Simplicity 7581 – Jeans Update

My new jeans are almost finished - they lack only the waist button and the obligatory rivets. Seems like forever since I began this project.  And yet, four jeans muslins were not enough. I tried on the size 18 muslin before I cut my fabric and decided I wanted some changes to the pattern. It finally hit me that I should just try the next smaller size.  Yes, yet another muslin! It was a good call because it really was more flattering.  So, I ended up cutting a 16 and the only modification was to the length.

I’m willing to go through these muslins as my goal it is have a handful of classic patterns that I can depend upon.  I want two styles of jeans patterns: this one (higher waist/slight boot cut leg) and another with a bit lower waist/slightly looser fit.

It took four machines to put the jeans together. I loaded the Bernina with navy cotton thread and used it to sew all of the seams. The serger took care of cleaning the edges and the coverstitch made the belt loops. I didn’t bother to press under the fabric strip before sending it through the folder and the denim fed without any problems.

The Singer 403A was utilized for topstitching. About time, right? I threaded the needle with khaki topstitching thread and more of the navy cotton for the bobbin. As expected, I had to adjust the pressure and the tension for the denim. I don’t have a “stitch in a ditch” foot for it (though one is now on the way via eBay) so the topstitching is wobbly. I knew it wasn’t perfect while I was stitching but the machine amused me and I just didn’t care.

The top edge of the pocket topstitching came from fashion disk #7, Icicle.  My instinct was to sew this embroidery pattern (and others too!) all over these jeans. You should be impressed that I exercised great control. Yep, minimal embroidery – I can actually wear these in public!

But bigger than messy topstitching and embroidery restraint, I finally attached the Singer Professional Buttonholer to the 403A and produced good-looking buttonholes! I had purchased the buttonholer back in November and had not taken time to work with it. I thought this project was the perfect opportunity. After all, it is only one buttonhole…

It took some time and I actually read the little booklet and cleaned/lubricated it before getting started with samples.  No, it’s not as quick as turning a few knobs, but you end up with a beautifully made buttonhole that will be consistent with as many as you wish to make.  So, this addition takes care of the bulk of my buttonhole woes. Reliable buttonhole spacing is next on my “to be conquered” list.

Have a wonderful week!

Lena Sommermode Shirt, Modell 5

One of the gifts DD#2 brought me from a recent trip was this German Lena Sommermode magazine. The format is very similar to Burda. The styles are basic and, of course, the text is German. Thank you, Google Translate.

I have organized my fabrics a bit and when I came to the leftovers of the Butterick 5219 top, it looked like there might be enough to put together a muslin of Modell 5.

While tracing the front I noticed that the largest size (the size I needed – 46/48) of this pattern included bust darts. I’m not sure how I feel about a darted t-shirt, but as I have already cut it out, I am now committed. The pattern fit on the dress form. For insurance, I went ahead and added a bit to the waist.

By the way, the Singer 403A fit perfectly into the new-to-me (maybe/maybe not Horn) cabinet. The hinges had been attached upside down. It was a simple chore to install the machine once I figured that out.

A Clue?

In preparing the cabinet for its new home, I took the vacuum cleaner to it, wiped it down with a soft towel and then again with furniture polish.

I removed the thread/accessories tray from the drawer and washed it with warm, soapy water. I found this hiding in the corner of the tray. Do I assume then that this is a Horn cabinet? Or, did the previous owner purchase a Horn tray that just happened to fit in the drawer?

A quick Google search found a few photos of older Horn cabinets with keyholes similar to the ones on this cabinet. It lacks an airlift that the new Horn cabinets have. However, of my machines, the Singer 403A is the only one that fits into the cabinet hinges and the cut out. So, is it safe to say that the cabinet is intended for a standard vintage, pre-electronic machine and therefore pre-dated the need for an airlift - late 1950s/1960s?

If it isn't a Horn, what is it?

Pull-On Trousers/Pants - Almost Complete

The pull-on pants are almost complete.  The waistband needs to be cut out and attached.  So far, assembly has been straightforward.

I deviated from the Burda instructions by spacing the rows of topstitching a bit further apart and did not topstitch the center front and center back crotch seams.  Also, I changed my mind about adding the zipper.

The top edges of the pockets were reinforced with twill tape.  I used the Bernina satin stitch foot, #30.  It put that tape right where it needed to be.

I tried them on.  Yes, the waist is big, but it is waiting to be drawn in with the elastic.  They fit everywhere else.

 

I’m not sure what this fabric is made of and the color is actually green, not grey.  It is lightly brushed on the right side and the back is shiny and fluid, sort of like lining fabric.  It would make a beautiful suit or a tailored dress.  I wish I had more of it.

I wasn’t terribly concerned with creating perfectly aligned rows of topstitching.  However, when almost finished with the topstitching, it occurred to me that I could have used the Singer to easily produce parallel rows as it can accommodate two single needles in its needle clamp.

The double stitching could have been done on the Bernina, too.  Unlike the Singer, the Bernina requires a twin needle, which I don't often use.  The reason?  Those twin needles are pricey.  Still, the Bernina would have done a fine job.

Unrelated news:  the Singer has new bottom cushion feet and a zipper foot.  Makin’ progress.  Yep.

Singer 403A - Sewing Machine Attachments

There is still no sewing here.  Nonetheless, the accessories and the replacement felt for the oil drip pan came today!  I have used today’s allotted sewing time playing with my new toys.

 

Inside this cute box are eight “top hat” cams or “fashion discs”.  Insert one of them into the top of the machine and a decorative stitch will be produced.  The other items in the box are:

• Ruffler foot
• Multi-slotted binder foot
• Button sewing foot
• Seam guide that attaches to the machine
• Straight stitching throat plate
• Straight stitching presser foot
• Foot hemmer foot (yes, that is correct - a foot hemmer foot)
• Three screwdrivers
• Cleaning brush
• Ruler
• Old tube of machine grease

 

A zipper foot wasn’t included.  So, I need to find one.  Also, some type of stitch-in-the-ditch foot.  Other than these two items, I want to postpone any more 403A related purchases until I have had a chance to know what is really useful.

This quest has amused me and there isn't any buyer’s remorse, nor will there be.  I just love the chocolate milk colored paint and can’t help but smile each time I see this dense little machine.

The only thing intimidating is this ruffler foot.  It’s a bit scary, right?

Singer 403A - Oil Drip Pan and Mock Wrap Tunic - Transforming to Wearable

The expected oil drip pan arrived and has been attached to the bottom of the Singer.

Curious to know how the felt pad was attached to the pan, I lifted a corner and it separated into my fingers.  The pad has a slightly damp feel and if you put your nose to it, an unpleasant old oil/grease smell.  It is not noticeable when the cover is attached to the machine.  Even so, first impressions have prompted me to order a new pad.

I also found a boxed accessories set.  It has eight embroidery cams and a few presser feet.  I will show them to you once they arrive.

I haven’t decided yet how to house the Singer.  Yesterday, at Target, one of their plastic sewing machine carrying cases went into and out of my shopping cart several times before I finally left the aisle with the empty cart.  It just didn’t seem sturdy enough.  I have looked online and found a plastic case that would work, but it costs close to what I had paid for the machine.  The vintage ones that I find are in bad shape or ridiculously expensive.  I wish I had room for a vintage cabinet.

Linda in TN – Thank you for your comment!  You are correct – I shouldn’t give up too soon!  I have pulled the tunic from the fabric stack and made a few changes.  Adding ribbing is a great suggestion.  However, I don’t have any ribbing and if I were to trek to the fabric store, they probably don’t either in a color that would match or coordinate.  Besides, I want to revamp this tunic using bits and pieces I already have.

An easy fix would have been to cut out a new front.  The scraps left are small - so that can't be done.

After removing the side seam stitching, I could see where the needle had left a trail of punctures in the fabric. Steaming would probably remove most of it but some of those holes are large.  That is why I didn’t change the neckline.  Instead, I added a row of stitching, creating a casing, and then inserted ¼” elastic to draw up the extra fabric.

The front bottom layer was removed and its bodice was attached to the upper layer at the casing.  It no longer sags and droops.  The asymmetrical front hemline was leveled and the tunic could be few inches longer.  The removed layer will be used to extend the bottom of the tunic.  I am still deciding if it should have ¾ or short sleeves.

The objective is to end up with a wearable garment.  Well, maybe not wearable in public, but wearable enough for Sunday brunch at home.  I can live with that.

Mock Wrap Tunic - Fail

Oh, how I was hoping that this would be the perfect garment to wear for Sunday brunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  Sadly, no.  It won’t be.

With this one, I was stepping outside of my trusted boundary of  basics.  The goal was to create a stylish, feminine yet comfortable top.  Fail.

There is nothing that can be done (that I want to do) to salvage this thing.  I didn't bother to cut it down a size as the only differences were the shoulder seams (which had already been shortened) and the armscyes, sleeve caps and side seams.  Those could be adjusted to fit later.  Anyway, making those seams smaller will not correct the sagging and the too-large neckline.

I've tried it on and was unable to get it to hang properly.  I adjusted and smoothed out the fabric, then smiled at myself in the mirror - well, because I do like the fabric.  But, soon as I moved, it drooped again.  I've been told that repetition is the mother of perfection.  Repetition didn't help.  Nor did smiling into the mirror.

Rescue efforts began by pinning the layers together at the front bodice seams.  They were to be joined by topstitching to hopefully minimize the drooping.  A positive move, but once back on the dress form, the tunic didn't cooperate any better than it had on me.  And, that neckline cannot be overcome.  Well, not without a major overhaul.

Usually, I interface and/or insert twill tape into a bias edge. The pattern instructions had it finished only with bias tape.  I have been known to ignore printed pattern instructions and, so far, the pattern police have stayed away.  So, I am not sure what I was thinking when I didn't include a stabilizer here.

Cleary, this edge needs to be stabilized more than what a bias strip offers.  Bias edge plus bias strip equals the promise of stretching and lots of it.  Including a narrow strip of interfacing, hidden by the bias strip, or twill tape, caught in the seam, would have helped.  But I think that the neck edge would still not lay flat.  The fabric isn't stretchy, but it is drapey.  Can I blame the fabric?  Being not so thrilled with the style, I am unwilling to surrender more fabric in order to find out.

It doesn't look so bad from the front.  Turn the dress form sideways, though, and you see the source of my disappointment.  How do you fix this?

To tighten the neckline, a piece of elastic could be run between the outer neckline and the bias binding - and probably cause more ripples and pulls.  Alternatively, small darts or tucks could be sewn around the neckline edge.  But that would, I think, just look ugly.  The neckline could be torn apart, the twill tape stitched on and the neckline pieces then rejoined with the expectation that all will be well.  No.  Don't think so.  If the side didn't look so bad, I would consider getting out the seam ripper.  But, no.  Not gonna happen.

The 403A was not at fault.  It performed well, very well indeed.  I didn’t realize, however, how much I depend on the stitch-in-the-ditch presser foot for understitching and topstitching.  I haven’t seen vintage ones available for slant-footed Singers, though that could mean that I just haven't looked in the right place.  New ones that would fit are offered on various sewing/quilting websites.  I don’t care whether it is old or new – only that it works.

The tunic has joined my other fabrics destined for muslin use.

Mock Wrap Tunic - Testing the 403A

This is where I am at with the tunic.  The fabric is a washable cotton/silk blend, just like the Simplicity blouse.  Obviously, I haven’t sewn too many actual seams yet on the Singer.  I've mostly been experimenting with scraps.  This machine is handling the fabric well and I am tickled.

Please note that the green towel has been replaced with a Silpat mat from the kitchen.  It keeps the machine from sliding around and also serves as an improvised oil drip pan.

A fitting issue is slowing me down. I cut a size 22 tunic based on the pin fitting.  After sewing the darts and shoulder seams, I put it on the dress form and it was a sad sight.  The bust darts were too low and the front neck was a baggy, wrinkly mess.

Pinning out the additional fabric at the shoulders puts the darts where they belong and also causes the neck droops to disappear.  Still, it seems too large in the armscye and side seam areas.  The style of the garment is loose, but I'm thinking that it is just too big.  I may cut it down to a size 20.  That wouldn’t be hard to do.  Any size changes would be easier if done now as the front wrap pieces meet, but aren't sewn into, the side seams.  Don't be alarmed - I will try it on before anything drastic is done.

I am ready to shop for 403A accessories.  Really, a zipper foot is what I am after.  Anything else is a bonus.

Singer 403A - Ready to Sew

While sitting in front of the new-to-me Singer, I debated whether to do the initial inspecton, cleaning and the oiling/greasing myself or take it to someone with mechanical experience.  Part of me felt that I could (and should) take care of it myself.  It merely needed to be wiped with a damp cloth and have a little oil added here and there.  The only thing obviously amiss was a loose bobbin cover plate.  However, the other part was thinking, “What if there is something wrong with it that I don’t notice and I end up ruining it?" and, better yet, "What if it catches the house on fire?”  Therefore, I didn't even plug it in.  It sat while I decided what to do.

In the end, I took it to the Bernina shop.  Yes, I know that it is a Singer, not a Bernina, but they service non-Bernina's there, too. 

Besides being inspected, cleaned, oiled and greased, the upper and lower tensions have been adjusted and the bobbin cover plate re-attached.  There was nothing mechanically wrong with this machine.  Get this - the shop visit was more expensive than the purchase price of the machine!  I could have skipped the visit and spent the money on accessories instead.  Still, no regrets as it has received the blessing of the service technician.

Once home, it was plugged in and stitches were made.  I like this machine.  A lot!  The sound of the motor is wonderful!  It makes a beautiful straight stitch and the zigzag stitches are just as nice. 

If I want the 403A to make decorative stitches, it will need more cams.  It should have a zipper foot and a few others.  Maybe a carrying case, too.  A case would make it easier to transport - this thing is heavy!

The machine is supposed to have a bottom cover. It is missing.  Performance is not affected by not having a bottom cover, but having one keeps any oil drops from damaging the table below. So, if I can find one, and it is reasonably priced, I will get it.

Even without the bottom cover plate and the extra accessories, this supasses my expectations for a sturdy back-up machine.  I now understand how people become obsessed with old sewing machines.

It needs to be taken on a test drive.  What should the first project be?

403A - Isn't She Lovely?

Bernina 930 - On the Mend & Making Room for the 403A

The Bernina is being serviced and should be ready for pick-up by the middle of the week.  The pin on the clutch will be repaired or replaced. I forgot to ask which.  Anyway, it will work again.

The basting stitch needs to be used periodically to lubricate the pin on the clutch.  Not knowing this, I haven’t run the basting stitch and I doubt that it had been before the machine came to me.  So, even if it is oiled properly, not using the basting stitch prevents the oil from getting into where it belongs.  Eventually, the needle will not go up and down.  This is what was explained to me. Lacking the mechanical gene, I have to trust.

I was informed that the feed dogs are like bald tires and the light bulb is on the way out. They will be replaced. Once again, I have to trust.

It was good to know that this was not caused by the denim.  Yes, I have had guilt, and, well, I still do as this pin/clutch thing was a direct result of neglect.  I am going to find out if there is anything else that I need to be doing to keep the machine in good working order.

The 403A has spent the weekend in Illinois and is scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday.  I bought some machine oil and a few plastic bobbins, in case the metal ones don’t arrive when the machine does.  The manual has been printed.

Also, in preparation for its arrival, I have been forced to critique the organization of my sewing possessions.  There isn’t room here to add much more and that is why the 403A is coming without a cabinet.  Where will I store it?  The closet?  No, not without an intervention.

So be it.  There has been an intervention.  The closet is no longer solidly stuffed from floor to ceiling.  I would like to report that I had a gentle demeanor while this change was occurring.  But, I cannot.  There was much grumbling and stomping.  The closet has been put right with the offending boxes moved to the shelves above.  One can now actually enter the closet without removing boxes first.  And, the items inside are easily viewed and accessed.  A place has been made ready for the new machine.

The garage is next…..

Bernina 930 Repair and Singer 403A

I checked the Bernina into the shop yesterday. It may be a few days before they can examine it and let me know what needs to be done. While it is there, they will make sure that everything else is in good shape. It will also receive a professional cleaning.

Not having it here has created a void and made me realize that I need to have a backup machine. I have been shopping on Craigslist and eBay.  I also visited a few thrift stores, but that was depressing. The few machines I found were broken, scratched, filthy and expensive.

I purchased a machine on eBay that met my requirements of strength and modest price:  a Singer 403A. Yes, a Slant-O-Matic!  The 403A has the streamlined style beginnings of the 500 series and just makes you smile to look at it.

This machine, like the Bernina, is all metal.  In the eBay photos, a few chips in the paint are clearly visible and the rubber bobbin winder tire appears dried out and cracked.  I ordered a replacement.  I have also ordered some vintage Singer class 66 bobbins, and have downloaded, in PDF form, the manual.  This should help me to get started right away.  I will gather additional presser feet and cams once I know the machine is a keeper. It will also need a carrying case.

The 403A has been shipped.