Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

Winchelsea

tumptyteapot - about the sewing machine - have you tried changing the needle? In my experience it's often a worn needle that causes that problem..... hope you get it sorted one way or another!

tumptyteapot

Winchelsea wrote: »

tumptyteapot - about the sewing machine - have you tried changing the needle? In my experience it's often a worn needle that causes that problem..... hope you get it sorted one way or another!

Thanks that was the first thing I tried. I think it is the top tension, it loops underneath every tenth or so stitch. I think ill have to take it in.

Savvy_sewing

Skint_but_Optimistic wrote: »

Lots of positive steps being taken!

Mooloo, you ahve inspired me... I think to get a better deal I need to get rid of the key meter at my house, and get a credit meter in.

Have fun at the festival spiral and good luck on the holiday detox teapot!

Only problem is now my council tax has taken up the lot. You may be charged from your current provider if you change the meter, but can possibly do it with a new provider free of charge, after 28 days. Well thats what they told me on the phone anyway.

Winchelsea wrote: »

tumptyteapot - about the sewing machine - have you tried changing the needle? In my experience it's often a worn needle that causes that problem..... hope you get it sorted one way or another!

tumptyteapot wrote: »

Thanks that was the first thing I tried. I think it is the top tension, it loops underneath every tenth or so stitch. I think ill have to take it in.

tumptyteapot,
It is a good idea to clean your machine, as plenty of fluff etc can get in the works down below. They also need oiling reasonably regularily.
I use an ordinary paintbrush and sometimes a good blow! at it.
Then change the needle, the threads and check the tension on the bobbin. If you have a bobbin that is put in in a case, this case has a small screw, holding a small metal clip/spring. This is the tension. If this runs straight out, its too loose, if it jolts like a yoyo, then its too tight, it just needs to feed out gently.
Then check that the fabric you are sewing on, has the right size needle, and type of needle. Knits need a ballpoint needle, leather a special needle etc etc.
The top tension also can be changed, along with the weight of pressure on the foot.
Also the feeddogs can be moved, which effect the feeding of the fabric through the machine/under the foot.

Hope that this is of some help. Are you on the sewingroom thread? We have a thread, on here, and a nochat sewing room thread as well, with lots of links for things to make etc etc.

Happy sewing.

seriouslyfrugal

Hi everyone,
Welcome to all newbies :wave:

Thank you for all the good wishes regarding my course results
Well done to Mini Ruby for the results it takes me straight back to waiting for any of my course results :j
Yesterday was my last day at work for the national trust although my contract ends on Sunday it seems I’ve spent the last 3 days saying my goodbyes what with all the volunteers and staff I got lunch bought for me by my manager and a few things to take with me and a card with some lovely comments which I will treasure forever in fact I’m going to keep it in my journal .
c.v is up together I have been applying for stuff for a while on Monday I have the nice job of making a claim for jsa again – I’m hoping I won’t be signing for long but according to the news last night more women are out of work right now than since the 1980’s

What has happened to the weather it has been tipping it down all day? It just makes me want to hibernate so I have been making bread today – very therapeutic
walking group tomorrow which will be good

Skint_but_Optimistic

rubytuesday wrote: »

Got the phone call and girlie was very disappointed but actually she has done very well!

A for Sociology

B for Philosophy and Ethics

B for Psychology which she didn't revise for due to her awful time table

And a bit of a shock and disappointment for her C for English but she hasn't done her course work yet so it could still be a B also long story she didn't start English until after the New Year and only has an hour a week so she has done very well!

well done you must be very proud x

Skint_but_Optimistic

seriouslyfrugal wrote: »

What has happened to the weather it has been tipping it down all day? It just makes me want to hibernate so I have been making bread today – very therapeutic
walking group tomorrow which will be good

for a change its warm and[STRIKE] sunny[/STRIKE] cloudy here.

My washing is still out and Im avoiding the tumbler temptation (love those warm fluffy towels...) and hope to make it back from work before the heavens open.

Im one of the women who are working but there is very little on the job market. Its really slowed and the only opportunities are ones which I as a mother couldnt do, involving masses of travel.
I travel enough as it is. I certainly wouldnt be prepared for a 33% offsite ratio.

When would I get my ebay done at home?

tumptyteapot

Mooloo wrote: »

tumptyteapot,
It is a good idea to clean your machine, as plenty of fluff etc can get in the works down below. They also need oiling reasonably regularily.
I use an ordinary paintbrush and sometimes a good blow! at it.
Then change the needle, the threads and check the tension on the bobbin. If you have a bobbin that is put in in a case, this case has a small screw, holding a small metal clip/spring. This is the tension. If this runs straight out, its too loose, if it jolts like a yoyo, then its too tight, it just needs to feed out gently.
Then check that the fabric you are sewing on, has the right size needle, and type of needle. Knits need a ballpoint needle, leather a special needle etc etc.
The top tension also can be changed, along with the weight of pressure on the foot.
Also the feeddogs can be moved, which effect the feeding of the fabric through the machine/under the foot.

Hope that this is of some help. Are you on the sewingroom thread? We have a thread, on here, and a nochat sewing room thread as well, with lots of links for things to make etc etc.

Happy sewing.

Thank you - I've tried most of that though :-( It was working fine until last night and then I unthreaded it (normally I leave a thread in it so I can tie the new thread on and pull it through) I need to mess around with the threads position in the top tension as I am sure that is where the problem is - with oiling it, it is an old singer, the only hole that might be an oil hole is on the right hand side well away from the business end (where the needle etc go) shall I just stick some oil in there in case or would that be a bad idea.

paidinchickens

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr dropped my phone while crossing a busy road (fell out of pocket). A lorry missed it but could not get it before a car ran over it instead. RIP... you will be sadly missed even though you only worked when you felt like it and cost a fortune to run!

Sorry I have not been around much lately. I am still on a decorating on a shoe string frenzy. Eldest room done, Bathroom done (just need flooring when I find some cheap) downstairs loo painted (just doing boxing in and the floor to do) Other boys room to do next. Still under £50 spent so far and £20 of that was spent at the PVC window and door place on off cuts to make the boxing in (easier to clean than painted).

On top of that the bit of land we want to grow things on has come on leaps and bounds. The petrol strimmer came out of retirement to cut the brambles back and we had a man driving a JCB at the end of our road and DH asked him really nicely if he would mind clearing a load as it was my birthday yesterday and as a treat he would like to save me three months of raking :rotfl: The lovely man spent an hour clearing and it really has saved us sooooooooo much time. I did have to point out that he did not come gift wrapped with a bow on though!!!

I am soooooooo grateful to the lovely man..........so passed on a box of chocs I got for my birthday

Went out for tea last night and over the road from the restaurant was a pile of fence posts. They are doing a huge road work programme near us and it looked like the fencing that had been there had been taken up to make the road wider. So off we raced back this morning and that is where I dropped my phone We were told we could nip back later when they are shut to rummage through the skips back at the site so and interesting evening for me :rotfl:

On the cat front. Moo has gone to live next door, very happy and bossing the other two cats around. And we are keeping the other three One was going to a friend but their dog was not impressed and her children were not that kitten friendly so I brought her back. My mum wanted a kitten but after 24 hours she ran her ragged so that is why we are keeping all three!! Mum (mum cat not my mother lol) has been for the snip and goes for a check up tomorrow. Hopefully she will be allowed out as I am fed up with litter trays and bolted doors and windows :rotfl:

Wedding anniversary tomorrow so hopefully it will be nice weather and we can go and spend some more time on the land. I keep telling DH he is so lucky I do not want to go out spending money and would rather potter around doing things together. We both feel a little yucky today so may have been over doing things. Film and feet up tonight I think

Hope everyone is ok and big hugs and kisses to those who aren't

PIC xxx

rubytuesday

Happy Birthday for yesterday and congratulations for tomorrow paidin.

Kerry_Woman

paidinchickens - Wishing you a belated Happy Birthday. Hope you have a lovely day tomorrow.