Buttons, buttons...buttons

When I began making my latest shirt, I must admit that buttons were the farthest thing from my mind. I picked the pattern, I dug the fabric out of my stash, and I chose a nice red thread for the assembly. But nope, never did I even consider what buttons I would use.

I usually stick with the plain and simple white, opalescent buttons. They match just about everything and all of my store-bought shirts have come with extras, so I've amassed quite a collection. So, now that the shirt is assembled (I stayed up way too late last night finishing it), I have to make a button choice. I pulled out my stash of buttons (we all have them, I think we secretly hoard them), and I just stared. I narrowed it down to four.

The top is the opalescent standby. This shirt makes a statement, so I'm not certain I want plain Jane buttons. The second button is a milky, variegated  almost translucent white. I like it and it stands out against the red of the fabric. The red button was actually my first color choice. It disappears into the red of the fabric, but really stands out against the white flowers. The last one is almost and off-white, but it doesn't show well in the photo. That button blends the best with the flowers and their internal coloring. I'm really leaning towards that one, with the red as a very close second.

With either of those two buttons, there will be a certain amount of high contrast, depending on where the button holes fall on the placket. And, because I've chosen to use the same red thread used in assembly and the top-stitching for the buttonholes. Therefore, my buttonholes better look perfect. And they will look perfect, because I'll be using my grandmother's 401 and the Singer Professional Buttonholer. That little gizmo makes better buttonholes than any modern machine that I've seen. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself.)

Also, I need to decide if I want to put buttons on the collar, to hold the collar crisply to the shirt, like a typical oxford. When I tried the shirt on last night (and it fits GREAT!), I couldn't decide if I liked the collar falling wherever, or if I liked it better tacked down. I'm leaning towards the tacked down version, even though the pattern doesn't call for it. I'll need to find two smaller buttons in the same color and style as the rest. That task may just make the decision for me.

As soon as this shirt is done, I need to start tearing down and cleaning the Singer 66-1 and cut the fabric for my Halloween costume. It's a boring Roman senator/Caesar pattern, that I hope to jazz up a bit with some fancy stitchery using either the 401 or the modern L-500. The L-500 makes a horrible straight stitch, but its decorative stitches are beautiful. I had to pull out the Featherweight to top-stitch the sleeve cuffs on my shirt; the L-500 just balked at the multiple layers of fabric and interfacing. It's a good thing I bought it used for a third of its retail cost and that it quilts beautifully; otherwise I'd have thrown it out the window.

Current Project

In between rebuilding/restoring my vintage machines, I am actually managing to find some time for sewing. Not a lot of time, mind you, but some time here and there. My current project is a Simplicity 2741 shirt that I actually started a few months ago. I'm working on view 'A', the blue one in the photo.

When I made the first muslin, I traced and cut the pattern based upon the Large/40"-44" chest size; my actual chest measurement is a 42". (Do you know how long I've wanted to say that??? Pre-weight loss it was 54".) Once that muslin was completed and I did the test fit, the shirt was entirely too large - shoulders, chest, waist/gut. I even felt like the sleeves were sails for small ship! I started pinning, marking and adjusting the muslin and realized that too many adjustments would have to be made. I re-cut the pattern using the Medium/38"-40" chest size and it seems to be working much better now.

Simplicity 2741

I've completed the back/yoke/front attachment; added the collar and collar stand. And last night I prepped the cuffs and attached both sleeves. This particular pattern has one of the easiest collar assemblies in my opinion. The instructions and the graphics are straight forward and appear easier to follow than other shirt patterns I have used. Maybe I'm just getting better with experience, but I would recommend this pattern to a a beginner.

And yes, I know the fabric is really 'loud' and obnoxious. I bought this fabric on clearance a few years ago, with the intention of using it in a quilt. But I liked it so much, I really thought it would make a great shirt. Unfortunately, at my size then, the print would have magnified my size and so it sat in the closet to be forgotten. When I went digging through my stash a few weeks ago, I rediscovered it and said 'why not?'.  I have the confidence to wear it now, and if nothing else, I'm sure I could find a luau/beach party to attend and show it off. One thing is for certain, it will be a one of a kind. I'm not afraid of a little color, are you? I hope to finish it this weekend - we'll see how that goes.

"Popera"

Ok, I'll admit it: I'm a fan of "popera", the genre of music that fuses pop with opera, made famous by Josh Groban and Il Divo. And I'll admit that I like Il Divo as well. In a world where modern musical lyrics are filled with *&^% words in every verse, it is a pleasant experience to listen to something soothing and gentle, both on the ears and also on the soul.

I first heard the popera sound with Josh Groban's hit "You Raise Me Up". It played on the radio while Mom and I were on our way back from one of her chemo treatments. By the end of the song, I was a flood of tears - enough to solve the current mid-west drought. Later that night, I searched iTunes and found Josh's album (is that still the correct term?) and downloaded it in its entirety. I have since played that album over and over, and I hear something different each time I listen (maybe that's because I'm trying to decipher/translate the Spanish/French/Italian lyrics?).

Listening to Josh, led me to Il Divo. Four international men with distinct voices (who look damn good in a well-cut suit/tuxedo). They sing pop songs, with an operatic twist and many of the songs are sung in the Romance languages (S/P/I). Something about their sound resonates in me; especially tenor David Miller's voice. I get all tingly when I hear him sing. To me, it has the same majesty as I would imagine an angel singing in Heaven. The group members have said that their biggest fans are generally "older moms". Well, I hope they aren't offended that this middle-aged man really enjoys their music. And if you like Il Divo, you'll enjoy the Canadian Tenors. I discovered them this week with the wonders of the internet radio and Pandora.

David Miller of Il Divo

Listening to the soothing music of the above artists has been truly beneficial this week while working on my Bachelor Puzzle quilt top. Many times I wanted to pull my greying hair out by handfuls. Out of the 560 individual squares and triangles, maybe half of those lined up properly. Putting the project away on three separate occasions when house guests took over my sewing room didn't help; nor did switching from one of my vintage machines (the 301A) to a modern one (L-500). But, it is assembled. I will machine quilt it with Singer Quantum L-500 - the main reason I bought that machine. I'm still pondering what pattern to use for the actual quilting. In the meantime I've set it aside and moved back into shirt making. I have loads of fabric and ideas for some great holiday shirts. If they are going to be finished in time, I really need to get a move on with those. Maybe I should go listen to some David Miller for inspiration. Ok...enough of that....it sounds eerily like a man-crush!

Of All Things, Why Vintage Sewing Machines?

Restoring a vintage sewing machine is truly a labor of love and a time consuming task, as I have quickly discovered over the last several years with each successive machine. I never imagined that such a symbol of domesticity would ever give me such joy as these hefty little beauties seem to provide. My journey into this hobby began with my grandmother's Singer 401A.

I inherited Nana's sewing machine back in 1995 when she passed away. It was her only possession that I truly wanted and fortunately for me, no one else in my family saw any value in the old machine. I don't mean monetary value, though top condition 401's can bring a nice sum of money these days; I mean in sentimental and emotional value, as each time I look at or use that 1950's beige and white machine, I relive some of the happiest memories of my childhood. That machine is priceless to me. I watched her sew and repair many garments on that machine; she patched my favorite pair of jeans where I had worn the seat out, on that machine; Nana taught me to sew on that machine.

Over the years, I have made mostly quilts with the 401, making one for each of my nieces and nephews at their birth. I've patched some clothing, hemmed a lot of pants (being only 5'6", I hem a lot of pants). A couple of years ago, I opened up the sewing cabinet to hem a newly acquired pair of jeans. As I started my project, I noticed the machine didn't quite sound 'right'; she was a little sluggish, and her stitch knobs wouldn't budge. I pushed on and finished my small project, but I was concerned that my grandmother's machine may be on her last leg.

I started searching the internet and joining any/all sewing machine forums I could find. I felt like a vacuum cleaner at one point, sucking in so much information. With my newly found 'knowledge' and printouts of parts charts, wiring diagrams, and an adjuster's manual (thank you Lord for the internet!), I set out to breathe new life into Nana's 1958 Singer 401A - the Slant-O-Matic.

Nana's 1958 Singer 401A Slant-O-Matic

Two weeks and a lot of elbow grease later, Nana's 401 was sewing like new again! I can't tell you how much joy and pride I have in this little beauty! I say little, but even with a cast aluminum body, she still weighs in at about 25 lbs! And I haven't come across a single thing that she can't sew through when using the proper needle. She could certainly handle another round of intense cleaning; 40+ years of cigarette smoke and nicotine definitely take their toll. So now each time I sew with her, I give her a nice clean up afterwards and she shines just a little bit more.

While doing my research to fix and repair my grandmother's machine, I discovered that having a few spare parts on hand might not be a bad idea. After all, this machine hasn't been produced in nearly 50 years and new O.E.M. parts would certainly become harder to find than hen's teeth. One part in particular that I was concerned about given my 401's recent sluggishness was a replacement  for the internal motor. Fortunately, dried, gummy oil had caused her slow responsiveness and not the motor, but having a spare certainly couldn't hurt.

I began scouring my local Craigslist for similar machines and one day a Singer 403 popped up, for a dirt cheap price. The 403A is in essence the same as a 401 with one major exception - the 403 requires external cams (Singer called them Fashion Disks) to be inserted to zig-zag or make fancy stitches; the 401 has the zig-zag built in, as well as multiple other stitches and can use the Fashion Disks also.  I call the owner who it turns out was settling his father's estate; his father had bought the machine new for his mom and it hadn't been used in years. All the parts were there, so I loaded her up and brought her home. After inspection, I realized this machine had seen little to no use, and using my newly acquired knowledge about the 401, I set about servicing the the new-to-me 1959 Singer 403A.

1959 Singer 403A Special

The Singer 403A cleaned up and sewed beautifully, albeit a bit noisier than Nana's 401. I think probably because the 403 had never truly been broken-in.  She became the second machine in my collection and I soon realized just how great these machines are. They were designed to last a lifetime without worries or troubles. They were made in the USA, when workers had pride in the job and in their product, and were made long before built-in obsolescence was commonplace.

I decided then that I wanted more of a challenge and began looking for an out-of-service machine. That next machine just happened to be a Singer 404 - the basic straight-stitch only introductory machine to the Slant 400 series.  That machine had been used hard and put away wet, as it were, having been used in schools to teach and it had obvious signs of abuse.  A few eBay parts later and some touch-up paint later, this bad-boy was ready for another 40+ years of sewing.

1959 Singer 404

And so a new hobby (addiction?) was born...all from the love and adoration of my Nana and her cherished Singer 401A.

Pictures as Promised…

First off, I changed the format of the blog; I needed a splash of color to reflect how I’ve been feeling lately. Too much? Is the white text on black harder or easier to read?
Drumroll….the before and after picture. I can’t believe I’m putting this out there in the world, as I am truly embarrassed by the before picture. I cannot believe I allowed myself to become as large as I did. It is amazing how much denial I showed every time I looked in the mirror. But I am very proud of my ‘after’ picture and I am putting the before/after out there so that if one other person is inspired to get healthy, my ‘before’ embarrassment will be worth it. I still have about 20 lbs more to go, so without further ado…

An improvement, yes? I certainly feel more energetic and much more comfortable in my own skin.
Next…the new addition to my Singer collection. As I said earlier, this was an incredible find at a local garage sale and it fulfilled one of the items on my ‘wish list’. It’s a 1953 Singer 15-88 treadle sewing machine, and after some serious elbow grease, it is an amazingly beautiful and quiet sewing machine.

With this machine and my Nana’s Singer 401, I’ve been busy making some customized clothing for my ‘new wardrobe’. I’ve sewn two casual beach shirts, a pair of pajama pants, and a muslin dress-shirt template. The first three I’ll share with you today, as I am quite pleased as how they turned out. The muslin will remain hanging in my craft room so I can learn from my mistakes. I won’t be sharing that messy catastrophe (smile). The next will be better; practice makes perfect.

The ‘Parrot Shirt’

Blue Beach Shirt

My Pajama pants. Yes, these pants are covered with half-naked firemen. Yes, I know, they’re so gay and I LOVE them!
After the muslin disaster, I decided to take a break from garment sewing for a bit and to finally make myself a quilt. I’ve made a dozen or so over the years and I have given them all away as gifts. Now it’s time for my very own quilt to keep my shrinking body warm during the winter! Below is a swatch of the fabrics I’ve chosen and I hope to keep the blog updated with the quilts progress.

 

These are the base 3 7/8” half-square triangle squares. Only 550-some-odd more to cut before I can actually begin to sew. It’s a good thing I’m starting now!
Until next time…

Summer Pre-occupation

It's hard to believe it has been almost two entire months since I posted last. I'm either an extremely lazy blogger, or I've been busier than I had thought! I'll cast my vote for "busy", as I certainly know I haven't been lazy!

On the lifestyle change/weight-loss front - today, I am down officially 66 lbs. Gone and not coming back! I feel better than I have in years, and getting compliments from random strangers and old friends alike never hurts either. I'll need to put up a new photo, or maybe wait until Christmas and do a side-by-side from last year to this year. I won't say it hasn't been difficult; trying to stay motivated to keep with the healthier choices is a daily struggle, but it is a struggle that I am winning. The best motivator lately (and the most expensive) has been replacing my wardrobe...nothing fits as it is all too big! Shopping for smaller sizes never felt so good! And this has also prompted me to try my hand at garment sewing again, as standard ready-made shirts just do not feel comfortable anymore. My shoulders are still too broad for the smaller sizes, but the larger ones could be used as a pup-tent in the abdominal area.

And speaking of sewing, I added a 'new' vintage piece to my growing collection. A 1953 Singer treadle joined my herd about a month ago. I've always wanted a treadle and this one was a garage sale bargain! After a thorough cleaning and services, I am amazed out how well she performs. I refer to it as a 'her' because it is a similar machine to one my great-grandmother used and it reminds me of her. I'll put pictures of 'Mae-belle' (in honor of my g-gran) later this evening, as well as the two beach-style shirts I've made, as well as the muslin button-down. The button-down needs more practice, but I completed it, with alterations, and it fits rather well.

The patio jungle is, well, still a jungle. The melons finally succumbed to the Georgia summer heat, but the tomatoes and peppers have since gone completely gangbusters. I'm harvesting more of those than I can possible eat! It may be time to find some of my Nana's salsa or spaghetti sauce recipes and start storing them away for winter. But let me tell you, nothing beats a good old-fashioned home-grown tomato sandwich in the middle of summer! Yum!!!!

Pictures later - I promise!