Oct. 22, 2017

I haven't ever kept up my blog. It takes too much work. I don't think I have posted here for a year.
  In that time, I got a used  Gammill Vision. It is an awesome machine. I have used it some but did other things this whole summer.
 I do post some things on Pinterest and on Machine Quilters Resource forum.

Sprained Back Delayed work

I have been nursing my sprained back and can't work on any sewing machines for right now. I am frustrated and can't do a thing about it. I was already hurting and I lifted one wrong while I pivoted around. I didn't do this by lifting the machine. I have a 9 month old 100 lb. puppy who tried to jump on my lap before I lifted the machine wrong. I ended up at an emergency room. No choice now but to rest it.

Added 2 more Vintage Sewing Machines

I added 2 more vintage sewing machines to my growing collection.

I purchased a very nice model 99 from 1955. This is now my most modern of them. I received it with great packaging and the motor fell off when I lifted it out.
The bracket was broken off the back of the machine. I was unhappy but the machine is in good shape. I have a spare replacement set of motor and pedal. I will be looking for a replacement original though. It is made in Great Britain.

I just got another New Home. I loved the little $30 New Home "RUBY" and got the new one because of it. I had moved it up to the first project to repaint. It is in good shape in structural ways. I didn't know much about it. I could see that it didn't seem to have decals. They are worn off. No worry about cleaning then! It wasn't my dirtiest either. I believe that for most of it's existence, it was cared for.
I oiled it well. I removed the front unit. It really wasn't gunked up bad. I didn't remove the side plate right away. I got a real shock when I removed it. I found
GEARS. What a surprise for me. I didn't have any with gears.

This appears to be an 1890 model "pre-model A". The base has square corners and it is identical to the website I misplaced...had a picture of it.

SINGER BOBBINS

I am trying to get some info together for the various machine bobbins and items like the bobbin winder rubber tires. I have 2 of the 1880's  Singers that say they take the "small" bobbin. When I measured mine, I found that it appears to be the same as some of the model 29. Some of the 29s take the "small" bobbin but it is not what I was looking for. The model 29 also has what they are calling a large bobbin but it is not the size of the modern bobbin. It is the size of my 2 Singer fiddle base machines. This bobbin is only 1/4" thick.
  The rubber tire is LARGE on some of the singers bobbin winders. I was concerned because at least 2 of my machines appear to have large ones. I was able to find those on Ebay. The information about the size of the bobbin is in the manual for the model. It is also in the description on Singer class descriptions.
The needles: my fiddle base 1880's seem to take flat side needles. Trying to give reference not just the manuals. The manual for some of the 1880's is the "improved family" and there is NO model number.
FACE PLATES. Some look so similar and yet many years apart or a different model.
I have 4 model 66  and they are the same from 1951, 1939 to 1910. I screwed the plates on to be sure.
  The 3 fiddle bases, are not the same face. The 1884 and 1885 are the same. The 1888 is a rectangle flat face.
 

Vintage Machine Varnish

As I started to buy vintage machines, I looked at them and thought all the orangish stuff was rust. Most of what I purchased looked either better or worse than it was when I saw it in person. I found that the photos flattered some but mostly made them look worse than they were. The varnish is a build up of old grease and oil. It is horribly thick on at least 2 of my machines.
  Cleaning a couple of the machines was easy enough with 2 brushes and the Tuff Stuff. It was amazing. Those machines had a light coating of the dried stuff.
  Cleaning the really gunky thick blackened stuff off the worst ones was awful. I opted to go get a container to soak the worse machines in kerosene. The amount of elbow grease it was taking and the time was getting to me. I have to drag the stuff to the basement to do that. I can't have the dogs getting into it.

New 1885 Singer Fiddle BaseTreadle

   I purchased a good condition 1885 Singer fiddle base with treadle, cabinet, and coffin top. I had spent a lot of time cleaning it. I have the bobbin winder back together, the wheel off, 2 cleanings on the bottom, face piece off etc. It is slow. I am surprised by how slow. I think after I do a few, I will feel more confident that I can get it back together and running. I have been able to scrub the inside of the machine pretty good since most of the back side can be removed.
    I am suffering from a twisted back and will post some photos as soon as I can get to it. The decals aren't as good as I had hoped but that is not surprising given the age. I really think the seller was nice and a great contact for more sewing machines. Only bad thing is that I have 12 now and wish I had met him 6 weeks ago. I have had good luck with Craigs list so far.

Cleaning Vintage Sewing Machine

I have used the information from several blogs and groups. I will add sources  here if I get permission from the people and places. The information I am mostly using is including  making the decals too. Please check out this blog: http://dragonpoodle.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html
The general idea is that Tuff Stuff foam appears to be safe for Singers. I damaged decals on my A. G. Mason Golden Star using Tuff Stuff. The New Home, RUBY, was fine using this on the decals!
   I am soaking the RUBY in kerosene now. I am hoping it softens the varnish gunk on it and is easier to remove. I spent $5 on a tub the right size. I spent $15 on kerosene. I spent $20 on the blue 5 gallon can to use for kerosene. I am thinking the Tuff Stuff was the best way to go.
   First of all, I used 3in1 oil on everything that had a screw or could be removed. I couldn't get slide plates off, face plates, or screw from most places. They were glued in place with gunk. I wiped some oil off after leaving overnight. I removed what I could and did the same thing over.

Singer photos on Pinterest

I have started to post my antique and vintage machines on Pinterest. I made a new board for it.
My Sewing Machines on Pinterest

Collecting Vintage Machines

The more information I find on the antique and vintage machines, the more I wonder about details on the ones I purchased. I think there are some sellers who will swap parts of all sorts out to make it look good to sell. I bought about 8 in a very short time. UPDATE...make that 10. I am pleased with what I got but haven't actually started to sew on any one of them. I still think they are all sound and will work. I have learned so much in that short period of time that my brain is smoking.
  The Treadleon group is a must.  If you only read information there that they have gathered, you will get a lot from it. I also found tidbits of info from connections they have on their site. They have a yahoo group to join too.
 I will get some photos posted. Speaking of photos, searching thru the Pinterest Singer photos, has been extremely helpful. My singer 1888 fiddle base didn't have any chrome left on the wheel. I thought it must have worn off. DUH! Seems it never had chrome. Some of these were nickel. I was considering getting it re-chromed. That is load off me. The info posted with the photos on pinterest is what  told me the ones I was looking at there and mine are just nickel. This is the connection to the singer machines. She has a ton of other boards with different brands and a seperate one for the featherweight.
https://www.pinterest.com/annemiekekooima/singer-manufacturing-co/
  Singer gave me a connection to download the manual for the 1884 for free. I was very pleased about that.
  Cleaning old machines warning. I was cleaning away. I have 3 Singer machines at least cleaned once. I thought, wow, I will clean my A.G. Mason Golden Star. It looked nice and the decals WERE nice. I did notice that the paint surface had 2 different textures. The areas with decals seemed to have a tiny bubbly appearance. The plain areas were a dull black matte. I do think somebody sprayed something over the decals, something not meant to be cleaned. I made the decision to go ahead even though I saw a problem. I started to clean. It was fine. I scrubbed the underneath. I looked at the top and started seeing strange things going on with the color. I took dish soap and washed it. I had taken the pieces out of the front section. This machine doesn't have a face plate. The whole front section comes off. It has had nice decals...I cleaned it carefully just on the inside of the piece. I decided to rinse it with alcohol. That didn't stay inside. The  spots it got on outside became instant glue and stuck to my left glove. It was nasty and blackish brown. I decided to go ahead and clean the whole piece. It melted the stuff off leaving the decals just silver. Gross and sad. It is another reason to get Singer  machines. I think the machines were all built to last. The paint wasn't built to last. I am going to consider this one RE-BIRTHED. Not sure what I want except that it needs repainted.

1884 Singer Sewing Machine

I picked up my 1884 Singer fiddle base sewing machine today along with other goodies to go with singer machines. I got it home and was pleasantly surprised at the condition. I oiled it and let it sit for a while. I couldn't stand it and started to clean it and check it out. I scrubbed it inside and out.I scrubbed it twice and wiped it off and oiled it again. I have plenty photos and a little video of my findings. I really felt that somebody must have cared about this one for a long time and it had been stored well till recently. Somebody put one new shiny spool post in it but the rest seemed to be older. The photos of it on Ebay sure looked worse than what it is. I was referring to it as my new rust bucket.
   I was hoping that the decals would show up a bit nicer after cleaning. They are faint. They must have been pretty when they were new. I contacted Singer and got a response. They informed me that The models this age have names not model numbers. Mine is simply "improved family".  Other reading says it is the precursor of the model 15. I am going to eventually try to post this to the Treadleon people and ask if they can point me in the right direction for any other info. The serial number is  6453801
 http://ismacs.net/   site shows this is 1884

This information is from
 http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/singer%20improved%20family.htm

Improved Family Oscillating Shuttle
The Singer Company started production of the
Improved Family machine in 1879, it was, at the time,
a major step forward in having an oscillating shuttle
and high arm. It was designed for domestic and light
manufacturing use. Manufactured mainly as a treadle
machine with various types of cabinet work some hand
crank machines were also produced.
Although it is the forerunner of the Model 15 its
mechanism is different and the bobbin smaller.
DATING: The Singer Company still holds the date of
commissioning for its machines.

Vintage sewing machines

I decided I wanted a treadle. It snowballed into an obsession instantly.
I searched on craigslist first. I was only going to get Singer machines. I was taking advice from a website and the general idea that it is much easier to get parts and help. Right now, my goal is to get them cleaned up.

I am hoping to clean, paint and make decals. I will be following  a blog with information to do this.  I had searched for instructions. I didn't come up with much. I had looked for info to make decals. I found nothing until I found her site. The information is terrific. I have machine partly stripped down and cleaned once. I got more parts off of it today and I am setting up a work space in the basement.

First off, I want to list my machines. These are not in order of purchase. I bought what I could find within 2 hours of home.  A couple seem to be in perfect condition.  A couple seem to be good for their age with most issues being cosmetic. Three of them are perfect candidates for strip down and repaint.

I have 4 Singer model 66 machines. There  3 the krinkle (Godzilla) finish. It is durable and plain. I guess that is the problem. One is only meant to be a treadle and it was made in 1951. Two of them have the back motor post.  I purchased a different wheel  and hand crank to add onto one of them. I may paint one of them with the hammered metal like Cheryl did hers. I also purchase a Singer Red Eye from 1910.

1. Singer model 66-18 from 1951 came with a beautiful light oak  treadle and cabinet.  serial # AK1261712. No motor boss, no way to install a crank

2. Singer model 66  with a small 1940's cabinet. AH095703 from May 1947.

3. Singer model 66-8 is just the machine head with motor/pedal
   with a back motor post.   This is from March 16, 1910 serial #G332724

4. A. G. Mason "Golden Star" (made by White company) This seems to be a very nice machine. It does have a shuttle and long bobbin.

5. I purchased a $30 special (special cause I LIKE it) New Home "RUBY" treadle.

6. Singer Featherweight 1951 appears to be in great condition. It is terrific being light weight.

7. Singer VS2 fiddle base from 1888 treadle with cabinet. Needs parts and repainted. I already got the parts.

9. Singer "Improved Family" fiddle base from 1884 serial #6453801.  It looked like a rust bucket online and was only $31 and shipping. It was much nicer than that when I received it! Great to practice on. It is intact.

10. Singer model 27 from 1894. I would say it has  27 sphinx decals but they are ruined by a former owner by cleaning with the wrong products.


11. Singer model 66 Red Eye from march 16, 1910 serial #G332724

12. Singer model 15, serial # G 9148263  from January 4, 1922.

my first crazy cat quilt top

Still trying to post a photo. I put it on Pinterest and it forced it sideways too. I had to piece the photo. It is in two halves.
https://www.pinterest.com/icluesew/ is my Pinterest photos, favorites, and recipes
I did find info about the photos being sideways. It is becuase the device took it that way. See below

the site below is for help to fix sideways photos. * I used Irfanview.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2012/02/incorrect-orientation-of-photos.html

photos are turned becuase of the camera/phone using the

original info to fix direction. turn that off in device OR
use picasaweb.com to fix it
OR
use Irfanview program to strip out the EXIF data before

uploading
or use it to rotate the photo again before uploading
**don't see what good that will do.
go to http://www. picasaweb.com use blogger name and

password find album/photo and edit-rotate it and save.
irfanview site for help
http://www.irfanview.net/faq.htm

Buggy Barn Crazy Cats

It has been almost a year since I posted anything. I lost interest and felt that I have a useless blog. It really wasn't worth it after I had the Wordpress blog that was ruined by a makeover they did.
  I am not getting rid of this one, I am just neglecting it. I am currently working on cutting fabric for the Buggy Barn Crazy Cats.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-MACADAMIA MUG CAKE

WHITE CHOCOLATE-MACADAMIA MUG CAKE
Yield: 2 cakes
1 large egg

3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 tablespoons self-rising flour

Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1. In a large mug, whisk together the egg and oil with a fork. Stir in the buttermilk, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour and salt. Beat the batter until smooth. Divide the batter between two mugs.
2. Microwave separately for 30 seconds each. Top each mug with half of the chips and nuts then cook each mug, separately again, for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more, until firm and risen.
Per serving: 675 calories; 46g fat; 11g saturated fat; 100mg cholesterol; 9g protein; 58g carbohydrate; 40g sugar; 2g fiber; 420mg sodium; 170mg calcium
Recipe adapted from “Mug Cakes” by Leslie Bilderback.

Minute Microwave Cheesecake

Minute Microwave Cheesecake
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 egg
½ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbsp sugar replacement sub (taste as you go)
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high heat for 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds incorporating all ingredients. Refrigerate until serving.
Optional: Top with fresh fruit, whipped cream and nut meal.
Makes one, one-cup serving.
Nutritional Information per serving: Calories: 299, Carbohydrates: 2.5 g, Fiber: 0 g, Net Carbohydrates: 2.5 g, Protein: 11 g, Fat: 27.6 g.

Sticky Date Pudding

STICKTY DATE PUDDING
Ingredients
10 x dates, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbls boiling water
1/8 tspn bicarb soda
1 1/2 Tbls butter
1 1/2 Tbls brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbls self - raising flour
1/2 x egg beaten
1/2 Tbls walnuts, roughly chopped
1 x caramel sauce:
1 Tbls butter - extra
1 tspn milk or cream, extra
4 Tbls browns sugar, extra
Method
This recipe is to make 1 mug serving.
*I would recommend making two though so you don’t have to halve an egg*
In a mug place the chopped dates and water. Place in microwave for 50 sec until the dates are softened.
Add the Bicarb soda to the mug and let it sit for a minute and mash roughly with a fork.
Add the butter into the mug and place again in the microwave for 10-15 sec to soften and melt.
Add the sugar, flour and egg to the mug and mix to combine thoroughly with a spoon. Flatten the top of the mixture and sprinkle the walnuts on top.
Place in the microwave on a saucer for 1 minute. It may need a further 10-20 sec to finish it off completely, depending on your microwave.
Basic Caramel Sauce: In an ovenproof ramekin add the extra sugar, butter and milk/cream and place in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Remove and stir and repeat another two to three times depending on your microwave. You will end up with a dark caramel sauce. Drizzle over the sticky date cups and enjoy!

Smores mug cake

5 Minute Chocolate Fudge S’mores Mug Cake

[adapted from food network]

makes 1 serving, can easily be doubled

2-3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (mine was dark cocoa, hence the dark color)

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate (chopped or morsels)

marshmallow fluff, cream or actual marshmallows

Combine 3 tablespoons butter and 1 ounce of chocolate in a small bowl, then melt in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Set aside. In another bowl, combine remaining melted butter with 2-3 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs and stir until moistened. Press graham crumbs into the bottom of your mug.

In a bowl. whisk egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, stir until a thick batter forms. Stream in melted butter and chocolate, mixing to combine. Fold in remaining chocolate chips. Add half of the mixture on top of the graham crust, then throw on a scoop of marshmallow fluff/cream or a few marshmallows. Add remaining batter on top, then pop in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds to almost 2 minutes. Remove and top with additional marshmallow if desired. You can pop it back in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to make them melty, or pop them directly under the broiler for about 10 seconds to toast if desired. You can also use a kitchen torch if you have one. Sprinkle with graham crumbs!

Notes: If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour, you can use all-purpose. I would not recommend using regular whole wheat. Additionally, I have made this by substituting coconut butter for the full amount of butter. It was just as delicious, albeit slightly drier. You cannot taste coconut at all. Finally, take into account the power of your microwave. Mine has a mind of it’s own and is insanely powerful, so I cooked this on 80% power. Judge accordingly and add/subtract a few minutes of cooking if you know your’s is wonky too. Unfortunately it may take 1-2 trial runs to get the right consistency because all microwaves are different, but I promise it’s worth it!

peach cobbler mug cake

Peach Cobbler Mug Cake {5 Minute Recipe}
Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp white cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 - 2 pinches of cinnamon (can also add a small pinch nutmeg too)
2 1/2 Tbsp milk
1 (4 oz) diced peaches in light syrup (like these)


Directions

Place butter in a mug and melt in microwave. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together cake mix and cinnamon then whisk in milk and stir until well blended. Pour mixture over melted butter in mug (don't stir). Drain 2 Tbsp liquid from peaches (about 2/3 of the liquid. Discard or drink it) then pour peaches over top of cake mix (don't stir). Microwave on 50% power for about 3 - 4 minutes, until desired doneness (time may vary depending on each microwave oven and wattage). Allow to cool slightly (it will be ridiculously hot) then optionally top with vanilla ice cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Flaxseed mug cake

Flax seed meal is a versatile ingredient for those with diabetes as it is very low in net carb grams, high in fiber, contains valuable omega 3 fatty acids, top notch antioxidants, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA).
Directions
1
Easy Breezy Method
In a microwave safe mug, add egg and scramble with a fork.

Add all other ingredients into mug and mix until smooth

Microwave for about 1 minute on HIGH. Microwaves vary.

Remove from microwave and let stand for about 30 seconds. It will initially appear moist but as the muffin cools, it solidifies.

Remove muffin from mug (*I don't removed them, just eat from cup)

Smooth on some whipped butter or whipped cream cheese .....done and done
Ingredients
1/4 c flax seed meal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz 1 large egg
1 tsp oil
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon (* I used 1/2 for a touch of cinnamon)
1 tsp stevia powder

cheesecake mug cake

Mug Cheesecake (2 Minutes Microwave)
Author: Jutta
Recipe type: Dessert

What you need
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
3 tablespoons low fat cream cheese
? teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ egg, beaten fluffy (egg substitute works too)
Mix-in of your choice (if desired)
1 vanilla wafer
How you make it
In a small bowl mix together sugar, sour cream, cream cheese, lemon juice and egg until well combined
Fold in your favorite Mix-in (if you want a plain cheesecake, just leave this step out)
Microwave on high for 1 minute
Open microwave door for 20 seconds, close, and microwave again for 45 seconds (if you use a mix-in you might need additional 20 seconds)
Take out of the microwave, let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for about 2 hours
Serve with a crushed vanilla wafer on top (or if you take it out of the cup put crushed vanilla wafer on the plate and place cake on top)