Featherweight Fanatics Archives
2004
October
http://www.FeatherWeightFanatics.com/
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Featherweight Fanatics A Service of Sue Traudt's Valley Brook Botanicals
Digest of postings from Monday, October 18, 2004
Welcome to all our new members!
To post a message - send it to: FWFanatics@ttsw.com
To post a message to the For sale list - sent it to: FWForSale@ttsw.com
To pay dues http://ttsw.com/JoinLists.html
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From: "Wanda Hale"
Subject: Postings
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 22:36:43 -0400
From: Wanda........new address.......wlhale@w9jim.com
Date: 10-18-04
Suject: Off Topic
First: Darla, why don't you put all your information in a book? I
would buy one!! So
much information to have. WOW!
Second: I have been to Florida the last two weeks in September. Went
to visit my
Sister and her Daughter and Husband. What a great time celebrating my
75th Birthday.
They live in Boynton Beach just out of West Palm. Needless to day we
had to escape
Hurrican Jean. We gathered up belongings putting my Sisters SUV in
their garage and took off for the Keys. My Nephew is a Ski Coach so he
pulled his boat to Miami and left it there. My Neice, Sister, me, 4
dogs and a Ferret took off in her SUV pulling a box trailer with our
belongings. We finally found a two room cabin below Key Largo. Spent a
night and day there and headed back to Boynton Beach not knowing what we
would find. My Neice only lost some Palm trees and her house was still
OK. The house across from her lost half their roof. It was unreal the
devisation there. Guess you saw it on TV. God was sure looking out for
us as we had no problems.
Well so much for that story............
Best Wishes to all, Wanda
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Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 22:07:55 -0400
Subject: chocolate teapot, small digests
From: catdanccer
Hi Debbie and all,
I asked the question about them a while back and Pat Michael very kindly
emailed me off list and said:
"Just in case Graham doesn't answer, a chocolate teapot is obviously
something that looks like something but cannot possibly work as well because
of the way it's made. A poor imitation."
Patrick
So, now my question is why do the Brits insist on using chocolate as a
negative connotation? There's chocolate teapots, chocolate starfish...
Here's my two cents about the small digests. School starts for most folks
around Labor Day. So do all the clubs and sports and other activities many
of us participate in and so we have less time to sew and thus less time to
ask questions about our sewing machines. And then, some of us have poopies,
er, I mean puppies in our lives.
Karen in Michigan
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From: Birdlegs03@aol.com
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 21:53:21 EDT
Subject: Re: adjusting tension
Does anyone know why, for no good reason, if my FW hasn't been used in awhile
(several months), when I come back to it, the tension is off. It was perfect
the last time I used it, and then when I come back it needs adjusting. No
one but me uses my machine. There's no one in the house but me, my DH who
wouldn't touch a sewing machine, 2 dogs, and a cat. I'm thinking maybe it's the
cat...This has happened several times...Come to think of it, it has happened
with other sewing machines too besides the FW. Mindy
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Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 21:55:40 -0400
From: Betty Murphy
Subject: New Member
Hello there everyone,
My wife and I are new members to the site and enjoy reading the postings. I
have been involved with Feathers for about 5 years now and just love them.
I hope to be an active part of this group. Will be posting often so till
then.........
Its nice to see Graham is a member.
Featherweight Sales, Service, and Repairs
Monty and Betty Murphy
139 Springwater Trace
Woodstock, Ga. 30188
770-926-9189
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From: Gypcdrmr2@aol.com
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 10:37:01 EDT
Subject: Now that's what I GREAT
Hi All.
For the first time in a while I really enjoyed the FWF digest. We are back to
being what we were and what we should always be: a community of people who
have become friends bound together by a common interest. Not just an exchange of
cold hard facts about a machine we all happen to own.
The personal stories we each relate have enriched my life and widened my
circle of friends while it they have taken me out of the parameters of my world.
Your words, stories and comments convey a generosity of spirit and I am glad
that those of us who join in this are speaking out. For those who do not want
to be part of the community I suggest as always scroll on by for perhaps you
will one day wish to stop and 'smell the flowers' and we'll still be here,
sharing our lives and laughter and concerns for each other.
I bought my first Featherweight because I wanted to take it with me in my
Minni-Winnie motor home. I bought the motorhome because I wanted to go out across
this huge continent and meet friends I had not had the opportunity to meet,
not knowing that the sewing machine would help me meet those friends while
staying at home. Lucky me.
Has anyone heard from Pat Bergman? Now there is a wonderful sharing and wise
woman. I hope I can become more like her.
Jacque in Delaware where the sky is a brilliant cerulean blue, the sun is
warm and bright, and the trees are turning golden. It is a day to be used with
joy.
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From: "Elisabeth Pierce"
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:52:41 -0500
Subject: Renovating a 301 case
I bought a 301 some time ago and need to renovate the case. The outside of
the case was badly scratched, and the outside stitching was coming off in
places. So I decided to paint the outside of the case black; it looks good
with the white handle. Being as the inside of the case not only smelled
like mold but also had a deep gouge in it, I decided to remove the fabric
lining and replace it with a nice sewing themed fabric. My question is this:
What would be the best way to glue the fabric lining into the case? I was
thinking of a couple of ways: 1) Use fusible web and bond it with an iron.
But if I did it this way, I wouldn't be able to get the iron into the
corners too well. 2) Get a 2" paint brush and "paint" glue inside, then lay
the fabric over the wet glue, pulling it up where needed; kind of like a
fabric "wallpaper". Then I'd finish the edges by gluing bias tape around
them. This is the way I recovered an old lampshade and it seemed to work
pretty well. Anyone have any thoughts?
Beth Pierce
"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really lov
e" -- Rumi
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Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 04:59:30 -0700
From: "Carolyn McCarty"
Subject: Re: Darla's Research
Darla, I see a fascinating book in the offing! Please let me know when
it's done, I would love to read it. Though I am not fond of statistics,
I am *very* fond of historical books on subjects that interest me. I
don't know how you managed to accumulate all that info, it would be way
beyond my capabilities!
I was particularly interested in your mention of surgical stitching
tools that used FW bobbins. A little more posting on that subject might
interest other Feathers. Sounds like a trivia subject for a quiz show,
doesn't it?
Carolyn in The Old Pueblo
take out nospam to reply
If it ain't broke, you're not trying. --Red Green
If it ain't broke, it ain't mine. --Carolyn McCarty
If at first you don't succeed, switch to power tools. --Red Green
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer. --Carolyn McCarty
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Subject: Special gift
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:12:14 -0400
From: "Brenda Crumpler"
It is always so exciting when I read that someone has been given a
Featherweight - from someone's attic - well I am thrilled that it has
happened to me. My dear boss from a few years back knows that I love to
quilt and I love my featherweight. Last week he gave me a Featherweight
that belonged to his mother.
The serial number is AF179042 - I believe it might be from 1938. It is a
beauty. It has the scroll face plate, chrome hand wheel, and the decals
are all intact. The manual was in the case along with the attachments
and a pack of Singer needles unopened with a price of 30 cents US.
This week I am going to the Featherweight care class in Franklin, NC and
will bring this machine with me.
A few weeks ago my husband found a Singer Featherweight Card Table at a
yard sale and got it for me - so I am definitely feeling fortunate.
Just had to share my happiness.
-Brenda in NC
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From: "Linda Heminway"
Subject: Where are all the Fanatics?
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 08:19:52 -0400
>
> Judy Howe writes:
> What happened to all the Feathers and their comments and questions.
> Translation: the daily FW digests are so short it is amazing.
>
> This is true. I, too, wondered where everyone had gone. I know I haven't
> posted lately, but then I haven't made any extreme purchases lately,
either.
Just thought I'd let you know I am alive and well in Plaistow NH....
quilting, sewing, working hard to make quilts for the families of all those
soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. This project is eating up tons
of my time, but I consider it an honor and am trying very hard to have
quilts in the hands of families by the end of November.
This project is called "Home of the Brave Quilts Project" and YOU can get
involved in your own state or area.
http://www.historyofquilts.com/honor_soldiers.html
I heard about it and decided it was something that I needed to do. Please
read about it.
I am hosting a day of quilting where quilt blocks will be put together in
one day for all the quilts I am committed to making (now 6) on Nov. 10th in
Kingston NH. If any of you are in the area and want to come and give a
hand, please do!
I am bringing two Featherweights up there, my first one a lovely Centennial
and my "worker" FW a 1941 Machine that can run circles around all the other
machines in terms of speed.... not sure why.
I used to get involved buying and selling machines quite a bit and worked
with my dear friend, the late Bill White of Exeter NH. Bill was great at
finding machines and I would sell them for him. We worked together well. I
miss him so much and loved him as if he were my family.
I used to sell FWs as well as many other machines, particularly treadles. I
just don't do it much anymore, as without Bill, the "fun" is no longer there
for me. Yet, I still love my old machines.
One time, Bill brought me a FW that he had bought at auction. As I always
did with any of them, I set it up and tried sewing with it to make sure it
worked well and evaluate it's condition. My husband would generally clean
and oil them so they would be very presentable and we could then guarantee
them.
This one FW was meant to be sold. I think I had five other FWs here at that
time, all for sale, and when I sewed with THIS one, it just stayed here and
HAD to be mine. Every now and then Singer would make a special machine, I
think. Maybe all the technicians were having a great day, lots of coffee
served up on the line? Who knows what makes this one machine work better,
faster and differently from the rest, but I will never part with it!
At any rate, it's nothing special to look at, I'd give it an "average" C7
rating, if that. But, it's truly the best one out there!
Do any of you have ONE special FW that works better than the rest? Would it
be a 1941, by chance?
I'm not big on checking birthdays of my machines, just hasn't been my
"thing", but now I wonder if I ought to? Wonder if other machines on that
day are better as well? AF071832 is it's number. By the way, I'm not even
sure if it IS a 1941, but am going from memory as I think I checked it in
the past.
Take care, and many of us are still here reading, just not coming up with
much to say lately.
Linda Heminway
Plaistow NH
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From: MelGIllette@cs.com
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 18:02:36 EDT
Subject: Darla's Link/sewing/collecting
In a message dated 10/17/04 6:38:08 PM, FWFanatics@ttsw.com writes:
<< http://home.cfl.rr.com/featherweight/ >>
Thanks for sharing this link. I am about to put it in my "database" here on
this 'puter! :) I used to be such an addict and really wanted one of each
type of FW. Never got past the one FW I purchased, (tan "j") that I have never
used. I went from deciding to start to sew again about 12 years ago and
searching out a new machine to "collecting" machines. I now have 95 which have to
be thinned dramatically. Life is getting much to overwhelming here in many
ways. However; that tan FW is not one of the machines I am thinning. Someday I
hope things settle and I am in a situation where I have "time" to sew and
commence again. Also hope someday to have folks to sew with on a regular basis
to regenerate my interest and abilities! :)
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Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 13:32:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Joan Martino
Subject: Advice Please
Hi- I am new to the list, and want to buy my first featherweight. I have been looking around
where I live and on e-bay...I have no idea what I should expect to pay for a FW.
Any suggestions on price and what to look for would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Joan
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From: "elizabeth HEBDITCH"
Subject: chocolate teapot
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 10:09:37 +0100
Just in case Graham doesn't get around to it. The full saying is 'about
as useless as a chocolate teapot'. Chocolate - boiling water - get it?
Betty in the UK
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From: "jaydub"
Subject: amazing featherweight
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:49:06 -0500
Hi Feathers,
I haven't posted in awhile, so I thought I'd better.
Since the baseball playoffs have begun my featherweights have gotten to sew
to sew things that I've never used them for before. I usually do clothing
construction with a Bernina, but its too loud to sew and hear the ball games
too! So I put a featherweight in my card table & away we went.
I've been making a corduroy long sleeved shirt from a medium weight fabric
and my featherweights have just been amazing, once I reduced the foot
pressure I had no trouble at all sewing the corduroy and it turned out
beautifully. I only used my Bernina for zig zagging the raw edges of the
shirt pieces, the FWs did the rest.
I'll be wearing my new purple shirt to the Houston quilt show this year.
Sharon W. in Texas
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