I was Not Great at sewing at school. I got by, but I most certainly was not a natural and I was convinced that sewing-machines hated me. Since then I've mostly avoided them, but I'd really love to able to make things - cushion-covers, that kind of thing. So naturally I decided today, Making Monday, was the day to re-acquaint myself with the sewing-machine. Well Miss Mouse/the cats and the Boy were distracted by Scalextric and the Wii respectively so it was a good opportunity.
This is my husband's machine - he used it a lot in our re-enactment days, while I stuck to handsewing. I can't remember what he used it for last, most likely something motorbike-related, but it was fairly recently and it's been sitting underneath the dining-table for a month or two.
What surpised me as I tried to thread it was how much I remembered. I got it slightly wrong and had to Google it but mostly it was right. I don't actually remember using a sewing-machine between the day I dropped sewing at school (1984!) and today so I'm quite pleased about that! Then I realised the needle was bent and had to be replaced - managed that. Then the bit holding the bobbin in fell out and I figured out how to put that back in.. eventually. I even got as far as actually doing a bit of sewing, but all I got was tangled threads and a row of holes. It was just like being at school again!
I've been googling for answers. I think the upper thread is snapping but I can't work out why. I did noticed it had seemed to get tangled down by the bobbin at least once. Maybe that's the problem.
So I've sewn nothing, but I've enjoyed tinkering, googling, and watching Youtube idiot's guides to sewing. And as sewing isn't really possible while watching television (I'm choosing A Town Called Eureka over riot news coverage) I've been doing a bit of comfort knitting. Since I enjoyed making a couple of squares for the Ursula's Donegal Blanket (pictures of the finished objects, two blankets, here - no idea which are my squares though), I've decided that for those times that I need fairly mindless soothing knitting I'll use up my stash making blanket squares and eventually I'll have a blanket. So Square One:
While writing this post I paused to feed the cats and managed to splash cat-food all over the place (Opticat salmon & crab in gravy is very runny, just so you know..) so I smell of cat-food. How lovely. On that revolting note I'll finish for the night.
4 comments:
Well done, I find the sewing machine a bit scary for some reason too :-) I had that problem with the thread wrapping round the bobbin too, not sure if it was me speeding up and slowing down often that did it? Or maybe the tension is slightly wrong?
Thanks :-). Will try messing with the tension, though I'm not really sure what I'm doing with that - the instruction manual for the sewing-machine is loooooong gone!
I'm no expert, but i agree with Scented Sweetpeas. BUT, the good news is you don't always have to adjust the tension, you may need to check the thread. If the thread in the bobbin is different from the thread er up the top (new technical term) sometimes this happens.so try making a bobbin with same thread. If still problem, try changing thickness of fabric, if still problme check thread around that little spring bit when threading properly, thinks if all fails check bobbin is correct for machine (guess it must be since it was in there form last use) and finally... here's the tricky bit and I'm not insinuating anything... ask hubby if it was working fine last time he used it, and watch reaction carefully (sorry I have no experience with men, only Smalls...and now all of Blogiverse goes 'Now there's a suprise!)
Hope one of these suggestions may help?!
Lol, Scarletti, I'm fulling expecting that when DH gets back from America it'll just magically work for him :-D. I'll check the threads and bobbins and stuff tomorrow.
One thing I read suggested the needle might be in the wrong way round but it only seems to fit one way (and yes the point is down :-D).
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