Friday, September 9, 2016

Fabric and sewing machine

Visiting Mystic Quilter's blog can be quite dangerous. She had Kaffe's Dream fabric in green, so I had to have some too. I didn't want it to get lonely on its trip to my house, so it came with three other colorways. And then, of course, why not more owl eyes? And I must be ready for fall, because I couldn't resist the Martha Negley hydrangeas fabric that was on sale. It is quite lovely.

With my Bernina in the shop, I thought it was time I bring the Singer 301 up to speed. I gave it oil and lubrication, and found a pencil inscription inside that said "oiled June 12, 1955." That wasn't the last time it got oil and was cleaned, because it is in very good shape. I still have some work to do with the tension though. Also, it has a setup where you use the side of your knee to work the foot pedal. This is quite confusing for me because I have been using a Bernina knee lift for over 30 years. So, yes, I did find myself trying to raise the presser foot by starting the motor.

Here is some of the wildlife I spotted on the way from the sewing room to the office. Molly prefers wool batting and decided this scrap would be a hallway toy. If you ever played with a "Slip and Slide" as a child, you will get the idea.

Meanwhile, the cats are enjoying the empty Bernina table and are calling it the cool cat hangout. Buddy has applied to be a cat, and Molly is considering his application. He has taken to sprawling on the ironing board so he is obviously taking his conversion seriously.

6 comments:

Judy Forkner said...

I found your comment about the Bernina knee lift/foot pedal issue quite amusing--my mother's sewing machine was operated with a knee control, so when I got my Bernina, I kept trying to make it go by using the knee lift!

Frances Meredith said...

Suzi loves a bit of wadding, but I have kept the wool away from her so she doesn't develop expensive tastes.

Mystic Quilter said...

Pleased to see you're keeping me company with the Dream fabric pattern. I love it. You also have another of my favourites - Guinea Flower - Plink also a a good one and you look to have scored well with the Martha Negley. What a good idea from Molly, I should pass this on to Leila.

gayle said...

You've probably passed on that fabric contagion to lots of others now...
Molly sure knows how to have a good time!

Angie said...

I have a 301, but it's a portable, so no knee pedal. Hope you get the tension issues fixed and are smitten with your vintage machine!

Debra said...

You are right about Mystic Quilter - Maureen has some awesome fabrics. Looks like you feel right into line with your selections! Beautiful choices. My grandmother's sewing machine from the 40's (I think) had a knee motor control. It was one of the first machines I used when I learned to sew. Switching back and forth is challenging! Hope your baby is back from the hospital soon.