Tupelo Creative

Please excuse the mess!

2013-05-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

I'm cleaning some things up around here - so pardon the mess!

I also have a PILE of awesome machines to add to the shop and plenty of your questions to answer. I promise I'll get there...it's amazing how much time a full-time job takes up!

I hope you are all doing well - stay in touch!

Jess

Oh the GUILT!!!

2013-03-15T19:28:00.003-05:00

My goodness, I did not expect to be away for so long!

If you follow my Facebook page, or keep track of me in any other way, you didn't miss the news:

I GOT A FULL TIME JOB! (temporarily - until August 31)

To make a very long sob story short, we moved here 2 and a half years ago, right after I got my master's degree in Wildlife Biology. Right about that time, the economy nose-dived, and well, I became a stay at home mom...something I never really thought I'd do.

Over the past two years, there's been many highs and lows...but one of the best things of being "under-employed" was finding my creative side and beginning to share it with the world. This little ol' blog has been great fun for me, and I hope it continues to be!

I finally managed to secure a job with the company I've dreamed of working for. And though it's temporary, I am pouring my heart and soul into work - learning, doing, making a name for myself....making sure I won't be forgotten if something full time opens up.

Soooo...........there aren't going to be too many projects around here. There aren't going to be many excursions documented, sewing machine issues documented and fixed....but I'm still doing those things. My free time however has dropped to about 2 hours a night, and there's just not enough of a time block to make progress.

So I'll be updating my little blog as I can. And I do appreciate each and every one of you coming by! I am keeping my Etsy shop stocked and running - I have a lot of stock to sell and money invested, so it'll be there awhile!

And a lucky couple of ladies should be getting their new sewing machines in the mail very soon - I hope you love them as much as I do! It was sad to see them go, but I'm so excited they'll see use again! Such beautiful old machines deserve as much.

So I'll try to update with pictures at least once or twice a week as I can - but don't hold me to that. Raising two boys, running the store, and working suck up most of my energy. As I'm sure many of you know!

Thanks a lot guys for supporting me!

Jess

The Singer 128 - "Godzilla"

2013-01-24T08:30:00.000-06:00

On the last post, I showed you what happened with a poor packing job...but thankfully, the machine in the box came through with no damage. Dirty, but no damage.

After some research, I determined the machine is a Singer 128. He hails from 1946 and has the "Godzilla" finish - a coarse black coating with no sheen. Because of this, the gold paint doesn't stand out as much. If you see a machine with a coarse coating, and the words are hard to see - it's not a layer of muck, well, usually, so much as a phase Singer went through.

See how faint the "Singer" logo is? It's perhaps fainter than others of the same model, but it's there, nonetheless.

This machine also could be called Blackside. The needle plates, face plate, and back cover plate all have a black finish on them. This in in contrast to the chrome finish you normally find on this age of Singers. It's not paint, it's a way the metal was treated. It looks especially nice with the plates. This is the face plate.

I cleaned, oiled, and inspected the machine. I also treated the wood with some lemon oil. He cleaned up nicely. It's actually hard to believe it's the same machine!

I added a new motor, belt, and foot pedal, since the old setup came to me crumbling in a box.

This base has a great blackside storage section in it. It has extra bobbins and an extra shuttle.

And for those of you who repair machines or are just curious about the inner workings, here's the underside of the machine.

The bullet shaped thing on the left of the machine bottom is the shuttle, and it contains a tiny spool-like bobbin. It swings back and forth to release thread, instead of a round bobbins rotary or oscillating movement.

I'm very happy with how this machine turned out. Disappointed the case is a bit mucked up, but it's still very nice looking.

If you are interested in this machine, contact me, or check it out in my shop on Etsy.

Have a great one!

Jess

Singer Bentwood Cases - the power of lemon oil

2013-01-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

I won this machine on eBay awhile back - it was unidentified, but came in the original bentwood case. So I decided to buy it for the case. Wouldn't you know it, another packing lesson - the seller didn't put anything inside the case with the machine, so the machine fell back and the spool holder, presser foot top, and the wheel (the high points on the machine) fell into it and smashed holes in my pretty case. Frack.

So I took a second look at the machine and deduced it's a Singer 128, made in 1946. It's a shuttle bobbin machine, and it is fun to watch! I'll tell you about the rehab on that machine soon - it's headed to the shop as well.

On the case though, the shellac/varnish is missing in parts,

you can see that it has water damage,

the veneer is missing in parts

the inside is scratched up

and those $@$^%$& holes are in the back of the case.

It looks pretty shabby. But since I refurbished the Singer treadle table for the Redeye machine, I've seen what good products can do. This is not product placement. Trust me, nobody pays me for such things! Plus I have a high sell-out cost. :)

But I took those techniques and applied them to the case. Mostly, I just used some Old English Lemon Oil in the pour top and some elbow grease. Darn that it didn't fix those nasty looking holes, but it's not toooo magical of a product I guess.

Here's the afters:

The front sure cleaned up nicely, and the Singer name stands out.

One of the sides, with the key hole. This bit of veneer is lose, but not irreparable.

The wood grain on this end shaped up nicely. Too bad the bottom part is missing veneer.

And that's the back with the gouges. They look prettier this way at least!

See how much better the inside looks? And you can tell the gouges aren't too bad on the inside - the machine just pierced those parts and the busted through the bentwood on the outside.

Moral of the story? Even if the wood looks iffy, and there is damage, a good coat of lemon oil can make the situation look a lot nicer. You might even be inclined to fix those nasty bits now!

Take care.

Jess

Vintage DoMore Chair

2013-01-22T10:34:00.001-06:00

So yesterday, I introduced you to the Singer 401A.

I think she's quite a machine. Purring along now since we rebuilt the motor. You remember it came in the very nice mahogany stain desk?

Singer 401A

2013-01-21T11:34:00.002-06:00

So a sewing machine popped up on Craigslist, at a really reasonable price last week. Did I need another? No! But actually, I fell for the desk it came with. And the desk alone was worth the asking price of $50.

So I put in a call/email. And got some details, was starting to arrange pickup, and the seller's husband came down with the flu - she said she'd be in touch. I wasn't holding my breath. It was a good week/week-and-a-half later, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I sent an email asking how they were feeling. The next day, I got an email sent to all the interested buyers, saying call me, first come first served. Arg! I was so irritated at the way it was handled I nearly didn't respond. After a couple of hours of grumbling about it, I decided to write in. Well, I was second in line. Again, ARG. My stubborn streak cost me.

I got lucky though - first buyer didn't pickup! So Thursday night, my awesome husband drove me an hour away, the night before my big interview, to pick up ANOTHER machine, which he didn't even support. What a guy!

The machine is a Singer 401A Slant-o-Matic, purchased in 1957 by the seller's mother.

The machine and the desk have been well cared for. (my garage on the other hand...). It came with accessories, the manual, and the foot controller (pedal to some).

From my research, the cabinet is the Singer "Hampden Court" with the mahogany finish.

The machine is a mauve/tan color with ivory accents. The motor was sluggish and didn't want to work at full speed. But all the other parts moved well. I cleaned and oiled the insides, and replaced the old grease with some Tri-Flow grease. To deal with the motor, I had to remove it and clean it. My husband helped me take apart 4 motors this weekend and refurbish them. (How cool is that? Told you he was awesome) So now I feel pretty comfortable with the whole process - woohoo!

Getting the motor out was supposed to be easy - but it was jammed. You remove the protector plate on the bottom of the machine, the handwheel, and the motor plate (squarish metal plate in front of the motor), and are supposed to just be able to pull the motor assembly out. Here's my motor - the metal plate in this picture is to the right of the motor - IRL, it's above the motor if you have the machine tipped onto its back.

My motor/shaft was baked in with old oil/grease/dust and whatnot, and we had to apply considerable force on the worm (the gear up by the handwheel) with a small rubber mallet to get it out. Scary for me! These motors are not really replaceable!

This motor appeared to have a lot of carbon dust on the inside, and needed everything cleaned. The commutator was pretty funky, so I used a pencil eraser to remove the carbon, followed by alcohol to clean any residue, and then a swift brush with fine steel wool to make it shine like a new penny. I cleaned with alcohol again after that.

We reassembled the motor, put it all back together, and installed it. This time with the shaft cleaned and greased a bit so it wouldn't stick in the future. I reassembled the machine and ran it.

It now goes full speed! Woot!

She still needs a thorough outside cleaning, but the insides look great and sound great now! I moved the whole desk with machine into my sewing area, and removed my old desk. I loved my old desk, but it was huge, and it's a relief to have a smaller piece of furniture in it's place.

The interesting thing about the Slant-o-Matic? It has a slant shaft. In the below picture, not the location of the presser foot and screw, and the angle of the whole end of the machine.

This is a really interesting feature. And it also means standard attachments don't work on it. You need to find special slant shaft feet, a buttonholer, and a monogrammer.

In addition to that, there's a special needle plate on this model - an elevator plate. Instead of being able to lower the feed dogs (the parts that move fabric through the machine), you can lower or raise the plate to keep them from working. This also means standard attachments (buttonholer, monogrammer) need a special cover plate to work properly. This site has some great information about what plate your machine may need.

This machine has an internal camstack (all metal) - this means it can produce many different types of stitches in addition to the standard straight stitch, without having to change out cams. Additionally, however, you can switch out different plastic cams to add to the functionality of the machine. Mine only came with 3 or 4, but I hope to come across more soon.

So if you know me, you know I already have the buttonholer and monogrammer on order! I can't wait for those to come so I can try them out.

This was the machine that broke the camel's back though - hubby says no more machines until I sell some. Oh well, fair enough!

I have 3 machines listed in my store if you are interested in a machine right now - a Singer 15-90, a Singer 201-2, and a Singer 185-K.

In addition, I have many other machines here, so if you are looking for something specific, please ask! I have a Kenmore 1946, a Singer 9W, and many others - just in various states of repair and quality.

Thanks for hanging around! Who knew my blog would turn into ALL sewing machines?

Jess

Singer 201-2!

2013-01-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

Whew - it's been a light blogging week, but it's been super busy around here!

Some of you know I had a job interview with my dream employer this week - and I think it really went well! I should hear something back next week. Cross your fingers for me! If I end up getting a full time job, there's going to be a lot of things that take the back burner, so things will change a bit over here. Just FYI.

In the meantime though, I kept reading over and over what a great machine the Singer 201 was. Well, I decided I had to try it, if it was supposedly the pinnacle of the great work Singer has done. So I put in a bid on a couple to see what would happen. And you know, every time I do that, you'd think I'd learn!

I now own 2 Singer 201s. So I have decided to put one of them up for sale in my shop, after intensive cleaning, servicing, and other maintenance. She has the most beautiful chrome plates! Ready to see her?

Isn't she gorgeous? I ran her today for the first time, and she just purrs. This really is a great machine - it runs so smoothly and quietly, and you couldn't ask for more.

Here's an example of the chrome - The ArtDeco type pattern on this one, and some leaves on the back plate (not pictured). The chrome polished up nicely!

I'm selling her with all of this included (and more! ha, forgot to put buttonholer in this pic):

The original instruction booklet.

The box of Singer accessories - includes some rarer Blackside attachments, and the original packing slip.

The Y.S. Star Automatic Zig-Zager, with all the templates

The Greist Blind Stitch Hemmer

The black case Singer buttonholer with 7 templates

I think it's a great lot - not only do you have the functionality of the 201, you have the added functions of all the attachments, which add around $50 of value to the whole group.

If you are interested in checking it out, you can find it here, in my shop.

Have a great weekend!

Jess

Not much going on this week! Well, not much bloggable!

2013-01-15T11:20:00.002-06:00

So this is a bit of a busy week. I haven't prepped anything for the blog yet! I have been working on projects, sewing machines, parenting, and various other things. Not to mention I have a JOB INTERVIEW on Friday! Eeeek! So please excuse me while I nerd out and study for my interview. Yes, I know my stuff like the back of my hand...but I'm a nervous babbler, and I need to give my mouth intelligent fodder to babble about.

Here's some random pics from this week:

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Kenmore 1946 - Buttonhole function STILL broken! Help?

2013-01-11T09:01:00.000-06:00

Good morning, and happy Friday everyone!!

Since this week has been almost entirely about sewing machines, I may as well just finish the week off the same way, right?

One of the machines I'm working on is this Kenmore Model 1946. This is also my favorite outtake from this week:

I first showed her to you here. She's actually an interesting machine - she does a straight stitch with a built in metal camstack. That means I don't have to insert cams to change stitches like I need to in my other Kenmore. In addition, the metal cams are more durable than nylon/plastic ones that show up in later models of many brands.

Singer 15-90 - fixed up and in the shop!

2013-01-10T10:19:00.001-06:00

I found this machine awhile back, and it's taken me awhile to get it all together!

This is a Singer 15-90. It's a beast of a cast iron machine, and certainly is a pretty one.

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The Kenmore 1503 - Monogrammer How To

2013-01-09T12:05:00.001-06:00

So a long, long time ago, I bought a sewing machine. In order to get this machine, since I had created a self-imposed No Spend November, I had to sell a few things we had stored in the garage. I really had to work for it.

After that machine, I found that others just followed me home...thrift stores, auctions, Ebay....all of a sudden I was working on A LOT of machines. And getting better on each machine.

I told you yesterday my process for getting machines up and going. This was a process that evolved over time. My first few machines were a learning process. When I went back and looked at the avocado green Kenmore 1503... (poor lighting - it's actually raining in Austin!)

I realized that I had sewed with her, but I never had thoroughly cleaned, oiled, and inspected her. So I set out to do that today.

But really, I had a side mission. Once I cleaned and oiled the machine, I was going to try my new toy.

I had heard that Kenmore made monogrammers. I had been searching in person, online...trolling Ebay until I found what I hoped was the right one. The monogrammer that works on my machine (the 158.15030) is the one with the square frame -

They are really tough to come across, and finding the cams for each letter becomes difficult and cost prohibitive. Mine came with one cam, for a Celtic looking design.

There's a process to get this thing one, that's my only complaint. It's actually a really cool device. First you have to lower the feed dogs - my machine has a lever for that. Then you remove the presser (pressure) foot, the thumb screw, and the thread cutter (the little black metal thingy on the presser foot bar - it just pops off).

And THEN, you screw the giant white cover plate on - If you have a right angle screwdriver, that's the easiest. The screws actually have to be turned quite a few times to tighten them, and it's a bit annoying. But the right angle screwdriver makes it easier - worth the <$10 investment on Amazon, btw. Leave the screws a little bit loose.

At this point, make sure your needle actually fits into the needle slot, and is centered, then tighten the screws down the rest of the way.

Then slip the little fork over the needle clasp -

And fit the bracket onto the presser foot bar like you would any other foot.

Tighten the thumbscrew and then tighten it with a screwdriver. That way it won't slip while you're working.

At this point, load your cam into the machine. In this photo, I have completed using the cam, and the little "red flag" has popped up. You can either remove the cam at this point by advancing it with the white knob, or hold down the white lever and move it. To guide you, there's an "INSERT" point indicated on the cam, and a "START" point as well. Line up the start line with the silver guide on the left of the monogrammer.

The monogrammer cam comes with a matching plastic guide, for you to preplan on your fabric how to place the monogrammer. I didn't use it for my test, but this is what it looks like:

Set your machine up for zigzag stitch as usual. Mine uses cams for it, then I had to adjust the stitch width and length. I used thick felt, so I set it for the widest zigzag stitch.

Here's my first two goes -

Attempt #1, on the left - realized I had not attached the fork to the needle clasp - turned advance by hand. Worked...but yeah - much easier to attach the fork.

Attempt #2, on the right - All settings just how I wanted. Worked well...but I ran out of bobbin thread.

I didn't really feel the need to refill the bobbin just to prove I had it - I'm confident I have it worked out now.

I'm really happy with this device - if you can find a monogrammer to fit your machine, it's a nifty thing to have. Now I just have to track down the letters I want! I did learn through the land of the internet that the monogram cams for the Singer Deluxe Monogrammer fit this particular model - so if you can find those, you're golden. I saw a full set of them go for upwards of $150 yesterday, way above my price point!

On the other side of things, I purchased some cams and a buttonholer I thought would work for this machine, but it didn't work out. They'll be in my shop soon!

Hope that helps!

Jess

Atlas Precision Sewing Machine - a disaster thus far!

2013-01-08T11:12:00.000-06:00

You might be wondering what else I've been working on. Or not. But I found that with everyone home sick all break, I really enjoyed having a few side projects. In the process of stocking my shop, I came across a sewing machine. Well, a few of them, really. I've been working on all of them and they are all heading to my shop eventually. Here's the newest addition:

For each machine, I clean it up, inside and out, and oil all the moving parts. If any parts are missing, I try to find originals to replace them, but I'll use new parts if I need to. I sew with them for awhile and learn their strengths and weaknesses, get their tensions settled, and give them a place in my home for a bit. About 4 machines in, I came across a machine I couldn't fix.

It's at Atlas Precision Sewing Machine. And it's pink.

I had high hopes for this sweetie. She's pink, she's gorgeous....and she's absolutely shot.

This is how she came to me:

She was packed in a box.

A used box. And with NO PADDING.

With gaping holes from the machine bouncing around.

I opened it up, and saw this:

She's dirty. Grimy. Missing the front right foot. Probably broke off in transit and fell out the hole in the box. GRRRRR. No machine needs this much mistreatment. And beyond that, if you look carefully, you can see a tiny square of bubble wrap. Seriously, that's all that was in here. And the foot pedal was wrapped in that.

Yes, it came with a foot pedal, motor, cords, and a light. No, none of them were connected. So, add to the broken foot and cleaning job ahead of me, total rewiring. So I wasn't happy at this point. But maybe the machine turns freely?

Yeah, no.

The machine was COMPLETELY seized. nothing turned. First issue: The bobbin hook and case are rusted INTO the machine. I removed those and soaked them in Coke, my all purpose solvent.

I took the machine apart, cleaned it out, doused it in WD-40 first to loosen it up, and nothing. Tried for days. Re oiled it, tried again, nothing.

At this point I am just mad. I wrote a lovely tirade to the person I purchased this from, which I just don't do. But I was unhappy, and much of this could have been prevented. Even just knowing what I was walking into would have helped.

Oh well. It is what it is. So I went and bought every product Liquid Wrench made, and doused the innards with the solvent. I kept trying and trying, and finally, realized it was a losing battle. I threw it in the garage and stewed about it for the break.

You can see where this is going. I brought it in to warm up and to give it another shot. You can't really test a machine out cold - the oil can't really do anything. Set it inside, casually walked by half an hour later, and turned the wheel. Hold up, TURNED the wheel? The grumpy Liquid Wrench soaking for a week worked??? Sweet!

So since then, I've got it turning freely - it spins like a dream now. I replaced the missing slide plate (same slide plate as the Singer class 15s, can find new ones everywhere). I ordered replacement bobbin hook and case, only to learn it's not the standard Singer class 15 setup - it's more like a Brother setup. See?

Old bobbin hook on left, Singer 15 one on right. They are inverse of each other - the hook is on the top of the old one, and the bottom of the new one. And the rest of the bobbin hook follows. It definitely doesn't fit this machine.

Second example? Bobbin case. Same issue. Inverse of each other. Angle of parts, the flip up part, etc, all backwards.

Sorry the pics are poorly lit - it was night.

So here's where Atlas stands today - a few paint nicks, but all in all, a very pretty machine.

Front of the machine - she cleans up nicely, doesn't she?

And here's the back.

I still need to find and order the correct bobbin hook and bobbin case. I have the old ones in there, but they are too rusted to work smoothly and just hamper the movement.

The machine is still missing a foot - I use the motor support to hold the machine up while I'm working on it.

Speaking of motors, I still need to rewire it and put the motor back on.

Not the soundest business venture...but at least I don't have a parts machine anymore!

I bought this machine to sell it, but at this rate, I'm not sure it'll ever be there. I may build it a wooden base eventually to compensate for the broken foot, but even then, it's not really the quality of product I want in my shop. :(

Though, if you do have an interest in it, let me know, and I will sell it to you for shipping and the cost to this point of the machine.

Moral of the story: Wow, there's so many...

You get what you pay for.

Good things come to those who wait.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

And last but not least - PACK YOUR MACHINES WELL WHEN YOU SHIP. I will eventually post a packaging tutorial on here. Clearly the world needs one. :)

I'm done grumping about this machine now. One day she'll be up and running again, and I'll proudly show her off.

Jess

Holiday Updates, Savannah - and Shop re-opens!

2013-01-07T10:48:00.001-06:00

Happy 2013 everyone! I hope you all had a magnificent holiday season, and were able to relax.

Ours was less than relaxing - it included pneumonia and the flu over Christmas, my birthday, and New Years. Oy. But we're all getting better!

I am adding things to my shop all week - hop over to my Etsy store and see what's going on over there! I spent a lot of time over the break finding, fixing, and collecting fabulous finds to share with you.

Beyond being sick and spending a lot of time working on my shop, I squeezed in a short Girls' Trip to Savannah. What a beautiful place - and I got to gain a new friend and see my awesome
Virginia friend!

We stayed in a "haunted hotel, The Marshall House. It was a beautiful place! I will say that though the beds were comfortable, I really struggled to sleep! My sixth sense really thinks there was something going on there. Even the halls and stairs looked creepy.

There were original wood floors throughout, and they definitely had character. Watch your step, they aren't very level, and they are SLICK.

We went and checked out a local cemetery, walking distance from the hotel.

There were tombstones lined up along the cemetery walls, that was creepy.

Some of the headstones were very ornate...interestingly, some listed the age of the 'occupant' in years, months and days old. As in, so and so died at 37 years, 3 months, 18 days of age. I wonder why and when that stopped?

It was a gorgeous cemetery, with Spanish moss hanging everywhere.

And friendly Mockingbirds taking up residence in the trees.

We even did a ghost tour while we were there - that was enlightening. We got to see the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" house:

And I got some strange pictures -

Before

After - Check out the second window.

And my favorite, the little girl picture:

"She"'s in the center of the second story bay window. There was a little girl who passed in this house, and I convinced myself this was her. I debunked the photo later with my friend - we figured out it matched the iron work on the back deck. Oh well. Totally kept me from sleeping that night.

Do you have an interesting ghost story? If you don't, consider visiting Savannah. It was a beautiful city to visit, and it definitely gives you the creeps. :)

We visited Tybee Island as well - cool lighthouse.

AND I forgot to mention, I got a new camera for my birthday! My old one broke back in November I think, and I have been pining for one since. Thanks Mom, and Thanks Mr. Tupelo for the lens! I used it to take ARTSY pictures of the lighthouse area, in Diorama mode.

It was AWESOME.

I love how fake it looks. :)

Well, that's day one of me being back - keep in mind the store will be updated all week long, and I'll be adding some pretty fabulous stuff! Thanks for looking at my pretty pictures!

Jess

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-22T21:08:00.001-06:00

I don't plan on doing much blogging between now and the first week of January - but trust me, there's a lot going on over here! I have many more things to add to my shop, including some sewing machines I've brought back to life!

We've had illness in our house for a couple of weeks now, so we may not be travelling for the holidays, but I still plan on celebrating Christmas with my immediate family. And my birthday! This is my big 3-0. Crossing my fingers it's a good one! Then it's my mom's birthday and New Years, and a trip to Savannah, Georgia to see the sights with my very very most awesomest friend.

Take some time with your families and friends, enjoy any time you may have off from work, and make sure you window shop the web in your time off.

I made the fabulous discovery of Lucy's Locket on Etsy today. She has some of the most awesome pincushions I have EVER seen. Want one that looks like a vintage Singer sewing machine? Check. Want one that looks like a squirrel? Check. Absolutely adorable and well made awesomeness.

Here - This is my favorite:

Lucy's Locket Pincushion - Etsy

So snuggle up for the holidays, stay warm and safe, and I'll see you next year!

Jess

Treadle Table - Finding and Making Pretty the Cast Iron

2012-12-19T10:30:00.000-06:00

On to the treadle irons.

This was the job that took the least time and expertise. But it took the desire to do something right, instead of the easy way.

I walked you through how I revived the Redeye and got her working first. I've been working more on her to get the exterior grime removed. I'll keep you posted on that.

Then I showed you the cabinet, and all the work it required to make it pretty again.

And then, since the original drawers were missing, I showed you how I replaced them with a similar Singer set.

And after all that work on the cabinet, the cast iron base looked pretty sorry. It was rusted on the right hand bottom side.

Replacing the drawers/frames on the Singer treadle

2012-12-18T17:00:00.000-06:00

This is somewhat of a random post...but if what I have to say helps anyone else with their treadle table, then it was worth it!

We talked about the machine last week. I've done even more work since, and she shines like the sun now. What a beautiful workhorse.

Then I told you about the wood cabinet, and all the work I did to it.

I still need to talk to you about the cast iron base, but since I just did this part, and it's fresh on my mind, I thought I'd share.

When I got the table, it was missing the drawers. It had the drawer frames, but no drawers.

Winter Wonderland - Christmas Party

2012-12-15T18:37:00.003-06:00

First off, I just want to acknowledge the recent tragedy in Connecticut. Love and prayers to all involved, and you are in all our thoughts.

Moving on from very sad things...
Just a quick post to show you my fabulous vintage purchase for the company holiday party.

The theme for this years Christmas bash was Winter Wonderland - I stopped over to The Swanky Fox on
Etsy and found this GORGEOUS dress. Jess has some fabulous things in her shop - you should check it out. Her prices are reasonable too.

Lighting at the party was terrible, but here's some shots of the dress - some in the fancy hotel rooms, some at home.

Singer Redeye Part 2 - The one with the wood cabinet.

2012-12-14T09:58:00.000-06:00

Well, I assume if you are here, you came by yesterday to see the restoration of the Singer 66 Redeye from 1910? If you didn't, you can go here to see it. Since then I've done some more work on it, and located the chrome polish...you'll have to see it.

Here's where we were last: You can see some beautiful wood in this picture, can't you? That was my sneak peak.

Today, I promised you the wood cabinet, and that's what you'll get.

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How I Restored a 102 Year Old Singer Redeye

2012-12-13T10:47:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! Hope your morning is going well thus far. Little C has a cold today so we're watching some cartoons and hanging out while Bubba is at school.

I promised you yesterday (after the Singer 66-16 showoff) -

that I had something cool for you today. And I'll tell you about it in a minute - I swear. But I want to tell you something about buying antique machines -

It's not just the machines that often need restoring and a bit of elbow grease. The machines often came in tables, cabinets, or bentwood cases, mostly made of wood. That often means being willing to restore the wood to its former glory. And then, in some cases, the machines came in treadle cabinets, where you use your foot to run the machine via a metal plate contraption on the bottom. The foot it your motor here. This part of a treadle table is made of cast iron - so you have the potential for rust issues and a necessity to repaint the iron.

Knowing all this, if you are looking for a great deal and willing to put some work into something, you can find some great projects on Craigslist.

Case in point - this Singer Redeye. A Redeye is a Model 66 (the 66-16 was a derivative model) with fancy painted decals that look like red eyes on either side of the Singer logo.

The machine was in a treadle cabinet. Today I'll just tell you about the machine, then I'll get to the cabinet next post. It was getting WAY too long for one post!

I went to see this machine Monday. It's grimy, filthy, the wheel barely turns....but the decals are still there..the ones on the bed are worn, but worn like they've been used, which I like. The seller wanted $50 for the machine in the treadle cabinet, but after I saw the condition, we settled on $40. It was going to take a lot of work to make this look decent again. It was in sad shape...I was worried about my investment.

But I looked up the serial number - like I told you about yesterday - on MySingerStory? This girl was born in 1910. Let me say that again. 1910. She is 102 years old. Someone had to bring her back to life!

I got it home, and read up on everything I needed to know. A great resource is TreadleOn. Most of my information to do this came from there, paired with other blogs, message boards, eBay, Craigslist...anything I could use for information and help and value. That alone was a lot of work.

I got together a set of sewing machine cleaning tools - TriFlow Oil, Qtips, Precision screwdrivers, flat head screwdriver, tweezers, dish soap, and lots of shop towels. Oh, and a nice flashlight. It's really difficult to see inside the darkness of a black machine without it. I used WD40 as my solvent - Liquid Wrench is preferable, as it supposedly leaves less residue...but I couldn't locate it anywhere. People use WD40 on sewing machines and have no complaints - just remember it's a solvent, not a lubricant, so you have to wipe it out and re-oil the pieces when you're done. Plus, I'm only using it this first run - when I find Liquid Wrench, I'll replace the WD-40 in my tool kit.

I took the machine out of the table to work on it. You just remove the two flathead screws in the round metal pieces that attach it to the wood, and it lifts right out.

For the inside of the machine, I used precision screwdrivers (not pictured) and a regular flat head screwdriver to get inside the machine. If your screws are a bit stuck, spray some WD40 or Liquid Wrench on them and let them soak a bit, then try turned back and forth again.

Then I used cotton swabs (Q tips) and forceps (tweezers, not pictured) to remove any lint I could get to. And there was a lot.

Don't forget to clean the lint under the machine, the bobbin plate, the slide plate, and the back plate (this circle in the pic) as well.

You see the little holes on the top of the machine there? Those are the oil point holes. Clear the lint out of those as well. You may need to use a tiny flat head screwdriver to pull it out best.

See the underside? Ewww...

There's a combination of ancient oil and grease, plus what I believe is nicotine baked on.

I had to use a myriad of methods to get that in working condition. Delint, plus WD40 to get the first layer off, plus scraping some if the metal pieces to get the black baked on crud off. Bleh. That was gross.

After you get the crud out, you need to wipe it all clean with a shop rag to remove the crumbs and crud, as well as the excess WD-40. You want that gone.

Then, hit up all the oil points with the Tri-Flow oil. You just need a drop. There's points all over - if you have the manual, it will show you. If you don't have the manual, you can often find them free on the Singer website. Otherwise, you are looking for holes along the top arm of the machine - there will be a good handful of them up there. Unscrew the end plate and oil all the oil holes in there, and any point where metal parts connect and rub on each other.

There's some oil points in the bobbin winder mechanism too, and in the hand wheel. Also, in the back plate area, oil the moving parts and oil points in there as well. Don't forget the red felt in the bobbin case area.

Under the machine, there's a few oil holes in joints, and then you need to oil any metal parts that move against each other.

The I went over the outside of the machine with a dilute dish soap solution, and scrubbed the crud off. Carefully though, I didn't want the decals to rub off.

This piece and the end plate are both chrome plated. They are really scuzzy. I didn't have chrome polish (off to the auto parts store to look soon) so I used a toothbrush and soapy water to get the grime off, then used silver polish to clean them up.

I also started oiling the outside of the machine to get the sheen back. That will take a bit of time to get shiny.

Here's the machine after:

Isn't it a huge improvement? There's still a bit of smoker's nicotine grime on the outside, but I'm working on it over time. Kills my hands to scrub so much.

Wait, you can't see the improvement? Here's the before and after:

Before

After

Shiny, black, and the decals shine and shine. I'm thrilled with the results. Oh, did I mention it turns better than any machine I've ever seen? You turn the wheel with one finger, and it freely spins. Ah, clean machines!

I successfully brought back a 102 year old sewing machine and made it work! I feel so empowered.

Next up - I'll show you how I brought the cabinet back, and then how I brought the treadle back.

Whew - It's been a lot of work.

:)

Hope this helps someone else get started!

Jess

So if you need to make a buttonhole, buy a new machine, right? The Singer 66-16

2012-12-12T13:14:00.003-06:00

So I disappeared over here for a bit. I thought it was because I hadn't done any projects lately - I haven't sewn, crafted, crocheted, or anything for a good week or so. Then my husband reminded me I have been busy - just not with what I thought I should be!

I've been rehabbing old sewing machines. And I like it.

If you'd have asked me to do one this time last year, I would have laughed in your face. Restore ancient sewing machines? Why??

Here's the point A to point B.

You see, it all started with a sewing machine. I got the Kenmore 1946 - so I decided to give my new (2005ish) plastic Singer to a good friend of mine to learn on. I like the machine fine, and I love my friend - it just made a good learning machine and I prefer metal machines now.

So the Kenmore 1946 became my main sewing machine. But the buttonhole function was a bit stuck. I was working on a project that needed a bunch of buttonholes, else I wouldn't have cared! So I started to research what makes the best buttonholes...after reading lots of sewing blogs, message boards, and the like, the consensus is interesting - find and old Singer and use what's called a buttonhole attachment.

Good grief...now I felt like I NEEDED to find a Singer with an attachment to use, so I'd have a machine I could keep set up for buttonholes. So Craigslist filled my need, with a Singer 66-16.

It came in 50s style walnut cabinet, with an upholstered stool. And in the stool, the original manual, the butttonhole attachment and all it's pieces, and the manual for that as well.

And it is pretty! The cabinet is in great shape. It's a model 56 cabinet, according to this resource.

I degunked the insides and oiled her up, and everything is running smoothly.

I'm not using her to sew yet, because I want to clean out the motor and possibly rewire it.

I call her Betsy.

Her paint job is a gorgeous gold filigree. They don't make them this pretty anymore.

Here's a tip for you, if you have or are planning to get an older Singer sewing machine. The older machines didn't have model numbers on them. So determining when it was made can be difficult. Luckily, these machines have a tiny little plate on them, which on my machine is on the top front right. There's a serial number imprinted on the plate, like this one.

You can go to this site to establish the age of your machine, and this site to print out a certificate with the information on it. You can find the entry form on the bottom right of the main page. It's pretty cool, I think.

That's how I found out my machine was made in 1951.

She's a young'n compared to what I have to show you next time!

Still a Singer, still a model 66, but with different decals and I had to refinish the cabinet it's in. Ready for a lesson in that?

See you next time,

Jess

Been busy over here!

2012-12-10T12:41:00.000-06:00

No new projects today - I was out of town with my husband's family, celebrating his paternal grandparents 60th anniversary. Isn't that amazing?

Before that I was working my tail off trying to get a piano (!) for my boys for a reasonable price, and find an old sewing machine. Both were successful ventures!

I'll post pics soon and let you know about Betsy (the machine) and her cleaning/oiling process. If you follow Tupelo Creative on Facebook you've already seen Betsy!

I have to say, I'm becoming a sewing machine enthusiast. I'm intrigued by their inner workings, and how things have changed since their first manufacture. I'm empowered by the discovery that I can fix and make pretty old machines, and I'm loving it. Being able to restore something old and useful and make it beautiful and functional again....priceless.

If you have an older machine, check out Yahoo! Groups - my Kenmore, Elna, and new Singer machines have all been assisted by information you can find on these groups. You can find parts, advice, and photos to help you out if you start on a "project" machine.

I'll be around - get your holiday shopping done yet? Me Neither!!

Jess

Thrifted puzzle solved - Greist attachments!

2012-12-05T11:38:00.002-06:00

So I had picked up this little box of sewing accessories a couple of months ago. It says "Atlas" on it, which is a classic old sewing machine. That I don't have.

I thought if I could find an accessory in this box to fit my machine, I'd call it good, and worth the cost. This was way back when I only had ONE machine here. I puzzled over the accessories for awhile, then set them aside and decided I'd sell them eventually.

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Updates and other shenanigans. Like machine repair.

2012-12-04T11:19:00.003-06:00

It's been really difficult to get going again after the past stressful month or 2. I'm sorry I haven't gotten any projects out for awhile. I have been making things, but I've really taken the time to do some other less "showy" projects.

Like, making progress on unfinished objects. The blanket, not the boy. Well, he always needs more work :) Crazy boy. He's getting too grown up - he'll be 3 in April, and I can hardly believe it.

Happy Friday!

2012-11-30T19:11:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to write a quick note to you - my website is now VERIFIED on Pinterest!

PS - Find me here!

Basically, that means my blog (this little one here!) now has a hyperlink on my Pinterest page, and people can find me that way. Kinda fabulous.

And it was easy to do, if you haven't yet.

If you host a blog on Blogger, here's what I did -

When I got the message from Blogger saying I could verify, then I proceeded. Before that, I couldn't do it.

Then you are given two options to verify - either by uploading a file to your site, or by sticking a "metafile" in your blog.

Because to my knowledge you can't upload a file directly to Blogger, select Metafile. It's in grey print under the upload instructions.

The next part is a simple process -

Copy the line of code they give you.

Then go to your Blogger managing page.

Select "Template" from the left hand menu.

Under the "Live on Blog" Screenshot, you have the option to Customize or Edit HTML.

Select Edit HTML, and then on the next screen, select Continue.

In the first few lines of code, you should see this:

Right after that, make a new line (push enter) and paste the code into it.

Save it and update your blog.

Then go back to the Pinterest page where you got the Metafile, and push the "click here" button. That goes to your site and checks for the code.

That's it!

Hope that helps some of you - and have a great weekend!

Jess

More hospital yarn therapy! Fingerless gloves.

2012-11-29T11:07:00.001-06:00

I posted yesterday on the therapeutic qualities of yarn, and about the scarf I made while my dad was in the hospital.

Well, the surgery went really well! And after surgery, he started recovering very nicely. And I started to relax a little. Finally.

My brain came back to me and I realized there was a craft store walking distance from the hospital. Ha! I have lived by this town most of my life, and just figured that out. Smart person, to put it next to the hospital.

I ran out during my "lunch break" from watching my dad and grabbed some yarn. And a magazine.

And made these fabulous fingerless gloves -

They are very loosely based on a pattern from the magazine, but I tweaked it so much!

I made them from Lion Brand Amazing in Joshua Tree.

They are perfect for driving, since they keep me from touching the frozen steering wheel, and make all the difference on the almost-cold-enough-for-a-jacket days.

The colors on each glove compliment each other, since they just came off the same skein - I have one "warm" color glove and one "cool" color glove. I like them.

And look at that sneaky elm leaf that made it in my picture. I think it's not a coincidence that it's the same color orange as the wrist of this glove. Seasonal colors make me happy.

They're pretty simple really - I made them in one sitting. I'm tempted to write up the pattern eventually, if there's any takers.

Can you tell I was able to count things again? You should see the project I started after this! Now I just have to finish it.. :)

I hope your week is wonderful and warm, whether naturally or by hearth. :)

Jess

- PS -
I'd show you a pic of the gloves on my hands together, by my camera broke and I don't have a timer on my iPad photo app. I'm sure I can find an app with a timer though, right? anyone?