Fabric Bolt

So...

 I have a whole bolt of this fabric that I got for $35 bucks. It was my first-ever full bolt purchase. I was stepping up in my sew-called sewing world, I was buying bolts!

I've used it for pajamas, table cloths, curtains, shorts, muslins, and napkins. The pattern makes me think of underwater camo, would there ever be a need for that?? I bought this because it was cheap, I was fabric hungry, I needed to build up my stash. I had no experience on how much fabric is on an actual bolt. On a decorator's bolt that's meant as store stock. I'll be looking at it for a long, long time...everywhere, on everything! 

+Singer 66+ Edna

~Here she is....~ My 1926, Singer 66.

I am so proud of myself it's not even funny. I did a lot of work that I didn't think I was capable of. Like set the timing, taking apart the bobbin winder, adding a handcrank. 

As you can see from the photo, I've still kept the yellow paint on in some places. (Remember?) It was pretty stuck on there, and I'm not ready to strip it down. I've oiled the wood constantly, and the veneer glue smell is slowly going away.

All clean, and working like a charm!  The decal pattern is filigree, the handcrank and spoke were purchased from here. I use it for piecing scraps together for a "someday" quilt. It's a pretty fun machine.

+Singer 66+ Eww, the table

Oh the table. I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I picked up the machine.  I was too lazy to think about getting the veneer and paint off, too excited to get Edna (the 66) out and working. The table sat outside in the yard overnight, through a terrible rainstorm. Which, honestly, I was hoping would disintegrate that table and make junking it easier on my conscience.

It did not disintegrate, or magically disappear. Instead of chipping, dusty, cracking veneer, I was left with pliable, soft pieces of "paper". I curiously peeled off a strip, then another, then another. What? This was easy! I mean repairing veneer was too daunting, but peeling it off unexpectedly? EASY.

I also realized that once I was finished working on the machine I would need to put in something. Duh. A table top case, or another table. I don't have those things lying around...yet. 

~insert evil manical laugh here.

So I set up outside to peel everything off.

Look at that! All I needed was a screwdriver, and a putty knife to work under some edges to get it started.

I had to take all the hardware off on the table in order to get all the bits.

Lessons:

• Use an empty bucket, not a trash filled bucket as support for your project.
• Have a small container for screws because balancing them on a flat surface above a trash filled bucket is a mess waiting to happen.
• When you accidentally drop said screws into the trash filled bucket, you'll need another container to sort through the trash and not just dump the entire contents in your driveway in a fit of rage.

See that? Some people would hope for a prettier wood, or opt to paint over this. I don't mind the look of this wood, and prefer it over the crackly yellow painted veneer.

Underside with the hardware and thankfully all the screws put back.

My helper. I thought it was really cool that I could unscrew the table top from the legs. Who am I to pay attention to table construction?? Most of my furniture cannot be taken apart, and if it is, it's certainly not going back together. It's all glue and cardboard.

Ta-dah! I sanded what I could of the painted areas, and I haven't decided if I want to strip the paint, or repaint, or what. But there is no more flaking, no more peeling. Ahh.

+Singer 66+ The Cleaning

I've acquired a Singer 66, from 1926 and I'm going to attempt to convert it into a handcrank machine. It was in a table that was pretty torn up, or in Craiglist terms, "Shabby-chic".

TaBLe:

~voices inside my head softly chanting: "Plug it in. Plug it in."

I took off the face plate, round cover plate, bobbin cover, and presser foot to soak in a vinegar bath( I used distilled white vinegar because that's what I had on hand. Though I've read to use non-distilled.) to remove the rust.

BeFOreS:

SoaKiNg:

The parts soaked about 2 hours, then I used a soft nail brush, kind of like a giant toothbrush for nails and some baking soda to scrub the pieces. And I confess I used a brillo pad to clean the really tough crud on the sides and back. . .OKAY! I used it on the front of the pieces too, but gently. Then they soaked some more. I rinsed them off in soapy hot water and dried them really well.

FinISHEd: