The Spirit of Service

There is a Baha'i proverb that says:
Work performed in the spirit of service is equivalent to worship.

This has always reminded me of my friend Andre Dacosta.  We met years ago when, as part of a church fundraiser, he came to install a lazy susan in a kitchen cabinet .  Retired, he does handyman things to keep from being bored (he claims) but it is obvious to me and the DH that he is also working in the spirit of service.  We joke that he is single-handedly keeping us out of assisted living, as he tackles the jobs that we can't do for ourselves.

So when his wife Aggie approached me to ask if I would make a quilt for him out of African fabrics that she had collected over the years (including fabric from his native country, Angola), I said "yes" immediately.

Now, dear readers, I know what you are thinking.  You are thinking:  "she just wanted to get her hands on a basket full of African fabrics."  Busted.  Guilty as charged.
 
Aggie kindly offered to pay me.  Pause while my fellow quilters quietly chortle.  I could not say what I usually say, which is "I don't quilt for money, I only quilt for love."  Can't say that to a woman about her husband!

I told her it would take me up to a year, and it did.  She kept the secret for that whole year.  

I knew right away what the title of the quilt would be.  I was unsure about putting a Baha'i proverb on a quilt for a Methodist, but Aggie OK'd it.   Good thing, because whatever I put on the label, to me this quilt would always be The Spirit of Service.

It needed a simple pattern that would let the fabrics shine.  Sorry, I don't know the name of the pattern nor do I remember the name of the woman who taught it at the 2011 NC TOGA.  But you start with five large squares and through some tricky inserting and pinning one of those squares emerges as the on-point center.  

FMQ tip:  if you can't be good, be wonky

I fussy cut the fabrics, some of which were deconstructed garments.   

Same yardage, cut two different ways

 

These are glorious, beautiful hand-dyed African batiks.

This is the fabric from Angola.

Much of the joy of quilting for me is the thrill of fondling fabrics.  A map is just icing on the cake.

The sole reason I own an embroidery machine is to put text on quilts.  (Not the only thing I use it for, but the only reason I HAD to buy one.)  Instead of a label, the information becomes part of the the design of the quilt back.

in the strippy style of Kente cloth.  No Kente cloth was harmed in the production of this quilt.

Aggie gave me this proverb, a favorite of Andre's, and I put it on the quilt without really knowing what it means.  Google Translator, for some strange reason, was unable to help me with the Kimbundu language.  But Andre translated it for me:
If you don't listen...the cows won't come.
and then he explained what it means:
If you do not listen to the wisdom of the elders, then your efforts will not succeed.  

He expressed surprise and delight.

and did I mention that Aggie told me to keep all the leftover fabric?  
mwahahahahahahaha

The Herd: Singer 15s and clones

The Singer model 15 was produced for a long span of time and in many variations, including some made for industrial uses.  Japanese copies (15 clones) are even more plentiful.  I can't even scratch the surface of this topic, but I can show you my herd.

Disclaimer:  There are charts for looking up Singer serial numbers, and other charts which describe the characteristics of the models.  I'm no expert, but I can Google with the best of them.  So take my dates and model number on the Singer 15-30 as my best guess based on information found online.

1904 Singer 15-30, waiting to be restored.  No round stitch length plate.

I love the sphinx decals, which Singer also used on the 127 (and maybe others?).  Someday I will clean it up, take the motor off and pop it in the treadle.  It's easy to swap machines in and out and I like trying out the different models. 

1953 Singer 15-91

Singer 15's are easily identified by the tensioner on the left and the round stitch lever plate on the pillar.   I was excited to find this 15-91 because it gets a lot of good press on the boards.  The fact that it is gear driven rather than belt driven is acclaimed as a plus.  It is easy to drop the feed dogs on any model 15, but you do have to reach underneath and loosen a large screw to do it.  Dora has described how to do this on her blog.

On most vintage sewing machines the motors are interchangeable, but the 15-91 has a "potted" motor and is stuck on (see 15-125 photo below).  I've just never bonded with this one.  It could be that the almost 60-year-old motor may need some maintenance.  But I think it is because I easily fall in love with naked 15's--stripped of their motors.  Spin the handwheel on a clean and oiled naked 15 clone and it keeps on spinning and the needle keeps on going up and down.  Can't do that with a potted motor, and machines with enclosed motors always feel sluggish to me.

Not all 15's are gear driven.  Some have the belt driven motor on the back (and thus could be stripped naked), but I don't have one to show you.

1956 Singer 15-125.  Color is off here, photo below is better

Same machine in a new suit of clothes.  By this time factories in Japan were churning out copies of the Singer 15 in pretty colors and with some other improvements.  Singer tried to keep up.

Potted motor

I haven't bonded with this one either, but it is probably the potted motor.  I know I will feel better about them if I ever decide to take on motor evaluation, maintenance and repair.  So far cleaning, oiling, and tinkering keeps me happy enough.

a real improvement:  a marked throat plate.  You can order similar ones for 15s and clones from Jenny at Sew-Classic.

Japanese copies of the Singer 15 are collectively known as "15 clones".

The Royal shown above is a classic 15 clone.  It's a line for line copy of the Singer 15.

The beauty of the design details on these machines just blows me away.

I wrote recently about free motion quilting with these machines.  When I have one of these machines on my quilting frame I'm running it at very high speed, and the thread tended to pop out of the thread guide, which sent it flying out of the tensioner with disastrous results.  This ONLY happens on the frame, but if you have had a similar problem there is a very simple solution:  a metal washer.

Loosen the faceplate screw just a bit and slide the washer into position,  then tighten the faceplate screw (shown circled in red).

No way can the thread pop out of this guide.  Cheap, easy, and it does not change the machine in any way.  Of course you will have to take an additional microsecond to push the thread through the round hole.

Super easy, right?  Then why did it take me a full WEEK to figure this out?  I wandered around the house looking for things that could be glued in place.  I figured that glue would never hold.  One last peek in the parts box and it dawned on me.







 I've got another one of the black clones living on the quilting frame now.  I auditioned 4 different machines but in the end came back to the first one.  Once I had the washer thread guide figured out, it works beautifully.


Notice I said that the machine works beautifully, not the operator.  Take a close look and you can see how truly bad my FMQ is.  I'm working on it, and getting better.  By the way, this quilt is a secret, so don't tell anybody about it, shhhhh.




I paid $10 for this Admiral Star.  I had gone to see a machine listed on CraigsList, and when I got there the guy had two machines and was desperate to get rid of them.  I was not, repeat not, in the market for another black 15 clone.   I got a good price on the machine I did want, but only by "bundling" this 15 clone in the deal.  Do you watch "American Pickers"?  That's where I learned the term "bundling".  They ignore sewing machines, but sometimes you can spot them as they dig through somebody's attic or outbuilding.


The Japanese also made some improvements to the basic 15 model.  Beautiful colors, for instance.

Post WWII, Modernage 250.  I believe it was made by Toyota.  My go-to piecing machine.

This apple green and white machine is another line for line copy of the Singer 15, but can you spot an additional feature?

It has a feed dog drop knob on the top of the bed.  That's it right below the "250".

Photos don't do justice to the Remington 30's yummy pearlescent green.

I really do try not to buy more 15 clones, but for $10 how could I walk away? 

The feed dog drop linkage is vulnerable to being gummed up with decades of dried up sewing machine oil, but should respond to more oil, heat from a blow dryer, and some patient prodding.  Just peer under the machine below the knob--it's easy to see that the leg bone is connected to the knee bone, so to speak.  In fact, this is one of my favorite things about bringing vintage machines back to life:  peering underneath or inside and seeing how things are connected and how they work.  And then persuading them to work.

This is my favorite 15 upgrade:  a bobbin cover that flips up (rather than sliding to the left).




The access is great and it doesn't slide or fall off.

If you've got a favorite 15 that does not have the hinged bobbin cover, keep your eyes open for a thrift shop machine that does.   No guarantees, but I have performed some successful transplants.

Here's an improvement that seems fairly pointless:  The stitch length lever mechanism works the same way, but instead of numbers lined up vertically on the face, there's a tiny window that reveals a number printed on the moving plate beneath.

Pink Elgin 15 clone

This machine is much more beautiful than my photographic skill (or lack thereof) can convey.  In fact it is TOO beautiful.  It is so beautiful that I don't want to sew on it for fear of messing it up.  I much prefer an almost-beautiful machine like the pearly green Remington above.  It has a couple of nice deep scratches on the back of the arm and I'm not afraid to use it.

The decals are just about perfect and the gloss is glossy!

And at the opposite end of the spectrum:

I was recently given this one as a gift.  You see it here in "attic fresh" condition.  The key question is always:  does it turn?  If it does, it can almost certainly be brought back to life (this one does).  Even if it doesn't, there is still hope.  Oil + heat + patience will work wonders on frozen machines.  Motor/controller units can be swapped out interchangeably among all the clones--among just about any external motor machine of any kind, in fact.  Or you can ditch the motor entirely and pop it in a treadle or put a handcrank on it.   So one day this may join the herd as another of those smooth-as-silk 15 clones.

REWARD: Round up this horse fabric and name your reward

Imagine my astonishment to find this fabric representing Neolithic cave paintings of horses in a bag of scraps from the thrift shop.

I'VE GOT TO HAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!   WHERE CAN I FIND IT?

A search of equilter turned up nothing even remotely similar.

A search of eBay turned up 655 cotton horse fabrics, and also none like this. 

Now, I am not a horsey girl.  I grew up middle class in the suburbs, and was not in the income level to have regular riding lessons, nor did I have access to any farms or ranches.  My only brief experience with horses was the three days I spent at Camp Luella May in 1961 when I was 11.  The parents DID pay extra for riding lessons.  I pictured myself galloping across the open plains, wind blowing through my hair.  Never mind that there are no open plains in southwestern Ohio.  The reality was three excruciatingly boring half-hours plodding around a ring with the other girls and horses.  After three days I had to be sent home with three separate illnesses (none horse related).  So much for the freedom of the open plains--I didn't even make it to the supervised trail ride at the end of the week.

Not only am I not a horsey girl, I pretty much loathe and detest most horsey fabrics.  You know the ones.  So having to look through 655 of them on eBay was torment.  But I did it because I HAVE TO HAVE THIS FABRIC.

Not a horsey girl--but I AM an enthusiast of the Stone Age.  See previous post about my Perfect Paleolithic Pants.  Not only that, but both of the DDs are going to want something made from this also.  I have one measly scrap, 9" x 18".

So, if you can tell me anything about it--who made it, when, where you got it, were there coordinating fabrics or other color ways, etc.  I would love to know.  If you have some you want to sell, even better.  If you have at least two yards of it I would even be willing to trade for a sewing machine (caveat:  you pay the postage!).

Because, did I mention I HAVE TO HAVE IT?

FMQ the Cheapo Way

FMQ =  Free Motion Quilting

There's a lot of chatter out there about free motion quilting and how to do it.

Here's the stone truth:  anybody who tells you that there is only one correct way to do it has proven to you that they cannot be trusted.  Machines differ.  Operators differ.  There are many variables: needles, thread, method of securing the layers, type of fabric, type of batting.

So why in the world would I voluntarily jump into this particular snake pit?  Because I hope I have something useful to say.  Key word: CHEAP.

But really this is my response to something I read online by an FMQ guru.  I'm not going to say who, her work is terrific, and if I live a million years I will never be that good.  But you DON'T, you really, really DON'T need a machine costing thousands of dollars.  Not even hundreds of dollars.  If I had a machine costing thousands, and she had my cheapo machine, she would still be terrific at FMQ and I would still be terrible at it.

First, the backstory
I stumbled into this because I am have a Pennywinkle quilting frame (more about this later) on which a regular sewing machine can be pushed around to do free motion quilting.  I'm moving along the steep upward slope of the learning curve with this system, and I have been auditioning machines on it. 

It's like a longarm setup, but with an ordinary size machine

Before hoisting the 40+ pound machines onto the frame, I try them out with a small sample of free motion quilting in a hoop.  This (and one ten-year old UFO) is the sum total of my experience with FMQ.  So this post is NOT about how to become a whiz at FMQ, it's about how to choose the right machine for the job and how to set it up.  The technical stuff rather than the talent stuff or the artistic stuff or the skill-acquired-by-hundreds-of-hours-of-repetition stuff.

Step One:  Buy a cheap Japanese Singer 15 clone
Gazillions of copies of the Singer 15 were churned out of Japanese factories in the 1950's and 60's.  Around here a reasonable price for a black one in perfect operating condition is $10.  These are straight-stitch only machines with class 15 vertical bobbins.

how to identify a Singer 15 clone in the wild

Why a clone rather than a Singer?  No reason, I just like them.  I've got a Singer 15-91 that I have not bonded with, but it probably just needs more TLC.  The clones on the other hand have all responded beautifully to a little cleaning and sewing machine oil.  They all turn sweetly and smoothly.  All seven of them. I have sworn off buying them more than once, then another $10 one places itself in my path.  And I will confess to having paid more for the pink and green ones, but not much more.

They also come in pretty colors.

Anyhow, they are so cheap and plentiful that you should look for one that turns reasonably smoothly and has good wiring.  No reason to waste your time and money rescuing a pitiful one.

Can you still call it a clone if it has had a fashion makeover?

Jazzy stitch length device, but it still works just like a 15

Step Two:  Clean and oil it.
There is a lot of advice about this in other places.

Step Three:  Test stitch.
Do a bit more than just stitch a few inches.  Run up a few quilt blocks with it.  Or make a tote bag.  Give it enough of a workout at under normal sewing conditions so that any problems will have a chance to surface.

Step Four:  Prepare the quilt sandwich
Layer your backing, batting, and top and then secure them.  I use a hoop and for something small (like a pillow top) I would only use a hoop.  For something larger I baste to hold things in position generally, but STILL hoop the portion being quilted.  The hoop keeps the layers from shifting and prevents tucks on the back side.  The hoop gives you something to grip to move the quilt around under the needle.  You can use a hoop twice as wide as the space between the needle of your machine and the machine pillar.

You want to hoop it so that the quilt sandwich is flat against the bed of the machine, not raised.  You will probably have to remove the presser foot to get the hoop into sewing position, but put it right back on again.

There are other techniques and they may work well for you.  This is what I prefer, but this is not the secret heart of the DragonPoodle method--that's coming up next.  So use whatever works for you to secure the layers together.

Step Five:  Reduce the presser foot pressure.
As you unscrew the pressure regulator, the pressure on the presser foot is reduced.  You want to reduce it to nothingness.  You want the presser foot to float right on top of the quilt sandwich.  Unscrew it to its maximum.  On two of my machines this worked.  On a third machine there was still a bit of drag on the sandwich, so I had to remove it completely.  Don't worry because a) you only spent $10, right? and b) it will screw right back in, so you have not ruined anything.

Put the presser foot lever in the down position--that's vital because it engages the thread tension.  Move your hoop or quilt sandwich around.  If it moves freely with no drag from the presser foot then you are ready to quilt.  The presser foot IS still working for you--it is holding the sandwich stable right at the point where the needle goes through it to meet and mingle with the bobbin thread.

And by the way, this is why you want a vintage straight-stitcher for FMQ rather than a zig-zagger. A zig-zag machine has a MUCH larger opening for the needle.  The fabric can be pushed or pulled into this opening, and there will be more play in the thread.  A straight stitcher reduces the potential problems. A single tiny hole just bigger than the tiny needle gives your machine the best chance to perform well under the unusual circumstances of FMQing where you are pushing the quilt sandwich through the machine in any direction you please and changing that direction regularly.  Of course some zig-zaggers come with a separate straight stitch throat plate, so if you want to try this technique with a vintage zig-zagger this would be the time to use it.

By the way, notice what you are not doing right now?  You are not spending more money on a special quilting/darning/hopping/embroidery foot.  I burned my way through more than one of these before I discovered the DragonPoodle method.  All you need is the original straight stitch foot that came with your cheapo machine.

feed dog drop

Step Six:  To Drop, Or Not To Drop:  That Is The Question
Here's the big joke:  it makes no difference.   Drop the feed dogs, don't drop the feed dogs.  In my trials it made no difference.  If you choose to leave them up, or if they are stuck in the up position on your machine, then just set the stitch length to zero.   I drop them because if I bump the stitch length lever (or completely forget about it) it won't matter.

Step Seven:  Have at it
You should always test FMQ on a sample first.  Adjust the tension as necessary.

They say it takes 200 hours of practice to rise to FMQ adequacy.  But you know what?  Normal people will not care if you are not a whiz.  They will say, in tones of awe "you made that?" or "you made that for ME?"  if you use cute fabrics and the batting is not hanging out of the seams.  So FMQ badly--and proudly.

Two more tips for how to FMQ badly

• don't use solid colors--busy prints will help hide your stitches
• use cotton batting for that wrinkly vintage look that will also camouflage the stitching

OK, so there was not much in the above that was truly original except for my guaranteed, patented, certified technique for removing the presser foot regulator and floating that straight stitch foot.  And that's probably not original either, there's a good chance I read it somewhere.  But hey, it's super cheap and for me it is working like a charm.  Why not give it a try?  Why not, in fact, have a dedicated FMQ machine ready to go at a moments notice?

If you do, please leave a note below and tell me how it went.  And feel free to send me the $4,990 dollars that you saved.  I take PayPal.

ps:  there are some great posts in the comments below, be sure to check them out!

The Herd: Singer 306, 316G, and 319

I hope you are enjoying the pictures of the herd.  I always enjoy seeing other people's herds.  Eventually I plan to get them all into blog format, and then just update the posts as the herd changes.  It's useful to have a visual inventory.

Singer 306W

These are all 1950's cam machines and represent some of the earliest Singers to provide decorative stitches to the domestic sewing machine market.  Reason #1 why I love these machines:  I love decorative stitches.  I love cam machines because all you have to do is pop the cams in and out.  (Cam stack machines make decorative stitches also, but I always have to get the manual out to re-teach myself how to use them.  Not a problem if you only own one machine, btw.)

Singer 306W

They all use the flat black Singer cams, which sit on the front of the machine where you can watch them turning.  Reason #2 why I love these machines:  this is just adorable.  Not to mention that this is the easiest cam system to use that I have ever seen.

Singer 319, reviewed in more detail recently

They are all reported to treadle beautifully, and I have confirmed this on the 306s.  Reason #3 why I love these machines:  everyone needs a treadle-able machine that makes decorative stitches.  I know I do.

Singer 306K

They have the loveliest "song".  All sewing machines have their own song.  Sometimes they howl or growl if they are unhappy, and you had better pay attention to that.  Some just hum quietly to themselves.  Reason #4 why I love these machines:  This class of machine sings "tickety tickety tickety" and it is a very friendly sound, especially when treadling.

Are you ready to rush out and buy one?  Better think again...there are issues.

Issue #1:  The 306 and 319 both take a class 206 bobbin, which is readily available (see links to Jenny or Cindy) but you can't just run out to Joann's to pick some up.  To me this is no big deal:  once you have enough bobbins, you have enough bobbins.

Issue #2:  The 306 and 319 both take class 206 sewing machine needles (see the same vendors).  Also readily, but not inexpensively, available.  A much bigger deal, and one that prevents me from using either of these models as my "go-to" machine.  I'm not a tame and timid seamstress.  I break needles.  I'm willing to attempt to sew just about anything that I can shove under a presser foot.  And in my younger, much stupider, days, I even took the presser foot off at times.  Until I sewed through my thumb.

Fortunately, I discovered the German Singer 316 and it was love at first sight.   The first one I saw was a muscular black one, very masculine. I was lucky enough to buy a mocha and beige one from McKenna Linn, and although I paid more than I have ever paid for any other vintage machine, it cost no more than a low end plastic wonder.  Including shipping.  This is the great secret that vintage sewing machine owners know:  you can get fabulous machines, far better than the most expensive machines being made today, for a song.

Singer 316G, the love of my life

Her name is Brunhilde, the name of one of the Norse Valkyries, and it means "Battle Bright".  Very appropriate given the hand-to-hand combat nature of some of my sewing adventures.  So far she has handled everything I have thrown at her without a grumble, including a couple more pieces of soft sided luggage.  And Brunhilde, the 316, takes a regular class 15 bobbin and regular sewing machine needles.  And that adjustable light!  Gosh, real light, lots of it, and right where you want it, wherever you want it.  Sewing machine light heaven.

You can set the maximum and minimum width of the decorative stitches with the happy-face-elephant-nose thingy.  And it makes me smile every time I sit down at the machine.

Singer 316G in a Singer Hampden Court cabinet--look at all that drawer space!  Look at all that mess!

and now you know how the photo magic really happens.  Cut a tri-fold display board in half (think "science fair" board) and you will have two photo backdrops.

And the motor controller (aka foot pedal) is another wonder.  For the first time I truly understand the meaning of "controller".  I can sew at any speed, including so slow that it is really one stitch at a time, and the machine just tickety ticks along.  No grumbling.  No hesitation.  Ultimate, absolute, instantaneous control.  Kind of like cooking with a gas range after using an electric. 

She does, however, share with the 306 and 319
Issue #3:  the only way to access the bobbin is to tilt the machine back.  What WERE they thinking? 

This is the reason I installed a coil spring belt on my treadle.  When I have the 306 (or, later, the 319) in there I can tilt the machine back to change the bobbin without undoing the belt.

There is another potential issue with the 306 and the 319, and another reason to think seriously about whether you want one or not:
Potential Issue #4:  They may have been re-timed in order to take the common sewing machine needles.  Sounds good, yes?  No, THIS IS A BAD THING.  But it can be corrected.

What does this mean?  I barely understand it myself, but here goes.  A properly functioning sewing machine is a masterpiece of synchronicity.  Think about it:  You've got thread in a needle on the top, thread in the bobbin on the bobbin, and feed dogs pushing the fabric along, and they all have to work together PERFECTLY.  Timing, as I understand it, is the coordination of these three things.

So if you take a machine designed to work perfectly with a certain size of needle and disrupt that synchronicity, you no longer have a machine designed to work perfectly.  It has been messed up.  And sooner or later, you will pay.

If the machine comes with a needle, take it out and put it side by side with a regular needle.  Same length?  The machine may have been re-timed.  Shorter?  It's probably in the original condition. 

My lovely 319 has been subjected to re-timing and now she is sitting around waiting for me to either learn a new skill or spend money on taking her to a technician.  I have gotten as far as reading through the instructions in the service manual, and it sounds do-able.  Stay tuned to this channel for the next thrilling development.  But don't hold your breath while you are doing it.   There are dozens of machines here and I am easily distracted.