Singer 66 - Evil Wiring? Maybe not.....

Wanting to know how much it would cost to have the 66 rewired, I called one of the local sewing machine repair places.  I spoke with a knowledgeable man and he told me that they could replace the wiring, though he didn’t sound too excited about it.  After visiting with him, he told me to go ahead and use the machine.  It was probably carbon in the controller and that was to be expected if it hadn’t been used in a long time.

Second opinions can be a good thing, so I also asked my father about the motor controller.  He told me that dust, and other junk, can collect in there if the machine hasn’t been used for awhile.  Using it will burn that stuff off and that is what I was probably hearing.

Other than plugging cords into outlets, I have zero understanding of how electricity works.  However, after these two conversations, I was feeling brave and decided to give the 66 another chance.  It did hiss a few times after I plugged it in.  After that, it behaved very well. No problems at all.  It did not catch on fire nor did it electrocute me.  And, it sewed beautifully.  Still, I will feel more confident if an electricity savvy soul can give it a checkup.

Singer 66 - Pretty Stitches/Evil Wiring

I’ve read through the Singer 66 manual and following the oiling diagrams, have placed a drop of Tri-Flow lubricant into each of the places indicated.

The bobbin winding verbiage in the manual is needlessly complicated so I skipped it and instead looked at the pictures for guidance.  That worked just fine.

While the thread was filling the bobbin, I kept hearing noises - like a hissing and popping iron, only there wasn’t an iron around.  I thought it might be the dog as he occasionally snores while sleeping.  No, it wasn’t the dog.  He was awake and peacefully watching me from a few feet away.  I tuned the noises out as I focused on getting the machine to sew.

The filled bobbin went easily into the bobbin case.  I inserted a new needle and threaded the machine.  Next, I grabbed a fabric scrap and using the knee lever, started sewing.  The machine made stitches.  Lovely stitches!

As I continued to sew, I realized the sounds were coming from inside the cabinet.  The only thing in the cabinet is the motor controller.  It was very hot and I quickly unplugged the cord from the wall.  The hissing and popping stopped.  The problem has been isolated.

I won’t be sewing with this machine again until this has been fixed. Is it as simple as finding a replacement cord and controller?  Looks like I’ve got more reading to do……

In the meantime, I guess I can get it cleaned up and polished and begin to pull together the items needed to refinish the cabinet.  Still, I must tell you that I am charmed by this old machine.  It just has to work!

Simple Top - New Look 6179

This quilting cotton has been on the shelf so long that I don’t remember purchasing it.  I bet it was bought due to its bargain price and not for a specific project.

I know, if only I kept a fabric log I would have that information.  Responsible sewing people maintain logs, including the purchase date, cost, yardage, fiber content, cleaning instructions and a swatch of each new piece purchased.  I have deliberately chosen to not be so structured by adhering to the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid!).  I purchase only (mostly) machine washable fabrics and thereby eliminate the need to record special cleaning requirements.  And, tell me, how much skill does it take to differentiate between cotton denim and polyester crinkled chiffon?  My fabric storage area is fairly small.  One can simply look at the shelf and know what is in my inventory.  Easy.  The goal is garment creation, not fabric collecting.  Granted, there must always be various fabric choices on hand but I have no intention of ending up on A&E’s Hoarders.

That being said, I have pretty much run out of reject fabric to use for muslins.  I am aware that quilting cotton is for quilts, not clothes.  In spite of this, quilting cotton is the testing choice for New Look 6179,  view C.

I see this simple top as an alternative to a t-shirt.   The pattern was purchased years ago and was used to make several versions for my daughters to wear with jeans.

Luckily, I had traced the pattern when I had used it before and was able to use a much larger different size for me (size 22).

For this muslin, I skipped the front facing piece and inserted wrong-side-out rectangles instead.  They were sewn together at the bottom and the center seam allowances were turned under and topstitched.  Bias rectangles were sewn to the outer edges and a large rectangle added for the bottom portion.  The front was then cut out and sewn to the other pieces.

The neckline casing needs to be attached and a drawstring of some type inserted.  The pattern instructions finish this edge with double fold bias tape.  I am not going to use that as I don’t have any that matches this fabric plus it would add needless bulk.  There is enough of the quilting cotton left to cut a bias casing. I'll see what I have that can be used for a drawstring.  The drawstring will dictate what type and size of casing to make.

The slide plate and the manual (DVD) for the Singer 66 have arrived.  The slide plate fits and the manual has been printed.  Hopefully, it will be sewing soon.

Since bringing the 66 home, much of my sewing time has been spent looking at vintage sewing patterns.  This eighty year old machine is influencing me.  I now want to sew a dress using a 1930’s or 1940’s pattern.  The dress should be wearable in public, but not as a Halloween costume!  I haven’t found a pattern in my size range that I like.  I could do some pattern grading, but I think it will be challenge enough sewing on this unfamiliar machine.  There is no hurry or deadline.  Eventually, a suitable pattern will come my way.

Pull-on Trousers/Pants - Complete; Say Hello to Singer 66!

The Burda pants are complete.  They are purposefully a bit loose-fitting, giving them a casual look.  As a result, they won’t become office garb but will be perfect to wear while running weekend errands or whenever I don’t feel like wearing jeans.  I’ll postpone adding this pattern to the TNT collection until I have worn them a few times.

On Friday, I convinced my daughter (#2) to visit a few thrift stores with me.  She was traumatized by the experience although she became my enabler.  We walked out of the last store carrying a 1930 Singer 66 in a “DeLuxe Library Table” (No. 40).

This setup is in rough shape.  However, the light works and the needle goes up and down normally.  The motor is quiet and sounds beautiful.  I haven’t threaded and sewn yet because of the missing slide plate.  Will the bobbin function without it?  I do not know.  An appropriately aged Singer 66 slide plate is on its way via eBay.

One of the cords is wound with some electrical tape.  That means the wiring needs to be looked at.  So far, the extent of the restoration has consisted of vacuuming the dust from everywhere the nozzle would fit followed up with a slightly damp cloth.  It already looks better.

The machine is worn.  I accept that.  Nonetheless, the wood must be refinished if it is going to stay in the house.  I haven’t done any furniture finishing in years.  My next step is researching the best way to tackle this.

I’ll keep you posted as it progresses.  In the meantime, where am I going to put it?