5/14/10

This is not a toy.

No kidding. That's the first sentence of the owner's manual. This is not a toy.

And, having cleaned it, oiled it and set the tension, it really isn't. It' makes a great stitch. And, it can be run on AC or DC current. So, if I wanted to, I really could sew in the car. I'd have to solve an issue with the foot. It has a funny foot on it that would not give a good quarter inch seam, but other than that, if I had enough rechargeable batteries, I could do it.



But, alas, even after working on it and giving it a good oiling, it's a pretty loud little machine. So, I'm trying to come up with a baffle that I can put inside to absorb some of the sound. Like a thick potholder or something. You know me, always trying to solve some sewing problem. But, it's a really loud little bugger and I don't think my co-travelers would like not being able to hear the radio while I chain pieced 50 nine-patch units or something like that.
I'm having another problem, too. I know I'm not the only collector of vintage sewing machines. I need bobbins for those machines. I only have one right now. Well, actually, I have a lot of them, but they don't work in the bobbin winder. Some are too long and some are too short and I need them to be just a wee bit over one and one-eighth inch. Or, if any of you have heard of other solutions to the problem of how to wind these long bobbins without using the machine's bobbin winder, that would be welcome information, too. Well, unless your solution is to wind them by hand or something equally labor intensive. I don't think I'm willing to do that. At least I'm not that desparate yet.


And, tomorrow, we're off for a full day of quilt show and antique shopping. Rob said that if we shopped all day, we wouldn't be able to hit all the antique shops in the small town where the quilt show is. So, we're going to focus on the quilts there and take the back roads home so we can shop in some of our favorite small towns where the prices on antiques are lower. Maybe I'll even stumble up on some bobbins. Who knows.
Take care and have a great Friday. See ya round the web. Lane

9 comments:

Coloradolady said...

Oh my goodness....how SWEET is that?!?!?! Perfect for travel....is this yours????

Rhoda said...

Lane, where do you come up with these things?
my mom's first machine - a treadle - was a White. That brand has been around a while. Enjoy your new toy. Rhoda

Barb said...

What a cute machine.

My mother used to work in a sewing machine repair shop, she says that the bobbin casing were made too big so....she said to put some felt (like the round felt your spool sits on) (flat) inside the bobbin casing...see if it works? She suggest that even paper might do the trick? I a going to try it on my daddy pfaff.

Coloradolady said...

...this morning when I looked at your post there was only a photo...when I clicked back on here just now, there were the words....how funny is that?

Sam said...

Cute toy - are you serious about sewing in the car? Would love to see a photo of that ;-)

Shay said...

Sweet! I'm going to confess that until a couple of years ago, I thought bobbins were pretty much universal..I know- I'm a dunce.

That's what this journey is about right - learning?

Have a great day quilting browsing and antiquing.

Sunshine said...

How fun to go to a quilt show with a loved one! I'm jealous, but in a good way.

Is the bobbin winder on the little machine you showed? Could you just pre-wind the bobbins on your regular machine?

Cheers,
Christine

marlene@ByTheSeam said...

Cute machine. Do me a favor and don't drive and sew, LOL.

Elizabeth said...

What a fun machine -- absolutely pink-a-licious! Thanks for sharing