The Sewing Annexe

jpscloud

valk_scot, thank you very much! That's exactly the info I needed. I'm still on house tidying but as soon as it's done I will allow myself a day with the machine. I'll buy some reels including strong thread, as I have some denim I want to sew. The machine has a set of needles but I'll get spares as well bearing in mind my lack of experience and needle-snapping potential!

SpikyHedgehog

jpscloud wrote: »

valk_scot, thank you very much! That's exactly the info I needed. I'm still on house tidying but as soon as it's done I will allow myself a day with the machine. I'll buy some reels including strong thread, as I have some denim I want to sew. The machine has a set of needles but I'll get spares as well bearing in mind my lack of experience and needle-snapping potential!

Not usre if your needles include a denim one already, but you can (&, I suspect, should) get a special denim needle. I have one though I've not used it yet...

sb88_2

Good advice budgetboo! Think I might try my hand at those sock monkeys, they are adorable!

Justamum

I knew there was an OS sewing forum - this might have some other info in it if anyone is interested. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1664531

mmmsnow

thriftwizard wrote: »

Mmmsnow, one of my three main machines (did I mention I have a bit of an addiction to sewing machines?!) is an elderly Jones 565, which is not unlike yours. First off, it's a lot older than they think - late 1970s, most likely. They often have quite powerful motors, which can a) stop analogue TVs nearby working properly (they interfere with the signal) and b) shake parts like the needle clamp or presser feet loose, if they're not really tightly done up. So it might just be that you need to check that everything's tightly attached. Also, you should use a fresh needle, if you weren't already; over the years, needles exposed to the air will rust, slightly, but enough for it not to sew smoothly. It would probably benefit from some fresh oil too, but this may cause old oil inside to go sticky, which it would have done soon anyway; some patient turning by hand (the wheel goes forwards!) usually allows the new oil to work its way through, though sometimes I have to resort to using bike spray (basically kerosene) which dissolves the oil, then oil it all over again.
Hope that's not too much information! They are good old machines & given a bit of TLC most of them will go properly again & give years of service. I use mine on a treadle now. The chap who services the electric machines in my workshop says he quite often has to write off new machines that are misbehaving, but less than 1% of the old ones (pre-1985) that come to him for mending, although they do quite often need a new motor or pedal.

When I went to pick the machine up from my parents, a discussion ensued about how old it was and my mum pointed out that it was a Christmas present from my dad to her a few years before I was born (I'm 30) but they still couldn't remember how old it actually was! My dad still thinks I'm a teenager so it's no real surprise that he can't work out how old a sewing machine is.

I love the fact that it is solid. One of my friends has a cheap plasticky machine that she picked up at a craft fair (and it cost a fortune!) that's never worked a day in its life and when she saw my Jones for the first time, she tried to buy it off me.

The first needle broke (it had been on the machine for God knows how long - my dad maintains that he never broke a needle using it so it may have been the original one) so that was changed. I'll be sitting down with it tomorrow night to oil it and make sure everything is tight. My dad thinks I've got on the bottom bobbin in the wrong way, which might be causing intermittent threading problems.

You don't happen to have your manual still? I've found them on-line in pdf format to buy (£5, though) but, after reading the threading instructions (which I found gibberish), I'm not sure how much a manual would actually help.

My DH is now fascinated with it. Same thing happened when I got my KitchenAid stand mixer - he kept coming up to it and touching it. Weird. Men and machines

valk_scot

mmmsnow wrote: »

You don't happen to have your manual still? I've found them on-line in pdf format to buy (£5, though) but, after reading the threading instructions (which I found gibberish), I'm not sure how much a manual would actually help.

You should bite the bullet and buy the manual tbh. It will have charts for all the stitch settings, maintinence and oiling instructions, clearer threading instructions and a troubleshooting guide.

My mum bought me a Jones 771 in 1975 as a present for getting good Higher results btw. After it wore out 30 years later I bought and tried to love a modern plastic machine but it almost made me give up sewing at that point. So I bought another Jones 771 from Ebay, lol. Much happier! The all metal Joneses were great though, really built to last.

thriftwizard

You don't happen to have your manual still? I've found them on-line in pdf format to buy (£5, though) but, after reading the threading instructions (which I found gibberish), I'm not sure how much a manual would actually help.

Not for my 565, but I'll have a hunt around - I do have them for other Joneses & may well have one for something very much like yours. Might take me a while though!

frugalsparkle

I had red material around the house so took out my sewing machine (had been in hibernation for 2 years) and ran up these cushion covers!!! :jHow do I upload a photo of them?

miffy257

Hope everyone has had an enjoyable Christmas.Have not done any sewing for a few days but bashing on with some knitting that needs to be finished. Hope everyone has lots of good ideas for sewing projects for 2012. Look forward to hearing about them.:j

jpscloud

Hi all, I couldn't find this thread earlier. My new sewing machine came out before Christmas but I had threaded it wrong and I had to leave it due to having family duties to take care of until today. Well, I am having loads of fun practicing now that I have worked out how to thread it. I've also brought the mountain of saved clothes etc. out of the loft and started sorting them.

I bought lots of spare needles including some denim needles, a good pair of dressmakers scissors, and a small selection of threads.

I think I'd like to try making something like a patchwork throw or denim rug (I like the ones with ragged edges, saw some on You Tube earlier that look reasonably straightforward to make) first.