Folded and Spindled

Today I joined in the fun with Planet Patchwork's Wonderful One Day Mystery - Merry Mayhem Presents Case #13: Fold and Spindle

I used some fabric that I had pulled for a table runner back in 2003..and had never gotten around to making the table runner (it was in PIGZ status ALL that time!)...and I sewed on Aurora..

After part 3

After part 4

After part 5

After part 6

TA DAH! Done...first project finished using Aurora! I really liked using the treadle for this project. I didn't annoy her too much (trying to sew backwards..she breaks the thread when you do that!) I got a lot of exercising done!

Did this with a small group of ladies on the Forum. It was fun seeing them come together!

Driving Miss Aurora...

I got out some pre-cut patches of fabric today and sat down at Aurora...

On the seam on the third patch, I managed to get a piece of thread caught around the oscillating hook...eppp..Aurora came to a dead stop...OH NO...now what?  I ended up taking the needle plate and the slide off to see better - could see both ends of the thread but tugging on either end got nowhere...dribbled a little Liquid Wrench on the thread and that worked its magic and I was able to get the needle to move just a wee bit..allowing the thread to be pulled out..WHEW!!! Back to sewing!

Here are the first 4-patch blocks I made..

The fabric for the 4 patches being exhausted (I got 7 of those 4 patch blocks out of the stack of squares), I used some other pre-cut patches that I bought at a thrift store..fabric quality is not really high (I suspect most of these patches were 'salvaged' materials like old shirts or skirts)..and started making HSTs...

Don't quite know what I am making yet, though..

I am getting the hang of starting the treadle going forward (sometimes without using the hand wheel!), but small patches are a bit of a bother, since you have to stop so soon after you 'get going'.  I am loving it though...very cool to be using my feet to generate the power...

A perfect Labor Day activity...

Aurora, Restored

And...here she is - restored!

(click thru on any of the pictures to get to the Photobucket album with more details)
The front plate:


The bobbin winder area:


The bed and throat area:


The back of the head: (still needs a wee bit more of the Tar and Bug remover and some more rubbing!)


All cleaned up!


Now..to actually SEW something!

Aurora Restoration

I've rubbed the treadle cabinet with Howard's RestorAFinish..and it looks pretty good overall..the black rings are still somewhat visible - I have heard I need to treat them with 1/2 bleach 1/2 water..but just haven't done that yet..

DH and I re-assembled the cabinet and re-installed Aurora..

I have oiled and lubed everything that I can find that moves in Aurora..she still squeaks a bit though..may have to disassemble the feed dogs area as that's where the squeak comes from..

I replaced the winder ring on the bobbin winder - the old one looked kind of warped and chipped off like old chewing gum!! I had no idea rubber could 'rot' like that..

I cannot get the clutch knob to come loose..not that its a big deal though, it just means the needle still goes up and down when I wind a bobbin. One of these days I will probably  get DH to take the head out of the case and up-end it so that Liquid Wrench can soak down into the knob..one of the guys on the TreadleOn list suggested whacking it with a rubber hammer..eeekk!!!

The decals are glowing brighter at least on the front of the machine (the back of the pillar is still quite dark - it will take more oil and rubbing!!) I just used sewing machine oil and most of the grime has rubbed off...

I put the belt on (fun...NOT) and then learned there is a simpler belt made of a rubber tube that has a metal join.that you don't have to pound a nail thru.so I ordered one of those..it has arrived (and came with a cute little treadle sewing machine charm!) but I haven't tried it out yet..

I ordered a quilt foot from a lady on the TreadleOn list..

I learned how to operate the treadle... It's a 4 step learning process...first you get your feet coordinated by treadling without the belt - you can 'throw the belt off' by using the belt shifter (it's how you get the head back down into the case), then with the belt in place and the presser foot lever up and no thread...then with a piece of paper and the presser foot down (still no thread)...then finally..once you can run the treadle for a goodly time, you add the thread and a couple of pieces of scrap material!

I successfully wound a bobbin, threaded the machine correctly, and SEWED!! This machine makes gorgeous stitches...

What a gas to have a machine that is so well made that 90 years later, it's still cranking and can be fixed by little ole me!

Here is Aurora - almost restored...(with all my tools still out), in front of the workroom window:



Don't know if you can tell she is on top of two pieces of plywood so the legs don't sink into the carpet..its very hard (nigh well unto impossible) to move the treadle when its up against carpet!

She still needs all of the chrome polished..but my polish dried up so I need to get a new can...

Meet Aurora...

My Mom called me up a couple of weekends ago and said she and my Dad wanted to get me either a Featherweight or a Treadle for my birthday later this month...so I should start looking..I popped onto Craigslist and found a couple of candidates..I really liked one of the treadles that was not too far away...

Went to look at her..and she followed me home!!

She is a 1921 Red-Eye Model 66...in pretty good condition - the decals are not worn at all and the cabinet has no breaks or bad scratches (the lady that owned her last I think did not sew even a single stitch on her..just used the cabinet as a plant stand - how sad) I need to do some scrubbing on the cabinet and use the Howard's RestorAFinish..and the head needs to be de-gunked..and she needs a new belt (the guy that sold it to me said the belt had been broken as long as he remembered his Mom having the machine)..

We broke her down into 3 pieces to get her home..the treadle legs and the head (in a box with an old blanket for padding) fit into the trunk, and the cabinet fit into the back seat..



Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEEE!!!!