My mocha and cream colored Singer 301 is my ‘traveling’ sewing machine when I go to Park View to sew with the Lutheran Quilting Ministry girls. I love it. It’s simple, it’s quiet, it’s smooth, and it’s fast. And it’s cute! It fits nicely inside my $6.38 (Goodwill) Samsonite suitcase on wheels with a pull up handle. One of the two zippered compartments on the front of the suitcase holds the foot control and the power cord.
One thing I didn’t like about this machine, was that the foot controller was the ‘button’ style. It was designed to fit inside a bracket up inside a cabinet, and a knee control was attached to the bracket. When you pushed the knee control to the side, it pushed the ‘button’ in, and the sewing machine took off. Singer also used the same foot controllers for portable models (without the cabinet). As far as foot controllers go, they are pretty reliable, but sometimes hard to push down with your foot or shoe. I have wanted an easier to use foot controller for awhile, and last week when I used it, it reminded me again. When I got home from sewing with the girls, I ordered a new foot control cord. It came in the mail yesterday, and today, I had Louie take an electronic foot controller from a junk machine we had in the garage. He had never wired an electronic foot control for any sewing machine before, and he wasn’t sure it would work, but he said he would try. When he came in the house, he even said he didn’t think it would work, because the ohm meter showed it as not working, but it worked like a charm! My Singer loved it! (From now on, we are on the lookout for electronic foot controllers when we go junkin’.)
I also went downstairs and started searching in my sewing drawers (I have lots of them) for a piece of non-slip shelf liner I knew I had, to put under my sewing machine. When I was sewing with the girls last Tuesday, my machine kept ‘running away’ from me. I found the liner, as you can see in the photo. It won’t be running away anymore!
The liner will also work nicely to keeping my thread catcher/pin cushion bag from falling off the table, as it extends far enough past the end of the machine to hold that too.
She’s all back in the Samsonite with the bed extension cover and thread catcher in place, just waiting for the next trip to Park View so we can sew again. I love my little 301.
The temperature is supposed to get below zero tonight, with even colder wind chill factors. The wind is really howling. Stay safe and warm, and have a wonderful week!
God bless!
I have a 301A that I found at a estate sale and it's become my favorite machine! I never knew that about the foot petal being up in the machine. Mine is on the floor and I've used it that way. I did however, blow that one out, rescued another from another estate sale and then ordered a new one on line.
ReplyDeleteOh, please be careful out in that cold. I, too, have machines with the button foot pedal. The machine I grew up using (and still have) has a knee control lever that is really stiff. Never even thought about changing to a floor pedal. Duh. LOL
ReplyDeleteI have the same LBOW 301. She helped me sew the petticoats for DD's prom dress last year. Have the say that the ruffler attachment worked great too. (Well, once I quit trying to figure it all out mathematically and just gathered long, long strips for the layers of ruffles and then sewed them on.) :D
ReplyDeleteI like those feet better too! :)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and Blessed day
Kristie
Louie to the rescue again LOL .Love your machine ,how cute .
ReplyDeleteWell, you know now what I want!!!! I love your little machine!! And thanks for welcoming me back. Pray I can do it. I loved blogging when I did it! I met you through blogging!!! Looking forward to catching up with your posts!
ReplyDeleteI really need to make a bed extension cover for my 301. I don't like the button controllers, but, I'm getting used to it. I put a place mat under my machines when I take them to sew-ins. It helps keep them from slipping, and, the table surface is also protected.
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