Please share what you are working on

[Charley]

I have found it best to take mine in for servicing. I've been told not to use air as it can blow the dirt up further into the machine. I do use a q-tip to clean out the bobbin area and where it can reach just below the bobbin, but that is as far as I go. The old machines had a place to oil them but the new machines don't seem to. When they service them, they oil them as they take the covers off and can reach places we can't. They can replace the bobbin winder if it needs to be replaced.

I have a side-winder stand along bobbin winder. I tend to wind most of my bobbins on my machine still but it is a good back up. It actually winds the bobbins faster than the machine does. I have had bobbins that don't fit my machine also; not all bobbins are the same size as they are made for different brands of machines.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Thanks! I guess my best bet is to look for a place to get it serviced.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I did go through it but I was so frustrated it almost went flying off the table! I'm going to take it apart and either blow it out with the air hose or vacuum it out good. I have no idea where to oil it! I just pulled the book out (again

) but it says nothing on oiling...

Could some one give me any ideas on maintenance? I would GUARANTEE it needs a proper cleaning!

I can post a picture if need be or are they all basically the same? It's just a cheepy machine. I think the simplest Brother makes. She has done well for me and I'd like to keep her.

Your owner's manual says nothing about oiling?! I guess it is one of the new electronic machines. You'll have to take it to a shop. Do not know if that is cheaper than buying a new one. My new Pfaff says it has to be serviced by a professional also. You've put a lot of miles on your Brother. Maybe just cleaning it with the vaccum would do the job. Maybe the new machines are just disposable... I feel for your frustration, though.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Your owner's manual says nothing about oiling?! I guess it is one of the new electronic machines. You'll have to take it to a shop. Do not know if that is cheaper than buying a new one. My new Pfaff says it has to be serviced by a professional also. You've put a lot of miles on your Brother. Maybe just cleaning it with the vaccum would do the job. Maybe the new machines are just disposable... I feel for your frustration, though.

Nope my manual says nothing about oiling. I know I have worked the bejeebies out of my machine plus some! And I know I ask alot from it. I think she may be one her last leg. If I take it in it will cost a few bucks. I may just be better buying a new machine. My mom has an older 80's Kenmore that she has only used a hand full of times, I may just go and see whats up with that one. I know that one can be oiled and maintained at home, but she has no clue where the book is for it. Maybe I can find a manual on line for it. And yes I do think the new, cheaper, machines are more on the disposable side. Thats to bad.

ETA yes it's newer, about 5 yrs old. But no electronic buttons or switches, pretty basic. I'd guess about a 100.00 dollar machine. But thats guessing. I got it as a gift and never thought I'd love it as much as I do.

 

[lucky seven]

I have an older Kenmore that I can clean myself. Over the years it has spent more time in the closet than being used. It must be me, but I have a hard time sewing in a straight line so I pretty much do everything by hand. I did put a piece of masking tape to mark the 1/4 mark which helped some. My daughter bought a Brother machine from Walmart that she likes a lot. Maybe just using a small paint brush or vacuum would help.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My favorite way to craft is salvage. Almost everything I do involves recycling something to make something else. Recently, a friend with an antique booth was commenting that she could no longer find inexpensive hatstands for the many vintage hats she offers in her booth. While out scavenging, we saw a pair of lamps that looked like ideal candidates for hat stands. They were grubby and had the old, frayed rayon cords (which, btw, are wonderful for recycling into makedo letters). Had to pay $10 for the two lamps, which I thought was high for grubby, non-working lamps. But they suited our purpose so I bought them. The hardest part was figuring out the hat base. The first one I made was too big, and my idea of a simple yoyo to cover it didn't work out. I had to piece the top. I used styrofoam, a ball cut in half. She wanted to retain the old glass ball that was on the lamp. I covered this one with a batik fabric, and the other with a watered silk. This one is 13" tall. Now we are on the hunt for more lamp bases!

Do not know if she will have NFS on these, or whether she will put a price on them. I'll be curious to see what market response for them there is.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm planning to make a tree skirt out of men's ties. So far I think I have half of the ties I need. I'm thinking I'll make the skirt out of burlap, but haven't decided on that for sure. All the ties are silk and I paid about a quarter for each, except for the one with horse and jockey; my antiquing friends made me pay $8 for it when we saw it at an antique booth. I was only planning to use the wide ends, but might consider alternating wide/skinny. Or overlapping skinny over wide. I saw this idea in an older magazine and thought it looked attractive.

Just in the planning stage so I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Charley]

Marsha that is interesting. I would never have thought of that. Burlap will add a big contrast with the silk….I like it.

I keep looking at your hatstand and want to start looking for an interesting lamp. I love that idea also. I could use a couple in different sizes. I love the batik fabric!

 

[chandab]

No new picture, but I finished up the little Irish chain quilt today. Using the left-overs to make a pet quilt (I haven't made any in awhile, but when I do, I send them off to one of a couple animal rescues).

 

[jacks'thunder]

I'm planning to make a tree skirt out of men's ties. So far I think I have half of the ties I need. I'm thinking I'll make the skirt out of burlap, but haven't decided on that for sure. All the ties are silk and I paid about a quarter for each, except for the one with horse and jockey; my antiquing friends made me pay $8 for it when we saw it at an antique booth. I was only planning to use the wide ends, but might consider alternating wide/skinny. Or overlapping skinny over wide. I saw this idea in an older magazine and thought it looked attractive.

Just in the planning stage so I'm open to suggestions.

Please keep posting on how this turns out!! I love this idea and would just love to see it finished. I was just at the Salvation Army and the ties were very inexpensive

I'm working on making a Shabby Chic chandelier for my mom. Right now it's just an ugly 90's lamp, but I have a vision! LOL!

 

[dixie_belle]

I had a friend whose husband passed away. I took some of his ties, opened them up, pressed the creases out and sewed them together (fat side to skinny side) and made throw pillows for her sofa out of them. She kept one and gave the others to her grandchildren. Surprisingly, they came out good. Who would have thought?? And now they all have a remembrance of him.

 

[Charley]

I just pieced another quilt top out of my stash. This is done entirely out of stash as I had the fabric selected for this lap quilt. It is intended to be a man's lap quilt but it is pretty enough to be a woman's. I am not going to take photos until it is finished. And it is horse themed!

I now have one baby quilt that is awaiting binding, a lap size hand embroidered quilt awaiting sandwiching, quilting, and then binding. and this last lap sized horse themed quilt awaiting sandwiching, quilting and then binding.

So why am I looking for something to piece?

 

[dixie_belle]

Charley, I understand completely. Seems like before I'm done with one, I'm already planning another one. But I have made myself stop starting any new project until I am finished with whatever I'm working on. That way, the one project gets my full attention. (But I continue to look at patterns and fabric and to dream.....)

 

[Charley]

I just checked and need to buy some batting so two tops are on hold until next week. I finished the binding on the little girl's quilt; so now all it needs is some machine quilting and it will be done.

My design wall is full of horses and flowers. The more I look at it, the more I see purses; it started as a lap quilt but I have enough horses to make both!

Looks like I will be finishing the quilting on the little girl's quilt today and starting to piece the horses and flowers….need to check my stash for some tan fabric. I'm hoping that I find something that will match. I definitely need something to lighten it up.

Meanwhile, I need to sort out some yarn for crocheting flowers and find some material to start sewing birds. It is feeling like spring today! Tuesday they are forecasting snow and Wednesday our power will be out while our electric breaker box is replaced. Thinking I may have the grandkids on Tuesday also. Should be an interesting week.

What are you planning?

 

[chandab]

I finished up that Irish chain and dug around in the stash and found a cute puppy panel and some coordinating fabric, not sure how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to make something of it.

 

[dixie_belle]

Both my daughters closed on their first houses this month. (Cost me a small fortune in house warming gifts.) And for one daughter I made three potholders. I just picked a pattern at random for a six inch block, made the block, backed it with some nice coordinating fabric, cut up one of my good terrycloth towels as batting, made some double fold bias seam tape and viola, homemade gifts. Didn't cost me anything (except for the big, fat check that I enclosed in the envelope, LOL) She is so easy to please and I figured she could use some new pot holders. The other daughter is my first born. She's got that typical first born mentality, driven to succeed and NEVER happy. I sent her a lawnmower and weedeater. Gotta love free shipping. I wish I had taken pictures. The hardest part is trying to quilt thru a towel instead of batting....it's nearly impossible. But I was concerned that typical cotton batt wouldn't have enough heat protection.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Both my daughters closed on their first houses this month. (Cost me a small fortune in house warming gifts.) And for one daughter I made three potholders. I just picked a pattern at random for a six inch block, made the block, backed it with some nice coordinating fabric, cut up one of my good terrycloth towels as batting, made some double fold bias seam tape and viola, homemade gifts. Didn't cost me anything (except for the big, fat check that I enclosed in the envelope, LOL) She is so easy to please and I figured she could use some new pot holders. The other daughter is my first born. She's got that typical first born mentality, driven to succeed and NEVER happy. I sent her a lawnmower and weedeater. Gotta love free shipping. I wish I had taken pictures. The hardest part is trying to quilt thru a towel instead of batting....it's nearly impossible. But I was concerned that typical cotton batt wouldn't have enough heat protection.

You can buy the special reflective batting for hotpads. I've made quite a few. I usually double the padding, but I have some with single thickness, and they are sometimes the first I reach for, as the thinness is easier to grab something with.

Congratulations on your daughters' first homes!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I am finishing up a cross stitch project. I've really struggled with it, as it was so hard to see the linen holes. I got the MagEyes, and that helped a lot! Then I found out I have macular degeneration and that probably explained most of my difficulty. I do enjoy cross stitching, but this may be my last project. This is a primitive pin cushion formed into a drum shape. Then it will have two strawberry emeries on top. It has several stitching errors on it, but that will just have to be part of its "history".

 

[dixie_belle]

Probably nobody will notice the errors, except you.

 

[Charley]

yup, we are our biggest critics….