An Old "New" Favorite?

A while back, I mentioned that I found a 1950 Singer 201-2 while Michel and I were out "junking". The machine was locked up, but the price tag was right and of course, she followed me home. (Michel is a HUGE enabler, but that is an entire post in and of itself.) This is what she looked like, as found:

1950 Singer 201-2 with a Western Electric wood case.

This 201-2 was just sitting in a Western Electric wooden case, as the hinge pins do not align properly. She sat in my sewing, craft, rehab, catch-all room for a few weeks before I finally made the time to dig into her innards and get her stitching. I spent all day this past Saturday and most of Sunday soaking her in oil, removing parts, cleaning, and freeing up this locked up gem. When I was about 80% finished, with only the motor left to tackle, I decided to make a few test stitches from just turning her over by hand. WOW! Three words: smooth, straight, sweet! Those test stitches were enough of a motivation to service her built-in motor and produce some real stitches.

Servicing the motor was a lot easier than I had anticipated. The motor wires were still in great condition, with no dry flaking insulation, as is typical with a 50+ year old machine. The motor leads were still very pliable and supple, which made servicing the motor much easier and faster. Also, I skipped servicing the metal foot controller for now, and swiped a bakelite controller from one of my Featherweights. Once the motor service was completed, I mounted the 201-2 into the wood base I had obtained from eBay. The base is a custom made 'reproduction' of the Singer-style bentwood case bases. It suits this machine well.

All cleaned, serviced and ready to sew!
And I really love the new walnut base.

And here she is stitching. I apologize beforehand for the video quality; one-handed videography is not my forte.

I will start piecing my next quilt on her this week. If she performs like her sister, my 201K, I believe this 201-2 could become my new favorite machine. And if so, I think I may name her "Margaret", after my favorite aunt - my mom's youngest sister. I'll keep you updated. Until then, happy sewing!

Smiling from Ear to Ear

Last week I received a phone call from one of the many places I had submitted my resume. After a 30 minute phone interview in the middle of Bed, Bath & Beyond, I impressed the hiring manager enough to land the in-person interview. Woo Hoo! I was so excited, I almost forgot why I was in BB&B - I needed a new iron as my old one decided to spew forth gobs of rust and muck! Luckily I was using a pressing cloth at the time. With my 20% Off coupon, I settled on one of the Rowenta models and merrily headed home.

Speed forward three days - the interview went great! Both the company and I felt good about the entire process, and two days later I was invited back for a second interview. And I am happy and proud to say - I landed the job! I start on St. Patrick's Day and I'm looking forward to the new experience and industry. There is of course a trial period - three months where the salary adjusts and before full benefits kick in. But to be honest, it's an honest to goodness job and I'm tickled to be back in the work force!

On to more good news....The Kissing Fish quilt is all pieced. The 201k did a wonderful job; me on the other had, I really need more experience with my points aligning correctly. That will come in time. I've since purchased a 1/4" foot that is compatible with all of my old Singers, and I tested it out on the 201k and then the 15-91. The 15-91 needed a presser bar alignment, but after that...PRESTO! The best 1/4" seams I've ever stitched...on both machines.

Speaking of the 15-91...Hercules is completed. Yes, I named the machine Hercules, because quite honestly, this machine is a total brutish beast! It has so much power and speed that I can truthfully say that if I ever stitch my finger together, it will be with the 15-91! I will dedicate a post to the restoration of Hercules and he will be quilting the Kissing Fish.

I sold two of my Featherweights about two weeks ago and the majority of the proceeds will go towards tomorrow's Sewing & Quilting Expo here in Atlanta. Now I can spend a few dollars and not feel guilty. I did, however, already acquire another machine. Actually, Michel found it and encouraged me to purchase it; he's such a wonderful enabler! I now have a 1950 Singer 201-2 in my herd.

1950 Singer 201-2

This little (okay, heavy) beauty begged to come home. She was sitting in a Western Electric bentwood case with a few bobbins, screwdriver and original manual. Note the metal foot controller - I'll replace that with something different. I've never been a fan of the metal controllers. They are neat to have as original equipment, but I prefer the bakelite controllers. And yes, to answer the question before it is asked...I am looking for a Western Electric machine for that case!

I also found this and want to duplicate it.

Clown Quilt

It looks like a fun project and would a great gift for any one of my nieces or nephews. Or maybe even me!

I'll post my goodies from the Expo - I need to make my list before bedtime.  Until tomorrow - cheers!

The M-I-L Quilt

Last month, I finally finished a quilt for my mother-in-law. Mind you, this quilt has been in the works for quite some time. I purchased the fabric three years ago this past Spring, with the intention of making and of giving the quilt to her for Christmas that year. Needless to say, that didn't happen.

Back in March, I pulled the fabric out of my storage bin and began working on this quilt to present to her for Mother's Day. One week beforehand, the top was mostly finished, and after cutting the final pieces per the written instructions, I discovered I was 3.5" x 13" too short to complete the quilt top. Damn!

This particular quilt top was designed to use just three (3) yards of fabric, to minimize waste and facilitate the ease of constructing it. I had followed the instructions to the letter, cut each fabric as described and yet I was still short of fabric. Why you ask? Well, I quickly discovered that the designer had intended the long vertical pieces to be stitched together butted up against one another, right side to right side, one on top of the other. And if I had joined those strips in that manner, I would not have had any shortages.  But, I have been taught that to strengthen such long, narrow pieces, one should stitch them on a diagonal or miter to help minimize wear and stress on those seams.

So, what to do? There was no way to find the exact same fabric three years later. I had to scramble and find a close match, and rip out and re-sew the entire outside border, and then use that same fabric for the binding. To the average person, they will never see the difference. To me, and I'm certain to other quilters, it will be noticed. (That's Michel peeking out, like Wilson from "Home Improvement".)

I haven't mastered free-motion quilting, so
it's all straight line for now.

But alas, it is finished, and it looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. And it is the first quilt top I've made where ALL of the corners aligned properly and squarely. I attribute that to the machine - a 1947 Singer 201K that I picked up in the Spring. The entire quilt was pieced, quilted, and partially bound on this machine (I plan on featuring it in a post, just give me time). Even though the quilt design is simple, I am truly proud of the finished product and enjoyed making it, fabric shortage notwithstanding. I certainly hope MIL enjoys it as well. She lives on the Florida coast, and tends to be a bit cold natured in the wintertime. This should suit her nicely.