sewing machine related things that she was able to get this month.
This past month hasn’t been terribly productive machine-wise, but two pieces of ephemera have been found. In August the advertisement for the Hamilton Ross electric chainstitch machine showed up on eBay. It is large format (10 x 14 1/2”) from the Sunday newspaper in Atlanta, GA on April 14, 1950. The ad has been framed and makes a nice display on the wall above my machine. The ad does not mention that this is a chainstitch machine. My Hamilton Ross sews very nicely, as reported on about two years ago.
The other interesting bit is a Bausch and Lomb magnifier, printed in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Willcox and Gibbs. It is in great condition despite being all plastic and came in the original box with the directions included.
Dianne
Courtney
Courtney tells about hauling vintage and antique sewing machines around this month.
This last month has been mostly spent lugging sewing machines around and talking about them. I gave a presentation to the Quaking Aspen Quilt Guild in Boulder on a brief history of sewing machines which required me to load the car with about 14 antique and vintage machines. There were lots of questions after I was done which seemed to me to imply there was a lot of interest. Towards the end of September, I spent a week down at Centennial Village here in Greeley talking to fourth graders about sewing machines, while they also got to make rope, watch a blacksmith forge a nail, and hear about Rattlesnake Kate. I had to take 9 other machines plus a bunch of other paraphernalia and quilts to Centennial Village. I have asked students to sign squares of fabric which I make into a new quilt for each history fest. There are now 22 quilts in all. The design for this History Fest was an autumn pumpkin patch I made with some vintage (1998) fabric. Things went without much trouble except for the machine I demonstrate using treadle. For some reason it just stopped picking up the thread, so I had to replace it with another machine at the last minute. At least now I have a sewing machine project for this coming month!
Hope everyone is enjoying the fall.
Courtney
In Closing
Hopefully, the really hot weather will soon be over. We hope that everyone has a good October. We will post here again next month. Until then, thank you for reading.
Dianne
Dianne tells of a couple of vintage sewing machine related things that she was able to get this month.
This past month hasn’t been terribly productive machine-wise, but two pieces of ephemera have been found. In August the advertisement for the Hamilton Ross electric chainstitch machine showed up on eBay. It is large format (10 x 14 1/2”) from the Sunday newspaper in Atlanta, GA on April 14, 1950. The ad has been framed and makes a nice display on the wall above my machine. The ad does not mention that this is a chainstitch machine. My Hamilton Ross sews very nicely, as reported on about two years ago.
The other interesting bit is a Bausch and Lomb magnifier, printed in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Willcox and Gibbs. It is in great condition despite being all plastic and came in the original box with the directions included.
Dianne
Courtney
Courtney tells about hauling vintage and antique sewing machines around this month.
This last month has been mostly spent lugging sewing machines around and talking about them. I gave a presentation to the Quaking Aspen Quilt Guild in Boulder on a brief history of sewing machines which required me to load the car with about 14 antique and vintage machines. There were lots of questions after I was done which seemed to me to imply there was a lot of interest. Towards the end of September, I spent a week down at Centennial Village here in Greeley talking to fourth graders about sewing machines, while they also got to make rope, watch a blacksmith forge a nail, and hear about Rattlesnake Kate. I had to take 9 other machines plus a bunch of other paraphernalia and quilts to Centennial Village. I have asked students to sign squares of fabric which I make into a new quilt for each history fest. There are now 22 quilts in all. The design for this History Fest was an autumn pumpkin patch I made with some vintage (1998) fabric. Things went without much trouble except for the machine I demonstrate using treadle. For some reason it just stopped picking up the thread, so I had to replace it with another machine at the last minute. At least now I have a sewing machine project for this coming month!
Hope everyone is enjoying the fall.
Courtney
In Closing
Hopefully, the really hot weather will soon be over. We hope that everyone has a good October. We will post here again next month. Until then, thank you for reading.
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sewcrazygirl
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04-21-2011 08:51 PM