Tag Archives: Sewing Machines

Life, Sewing Machines

Bad Seamstress Blues – Patchless darning is the same as free motion

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The day I went to post bail for Lucey, it happened – riiiiiippppp.  Oh No!  My favorite jeans!  I’ve long since passed the age (and lost the figure) where I feel like I can get away with wearing ripped jeans, but patched jeans, especially form fitting ones are so uncomfortable.   I’ve used every sort of patch I can think of and they all leave a bump where they are and seem to chafe a little.  The best one to date though was a scrap of batik fabric.

The longer I quilt, the less I seem to be willing to “sew” – and that definitely includes darning – but not having an unlimited clothing budget means I don’t get to just throw out what has fallen apart at the seams or self destructed somewhere other than a seam.

Today, I want to talk about how to make darning a little less “horrible” for us quilters.

Ready?  Pretend you’re Continue reading Bad Seamstress Blues – Patchless darning is the same as free motion →

Home, Life, Sewing Machines

Been a Long time – a new quilting studio!

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For the last several weeks, I’ve been virtually absent from both any sewing projects and the Internet.  Other than answering urgent emails and the occasional post on the QB, I just haven’t been dedicating the time.

Why?  I decided to reorganize the basement.  Previously, it was a dumping ground for everything we didn’t want to look at anymore, but didn’t have time to get rid of.  There were 15 years of company and personal financials down there.  There were 16 parts sewing machines, 9 sewing cabinets, our old TV, actually, our last 2 tvs, and all manner of other things.  In addition to this, the webserver that serves archaicarcane.com to you lives down there, as does my very neglected wet darkroom.  All of it had to be put in order, and fast.

Why?  As some of you know, I created a space crisis in the house.

How?  I traded up.  No, not Ryan.  😉

I sold the Juki and frame and put that money toward a brand new …. Kangaroo! Continue reading Been a Long time – a new quilting studio! →

Sewing Machines, VSM Repair

Beautiful Broken – Quiet down your FMQ

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Since I brought the B-Line frame and the Juki home some months ago, I’ve managed several projects on it.  I enjoyed every single one of them, but there was one thing I couldn’t enjoy and neither did Ryan – the noise.

Note:  This post can still apply to you if you don’t quilt on a frame.  For instance, my Singer 301A is incredibly loud when doing FMQ as well.

Doing feathers and straight lines with the Juki made such a racket, that I couldn’t quilt at night once Ryan went to bed.  It sounded like a jackhammer.   Ryan’s even told me that he can hear the machine outside when I use it!

Yesterday, it was time to service the Juki again, and while I had it off the frame, I took the hopping foot off to clean the fuzz out of it, and I ended up running the machine without the foot.  What a lovely sounding machine….

Wait,.. what?  How could I love the sound off the frame, but hate it on the frame?

Continue reading Beautiful Broken – Quiet down your FMQ →

Miscellaneous, Sewing Machines

China Girl – It’s time to stop blaming China for quality issues

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This is not likely to be a well loved post. I keep hearing something that’s making me a little crazy, and I have to get it off my chest.

Made in China, Made In Taiwan, Made In India, Made in Thailand. All of these do not have to equal worse quality.

The Far Eastern factories will build to any quality that you want. If you want higher quality, it will cost you more. Continue reading China Girl – It’s time to stop blaming China for quality issues →

Sewing Machines

A little more love – What you don’t see can make your machine sick

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Sometimes people will find out that I service sewing machines and tell me that they do their own servicing.

I always ask them how involved they get, and at least 9 times out of 10 they’ll tell me they brush out (or blow out – and I usually tell them that’s not recommended) the lint, and oil where it says to in the owner’s manual.

Believe it or not, when a sewing machine repair shop does a cleaning and tune-up for you, they do more than that.  Inside your machine there are a lot more places to oil and clean and adjust than what the owner will typically see. Continue reading A little more love – What you don’t see can make your machine sick →

Life, Sewing Machines, Site News

Socialite – AA gets social!

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Today, while perusing the site stats, I noticed that we’re suddenly getting a ton of hits from Facebook, Twitter and other sharing places.

A great big “Welcome!” to our new readers!!  This is so exciting!  I’m a closet introvert, but I just love that what I’m talking about is important to you, and I look forward to your comments and our discussions!

I humbly thank you very much for sharing this site with your friends.

In case you’re interested, here are our top 5 most popular articles as chosen by you, my lovely readers!! Continue reading Socialite – AA gets social! →

Sewing Machines, Site News, VSM Repair

Greased Lightning – Singer motor lube in Canada

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Update 06-30-2016:  The latest batch of Singer Lube I received from the supplier is no longer suitable for use in Singer motors.  As such, I’m recommending the use of Petroleum jelly.

People far smarter than me are recommending it and White Sewing machine motors of the same time period used it.

 

Over the last few months, I’ve been hearing that Singer Lube / Lubricant / Motor Lube (S2129)  is getting really hard to find, especially here in Canada. This has been my experience as a consumer as well.  Walmart used to carry it, but no longer.  I believe that it may have been at Fabricland at one point.  Also, no longer.  With the loss of the Singer store in Edmonton, there were no longer any options I was aware of in my area. Continue reading Greased Lightning – Singer motor lube in Canada →

Sewing Machines, VSM Repair, Warnings

Love becomes Electric – Electrical Safety and your sewing machine

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*Note:  The photo above is of a mis-assembled power connector.  This is an example of what not to do, or Love becoming Electric – which is the topic of this conversation today.

Today, I want to talk about the electrical connections in your vintage machines.  In particular, the topic will be when you’re using the machine and you feel a tingle, or a light shock, or buzzing sensation. Continue reading Love becomes Electric – Electrical Safety and your sewing machine →

Sewing Machines

First Date – First frame quilt, a charity quilt

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As I mentioned earlier this week, there’s a new machine in the house.

I’ve had a chance to play with it, and I’ve got a sort of preliminary review mostly of the frame. The machine in question is a Juki TL-98Q, it’s on a B-Line frame.

After a couple of mis-starts, things are going well. I managed about an hour on it each Tuesday and Wednesday, in a couple of small sessions , then about an hour and half on it on Saturday. No pain so far, which is good.

We’ve begun to bond, and I’ve discovered a few things so far: Continue reading First Date – First frame quilt, a charity quilt →

Sewing Machines

Wow. Trade of the century.

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So good a trade, I couldn’t even come up with a witty pop culture title.  I know you’re disappointed, I can tell.  😉

Early last week, a lady contacted me about the Coronado that I had for sale in the local buy and sell.  She said she loved it,  and wanted possibly a couple of machines I had to do up a display wall in her quilting studio.

While talking to her, she mentioned that she had a B-Line King sized Frame and a Juki TL-98Q that she was going to sell (She’s ordered a gorgeous computerized Pfaff Mid Arm with a frame.).  Continue reading Wow. Trade of the century. →