Long Time, No Sew

I can't believe it. It has been over a month since I sewed something. I made this pair of jeans before my last sewing post --Staycation Tees -- but it remained unblogged because the jeans actually fit and look great on me (really, I promise!) but for some reason, I haven't been able to get a good photo of me wearing them.

The fabric is a nice stretch denim.  I just LOVE it.  It feels great next to skin.

 It's Butterick 5961.  I just love it. If I knew that the jeans were going to fit this nicely, I would have put pockets on them!  The sizing was a little tricky.  I carefully measured myself and chose the size 10 on the pattern. In fact, my measurements were between size 10 and 12 shown on the pattern envelope, and I took a chance and cut size 10.  However, it turned out to be way too big. I had to keep making them smaller, and smaller until I got it right.

I used my trusty "top stitch machine", Tammy, a 1936 Singer. 

Every time I use this machine, I'm just so impressed with the beautiful straight stitch it makes, and I fall in love all over again!

Now, this blog is about to take a little side trip. Please look forward to my next post. Coming soon.

My Trusty Top Stitch Machine

It's Tami, my Singer 15-91.  My very first vintage sewing machine I acquired last year.

Every time I take her out to sew, she takes my breath away. It's the most beautiful straight stitch I've ever seen. I usually set the stitch length a bit longer for top stitching. It's prettier that way.

I decided to give this project a pink top stitch. It's a black stretch denim. I take Tami out whenever I have some top stitching need. She just is the best. I use my main machine for pretty much everything else, but for top stitching, I rely on Tami 

You just can't go wrong with her. Her motor sound is so quiet and soothing.  

It was truly 'love at first stitch' when I first found her.  She is not cosmetically in perfect condition.  Her lamp shade is missing, there are small chips here and there, though her decals are totally intact.  Bobbin winder does not work - it's probably an easy fix, but I can always wind bobbins on another machine. She was without the bentwood case she probably originally had. But she is so beautiful that I wouldn't want to hide her under the case top cover anyway! She makes the perfect stitch, and I am very much attached to her.  If you missed my "how I met her"story and "How It All Began", please go read the original post here.

I have not tried a buttonhole attachment on her. But I understand she makes beautiful buttonholes, too. I look forward to trying buttonholes with her sometime soon. 

I will soon reveal what exactly I'm making. Wish me luck!

How it all began - My first vintage sewing machine

Let me introduce you to my beautiful 'Tami'. My first vintage sewing machine, Singer 15-91, born in 1936.  She came into my life in April of 2013.  I know, I know. Singer 15-91 isn't that rare or super special. But how she came into my life is. In some ways, it changed my life.

 Pretty girl. Front and back.

I think these were 'before' pictures. Even before getting a spa treatment, she was in a pretty good shape. She was definitely well used, loved, and well cared for.

One day,  I came across an estate sale. It was 2:00pm. Something told me to stop by. I go in the house. The sale is about to end at 3:00pm and everything was half off. I cruise the house that has been mostly picked and looking rather chaotic. I walked into a room which was apparently a sewing room. There was a sewing machine in cabinet (I think it was a Kenmore, but I didn't pay much attention to it) and there was another black sewing machine on the floor which got my attention.  It looked old and dusty, but somehow I was attracted to it. It had some gold embellishments on it which later I learned they are called 'decals'. (I was a complete novice at vintage sewing machines.)

I asked to test it, the folks there said sure go ahead. I plugged it in, I heard the motor. I realized I may not know how to thread it when I looked at the machine. Then the magic happened.  My hands remembered how to. The bobbin case was there, so it was good, and my hands just automatically took the thread and threaded the machine. The threading was very similar to the machine I learned how to sew on when I was, maybe 5. I did this while two women looked over me, as if to say 'you go girl'.

It powered on and it sewed. I decided to take it home. It's half off, anyway, right?  I also picked up some sewing odds and ends that were still left in the room, which included fabric cutter and some large rulers, for practically nothing. I also found this book in the linen closet. Since there was no manual or anything for the sewing machine, I decided to pick up the book. They tell me it's $1. No brainer.

This is how my first vintage sewing machine made it home with me.  I instantly fell in love with the beautiful stitch it made, and its beautiful face plate.

Besides, it was as if something told me to take her home, guided my hand to thread the machine to test it while I was surrounded by a couple of older women encouraging me to take it. I felt an immediate connection to the machine, and couldn't bare the thought of it ending up at some random thrift store or, even worse, at a dump. It had to go home with me.  I hadn't seen a beautiful stitch like that before. It took my breath away. I was amazed. It was even before I cleaned it up and oiled it, mind you.

Later I learned that the machine was born in the same year my mother was born. In honor of my mother, I named her Tami.

I researched and learned how to open up the machine to clean and oil.  Look, I even took the tension dial apart.

And, this is how it all began. Tami was about to change my life which you'll know more about in my subsequent posts. Why this blog title, "Urban Recyclist"?  Well, there is more to my story.  I hope you'll come back to check it out.