My "New" Antique Sewing Machine

This week, I had spent too much time in my sewing studio and needed  to get out of the house for a change of scenery. I popped into a local upholstery store to browse the rows of fabric and see the pretty colors. Tucked away by some finished products awaiting pick up, was a Singer 15-88 treadle sewing machine in a cabinet. Over a year ago, I discussed this machine with the owner and was told it was for sale for $$$. The machine needed refurbishment, is an antique treadle and after considering what might be required to make it function; I passed on it.  

On Monday, I casually asked the current price of the machine expecting the out of my budget price of a year ago. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a price that as 10% of the original! The owner had not followed through on his refurbishment plans and wanted the constant reminder of that failure gone. It is not substitute for the Singer 201 I was looking for in my previous post, but I could not let this gem go. For the cost of a week of designer coffee, we had a deal! 

Here is my Antique Singer 15-88 Treadle machine from 1948.

Folded in the cabinet.

Well loved, but in good condition.

The decals on the back are in great condition.

The front decals are worn from putting it in the cabinet.

Cast Iron treadle in great shape.

The hand wheel.

Singer trade mark

The leather strap is connected, but worn.

The veneer is a mess, but the wood beneath is solid.

So cozy

I have done some research and have been able to find a manual online, parts I can order and great advice on cleaning it. I plan to order the parts I know I need before taking it to the shop. In the meantime, I will clean her up, read the manual and see what she can do.

The machine came with tons of feet for this low shank machine. I know what some are, others, I have no clue. If you know, please share.

Gather foot.

Hemmer foot,

?

Binding Foot

?

?

Adjustable hemmer

I will share the updates as they come. I am excited to get to know this machine.

Happy Sewing!

Estate Sale Treasures

On my previous post Fourkid commented that I should look for a Singer 201 machine to sew leather. I read her review, took her advice and did a quick search online and found an estate sale that was selling one. I did not find the listing until 4:45p.m. on Friday evening and the sale was ending at 5. I planned to be there when does opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday and made it. Unfortunately, the machine was gone already sold to some fortunate soul. I was sorely disappointed, but decided to look around and see want other offerings were available.

I found these vintage patterns.

Little Miss wants an Easter dress.

Love this Maxi Dress with double sleeves!

I love the shorts romper. Is it too young?

I love the collar on that cape.

Summer is coming!

Oh, I love view 2.

View 2 here

Umm, cannot explain what I love here, but look at those sleeves

Okay, omit the bolero, make a sleeveless maxi dress with an ultra wide tie belt in front. Use a solid  top and print skirt.

This maxi dress will take some size adjustments but I will give it a try.

I have not made a swimsuit yet, but this one will be the one.

In addition to those patterns, take a look at this hand-stitched appliqued skirt. 

It is made in India and tells quite a story. Look at all the wonderful workmanship that went into this.

I think the fish pond is my favorite section.

The best treasure of the day was meeting Rhonda and Donna of Blue Willow Estate Sales. These ladies were such a delight to talk with. We talked about sewing, quilting, and pursuing ones' passions. Sometimes you meet people and you know they are kindred. If my hubby hadn't taken the kids to the car and a line wasn't forming behind me, I could have chatted with them all day.  

 

I did not find my dream sewing machine, but all in all, I would say was a great day!

Happy Sewing!

Making leather dreams come true

I have mentioned before that an industrial sewing machine is on my wishlist. I have a heavy duty machine that has served me well for some projects. I have successfully added leather handles to my  Beautiful Belle Bag, but I want to do much more. I have a stash of thrifted leather jackets that I hope to repurpose in many ways. My virtual friend Hilary at Entropy Always Wins has an industrial Juki machine and has begun to sew with leather and I am so jealous. She makes awesome stuff and her bags are drool worthy.

In an effort to calm my jealousy while I wait for the right machine, I decided to make a bag with the machine I have. I thought a simple tote bag would be a good test to see what I am up against.

I chose view A and a jacket from my stash. In my haste to get started, I neglected to take a before picture. Here is a picture of a similar jacket.

 Here is the  completed bag

Front

Back

 

 

Inside

I sewed it with heavy duty needles for sewing leather and broke two of them. The needles broke when I was top-stitching the lining to the body of the bag. I ended up starting and stopping at the bulky areas and not stitching through them. Beside that issue, with my roller foot it was fast and easy. I lined it with fabric leftover from these pants. 

Initially, I wished I would have applied interfacing to the lining of the bag to give it more structure. I was uncertain about how the machine would do with the added layer, so I did not. The bag is floppy when empty, but holds its' shape when full. It is a perfect library bag. I can put it in my purse when empty and fill it when I need too.

I am not sure I will make this again. I am testing patterns and styles to use the thrifted leather. I have many other styles to t try.

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

My new "go to" dress is Simplicity 2054

So, you may remember I was auditioning dresses to wear to an early spring wedding.  After many days of the "I have nothing to wear" feeling, I called the bride and asked about the schedule for the festivities. The service was to start at 8:30 a.m with a breakfast reception to follow. The remainder of the day was full of casual activities ending late into the evening.  I imagined kid corralling all day long and knew I needed a dress that would take a beating and still look good. After considering that we would have driven 10 hours with our two kids, I decided simple, comfy and stylish was the way to go.

I decided on Simplicity 2054         


                                                                     
                                              
I liked the large Cowl in view A and the split sleeves on view C. I went stash shopping and found two cuts of fabric that I thought would look great to make one of each. Here is the review of the pattern with photos. 

Pattern Description: Misses' knit dresses and cowl - collar sewing pattern, Cynthia Rowley Collection.
Pattern Sizing: H5(6-14) R5(14-22). I made view A and C in the 8. I find CR patterns tend to run small for me. I usually cut a 10 in Simplicity but a 12 for CR. When I pinned the cut pieces to my dress form I found it too large. There is too much ease for my liking. I reduced each seam by 2 inches and cut the second to an 8 and found it perfect for me.

The sides are not stitched here, but you can see how big it is.

I removed two inches excess on each side.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the simple construction of the dress. The option of the cowl elevates the style factor. I wore the black and white version to a morning wedding with jewelry, heels and the cowl and it worked great. For the remainder of the day, I wore it without the cowl and flats for a comfy dressed down look.

For view C, I find the exposed elbows a bit silly. I thought it was a fun detail, but now that I have worn it, it seems rather pointless.  I made it with soft heather knit so it does not stay open. With a firmer Ponte knit it may stay open and be more of a style detail.

Fabric Used: A black and white Ponte knit for view A. A heather knit from Joann’s for view C
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:   I stitched the sleeves in flat for both dresses I lengthened View C by 2 inches, but kept A the same.. I was short on fabric for the cowl on View C, so I made a basic rectangle cowl with the fabric I had.

Basic cowl from scraps

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I find myself reaching for this dress over and over. It is easy to wear dressed up or down. The Ponte Knit version is my first choice. With no ironing needed it travels well. We are in transitional weather in Texas, so this is great with tights and boots or without in flats.

Conclusion:  Off to make another. It is great for beginners.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca