quiltingweb

On the Vintage Kenmores group page on Yahoo, someone replied that they may have a set to sell. No, it's not a need, but it would be fun to search for. From the Sears web site I found that they are C-cams and are orange and green(?) I think.

Today, I played with the 99 in the case, the 128 in the case and the 66 Red Eye Treadle. I am happy to report that 2 of the three are in working condition. The 128 has something that is making it run a little rough. Seems like something is not moving very smoothly, but the motor runs well, I've got the tension adjusted. I had to use my older treadle to wind the bobbin because I'm missing a wheel on the bobbin winder. I borrowed the clutch washer from the Kranky Kenny I have in the garage. It's not running anyway, so I didn't think he would miss it. So, it SHOULD be working. A little more oil everywhere and we'll try again in a few days.

quiltingweb

I was having an issue with the treadle belt for one of my machines. It had broken off at the staple hole and it was just a bit too short. Someone suggested getting it damp so it would stretch. Another suggested a spring...and it got me thinking...It really was only about a quarter inch too short when I really looked at it, so I took embroidery floss, doubled it, used a crochet hook to pull it through the belt and tied it to the staple, wound it around a few times and tied it. It works!

quiltingweb

OK...I'm done for a while. Really. Today I brought home a Kenmore 158.523. Cool old machine. Cams, attachments, cabinet. $15.00 I cleaned it up, oiled it, plugged it in and it runs! Stole a bulb from what is becoming a donor machine and it's great. Tried out most of the cams, organized the attachment box...Sewing by Color. Nifty. The only thing that seems to be missing is the zipper foot. All of them should fit my normal machine. I really bought it because I wanted all those groovy attachments! [ATTACH=CONFIG]364736[/ATTACH]

Caroline S

I sure like the color coded attachments box. It sure beats the jumbled mess that my attachments reside in.Hmm, I might consider purchasing a 158.523 for the groovy box of attachments also.

quiltingweb

It's called Sewing by color. I did a search and found some others out there on Ebay...truthfully, I bought the machine because of the attachments, but now I fell in love with the machine too!

quiltingweb

I spent a good part of the day cleaning the garage yesterday. Ideally there should be room in the garage for the car AND the lawnmower, but right now, because of the sewing machines, the lawnmower spent its first night outside. Should I make room for all the machines in the house, or do I just tuck them in, cover them up and let them spend the winter outside? I've gotten rather accustomed to going out the garage and visiting them, but it's going to be too cold soon to spend much time out there. I could bring them all in the house, but then there may not be room for the rest of the family.

I joked that we could move out the kitchen table and each person can just eat at her own sewing machine cabinet...funny...they didn't seem to love that idea.

quiltingweb

I have a Franklin with a parlor treadle cabinet. It basically fell apart as the seller was trying to put it back together to sell it to me. She felt so bad about its condition that she gave it to me. Great machine. I'm sure I've posted pictures before and I will again when I have the cabinet reunited with its machine. It has some wooden, decorative, raised doo-dads that have basically crumbled and most of the bits have fallen off. I think I just want to remove what remains and stain to match the rest of the cabinet. I don't expect it to be perfect, I just want it to be usable.

The bottom had split into three pieces and there wasn't much to hold it together and its wooden "wheels" on the bottom had gone "flat" or were missing. I took a piece of wood and screwed it to the bottom to both raise it and reinforce it. It raised it a bit higher than the wheels, so they won't be scraping along the floor and it secured the split bottom pieces. Once I get it into the house and back together with its machine, we'll see how it works. Photos to follow.

quiltingweb

I'm such a goof. I have all the machines into the house now. Franklin and his cabinet have not yet been reunited. I imagine myself sitting at my treadle, in the living room, sewing along quietly while the family enjoys a movie or TV show....isn't it funny how our vision can clash with reality?

I've been thinking about quilting lately. I have seen some AMAZING quilting and think to myself that I will NEVER be that good. I take a deep breath and go on. I had a thought. Some quilts are masterpieces from the beginning, others become masterpieces after a lifetime of being dragged around, cuddled in and loved. I'll work on the latter. I just want my quilts to be used, loved and dragged around.

I reconnected with a boyfriend from college. I made him a quilt back than. Nothing special, big blocks, tied, thick batting. When I talked to him after about 25 years, he said that he had just given up his quilt. He used it all those years, much to the dismay of his wife. It had finally gone to the dog's bed. Somehow, that made me very happy. When I heard that, I made him a new one. I hope this new one lasts as long and is loved as much.

pumpkinpatchquilter

Oh neato, those are GROOVY attachments! Really cool, never seen anything like this.

quiltingweb

Our high school has a computerized fabrication lab for making 3D copies of things...wondering what they'd say if I asked them to make duplicate cams for one of my machines. How cool would that be?