Sterling De-Luxe

I'm always jealous when fellow bloggers post awesome sewing machine finds from the Goodwill. I found a decent White machine last week at the Goodwill that they were asking fifty dollars for. Fifty dollars! For a not really cute or vintage basic machine. Yes, it was good and worked, but for that much I expect it to be awesome or at least a sweet color. Not 1985 white.

I often browse Craigslist for machines too. I am a huge fan of Craigslist. I met my husband on Craigslist, found many apartments and homes there, hired employees from the site, sold things, got a free dining room table that is now my cutting fabric piling table. The unfortunate part of the Washington DC area Craigslists is that people assume that every piece of crap they sell is valuable. Every used sewing machine is over $100. Seriously.

So early one morning when I saw a recent post wanting $39 for this baby, I snatched it up.

Working or not, I wanted it. The roses on it remind me of my tattoo so I'd have kept it if it did not run. Or at least taken it apart to try and fix it, then put it back together when I determined it was beyond help.

Good news! It runs. Bad news. I had to order it a new belt.

However, I am over the moon about it.

This is what internet research has told me about my new Sterling:

It is likely a Japanese clone of a Singer 15. There were massive numbers of Singer 15 clones made following WWII. They are all different company names and colors, but the same shape and functions remain. I can't find anything about the Sterling Sewing Company. I think mine may be Japanese made, but assembled and sold in the United States. It's got a nice Dodge motor attached to the back.

If you have any information about my Sterling, I'd love to hear from you. I plan on taking her apart, cleaning her out and making her shiny again. (Notice how Sterling went from an 'it' to a 'her' in one post?) I'm pretty psyched about my find.

Sterling is one heavy mother, too. With her case bottom she tipped the scale at almost 45 pounds! The case lining is crumbling and musty. I'll have to ask my husband to build her a nice new wood base.

Ooh! Ooh! My mother in law just suggested I could scrape the case and Modge Podge it with fabric. Awe, yeah.

Where I work

Working on hand quilting my Baby Bargello today....

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting two women whom I have known online for years. We found each other when we were all expecting babies due in December of 2009. We have pretty much chatted daily since then. It was a fun night and I'm so glad we were able to make it happen. How awesome is the internet? I could never have been a stay at home mom living so far away from family if it was not for the internet and the relationships and conversations it allows me. Thank you, Gumdrop Moms. You keep me sane and out of jail!

Like a well oiled machine

Last week my sewing machine started squeaking. I of course ignored it. Until it got to the point of being really loud. I was trying to just finish an order and be done with it. Danny was home at the time and commented that it didn't sound good. And I should stop least I break my machine. Begrudgingly, I did.

All weekend I looked at my sewing machine on the table;knowing it needed oiling and not wanting to do it. Can't it just be magically done? Ugh. On Sunday I finally got out the tools, a brush to clean out lint (which I regularly do) and the mineral oil. Yeah, I don't have sewing machine oil. If my machine came with any it's long gone. And gone in a 'I lost it' sort of way, not an 'I used it all up' sort of way.

I've never oiled my sewing machine. My current machine is a Kenmore. It is the only sewing machine I've ever had new. I don't remember exactly when I got it, but I'm fairly certain I was still at the University of Rhode Island. Looking down at the date on my computer (because the older I get the more I can't remember what year it is,) I graduated from college ten years ago. Holy crap. I just did that math. Now not only am I feeling old, but I'm feeling really irresponsible for not oiling my sewing machine for 10 years.

My machine is apparently the last one Kenmore made without a computer in it. Which is fine by me. When they started talking about how in the future our houses would be run on a computer it just freaked me out. I was going to be the person trapped in my house because I couldn't get the windows open. Because my sewing machine is older, I couldn't find the exact manual for it, but found one close enough.

An hour later, after some foot stomping, Danny making me walk away and take a break, then Danny helping me. My machine was back together and squeak free. Sure there two extra screws. One of which I know where it goes, but it fell into the machine and won't come out. The other screw fell out of my machine while I was oiling it and I have no idea where it goes, but everything seems to be working just fine, so it's like my machine is more efficient without it, right?

Yesterday was the first day I did some serious sewing of orders. And I have to say, I'm a bit wowed. My sewing machine is a happy lady. She's sewing so smoothly. She's quiet and fast and not causing too many problems. And I'm struck to finally, really understand the idiom of 'working like a well oiled machine.' If you've never oiled your sewing machine, break out the manual (or the internet) and do it. You will be very pleased.

On a side note, I just mailed a custom Jack of All Trades Tool Roll. I'm excited because I've gotten a good response to them and have many custom requests. I can make them taller, longer, add more pockets, change the sizing of the pockets, and even added a pocket that snaps for smaller items. I'm excited my Tool Rolls are being used by graphic designers, wedding planners, crochet artists, and medical students so far!

If you have custom requests, please let me know.

If you've read this far, please leave me a comment. Tell me a time you 'fixed' something yourself. (I once took apart my bike to spray paint it and make it 'new.' It took me three days to put it back together. And it rained in the meantime, so I brought it all in the kitchen to keep working on. My ex-husband was not pleased I wouldn't let him help me. And I did have an extra screw leftover then too.)