The sewing thread

PollyWollyDoodle

I've never had this problem, but if anything jams or sticks my first recourse is always to give everything a jolly good clean- it could be something simple like a bit of lint or fluff caught somewhere.

I had my old hand-crank machine serviced and that cost about £60 a few years ago, but that machine is priceless to me. With brand new entry-level machines for as little as £99 it makes servicing seem very expensive.

ivyleaf

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I've never had this problem, but if anything jams or sticks my first recourse is always to give everything a jolly good clean- it could be something simple like a bit of lint or fluff caught somewhere.

I had my old hand-crank machine serviced and that cost about £60 a few years ago, but that machine is priceless to me. With brand new entry-level machines for as little as £99 it makes servicing seem very expensive.

It does, doesn't it? But the cheapest ones have plastic components slotted into a plastic carcase, and they can't be mended if anything goes wrong, you just have to throw the whole thing away! :eek:

Emm-in-a-pickle

My old Brother industrial straight-stitch machine was originally leased from then bought from a firm 20-odd miles away. The firm moved a couple of times then got taken over by Sew Europe, during the 15 years or so when I wasn`t sewing at all. I managed to track them down, to find they were on the small industrial estate that has its boundary fence at the bottom of our garden!! I pop round there for needles, bobbins and a chat every now and then, and the chap who originally set it up in my house is semi-retired and was very happy to know the machine is still in use. I feel very lucky - and privileged - to have an open SOS line, although they don`t do domestic call-outs officially...but as I`m practically a neighbour now they`ll make an exception. (I am growing to love this beastie nearly as much as my old long-gone treadle.)

Emm-in-a-pickle

Dithering

I am a compulsive fabric buyer. I buy stuff either because it`s a bargain and is ok, or because I really like it but not sure what as!!
The former I have no trouble with, I look at it one day and think `go for it`, cut and sew and see what happens. I`d say I`m usually at least 75% happy enough with result.
The latter, something I bought because I REALLY like, I look at and dither. I have a velvet top that I love wearing, that always gets compliments, but I spent 18 months dithering before deciding to cut...bought the fabric ages ago because I loved the colours, then looked at it/put it away/looked at it, etc.
Now, I have a couple of remnant pieces, enough to make a shirt. It`s a mustardy-lime background with little foxes printed all over. I just love it, and if there`d only been the one piece I`d be wearing it right now as a sleeveless shirt, but as it is I`m dithering between a long sleeved shirt or a long sleeveless thing. Either would make me happy, but first I have to stop dithering and decide.
Eldest DGD is coming to stay tomorrow, I`ll seek her opinion. Or toss a coin? It`s haunting me now and I`m getting cross with myself! Does anyone else here dither like this?

ivyleaf

Emm-in-a-pickle wrote: »

My old Brother industrial straight-stitch machine was originally leased from then bought from a firm 20-odd miles away. The firm moved a couple of times then got taken over by Sew Europe, during the 15 years or so when I wasn`t sewing at all. I managed to track them down, to find they were on the small industrial estate that has its boundary fence at the bottom of our garden!! I pop round there for needles, bobbins and a chat every now and then, and the chap who originally set it up in my house is semi-retired and was very happy to know the machine is still in use. I feel very lucky - and privileged - to have an open SOS line, although they don`t do domestic call-outs officially...but as I`m practically a neighbour now they`ll make an exception. (I am growing to love this beastie nearly as much as my old long-gone treadle.)

Aw, that's nice to read

And I can completely understand the dithering - it's because you want to make exactly the right thing to do your lovely fabric justice!

[Deleted User]

beautiful_ravens wrote: »

Hi,
Any ideas about this - I was happily sewing and the machine suddenly went full pelt and wouldn't stop, I had to unplug it. Plugged it in and out a few times [at the machine, not the wall] and it was still going; eventually it stopped... is it likely to be a faulty pedal? [the pedal wasnt stuck on the table or anything!]
Its pretty old, I got it off ebay to replace my plastic machine because I wanted a really heavy machine.

If it is a really old machine then it won`t have that button to make it run by itself, or a speed change dial. It must be the foot or something inside that is causing the electric current to increase. You unplugged it several times at the machine so probably foot control capacitor short circuiting the switch. Maybe ring and see if you can take just the foot pedal in

sorry its a few days late, haven`t been sewing so not been on the thread for a while

If you know someone with a soldering iron, then just buy a capacitor and solder it in or you may be lucky and have one that screws in. They are very cheap

Artytarty

Following on fromEmm in apickles post, how old is the old piece in your stash?
I've got some lovely cotton sateen with a paisley print in a blue and some in pick, perfect for a summer dress but neither me nor my gran have ever used it, she probs bought it in the sixties.
I've got some fine woven wool that was part of an inherited house contents of hubby's aunt- thirty years ago and she probably had it for twenty before that.
I've some really really noisy rustly taffeta that's from the fifties.its probably the oldest piece and I don't think I'll ever use it. It's too stiff and noisy.
You?

ivyleaf

Artytarty wrote: »

Following on fromEmm in apickles post, how old is the old piece in your stash?
I've got some lovely cotton sateen with a paisley print in a blue and some in pick, perfect for a summer dress but neither me nor my gran have ever used it, she probs bought it in the sixties.
I've got some fine woven wool that was part of an inherited house contents of hubby's aunt- thirty years ago and she probably had it for twenty before that.
I've some really really noisy rustly taffeta that's from the fifties.its probably the oldest piece and I don't think I'll ever use it. It's too stiff and noisy.
You?

Visualising maybe a boned strapless bodice made from the taffeta, with a contrasting skirt made from something a bit softer....(not that I'd have a clue how to make a boned strapless bodice, but you might)

I don't actually have a fabric stash at present, apart from a piece of 36-inch-wide cotton in a small floral print from about 1980, bought as part of a "lucky dip" pack of 6 pieces by mail order all those years ago. (We were living in Belgium at the time with not much local access to cheap fabrics.) The other pieces were made up into dresses and skirts for my daughters at the time, the one still left is the one I liked least

Oh, come to think of it I do have a piece of silky polyester print that I bought just before getting ill. Must get that out in the near future and see what I can do with it

kittie that's a very helpful post, I hope you're right as that sounds quite simple to fix!

Emm-in-a-pickle

I`ve got a few pieces that date back about 25 years, I did have more but had a cull a few years ago before I started sewing again. The velvet top I mentioned in an earlier post was one of the 25yr old stash till recently.

The fox print cotton I was dithering about is only a few months old, and I`ve taken the plunge. decided on long sleeved shirt, and have just finished cutting it out. Loads left, will find a use for it I`m sure.

Artytarty

My Mum gave me an old oven gl Ve, the typemthat is woven from a heavy cream heat resistant cord. But it was a bit worn on the hand part so I sewed some pretty floral fabric over the mit bit and it looks pretty good.