Oh, Fransson!

Totally Unexpected

I am not a thrift store person.  While I love the idea of revamping old stuff, thrift stores generally make me cough incessantly and want to wash my hands about 100 times.  However, I was out visiting some yesterday afternoon, in search of something I needed for a project.  I decided, kind of randomly, to stop at the Goodwill near my house (the one near 185th/Tanasbourne). 

I don't expect much from Portland-area thrift stores.  They never seem to have the awesome stuff that people I see online seem to find.  (Certainly nothing as great as those mythic "tag sales" Martha Stewart is always talking about!)  I expect even less from the ones on the westside but, under a pile of random crap, I saw what I thought was a retro mini desk.  Perfect for a laptop desk in my new sewing room!

 
As I got closer I thought: Wow, that desk is very small.  Is it supposed to be for a child?  Then, after moving all of the stuff off the top of it, I realized that, duh!, it was a sewing machine cabinet.  At this point, it honestly didn't occur to me that there would really be a machine in there.  I was just thinking that the fact that it was an old sewing machine cabinet made it an even better choice as a desk for my sewing room.

Then I opened it up and, not only was there a machine in there, it was sporty and pink!

 
I looked in the drawers and found that they contained: the original manual, an incredible exploded diagram with every last screw in the machine labeled, and an assortment of feet (including a ruffler, an invisible zipper foot, and a darning foot).  For $39.99, I wasn't going to pass it up. 

Here's what I think I know about the machine . . .

 

It's a Nelco R-1000.  Made in Japan for Nelco Sewing Machine Corp of New York.  From what I gather, this isn't a brand that collectors get too excited about.  It seems there are many more Japanese-made machines from the post WWII period than domestic machines like Singers.  The information I've been able to find is sketchy, but I get the impression that Nelco machines were specifically-designed to be knock-offs of Necchis and Elnas (hence the name).  

Nelco has quite the interesting history.  Unfortunately, as one might expect, Necchi and Elna's reaction to the Nelco brand seems to have been less than positive.

 

I can't find any date on the machine or in the manual, but the inside of the cabinet is stamped "Jul 27 1965."  I found an illustration of a later model in this ad from a 1969 magazine, so that timing seems about right for the machine. 

 
It looks like the machine was purchased from Oden's Sewing Store in Omaha.  (Which I prefer to think of as being run by Greg Oden.)  I, of course, have no idea how it found its way out here! 

In one of the drawers, I found a plastic ruler with a 1977 calendar on one side and the address of a (now-defunct) bank on the other.  The bank address would have been maybe 1-2 miles from the Goodwill where I purchased the machine.  That, and the fact that the machine appears to be in wonderful condition leads me to speculate that between 1977 and when it was taken to the Goodwill last Saturday, it may have just been sitting in a house in Oak Hills or Rock Creek. 

In the photo above, you can see the buttons for adjusting the position of the feed dogs up or down.  There's even an intermediate feed dog setting for sewing fine fabrics.  Besides a bunch of crazy decorative stitches that I will probably never use, the machine does a regular zigzag and an automatic four-step buttonhole.

 
I guess the best news is that it works beautifully -- both fast and quiet!  I'm going to have to play around with it a bit, but I think this may be a machine that I can actually use for non-quilting projects. 

I plan to refinish the cabinet (and I do still plan to use it as a laptop desk when I'm not sewing) but I'm not sure about the metal handles.  I can't decide whether they'll look better once the cabinet is refinished, whether I should try painting them silver, or whether I should attempt to find replacements.  I'm guessing that finding replacements may be difficult, since they look like kind of an odd size, but I have some time to think about it.

If you'd like to see more pictures, please check out my Flickr set. 

Fabric Scraps Winner

 
Thank you all for entering the giveaway!  The randomly-selected winner is Kaelin.  Congratulations, Kaelin!  I'll get these out to you within the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I'm going to be working on more sewing room improvements as, sadly, my machine and I will be separated for approximately 10 days for routine service.  I'm also hoping to dye some fabric next week, so hopefully everyone is ready to read a little more about that process. 

Step One (of Many)

My sewing room has been completely dismantled during the past few weeks, as I get ready to paint and make a number of improvements.  The first (which I wanted to do before painting in order to get all the fabric out of the way) was to install some new shelving in my closet. 

For the time being, all my fabric is nicely organized in bins according to color.  I have separate sets of bins for solids and prints.

 
Of course, cleaning out all of my fabric meant that I had to deal with my scraps.  I have been diligently saving small scraps during the past few months and, as you can see from the photo above, I've accumulated quite a few.  The problem is that I have no plan for them.  I just think they're really pretty!

Now, before you think that I'm crazy, I should tell you that the above scraps are the "after" piles.  I did go through and save most anything that I didn't have or couldn't get more of. 

A lot of the pieces here are extras that were cut for now-finished projects.  A lot of them are pieces that I cut for projects that didn't end up happening.  A lot of them are just regular leftovers.  There are a few weirdly-shaped pieces but almost everything here is square or rectangle with a clean rotary-cut edge. 

 

They're just so pretty aren't they?  It makes me wish that I had a project for them, but I don't.

Can you use them?  I would love to send them to someone who can.  Unfortunately, because this is a BIG box of fabric, it's going to have to go to someone in the US.   

So, if you have a use for these scraps, please tell me about it in the comments.  I'll select a winner on Saturday morning!

One More Mixtape Quilt

 
Thank you so much to everyone who bought patterns during the sale last week!  The Mixtape II Pattern is in the shop now.

This 31" x 31" mini quilt is made using the Favorite Songs layout and scrappy block piecing from the Mixtape II pattern. 

 

The fabric I used is from a fat quarter pack that I picked out (with help from my mother) for Sew, Mama, Sew!  I believe they're going to post about it later this morning.  ETA: Here is a link to their post.  Comment there to win one of the fat quarter packs!

Big Pattern Sale

 
All patterns in my shop will be 30% off July 15 - 17. 

As I mentioned in my earlier post, while SMBQ is back in the shop, the Mixtape update won't be there until July 20.  However, I set up a preorder option, in case anyone wants to take advantage of the sale this week and have the pattern automatically send to them on the 20th. 

More Simple Modern Baby Quilts is Here!

Thank you, everyone, for your nice comments about the new pattern!  It's in the shop now.

The winners of a copy of the pattern are: Natalie, Jenny and Bailey.  I've sent you all a copy of the pattern.  Enjoy!

Here's the "Stamps" version of the pattern.  It's based on the Stamp Collection quilt, but uses fewer and slightly larger squares for a less labor-intensive project.

 

I'm not a purple person, but I love these colors together! 

 
Here's a shot of the back, with the pieced strip and that wonderful (and gigantic!) Kokka floral.

 
Here's the "Stacks" version. 

 
It's sort of a coin quilt, but the stacks are "woven" together.

 
Here's the pieced back.

And, of course, you're familiar with the "Frames" version.  Please check out the shop listing for more information.

Castle Peeps Mixtape Quilt

 

I made this quilt especially for myself and I'm in love with it!  It's the Greatest Hits layout of the Mixtape II pattern and measures about 69" x 69". 

 
The blocks are 6" x 6" and are made with 18 fat quarters from Lizzy House's fabulous new collection, Castle Peeps.

 
I made a last-minute decision to switch (from Essex Putty) to Kona White for the sashing and I'm glad that I did because the whole quilt is nice and bright.  I don't use pure white very often, but I like it here.  I think it sets off the colors nicely.

 
I used my favorite castle print for the back.  Yay for printed backs! 

 

The binding is Kona Pepper.

 
The Mixtape II pattern will be in my shop on July 20.  ETA: Shameless plug!  I set up a preorder option, since all patterns are on sale right now.

In the meantime, for those of you who asked, these are the differences between Mixtape and Mixtape II:

• The new pattern still features 4", 6" or 8" blocks, each of which can be made in 3 different layouts.
• The new pattern still includes instructions for making blocks with scraps, but includes more detail on that subject.
• The "Favorite Songs" layout has been reconfigured to a square composition.
• The cutting directions are more user-friendly and include diagrams.
• The wide borders are gone. Instead there is uniformly-sized sashing throughout each layout.
• Block sets and total number of blocks in each set are slightly different.

Basically, all of the changes are to streamline the look of the quilts and make the pattern more user-friendly.

MORE Simple Modern Baby Quilts: Coming July 15

The new pattern will be in my shop on July 15. 

 
It differs from the original pattern in the following ways:

• The new pattern does not include applique.
• The new pattern is for making conventional quilts with pieced backs (i.e., no Minky).
• Instead of just one layout, this version includes three different patterns, all of which include a pieced back.
• Each layout comes with a fabric buying guide with suggestions for choosing fabrics that will work for that particular layout.

*Remember, my free machine applique tutorial can be found here.

More details and photos of the other versions will be posted on Thursday.

If you'd like to win one of three copies of the new pattern, please leave a comment on this post.  Comments will be open until the pattern goes on sale Thursday, or until there are 500 comments, whichever happens first.

ETA: For those of you who are asking about why the appliques and Minky have been replaced . . . I found that most people who were buying the pattern were only using the piecing directions anyway, so I thought it would make more sense to expand that part of the pattern by offering more piecing options and advice on choosing fabric.  Even without those changes, the pattern was due for a revamp (much like Mixtape) to bring the format in line with my other patterns. 

Stamp Collection Quilt Finished!

 
I finally finished sewing the binding on this quilt and sent it through the wash.  Each block is made from 100 squares that started out 2" x 2" and are 1.5" x 1.5" finished.  Each block includes 2 pieces each of 50 different prints.  Four or five of the prints were fussy cut.  The quilt back is 1" Carolina Gingham.

 
Although the quilt was made using this technique, I found that the interfacing didn't detract from the natural crinkling that happens in the wash.  My 2" squares were a pretty wide range of weights (from double-gauze to canvas) some of which had been prewashed, and some of which hadn't.

 
I want to, again, mention that there's no reason you can't use this method to make a quilt that will be used for a blanket.  It's just important to take into consideration that the interfacing will make your quilt somewhat heavier, which may actually be a good thing, depending on the quilt's use.  My intention with the comment in my original post on Sew, Mama, Sew! wasn't to say that you can't use this technique to make a blanket -- just that I think it's important to consider how the added weight affects the project.  I'm sorry that wasn't very clear!   

I used the lightest weight fusible that I could find.  If you use a heavier interfacing, your blocks will naturally end up being heavier.  I don't have one single product to recommend, since any lightweight fusible interfacing should work.  Just keep in mind when you're shopping for interfacing that not all products are the same weight.  The best guideline I can suggest is to feel the weight of the interfacing and consider whether you'll be comfortable adding that weight to your quilt. 

I've also gotten a lot of questions about why I didn't use a wash-away fusible stabilizer.  I finally tested out one such product (Floriani Wet and Gone) but I was not happy with the results.*  Wash-away stabilizer necessarily dissolves in water, so you can't use it with a steam iron.  That's a huge turn-off for me.  I just do not want to mess around with making an entire quilt with my iron dry and on low heat!  I also found this product to be stiffer, and just generally more difficult to work with, than lightweight fusible interfacing. 

*I should clarify that I was not using this product for its intended purpose.  My understanding is that Wet and Gone is actually made to be used in machine embroidery and I'm sure it works just fine for that. 

People have also suggested using the gridded fusible product designed specifically for this purpose.  (Look in the quilting notions section.)  I've used this in the past, and was similarly unimpressed.  I found that it scorched and buckled at the slightest provocation and just didn't fuse as easily as interfacing.  However, products like that have been around for years and years, so I'm sure there are quilters who use them with better results than I had!   

 
So, to sum up, after trying other products, my recommendation is still to use the lightest weight fusible interfacing that you can find.  I think it's really the easiest to work with, not to mention the easiest to find and most economical to buy.  

I couldn't be happier with the way this finished quilt looks!

Tip of the Day: Glue Your Fabric Together

Do you notice anything unusual about this block?

What about now?  Do you see it?

 
Surprise!  One of those orange strips was pieced together from scraps. 

I always seem to be just short of enough fabric to piece a particular block, and I often do this kind of thing.  However, I recently worked out a much easier method and thought I would share.

 
   
Let's say I need a 12 1/2" strip of this big floral print, but I only have 11 3/4.

Fortunately, I have another small piece of the same print. 

I first need to check to make sure that I'll be able to match up the repeat in the fabric.  This method will only work if you can match the repeat and will usually work best when you sew two pieces together to make a larger piece that you then cut down to the size you need.

I start by pressing the edge of the piece I'm adding under by about 1/4" - 1/2".  The size of the fold isn't as important as the fact that it should be as straight as possible.

 
I then lay the folded piece of fabric on top of the larger piece, lining up the repeat in the print. 

Notice that this won't necessarily be right at the edge of the fabric.  (How far from the edge you'll need to go will depend on the size of the print.) 

Now that I know where I'm going to put it, I remove the folded piece and use a water-soluble glue stick to lightly brush the folded edge with glue.

 
Here I've returned the folded piece to the same location and press into place with my fingers.

Note: I determined location, removed the folded piece and only then put on the glue to prevent the glue from drying and/or getting smeared all over the fabric while ideal placement was being determined.  If you have a hard time remembering where you had lined up the prints, don't hesitate to mark your fabric with disappearing ink before removing the folded piece.

 
I carefully moved the glued fabric to my pressing area and pressed the fold with a hot iron to really secure the glue.  After I did this, I was able to open up the folded fabric (as shown above) without it coming loose from the other piece.

I then sewed the two pieces together, keeping my stitches right on the crease created by the fold.

 
Now that the pieces are sewn together, I opened up my (formerly glued-together) seam allowance and pressed it open.  Because of the glue residue, I covered the seam with some scrap fabric before pressing.

 

I trimmed away the excess seam allowance, making it the same on both sides of the seam. 

 
And here's the finished piece.  As you can see, it isn't 100% perfect, but it's certainly usable -- kind of like those emergency substitutions in old-school cookbooks.

 
Once I cut it down to size, the piecing is even less noticeable.

Here's an example of the same thing done with a more subtle print.

 

And, if you want to get really crazy, you can use this method to splice together different colorways of the same print.