Read about my Mother's memories of the Great Depression Christmas.
http://tinyurl.com/7qmm9yh
Gaileee
Singer Featherweight 221 Information
Have a little facebook group for Featherweights atGaileee's Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine group on facebook. (Or click https://www.facebook.com/groups/157457531160/ )
Been getting quite a few new people on the group. Just click on over and request to join! Here's a nice link for y'all to save and use! How to oil your sewing machine - and the Featherweight is shown in the example. Nice!
What Every New Singer Featherweight 221/222 Owner Should Know
Important Featherweight TENSION - Instructions
Been getting quite a few new people on the group. Just click on over and request to join! Here's a nice link for y'all to save and use! How to oil your sewing machine - and the Featherweight is shown in the example. Nice!
- Common Causes of Singer Sewing Machine Trouble
- Date Your Featherweight
- Rate Your Featherweight
- Featherweight Attachments
- Bobbin Info
- Case Info
- Books about the Featherweight and Sewing
- Mildew Problems
- Seam Guide for the Featherweight
- Sales and the Servicing of Your Featherweight
- Featherweight Survey Results
- http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-oil-your-sewing-machine-using.html#more
- Photos and Sewing Projects of the Singer Featherweight 221 Machine
- Additional Photos of Singer Sewing Machines
- Youtube Videos on How to use Your Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine
- Links to other Singer Featherweight 221 Sites
What Every New Singer Featherweight 221/222 Owner Should Know
Important Featherweight TENSION - Instructions
- Oiling Your Featherweight
- Cleaning Your Featherweight
- Belts for Your Featherweight
- Threading the Featherweight
- Lights on Your Featherweight
- Featherweight Foot/Feet Pedals
- Featherweight History
- Condition Chart
- Featherweight Cabinets
- Sewing Machine Manuals
- Shipping of Your Featherweight
- Featherweight Tables
- Quilting with Your Featherweight
- Freearm Featherweight (222k)
- Mr. Singer's History
- Graham's True Sewing Machine Stories
I've re-arranged things...
If you'll look at the top of my blog, you'll see that I've put the best stuff on separate pages. Now you can find Hall of Shame, How to Clean and Oil Your Machine, Sewing Machine Tensions and Bobbin Winder Clutch, by clicking on the tab.
Refurbished Sewing Machine Update
I've been able to sell all but one of my refurbished sewing machines. I only sold the drop-in bobbin Kenmore at my sewing machine yard sale, for $50.
Then I sold the other Kenmore for $100, the Montgomery Ward for $100, and the Riccar for $50, to the same person. She has about 15 ladies who sew cheerleader, drill team and ballroom dance costumes for her.
The White is the only one left. I'm asking $110 for it. I had a woman come to look at it, and it wouldn't work. We got it into the buttonhole system, and couldn't get it back out. Of course, as she was driving away, Karl (my DH) flipped the switch and it popped right out. I will de-gum it and make sure it won't do that again, before I sell it.
Update: The White has a new home. I got $100 for it.
All but one of my machines were bought by people I know through my job or quilt guild. I give a 30-day warranty with all of my refurbished machines. And I hope they will feel free to contact me if there are any problems.
Then I sold the other Kenmore for $100, the Montgomery Ward for $100, and the Riccar for $50, to the same person. She has about 15 ladies who sew cheerleader, drill team and ballroom dance costumes for her.
The White is the only one left. I'm asking $110 for it. I had a woman come to look at it, and it wouldn't work. We got it into the buttonhole system, and couldn't get it back out. Of course, as she was driving away, Karl (my DH) flipped the switch and it popped right out. I will de-gum it and make sure it won't do that again, before I sell it.
Update: The White has a new home. I got $100 for it.
All but one of my machines were bought by people I know through my job or quilt guild. I give a 30-day warranty with all of my refurbished machines. And I hope they will feel free to contact me if there are any problems.
Singer 301 machines
Recently a comment was posted about, "well what about the 301 Singer Sewing Machines?"
Here is a recent myth busted by Rob Stevens, over on my facebook page, about the Singer 301 machine.
301 Myth busted!
The factory burned down, and when they started production again, the A was added. The original 301 was built in NJ, the 301A in Anderson, NC.
September 7 at 11:20am · Edited · Like · 2
Rob Andre' Stevens Sorry Sir, that info above is wrong..
That 'fire' myth has been perpetuated for years. Time to set the record straight, here's the 'Real Story' of the added letter 'A'. Sorry for the length, but to tell a truth, the 'facts' are needed.
As most know, Singer had one United States manufacturing factory, 'Elizabethport', located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. All sewing machines manufactured there never had a prefix after the model number. Singer had several manufacturing factories overseas, and up to the year 1900, also used no prefix. After the year 1900 all models manufactured overseas then included a prefix after the model number to denote the place of its manufacture. Examples would be our beloved 221K and 222K, manufactured in Kilbowie, Scotland.
In 1950 Singer opened the Anderson, South Carolina plant to start manufacture of the all new slant model sewing machines, i.e. the 301 etc, but all the parts tooling was at Elizabethport, NJ, and the 'only' 301's ever made there, was a pilot run of 30 machines, just for testing and inspection, as it was an entirely new sewing machine, and later those 30 were then intentionally destroyed. When the Anderson factory started manufacturing the Singer 301, it did so using the 'NA' serial numbers allotted by NJ in May of 1951. In June 1951, Singer planned to release a "Limited Edition" of Singer 301's during the Centennial Year, and so the Elizabethport factory started producing the 301 parts, shipping them to the Anderson, SC factory for final assembly.
In July 1951, the original Company register number log book for the Anderson factory shows that 10,000 serial numbers, i.e. NA000001 - NA010000, were allotted to be manufactured. They were the 'only' allotted Singer 301 serial numbers during the Centennial Year 1951, and only some were badged with 1851 - 1951 Centennial emblems, the rest had the newer black bordered badges. From July - Sept was when the "Limited Edition" of the "Singer 301" were being manufactured at the Anderson factory. Then from 16-30 Sept 1951, the 100th Anniversary of the patenting of the first Singer sewing machine was observed by Singer Manufacturing Company in New York with 9,400 Singer employees. The New Singer Model 301 was displayed at the exhibition of new and old Singer sewing machines, and prior to the general public knowing its existence. During that 2 week event, the new Singer 301 was awarded to many Singer employees. From Oct to Dec '51, the remaining 301's were then shipped to selected Service Center/Stores for sale, even though no advertizement or advance notice had yet been created. In Jan 1952, manufacturing began for the Singer Model 301, serial numbers NA010001-NA186000, allotted to be solely manufactured at the Anderson, SC factory throughout 1952, and in Oct of that year, the Grand Introduction of the 301 was introduced to the public, with all its fanfare and ads.
As aforementioned, to avoid creating confusion as to where the 301 was actually being manufactured, Singer had decided, i.e. starting with serial numbers NA186001, to add the prefix "A" to denote it was manufactured at the 'Anderson', South Carolina plant, and so in Jan 1953, the 301 Model Tag became no more, and all slant models thereafter bore an "A", hence the Singer 301A, and later the 401A, 403A, 500A and the final 503A.
Now for you 'Collectors' on here, the issuance of a very 'Limited Edition' of a machine is/was a very rare occurrence in the Singer Manufacturing Company's history, as they had never released any Singer Model sewer one year prior to it's introduction date, so it makes those first 10,000 Singer 301's rare birds indeed.
One last notable item, on all 'Black' machines, there were two different gold decals used: The very early Singer 301 sewing machines had what they called a "Paperclips" gold decal with the center decal that looks like an "S". Singer 301's after serial # NA130000, and all black 301A's had what they called a "Prism" gold decal with the center decal that looks like an "8".
So there you have it, and I'll always give credit where credit is due, as a lot of this info came from 'Singer301.com' ..And so M'Ladys and Gents, adieu.. and to all have a great new week.
Facebook group located at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/157457531160/ Ask to join!
Here is what I could find:
Here is a recent myth busted by Rob Stevens, over on my facebook page, about the Singer 301 machine.
301 Myth busted!
The factory burned down, and when they started production again, the A was added. The original 301 was built in NJ, the 301A in Anderson, NC.
September 7 at 11:20am · Edited · Like · 2
Rob Andre' Stevens Sorry Sir, that info above is wrong..
That 'fire' myth has been perpetuated for years. Time to set the record straight, here's the 'Real Story' of the added letter 'A'. Sorry for the length, but to tell a truth, the 'facts' are needed.
As most know, Singer had one United States manufacturing factory, 'Elizabethport', located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. All sewing machines manufactured there never had a prefix after the model number. Singer had several manufacturing factories overseas, and up to the year 1900, also used no prefix. After the year 1900 all models manufactured overseas then included a prefix after the model number to denote the place of its manufacture. Examples would be our beloved 221K and 222K, manufactured in Kilbowie, Scotland.
In 1950 Singer opened the Anderson, South Carolina plant to start manufacture of the all new slant model sewing machines, i.e. the 301 etc, but all the parts tooling was at Elizabethport, NJ, and the 'only' 301's ever made there, was a pilot run of 30 machines, just for testing and inspection, as it was an entirely new sewing machine, and later those 30 were then intentionally destroyed. When the Anderson factory started manufacturing the Singer 301, it did so using the 'NA' serial numbers allotted by NJ in May of 1951. In June 1951, Singer planned to release a "Limited Edition" of Singer 301's during the Centennial Year, and so the Elizabethport factory started producing the 301 parts, shipping them to the Anderson, SC factory for final assembly.
In July 1951, the original Company register number log book for the Anderson factory shows that 10,000 serial numbers, i.e. NA000001 - NA010000, were allotted to be manufactured. They were the 'only' allotted Singer 301 serial numbers during the Centennial Year 1951, and only some were badged with 1851 - 1951 Centennial emblems, the rest had the newer black bordered badges. From July - Sept was when the "Limited Edition" of the "Singer 301" were being manufactured at the Anderson factory. Then from 16-30 Sept 1951, the 100th Anniversary of the patenting of the first Singer sewing machine was observed by Singer Manufacturing Company in New York with 9,400 Singer employees. The New Singer Model 301 was displayed at the exhibition of new and old Singer sewing machines, and prior to the general public knowing its existence. During that 2 week event, the new Singer 301 was awarded to many Singer employees. From Oct to Dec '51, the remaining 301's were then shipped to selected Service Center/Stores for sale, even though no advertizement or advance notice had yet been created. In Jan 1952, manufacturing began for the Singer Model 301, serial numbers NA010001-NA186000, allotted to be solely manufactured at the Anderson, SC factory throughout 1952, and in Oct of that year, the Grand Introduction of the 301 was introduced to the public, with all its fanfare and ads.
As aforementioned, to avoid creating confusion as to where the 301 was actually being manufactured, Singer had decided, i.e. starting with serial numbers NA186001, to add the prefix "A" to denote it was manufactured at the 'Anderson', South Carolina plant, and so in Jan 1953, the 301 Model Tag became no more, and all slant models thereafter bore an "A", hence the Singer 301A, and later the 401A, 403A, 500A and the final 503A.
Now for you 'Collectors' on here, the issuance of a very 'Limited Edition' of a machine is/was a very rare occurrence in the Singer Manufacturing Company's history, as they had never released any Singer Model sewer one year prior to it's introduction date, so it makes those first 10,000 Singer 301's rare birds indeed.
One last notable item, on all 'Black' machines, there were two different gold decals used: The very early Singer 301 sewing machines had what they called a "Paperclips" gold decal with the center decal that looks like an "S". Singer 301's after serial # NA130000, and all black 301A's had what they called a "Prism" gold decal with the center decal that looks like an "8".
So there you have it, and I'll always give credit where credit is due, as a lot of this info came from 'Singer301.com' ..And so M'Ladys and Gents, adieu.. and to all have a great new week.
Facebook group located at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/157457531160/ Ask to join!
Here is what I could find:
- On Pattern Review - several reviews of the Singer 301 machine. http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingMachine/Singer
- Singer301.com
- 301 Vintage Sewing Machine Review http://blog.sew-classic.com/2009/03/14/classic-singer-301-301a-vintage-sewing-machine-review.aspx
- April 1930's 301 Machines http://www.april1930s.com/html/singer_301___301a_machines.html
- Glenn's Joy of 301 Singer Sewing Machines http://pages.suddenlink.net/joyof301s/glenn.htm
- http://pages.suddenlink.net/joyof301s/301faqs.htm
- Grandmother's Sewing Machines 301 http://www.grandmotherssewingmachine.com/singer_301.html
- Sleepy Cat's Newest Sewing Machine - the 301! http://sleepycathollow.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/1951-singer-301-my-newest-sewing-machine/
- A manual for the 301 http://static.onecreativeblog.com/files/singer-301-manual.pdf
- ISMACS info on the 301 http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer-class-301-sewing-machines.html
- Collecting 301's http://possumjimandelizabeth.com/xhtml/collect_sewing_sing301.html
- Flicker of 301s http://www.flickr.com/photos/16989706@N00/124804972/
- Best Sewing Machine Review of the 301 http://bestsewingmachine.net/sewing-machine-reviews/singer-301
- An Ebay Guide and Review of the 301 Singer Sewing Machine http://reviews.ebay.com/Singer-301-Sew-Your-Next-Quilt-on-This-Vintage-Machine_W0QQugidZ10000000002642554
- The Black 301 Singer Sewing Machine http://black301.com/
- Treadle Quilt's 301 in a different cabinet! http://treadlequilts.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-singer-301-in-queen-anne-cabinet.html
- Newest edition from what the craft - the 301! http://whatthecraft.com/the-newest-edition-to-my-sewing-family-singer-301/
- Susan's Cloches tension and 301 Singer Sewing Machine Thoughts. http://susanscloches.blogspot.com/2010/05/301-youre-moving.htmlhttp://susanscloches.blogspot.com/2010/05/301-youre-moving.html
- http://susanscloches.blogspot.com/2010/06/tension-and-301.html
- http://susanscloches.blogspot.com/search/label/Singer%20301
- Tomrit 301 Singer! http://tomrit.com/sewing/?p=13
- A wordpress blog on the 301 Singer http://singer301.wordpress.com/
- Leah's Garden 301 http://leahsgarden.blogspot.com/2009/09/defeat-longer-story.html
- Penny Quilt Journal on the wonderful 301 machine. http://pennyquiltsjournal.blogspot.com/2009/07/wonderful-old-singer-sewing-machines.html
- Martha Sews - back story with the 301 machine http://marshasews.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-sewing-back-story.html?showComment=1236948780000
- Sew Mama Sew 301 stuff! http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=837
- and soon some 301 Singer information from my family! Woo!
- So enjoy these links! Any more? Please let me know!
Table dates provided by Rob Stevens from the facebook group, Gaileee's Singer
Featherweights 221 and 222s.
Refurbished Sewing Machines
I've been collecting and repairing machines for a few months, and have 6 ready to sell. I'm thinking about having a sewing machine garage sale. Here's what I've got...
I've written a list for each machine that points out it's positive and negative points. Here's a closer look at each one. You can click on the photo to get a bigger image.
So, what do I look for in a thrift store machine?
#1 does it have an oscillating hook system. Yes, I'm prejudiced, but am softening a bit.
#2 does it have all of its parts? hook, bobbin case, presser foot, foot control, needle plate, sew table, etc.
#3 does it run and function like it should? We bought one that was missing its back-stitch mechanism, and was too old to get a replacement.
#4 Has it been knocked or dropped, and is the race intact? If the race, or ledge that the hook sits on, is broken off, it might sew but will make a terrible banging sound. If it's been knocked or dropped, it may have some bent shafts or broken internal parts.
We can tweak things like a burr on the hook or the timing (unless its been scrambled beyond repair). We can clean up the old gummy oil, most of the time. Some machines would take major surgery to clean up the old oil, and it wouldn't be cost effective. I'm having a bit of trouble with noisy Kenmores. I know they have a rattle, but these are extra loud. I haven't figured out how to quiet them, yet.
I've written a list for each machine that points out it's positive and negative points. Here's a closer look at each one. You can click on the photo to get a bigger image.
 | |
| Bernette Model #715 Oscillating hook, Bernette (made for Bernina), has it's sew table, and a good variety of stitches. |
 |
| The logo washed off of the front, so I didn't dare wash off the logo on the back. It's the only way to tell what it is. |
 |
| It sewed off really nice. |
 | |
| Kenmore Model #158-16031 This is a beauty! The one draw-back on this one is that it's a flat-bed. It has some nice stitches built-in, oscillating hook, and clean. |
 | ||||
| It sewed off well, but I ran off the edge a bit. |
 |
| Kenmore Model #158-17800 This one, I probably wouldn't have bought, just because it's a drop-in bobbin, but my DH brought it home. It doesn't have any cams, and the buttonhole system is missing parts for it to work. |
 | |||
| It sewed off pretty good, but I haven't cut off the top row of stitches, which were before I had the tensions balanced. |
 |
| Montgomery Ward Model #UHT J1930 Lots of stitches on this one! And it has a few accessories, oscillating hook, and a nifty spring-loaded sew table. |
 |
| Sewed off well, too. |
 |
| Riccar Model #333 No bells or whistles, oscillating hook, carry case. I won't ask too much for this one, but I think it would be just fine with the right person. |
 | |
| It only has straight and zig-zag stitches, but what a solid machine! |
 |
| White model #701 This is another one I wouldn't have bought, but DH did. And I'm glad he did! It has some fun engineering! The knob on the lower, left side releases a sew table in the front if you turn it one way, and another sew table in the back if you turn it the other way. In the top, it has its dials and knobs for selecting stitches and even has a buttonhole system that you can set the size. |
 |
| Lots of stitches on this one, and it sewed off surprisingly well for a rotary hook. |
So, what do I look for in a thrift store machine?
#1 does it have an oscillating hook system. Yes, I'm prejudiced, but am softening a bit.
#2 does it have all of its parts? hook, bobbin case, presser foot, foot control, needle plate, sew table, etc.
#3 does it run and function like it should? We bought one that was missing its back-stitch mechanism, and was too old to get a replacement.
#4 Has it been knocked or dropped, and is the race intact? If the race, or ledge that the hook sits on, is broken off, it might sew but will make a terrible banging sound. If it's been knocked or dropped, it may have some bent shafts or broken internal parts.
We can tweak things like a burr on the hook or the timing (unless its been scrambled beyond repair). We can clean up the old gummy oil, most of the time. Some machines would take major surgery to clean up the old oil, and it wouldn't be cost effective. I'm having a bit of trouble with noisy Kenmores. I know they have a rattle, but these are extra loud. I haven't figured out how to quiet them, yet.
Drop-in Bobbin Case Position
Here's a picture of an open Drop-in Bobbin System. This is a picture I took of a Bernette, but is similar to a Singer 7422. The bobbin holder (sometimes called a bobbin basket or bobbin case) is in its place in the top picture. You shouldn't have to loosen any screws to remove the bobbin holder. But if it's hard to get out, turn the hand wheel until the opening in the hook is just below the retention finger. The hook is the metal ring that goes around when you turn the hand wheel. To put the bobbin holder back in, there's a small bump at the front, that can bounce on the spring. And a bigger, flat bump on the opposite side that the finger will touch.
Some other sewing machine mechanic wanted to charge $40 to put a bobbin holder in!?!? You can do this!!!
A Singer 401a and Greasy Terminal Prongs
Hi everyone, I know, long time no talk. I recently got to meet Elizabeth from My Sewing Machine Obsession and that was pretty cool. She mentioned that I hadn't written in a while. Over a year!
I've been busy with work and fixing sewing machines on the side, even making housecalls in Manhattan. If you need repair work done on your machine, are in NYC and/or can bring your machine to me in lower Manhattan, drop a line.
Anyways, a customer brought this Singer 401a to me. She came my way from Peter Lappin's sewing blog. The customer had just purchased the machine from a "reputable" seller online, and the machine had been damaged in shipping, with one spool pin broken off. She asked if I could fix it, I said no problem.
When she arrived with the machine, she mentioned that after five minutes of sewing, the machine would begin to emit a smell. I told her I'd check it out.
Well, never mind the spool pin, I was appalled to see the condition of the machine. So much so that I subsequently looked up the seller. I will not mention him by name, but based on his reputation and self-description, any of us would probably buy a machine from this guy in a heartbeat. He has been working on machines for longer than I've been alive, so I cannot understand how he let these things go.
The first thing I went to do is plug her machine in to uncover the source of the smell, but I stopped dead in my tracks. Check it out:
See that green stuff? Old Singer lubricant (grease) turns that shade of green after many years, I've seen it inside plenty a machine. And here it is on the terminal prongs--not good. Even worse, there was more on the cable:
Folks if you ever see this, do NOT plug your machine in. Electricity should never mix with oil, grease, or any kind of lubricant. The woman who brought me the machine is lucky that the machine didn't start a fire.
It's not difficult to clean old grease off of metal, you just go at it with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. So I'm really surprised the seller was so careless. Here's the terminal after I cleaned it:
However, I was not able to get the grease out of the power cable. There's no way I can see inside, so there's no way I can ensure I've removed every last bit of grease. I told the customer her cheapest option was to order a replacement cable from Sew-Classic. Since it's only $6.99, it really bothered me that the original seller didn't supply one rather than the grease-soaked one.
The rest of the machine wasn't much better. There was an antique-looking piece of thread jammed under the hook assembly, providing friction:
It took me a little time, since it was wound around the shaft, but I fished the thing out. I estimated it was 8 inches long, but I measured it just now out of curiosity and it was a foot.
And the rest of the machine was just filthy. I don't mean the body of the machine, which almost doesn't matter--that's basically cosmetic--but the working parts of the machine, like the tension assembly. I stripped every part that needed it to give it a thorough cleaning. Here are the before-and-after shots:
I saved the spool pin for last. I'm sorry I don't have photos of this part, but I'll explain how to do it in case one of you needs to. With a 401, you have to take the lid holding the spool pins off. I futzed around with the hinges for a while trying to figure out how to remove it without breaking it, then finally realized you just keep moving the lid in the open direction, gently, until it pops off. (This is only the second slant-needle machine I've worked on, I'm usually doing older cast-iron models.)
Then I was going to hammer out the spool pin using a hammer and a blunt nail, which is how I've gotten broken spool pins out of the base of a 201-2 and 15-91 (where you place the spool for bobbin winding). But after clamping the lid upside down to my workbench, I worried that hammering it out might bend the lid.
So instead I drilled the spool pin out, since it was plastic. What you do is start with a 1/16th" bit and drill through the center of the broken spool pin. (Try to get it as dead-center as you can, because you don't want to hit the metal part of the lid and potentially ruin the hole.) Then you just drill through the hole with progressively larger drill bits, and eventually the spool pin fragments just disintegrate and fall out of the hole.
That's the tricky part. Replacing a plastic spoon pin is easy, you just wedge it in there manually, you don't have to tap it in with a hammer like you do with a metal spool pin.
Using one of my own grease-free cords, I spent twenty minutes stitching the machine in and running it full-tilt. No burning smell, and a nice, strong-running motor in this machine.
There's a couple of things I want to say. While I cleaned the customer's machine for a few hours, I didn't give it what I call the "Million-Dollar Treatment," where I slave over a machine for weeks or even months as a time-consuming hobby. Because I think no customer is going to pay for what I'd have to charge them for that kind of time. So I didn't get into every last nook and cranny but instead cleaned up the most offensive and function-affecting areas.
Secondly, to be fair, I do not know what condition the original seller received the machine in. Maybe it was a total train wreck and he brought it back from the dead, and maybe I oughtn't malign him?
Then again, there's no excuse for neglecting basic safety. Yeah, that settles it. Far as I'm concerned the grease on the power cable is a damning indictment. Can you imagine if this poor woman had burned her house down over a sewing machine? Folks, if you're ever going to buy a used machine, please do inspect the terminal and power cable carefully to be sure they're not covered in grease.
I don't mean to be sensationalist or self-promoting. I have never, ever heard of someone burning their house down in a fire caused by a sewing machine. But common sense dictates that any sewing machine repairperson ought to do their best to minimize those risks. It took me less than fifteen minutes to get the grease off of the prongs, and ordering a new cable takes less time than that. Those things should have been done during the initial refurbishment.
If you see that green grease on your terminal prongs, clean it off with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol, then give it plenty of time to dry off before you plug it back in. And if your power cable has grease in the ports, recycle it and buy a new one--$6.99 is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Take A Closer Look At Your Bobbin
The bobbin is a simple thing, but it can cause some big problems. Here are a few examples...
This bobbin has multiple layers of thread wound onto it. Yes, it's frugal, but have you thought about what's going to happen when one layer comes to an end or gets tangled under another layer? It may cause the needle to jerk, and put a burr on your hook and/or break a needle.
This bobbin has been wound very loosely. It won't feed evenly, and your tension will look very bad.
This bobbin has a loose thread, so instead of spinning smoothly inside the bobbin case, it will rattle and jerk and give you a bad stitch.
This bobbin also has a loose thread that got wrapped around the outside. It cannot give you a smooth stitch.
So, pay attention to the little things!
How To Use a Seam Jack
If you're sewing over bulky seams, a "seam jack" can be your best friend.
A "seam jack" or "jeans jack," can be purchased where sewing machine accessories are sold. The middle one is Bernina's “height compensation tool,” which you can buy at your local Bernina dealer for about $1.00. Or you can fold some light-weight cardboard or plastic to a thickness of 1/16” to 3/16.”
The reason we have a hard time getting a good stitch, or with breaking needles on thicker fabrics, is because the presser foot tilts as you go over a thick seam. A seam jack helps keep the presser foot even, so that the connection to the feed dogs underneath is even.
#1. As the presser foot tilts, it loses its grip on the feed dogs, and the needle gets pulled into the presser foot or needle plate.
#2. As you approach a thick seam, put the needle in the down position and lift the presser foot. Insert the seam jack right behind the needle, and let the presser foot back down. Sew across the seam, and stop with the needle in the down position.
#3. When the presser foot is sitting evenly, on top of the seam, and about to start tilting forward, as it goes down the other side of the seam, put the needle in the down position, lift the presser foot and remove the seam jack.
#4. Place the seam jack under the front of the presser foot, but only under one side.
#5. Let the presser foot down, and continue sewing until the back of your presser foot is ready to sew off of the seam.
Mechanic Hands
I enjoy being a sewing machine mechanic,
but it sure is hard on my hands.
I put a screw driver through my pinky fingernail,
and smashed my thumbnail.
Some days they just don't get clean,
no matter how many times I wash them.
It's a good thing I love my job!
The Wrong Oil
I'm working on an old White sewing machine. DH got it for the foot control, but I want to try to fix it up to sell. The problem seems to be that the previous owner used the wrong kind of oil.
It took DH's muscles to un-screw the center knob. And my sons helped me get the handwheel off. After trying to pull it off, we tried to pry it off with a screw driver, which didn't work. Then we finally positioned a screw driver on the inside metal casing, and smacked it with a hammer. That worked!
The "Before" picture is fuzzy, but you can see the red-ish, sticky, old oil. That is what old oil or the wrong kind of oil looks like, and it feels tacky to the touch. It's just like glue.
To remove the old, gummy oil, I put some WD-40 on it and scrubbed it with an old toothbrush. It didn't get all of it off, so I used a very fine sandpaper to get the rest off. The inside of the casing on the handwheel also needed scrubbing as did the center knob and the position ring.
So, what kind of oil should you use? Only "sewing machine oil." That doesn't include 3-in-1 oil, engine oil, olive oil, or FAX machine oil. And, as you can see, it doesn't include WD-40. We only use WD-40 to REMOVE the old oil.
It took DH's muscles to un-screw the center knob. And my sons helped me get the handwheel off. After trying to pull it off, we tried to pry it off with a screw driver, which didn't work. Then we finally positioned a screw driver on the inside metal casing, and smacked it with a hammer. That worked!
The "Before" picture is fuzzy, but you can see the red-ish, sticky, old oil. That is what old oil or the wrong kind of oil looks like, and it feels tacky to the touch. It's just like glue.
To remove the old, gummy oil, I put some WD-40 on it and scrubbed it with an old toothbrush. It didn't get all of it off, so I used a very fine sandpaper to get the rest off. The inside of the casing on the handwheel also needed scrubbing as did the center knob and the position ring.
So, what kind of oil should you use? Only "sewing machine oil." That doesn't include 3-in-1 oil, engine oil, olive oil, or FAX machine oil. And, as you can see, it doesn't include WD-40. We only use WD-40 to REMOVE the old oil.
Sewing Machine Tensions
Lets talk about tensions. When a machine comes into the shop, no matter what the problem is, the customer will usually say, "it's the tension." If the timing is off, "it's the tension." If there's a burr on the hook, "it's the tension." If the needle is in backwards, "it's the tension." You get the idea.
I'll do a run through on how we balance the tensions at the shop.
Before we can work with tensions, we clean and oil throughout the whole machine. It's especially important to clean and oil your bobbin area before working with the tensions. That's something you should be comfortable doing yourself.
When you thread your machine, the presser foot has to be in the up position, to open the upper tension disks. If the presser foot is down, the tension disks are closed tight, and the thread can't get into them. When that happens, your fabric will have loops on the bottom, like this...
You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.
Next, make sure there's no lint in the upper tension disks or inside the bobbin case. You can sweep the lint out with your lint brush.
Then set your upper tension dial on "normal." If you don't have a "normal" setting marked on the dial, set it at 3.
Correctly thread your machine, top and bobbin. Put a light colored thread in the bobbin and a medium to dark colored thread in the top.
Set your machine to do a medium zig-zag (unless your machine is just a straight-stitch machine). On most machines it's 3 on the width and 2 on the length.
Sew on a light colored, good quality, cotton fabric for about 6."
If the bobbin thread is pulling to the top, tighten the bobbin case tension by turning the little screw to the right. Remember, "righty tighty, lefty loosey." Here's some pictures of bobbin case tension screws...
If the top thread is pulling to the bottom, that's what you want it to do. But, you only want the top thread to be a "tick" on the back. If it's really pulling to the back, loosen the bobbin case tension by turning the little screw to the left.
After working with the bobbin case tension, if you're still not sewing well, try adjusting the top tension. It works just opposite of the bobbin case tension. If the thread is still pulling to the top, loosen the upper tension. If the thread is still pulling to the bottom, tighten the upper tension.
Here's my nearly perfect sew-off sample.
If you're still not sewing well, it may not be the tensions, and you may need to take your machine to the shop.
I'll do a run through on how we balance the tensions at the shop.
Before we can work with tensions, we clean and oil throughout the whole machine. It's especially important to clean and oil your bobbin area before working with the tensions. That's something you should be comfortable doing yourself.
When you thread your machine, the presser foot has to be in the up position, to open the upper tension disks. If the presser foot is down, the tension disks are closed tight, and the thread can't get into them. When that happens, your fabric will have loops on the bottom, like this...
You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.
Next, make sure there's no lint in the upper tension disks or inside the bobbin case. You can sweep the lint out with your lint brush.
Then set your upper tension dial on "normal." If you don't have a "normal" setting marked on the dial, set it at 3.
Correctly thread your machine, top and bobbin. Put a light colored thread in the bobbin and a medium to dark colored thread in the top.
Set your machine to do a medium zig-zag (unless your machine is just a straight-stitch machine). On most machines it's 3 on the width and 2 on the length.
Sew on a light colored, good quality, cotton fabric for about 6."
If the bobbin thread is pulling to the top, tighten the bobbin case tension by turning the little screw to the right. Remember, "righty tighty, lefty loosey." Here's some pictures of bobbin case tension screws...
If the top thread is pulling to the bottom, that's what you want it to do. But, you only want the top thread to be a "tick" on the back. If it's really pulling to the back, loosen the bobbin case tension by turning the little screw to the left.
After working with the bobbin case tension, if you're still not sewing well, try adjusting the top tension. It works just opposite of the bobbin case tension. If the thread is still pulling to the top, loosen the upper tension. If the thread is still pulling to the bottom, tighten the upper tension.
Here's my nearly perfect sew-off sample.
If you're still not sewing well, it may not be the tensions, and you may need to take your machine to the shop.
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