The Mended Machine

How are we a week into October?! FALLing behind a little in my posts!

Happy 93rd birthday to the iconic Singer 221 Featherweight!

Question: Does your sewing machine have a power switch, or just a *light* switch? Check by plugging your machine in and trying to sew with the switch off. If your machine sews, it’s a light switch only. 💡 If it does not sew, it’s a power switch. ⚡

If your machine has a light switch only, please do not EVER leave your machine plugged in while unattended. Even a well cared for vintage sewing machine can catch fire randomly with the power flowing through your machine.

My recommendation: Only plug your machine into a grounded power strip (surge protector) and always turn that power strip off (best still, unplug it) when you are finished sewing for the day. Plus, ANY sewing machine can benefit from a surge protector, not just a vintage one! Protect your modern investment from surges beyond your control, and protect your home from unpredictable quirks of vintage wiring. Two birds, one affordable stone 🕊

Attention!
Late start today due to a rescheduled obligation.

I will be back online and phone on no later than 10:30 a.m.
Thank you for your understanding.

While working on a lovely Bernina Record 830, the low speeds were found to be shuttery, not smooth moving. The cause? This aging capacitor on the circuit board of the foot control. A replacement is on order and it will be sewing smooth again in no time!

Do you know your myths from reality?
Sewing machines are precision tools, but where can we cut the corners?

I wouldn't cut a corner in any of these wishful instances.
All three statements on this graphic are FALSE.

1. Not all bobbins are made equal and incorrectly chosen bobbins can cause real problems. Maybe not always or immediately, but they can, and with time, will! Don't risk something like a snarl of thread around your hook assembly. Stick with the bobbins your machine calls for and all will be well.
2. MOST home sewing machines use a standard 15 x 1 (aka 130/705 H) size needle. But no, not all. The Singer 206 and 306 machines were made to use a 206x13 needle. They also don't take a common Singer bobbin - they use an L style instead of a Singer staple like the Class 15 or Class 66. These very early (first and second version) home zig zag machines are beasts, but they do require some special parts to keep them stitching pretty. Now you can buy an aftermarket bobbin case which *will* allow for the use of 15 x 1 needles. But unadjusted? No. Not all machines use the same needles.
3. This one is definitely false with an asterisk. If you want balanced stitching out of your machine, no, your top and bobbin threads cannot be of different thicknesses. Sewing machines are balanced using the same make of thread top and bottom to get a beautiful and balanced lock stitch. If you swap one of these threads for a thicker thread, or a completely different material, you are almost certainly going to have tension differences or even problems. You can definitely make the *choice* to use different threads, there are artistic reasons to do so, but don't expect a perfect stitch without some fine tuning.

Here's a visual for you: Lint accumulation after TWO natural fiber projects.

This is my personal Singer 221 Featherweight. It's an excellent visual because the bobbin case is very readily accessed and visible. Lift the tray and there it is! There is always airflow, it is not enclosed. I serviced it when I bought it last month, including a complete dust out with air compressor. The circled puffs of lint are the all NEW accumulations since I sewed two projects, a linen top and a cotton dress, with the machine.

Consider how much lint accumulation happened here - in an open area - in just two projects. Now stop to consider how much lint accumulates in your *closed* sewing machines over the course of a quilt or a year of projects!

This is why we technicians tell you your machines should be serviced way more often than most people do. It accumulates much faster than you expect!

Has it been a while since your last service and your machine is acting a little less than ideal? Or you know it has been too long and you're starting to feel guilty? Let's get that machine serviced before you sit down and buckle in for holiday gifts. Turnaround is currently *less than one week* as long as parts don't need to be ordered!

New-to-you machine or it has been a while since you've used it? Having tension issues? Check your manual and learn where your thread guides are. Rethread if you find you've missed one.
Rethreading is kind of like the sewing equivalent of "did you turn it off and back on again?" in IT. Start over, do it carefully, try again. Fingers crossed!

Pictured: Singer 221 Featherweight

Instilling good sewing habits goes beyond making projects look nicer. These habits can keep your machine much healthier for longer and keep your machine off my workbench!

On the off chance you've made a mistake and need a little help getting your machine back to working order, shoot me a message or give me a call. I'm happy to service or repair your machine, and will do my best to give you some customized tips if you're having any repeat issues.

I thought I got lucky when yesterday was quiet, but alas, I did not. It's the start of the month which means the business spam callers start with new numbers or something. 🥴 I'll be screening calls for a couple days until they taper off again, as they do every month.
The prompt will ask what you're calling about, and as long as you don't spout something robotic about a "business listing verification" I'll answer! 😉