Singer 301 Electronic Foot Controller

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!

Pink Atlas Sewing Machine

I wasn’t even looking at sewing machines. I was looking at the stuff hanging on the linen rack at Goodwill. Louie was looking at something, and when I looked at him, he smiled and raised his eyebrows at me. I went to see what he had. ‘$5’ he said. ‘It’s pink, and it has a wrench in the accessory box. You can have the sewing machine, and I’ll take the wrench.’ Sure. Ok. The wrench didn’t fit anything on the sewing machine anyway.

I can’t let the first picture be one that was all dirty, so I’ll let the first one be ‘all cleaned up’. The color looks pretty pale, but I think that is because of the day light filling the kitchen. It really is a little pinker pink than it looks.

Ok, here are the before photos. (This was taken early this morning before the sun was full up…see? A little pinker…and dirtier!)

The lid was pretty dirty.

It was pretty dirty from sitting around, I guess, because the machine doesn’t really show much wear. The inside of the bottom of the case which holds the machine is very clean, with no oil drops. The only thing under the machine was lots of little straight pins. I think the bobbin tire is still the original one. There are spots where the paint is discolored, either from old oil, and/or possibly nicotine, but otherwise in very good condition. A lot more women smoked then, I think, than they do today, and they sewed while holding a cigarette in their hands (just my opinion).

There a two little spots on either side of the Atlas decal in the middle of the bed, otherwise, the paint is great. The decals are in perfect condition. This first picture looks a little funky, but the discolorations are just reflections off something with the bright sun shining in.

It was so dirty, that I unbolted the motor bracket from the machine to clean behind the motor, and then I noticed that there were black flecks of something laying all over on the machine that weren’t there before, and I realized that the cord coating coming out of the motor was disintegrating and was exposing bare wires. Louie took it to the shop and rewired the motor. All safe now. My Hero!  

It sews lovely stitches, and runs perfectly. This is a straight stitch only machine, and the stitches look perfectly straight. This is the front side of the paper towel I test sewed on.

This is the back side, and if you look at the bottom half of the picture, you can see where the black stitches end, and the pink stitches begin. The bobbin had a couple different colors of thread wound on it.

Ta da! The only thing that would make it more perfect, would be a pink case. This one is kind of blue/green.

I looked online to find a manual for it. I didn’t need one. It was easy to figure out, but I liked the thought of having a copy of the original manual, and I liked that it was colorized with a pink machine on the front. If you need, or would like a copy of the manual, click HERE, and the link will take you to where you can purchase a download, like I did. From what I have read, several people have said that this machine was sold in 1957. That is the year I was born. (Shhh…don’t tell!)

The inside of the manual says this machine sold for $199.50 FULL CASH PRICE. That was a lot of money 56 years ago!

The INTRODUCTION says:

The Atlas is the product of many years of research and development in the field of household sewing machines. As it stands, it is the ultimate in efficiency, quality and modern design, yet, its moving parts are standard and interchangeable with parts available at sewing machine supply houses the world over. Its oscillating shuttle and central bobbin produce a lock stitch and place it in the heavy duty household sewing machine category. 

I have wanted a pink Atlas for a long time. I just kind of gave up on it, because prices on eBay were too high for my blood, plus I fear the outcome of people shipping machines, unless I know they have shipped many with good feedback. (Lately, I stalk Craigslist.) About 2 1/2 years ago, I bought a Brother Sewing Machine because I figured it was the closest I would get to the real thing. It was not a good experience, but the machine did survive. You can read about it HERE.

I would say that the machines are very similar. The body has many of the same features. The top body line is a bit different, but the machine has many of the same parts. The decals, name badges and color scheme are only slight differences. They were both made in Japan. Compare and see what you think. I am very happy to add this machine to my collection. It’s PINK and I’m tickled PINK!!!!

I made a little pink and white drawstring bag to put the foot controller in to protect the paint on the machine bed when the cover is on the machine. I bought a couple pink and white valances to ‘unstitch’ for fabric yesterday at Goodwill. I used pink ribbon for the drawstring. The valance has rick rack sewn along the edge, so the bag has a little embellishment as well. I am seeing a new thread catcher pin cushion bag with this fabric in my future.

January Quilting~Tilted Tractors

Our quilting day was yesterday, Leslie chose the block to sew. The pattern was called Puppy Pals, but since there were no puppies, and the fabric had tractors, I’ll call it ‘Tilted Tractors’. (I wonder if that is anything like tractor tipping! Anyone who has seen the movie ‘Cars’ knows what I’m talking about!) The block was fun and pretty simple to make.

Here are all nine blocks, plus the filler pieces Leslie made, all laid out on the floor. Cute!

The pattern Leslie used was from the Fons & Porter Love of Quilting Magazine dated November/December 2012, and the quilt size will be 37 1/2 x 48 1/2.

Leslie chose red and white for her fabric choice for FQ exchange. Ummmm…yummy eye candy! Love ‘em!

After I made my block for Leslie, I worked on a quilt kit from the Park View Lutheran Quilting Ministry that I had. I love the colors and fabric in this quilt. They seem to just jump up at you! This will be a quilt for a nursing home. The size is shorter by two rows than the Patriotic ones I have been sewing.

After the girls left, Louie and I took my sister’s Mazda Tribute back to her after the repairs in the shop, and picked up the loaner vehicle she was using, then we went junkin’. We only junked on the Iowa side of the river, because the Quad Cities was getting pounded with snow, and quickly! I did manage to find a hanging wall lamp though at one of the Goodwills, for my office/sewing space. The table lamp I had before was just getting in my way, especially when I was sewing all the rows to each other and the quilt would get larger. This should work out better, I hope. I put the Isabel Bloom on the cabinet to hide the cord running down the wall. This photo shows just the wall lamp light on.

This photo shows the LED lamp I picked up last week to add some light (the black skinny lamp), and it also shows the sewing machine light on, and the florescent stick light that I sat behind the machine.

I definitely have plenty of light when I sew now, and I LIKE it!

We got home around 6 pm last night, and on the way home, we found that Maquoketa had not had any snow at all. Right now, the temperature is +9, and falling. By tomorrow morning, we are supposed to be about –21* with serious wind chills. I’m glad I have a garage to keep my van warm so I won’t have to worry about it starting in the morning for work!

Today, I’m going to finish sewing the second quilt top from the PVLQM, and maybe lay out another one of my own for them.

Update: I finished the second quilt top kit I received from PVLQM….

…and I cut up and put together three more kits of my own, so the next time I’m ready to sew, I’ll be ready to sew!

Have a great day, whatever you do, and stay warm!

Patriotic Park View Quilt Top 2

Last Sunday, I made a quilt top just like this one for the Park View Lutheran Quilting Ministry, but the cross in the center was blue. Today I used the same fabrics, but switched some of them around so that the cross was red. I also switched the blue and red blocks around in a few other places. I think each time I make a quilt top for the PVLQM, I will use this same design, using only 4 different fabrics. Here is the one I sewed together today. The lighter blocks on the bottom half of the quilt, below the cross center, that kind of looks like a double ‘Y’ reminds me of someone raising their arms in praise.

Just like the other one, I laid out the blocks, then took a picture, printed it and taped it to a picture on the wall. I did not pin the pieces to each other, I just stacked the fabrics for each row in the order I needed to sew them, and then double checked to see if I had the right pieces as I went. I brought my ironing board up to my kitchen so I didn’t have to run downstairs to iron the rows before I sewed them to each other. I liked that setup.

I tried some new bobbin thread. I bought a bunch of prewound bobbins from a seller on eBay. Click the picture to see the seller if you are interested. It is actually a fine polyester embroidery thread. There is nothing quilters dislike more, than running out of bobbin thread! I like using a big cone of thread on the top of the machine for that same reason. Like the saying goes, ‘It’s all fun and games until the bobbin runs out!’

The thread worked great without adjustments for tension, and after doing the whole quilt top, I probably only used about 1/3 of the bobbin. (Bobbin cover removed to photograph).

Ta da! Here it is!

I have ironed the top, and now all I have to do is cut some strips for binding, and I can fold it up and put it in the bag to take with me on when I go sew with the Park View ladies!

Contentment

It seems, in blog land, that many people start the year with a ‘word’. Like a goal of something they want to achieve in the new year. I am going to choose a word too.

Mine is CONTENTMENT.

Merriam-Webster defines contentment as: the state of being happy and satisfied: the state of being content.

 

Source

(While looking for photos on google to put in my post, I found the one just above this line, and it linked me to a new blog DHicksOnline blog. I am enjoying reading there!)

I also found a web page that has 100 bible verses about contentment. This one stood out to me.

1 Timothy 6:6-11

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

I want to work on Contentment, and Patience, and I want to be a better steward for God and His children.

CONTENTMENT. That’s my word.

Do you have a word for 2014?

A New Year

Well, it was an exciting New Year’s Eve at our house. (NOT) I didn’t make it much past 7 pm last night. I fell asleep in my recliner, and Louie laid on the couch and watched tv. I woke up just before 11:00 pm and stayed up til just after Midnight, then went to bed. We’re real party animals you know!

I had hoped to spend MOST of today sewing with my’ new friend’. I never touched her.

Instead, I got up at 5 AM, changed calendars in a few rooms, then worked in my office, ordering checks, paying bills online, and cleaning out my file drawer of THREE years of receipts (and some reminiscing) and statements so I could fill out my tax worksheet, as our tax appointment is this coming Saturday. I was in my office ALL DAY! I did get my tax worksheet completed about 5:00 PM or so (ok, there were SEVERAL interruptions due to checking Facebook, reading blogs, and reading and answering emails). BUT there was also a lot of this.

Sorting papers into piles (separate years) to save and file in a different location…

 …taking a break so I could eat a wonderful breakfast my sweetie made for me….Cinnamon Roll Waffles (straight from the can to the waffle iron) and eggs….YUM!…..

…and making a big pile to shred. There were more papers than what this picture looks like there was.

Yes sir maam, yes sir maam, TWO big bags FULL, AND a mess to clean up!

SEW…NO sewing. BUT, my tax worksheet is done for another year! I hope we get a nice refund, because I worked hard for it!

How did you spend you New Year’s Day?