Girls Just Gotta Treadle!

 It’s been a while since I’ve sat at my treadle.  And I am due for a reward!

I finished the pattern writing I had set aside for today, right on goal, so I get to reward myself tonight.

And as I worked and worked to get the tension and ruffling fabric issue sorted on the Singer 277M ((Which doesn’t have a name yet ---I really need to know they are going to stick around before I name them!)) I started to wonder what if…

What if I removed the motor –it’s as simple as unscrewing one bolt on the side-- and see how he/she behaves as a treadler!

As soon as I was sure that tensions were where they needed to be and the presser foot pressure was where it need to be, and everything was good…OFF came the motor! 

IN to the cabinet it went!

Singer 227M ready to be treadly!

This is a GREAT machine for a straight stitcher!  See the knob at the base of the bobbin spool pin? Just turn that and the feed dogs are down.  It’s running so much smoother than it was just this morning ---my test stitches are turning out smooth and even, and look – no ruffling of fabric!

The singer 127 you see behind this one has a black belt.  I ordered the black tubing belt from Lehman’s.  It works fine, and the price is $6.95 plus shipping. 

The tubing belts are great because unlike leather belts, they are VERY easy to adjust.  There is a metal connector that slips into each end of the tube, and it stays tight.  Much better and easier than dealing with unbending and rebending a staple and drilling holes into a leather belt the old-fashioned way.

Then I was told about McMaster-Carr  Industrial Supply, and turned on to their tubing by the foot.

This is the 3/16” round tubing in CLEAR.  Click HERE for more info.  It also comes in a yellow with black writing about as bright as the yellow on the bag above..I prefer the clear.  72 cents per foot as I write this post!  I ordered 18 feet.  That should do me several treadle belts.

You will also need a package of 3/16”  connectors.

Click HERE for the package of 25 connectors.  They are tiny, but they do the job!  The price for 25 ((Enough for 25 treadle machines!)) is $5.10 as I write this post.  Slide one end of the connector into the end of the tubing treadle belt, trim the belt to the length you want, thread the belt into the machine, and join the ends. 

**Note** It is easier to trim the belt down than to add to it, so don't cut it too tight! The belt does NOT need to be tight on the machine or the pedal will be too hard to run.  You can always trim off more if it is still too big.

See the connector?

Guess who will be found at the treadle machine tonight?!

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More Cadillac Tan!

We really DID have the best time on our Cadillac adventure through Victoria BC!

I’ve been in a Tan/Beige mood since returning ---

Body clock adjustment is a weird thing, and I have been bouncing back and forth between Alaska time and North Carolina time for much of August – so my body doesn’t really know WHAT time zone it wants to be in…

Late last night I needed to simply putter with something.  Nothing really mind-numbing – but just take-apart-and-put-back-together again.

I combined TWO Singer 301A parts machines that were both non-functioning into ONE FRANKEN-SINGER that works!

Okay, it’s not the most beautiful 301A out there ---but looks aren’t everything. The proof is in the stitch!  And this guy is now sewing wonderfully.  What is left of the “OTHER” is barely an organ-donor.  The motor is still good, but the machine doesn’t turn – it’s likely got a bent shaft.  I have harvested all the screws and thread guides and the needle plate and everything else that might come in handy.  The body is pretty ugly ((Yes, uglier than this one!!) and once that motor has been removed and baggied up for the parts-department, it will find itself on the way to the dump. The foot pedal and cord, the tension assembly, the needle plate and other parts are now living happily on this new combo-machine.

I think the re-settling inside of me just needed the feel and smell of sewing machine oil, WD-40 ((only for unsticking rusted screws! Never use WD40 as a machine lubricant – it dries and gets gummy!)) and grit under my fingernails.  I needed to make a mess!

It was after 2am before I went to bed...and found myself waking up at 9:45am.  Ugh.

Today the mess continued!

This is a Singer 227M, made in Monza, Italy in the early 1960s!

I tried to find an exact date of manufacture on this one – spent quite a bit of time waiting in line on hold with the phone on speaker phone just to talk to a “real” person after scouring the internet for information that just isn’t there.  Singer had the Monza, Italy plant for decades, so “Early 60s” was all they could give me.

Close enough.  I am a 1962 baby, and I feel a connection to this machine!

The serial number did nothing to help!  There is a letter obscured or missing from the far left end…ineligible! Or missing.

Stitch length dial.

When this machine first came home, it was really stuck.  And grimy.  The presser foot was stuck in the UP position, and it took a lot of patient waiting for oil to seep in to loosen that up.  The motor is strong and works well.  New belt, new bobbin tire, more lubing and oiling and cleaning and it now sews….but there is a problem.

Presser foot tension dial

The 227M has a presser foot tension dial on the side of the machine, allowing you to adjust for thicknesses of different fabrics.  It also has a knob near the pillar for feed dog dropping.  I can get it to sew, but the fabric ruffles, either from too much tension on either the top or bobbin thread ---or the pressure of the presser foot, or a combo of all three.  Still working at it.  It could be the feed dogs themselves are still a bit sticky too.

Once I get it right, this machine would be an absolute workhorse ---and if I removed the motor, it would be a fun one to pop into the treadle cabinet!  I love it’s sleek lines…..

And the fact that it matches our Caddie from our trip to Victoria BC!

CLASSIC!

It’s time to get the  machine oil and WD40 smell off of my hands and get busy with some pattern writing – that’s what this week is for.  Manuscript deadline is looming, and I want to get more done before we head to the cabin on Friday for the long labor day weekend!

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Sweet Cadillac!

Quilters are the most amazing, most generous of people on this planet, hands down!

I got an email from Kathy, who lives in Victoria, BC.  She introduced herself, and offered up the honor of being escorted around town for sight seeing in her hubby’s gorgeous 1954 Cadillac limousine, nicknamed Fancy Nancy!

Fancy Nancy is ONE SWEET RIDE! According to Dale, her owner, there were less than 850 of these beauties made, and there are a mere 20 or so remaining.

Elvis is reported to have had one – only his caught fire and burned up due to mechanical issues!

I sat in the back seat and wondered what it would have been like to be Elvis driving around ---

Look at those lines!

1954?  I have old Singer Sewing machines in just these colors!  Now it makes sense why they came in putty brown/mocha, beige, tan and oyster white which I always thought was so boring!  They were the popular colors of the era!

Love this flying lady hood ornament!

See what I mean?  This is Ava’s lovely 401 from my visit to her guild in Wellsboro, PA in July of 2012!  These tan machines were high fashion!

Love the fins on the rear too!

From Right to left –The Hubster, his brother Myron and his wife Pam!

Yep, that Caddie sure is roomy ---and it gets about 9 miles to the gallon on gas..lol!

We had a wonderful afternoon of exploring Victoria.  Too many photos for one post, so I’m going to share with you what most folks come to Victoria to see…THE FLOWERS!

We didn’t get off the ship until nearly 3pm, and had to be back on board by 9pm –Bouchard gardens is 16 miles from port, and it would have taken our entire tour time to visit the gardens, not to mention that it’s $30 per person to get into the gardens.  We opted for a scenic tour of Victoria and stopped at some other parks that were in full summer bloom as well.

Click the image below if you can’t view the slide show on your mobile device.  But really – for this, you will want it full sized on your computer – the day was gorgeous and the colors vibrant!

Scenes from Victoria, BC 2013

Be sure to catch the photos of Pam feeding the geese --there is no way ONE Nutra-grain bar was going to feed them all....but they all came a running! Too funny!

If you are ever in Victoria, and would like a Classic Car tour, with stops tailored to the Quilter-on-the-Go, give Kathie and Dale a call to book your reservation!

They will give you a trip to be remembered, and you will make some great friends in the process!

There are more photos of our time in the Caddie to come ---stay tuned----

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1885 Technology meets GPS!

I love your emails…this one came today and just has to be shared as well.. ((Yes, can you tell I have spent MOST of the day cleaning out my inbox?!))

This one is from Joan who writes:

Bonnie,
I stumbled on this yesterday and I loved it and thought "I have to send this to Bonnie, she will love it" so here it is and I am glad you are home and had such a good time...

Love your blog and quilt cam.
Sew hugs,
Joan

Oh my gosh I am all excited!  Becky’s tractor is GPS guided..and she lives in Eastern Washington State – nary a tree to worry about!

So what does she do?  Uses her old Wilcox & Gibbs hand crank to sew string blocks on top of phone book paper foundations while she drives tractor!  There is no idle time for this Quilter/Farmer!

Becky, you are my hero!

You will find more from Becky on her youtube channel, her nick name is Fiddleybits :c)

I think I have to go string piece something ----

Oh, and plan on Quilt-Cam Wednesday night ---I’m raring to go!

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