My Viking Huskylock S25 Has Arrived

I have been wanting to have a coverstitch machine for many years now. And after completing a custom sewing project (a girl's applique tshirt and ruffle skirt) I decided it was time to start hunting. I however determined I did not have room for a 4th machine. So looked for a serger/coverstich combo. I took fabric with me to test drive - including the heavy #12 duck fabric I use to make Cornhole/Bean Bags. I wanted to ensure that I would not be giving up a sure thing by adding some bells and whistles.

I landed on the Viking Huskylock S25. I traded in my Viking Huskylock 910 and brought home the S25 a few days ago. In addition to the coverstich capability, I liked how smooth and quiet it stitched, the extra space in the throat area and the bright/updated lighting. I hesitated as I wondered whether having no free-arm would be an issue. But in thinking about the how I've used my serger in the past, it really is not a must for me. Even with a free-arm on the 910 (to slip a sleeve over and stitch), I didn't use it. The S25 has a bigger footprint than my 910, but still works with the Horn cabinet I have. And as a bonus, the S25 comes with the sew steady clear acrylic table. Love that!

While I have yet to stitch on it at home, I have a few projects in mind to test it out. In the works are:

* shortening a couple of t-shirts (for coverstitch)
* a couple Cuddle Scarves
* a Serge and Merge Quilt


Happy Stitching!

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook Elementary

The Connecticut PTSA will be creating a winter wonderland in the school to welcome Sandy Hook students back after winter break.

Want to help?

Stitch up a free-standing snowflaks on your embroidery machine.

Need a pattern?

Embroidery Library is offering one of their designs for free.

Send snowflakes to so they arrive BY January 12, 2013:

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

Happy Stitching!

My Bernina 750 QE has arrived !

I am so excited. It's a wonder I have slept. Why, you may ask. Well, my new Bernina 750QE has arrived.

I have been saving for quite some time, trading in a Bernina 185QEE and with thinning the herd (aka selling my multiple machines on ebay) I was able to buy the new machine without having to take out a loan or use a credit card (whooo hooo!). My herd now consists of a Viking 910 Serger, Bernina 350 PE (3/4 size machine) and the Bernina 750QE.

Word of warning, when picking up your new machine, be sure to bring a car with lots of room. The 750QE came in two boxes that filled up the back of my Dodge Journey (a mid-size SUV) with the third seat down. The largest box, which held the machine itself was at least 4' x 4' x 4'. The embroidery unit came in a second box that meaured 4' x 4' x 16". The size and packing are by no means a negative. A true positive. They are well-packed, with all accessories, manuals and cds easily identifiable.

So glad my hubby saw me packing and shipping several machines ahead of time, or I'm sure there would have been a dicussion on what the heck I thought I was doing.

I'm off to play with the machine. Have a craft show on Nov 4th, for which I need to sew sew sew.

Stop back for my review of the Bernina 750QE.

An Historical Quilt - Texas Civil War Museum

On our recent vacation to Texas, we visited the Texas Civil War Museum. This great find, included many displays, divided by "north" and "south", and had everything from guns, clothing, uniforms, utinsels, musical instruments and more. But one item I thought my readers would enjoy was a quilt they had on display in their Texas Confederate Collection.

Click HERE to visit the Texas Civil War Museum

While a very simple pattern, I have to remind myself of the time it took to piece this quilt by hand, not to mention the time and ingenuity it took to find fabrics, and enough of them, to make this quilt.

Here are a few close up shots. In the event, I decide to replicate, I took these to have a reference for the fabric color and pattern (if any).

We are quite spoiled with our computerized sewing machines and other tools and notions that allow us to piece a quilt in record time. Look closely to the points in the piecing. Can you get that precision in your piecing? Not me. I have to use my seam ripper quite often. Enjoy this look at a time gone by.

MY Grandmother's Flower Garden

When my grandmother passed away, the family came together to move her things out of the Assisted Living. Among her things were a few quilts she had made. While the quilts went to my aunt, in the things my mother, aunt and uncle had set aside for me was a box of sewing odds and ends and some fabric scraps. Actually quite a few fabric scraps. I've had them for over a year now, and had tucked them away until I found a project in which to use them. I was leaning toward using them and making a scrappy quilt. But felt there was a more intersting pattern to use. So there in my fabric stash they stayed.

A few of the scraps and leftovers from my grandma's quilts.

And a few more leftover fabric scraps.

There were even a few scrappy nine patch blocks. I will be incorporating these into the backing and using a quilt label to be sure the story of "MY Grandmother's Flower Garden" stays with the quilt.

An Angel in Disguise

I travel for work and usually spend a couple hours layover at Chicago O'hare. This trip was no different, except the gate was smaller than usual. There was no opportunity to place that empty buffer chair between me and another traveler. SIGH! A grandmotherly-looking woman asked if the seat next to me was taken. She sat down, made a quick call on her cell phone, and pulled out a sewing project. I didn't pay much attention...at first. As time passed I realized she was hand-piecing blocks for a quilt. I struck up a conversation and found out she was doing English Paper Piecing. She talked about her project, where she got her hexagon templates and the things she had learned along the way. She was making a quilt following an historical pattern called "Grandmother's Flower Garden". It was then I realized what I was going to do with the scraps of fabric from my grandmother. I was going to make MY Grandmother's Flower Garden.

Want to more about "Grandmother's Flower Garden"?
Click HERE to visit www.womenfolk.com, a website with lots of quilting history.

A boarding announcement boomed from overhead, and in a flash the kind woman was gone. We said a quick cordial good-bye and wished each other safe travels, but I never did get her name, nor where she was from. Thinking back, I believe that she was placed there to give me the inspiration of how to use my grandmothers fabric. Thank you, whereever you are.

The Adventure Begins

So last night I embarked on my adventure. I sorted through the pile of scraps, pulled out a few pieces of fabric, gathered my needles, some thread and a scissors and of course grabbed the package of hexagon templates (I ordered them online right from the airport), and sat down with the family to watch a movie (and stitch). The first couple hexagons were awkaward, but soon they began to fly together. I had 'pieced' or rather made enough hexies to make two (2) flowers.

Die Cut Hexagons purchased on ebay from seller sunshinequilter.

While my plan is to make all the hexies I need first, I decided I had better try my hand at piecing them together. One by one, the first six hexies made their way around the yellow center. WOW! That was easy. I now need to decide whether my flowers will be the six hexies around a center, or if I will expand them one more row to make a larger flower.

In today's morning light, I see I need to work on my whip stitch to ensure my threads don't show. But no matter, I, like many of you, have gotten the bug. They are addictive. Hand-piecing really makes me feel as though I've accomplished something.

This will be no Eleanor Burns, "Quilt in a Day", that is for sure. I'm shooting to complete the top within a year. We shall see. But there is something special about doing things the 'old-fashioned' way. And add that I'm using fabric from MY grandmother. This will be something very special.

Happy Stitching!

Back in the Saddle Again

It has been quite some time since I've posted and even longer since I've done any sewing. But with a couple Block of the Month (BOM) kits, an upcoming Grandmother's Flower Garden class at a local quilt shop and a new sewing machine, I was ready to get back at it. I'm back in the saddle again.

STITCHING AGAIN

I signed up for the Love Letters BOM at this time last year. I faithfully picked up my kit each month, picked up the finishing kit and had yet to start a single block. What better way to get back to stitching again. Fabric chosen for me, complete instructions and no daunting piles of fabric, I could just deal with one block at a time.

It feels good to be piecing again. But I find myself being the perfectionist. I use the frog stitch (rippit rippit rippit) quite often. As the day went on, I found I wasn't a picky. I'll have to use my quilting to cover the piecing issues. But if that's all I have to worry about, life ain't so bad. And even better, this one is for me. Most quilt projects are for a gift or sewn for others. But not this time - I'm keeping this one for myself.

A NEW SEWING MACHINE

After working my way through several machines that just did not live up to that perfect stitch on my first Bernina, I decided to buy myself a machine that I could take to class and use as my main machine at home. I put the Viking 835 and the Bernina 185QEE up for sale on ebay and hit our local quilt shop, Heirloom Creations. After identifying the key items I wanted in a machine, including needle up/down, portablity, a solid straight stitch, a good light and basic quilting stitches, I landed on the Bernina 3 Series, the Bernina 350 PE. This is not a full size machine, and many would wonder why I chose what would be considered a beginner machine. Well, it fit the bill. It has 150 stitches, including a blanket stitch It has an automatic buttonholer. And to tell you the truth, I don't miss mind the smaller machine. Simply, it's just plain cute. Stay tuned for updates and a full review of the Bernina 350 PE.

Sorite Sewing Machine Co. - A Sordid Tale

Word has gotten around that I am a collector of old sewing machines. It seems that about once a week I receive a call email or text from someone wanting to unload a sewing machine. Usually they are free or just a few bucks, and commonly they are grandma's machine, an estate sale find and just not wanted.

This month I received a Sorite Sewing Machine from a co-worker who moonlights as an auctioneer. I paid a whopping $4 for it sight unseen. Upon arrival, I found it to be badged "Sorite Sewing Machine Company". This was a new one. A cursory search of the internet for "Sorite Sewing Machine Company" yielded nothing - nada - zip. Google even asked me if I meant "Sortie". It was a mystery I had to solve. So I dug in my heals and put on my research cap. While it wasn't as simple as putting the machine name in a search engine, it wasn't long before I found a little history on the Sorite Sewing Machine Co.


THE SORITE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY

The Sorite Sewing Machine Company, Inc. (hereinafter SORITE), was a corporation existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland. Officers of the corporation were named in the FTC FINDINGS as Samuel Berenson, Solomon Berenson and Etta Berenson. They were also officers of the Cleanrite Vacuum Stores, Inc (hereinafter CLEANRITE).

A complaint was filed Sept. 26, 1952, by the Federal Trade Commission (hereinafter FTC) and states SORITE enganged, among other things, in the sale and distribution of sewing machine heads imported from Japan, while CLEANRITE engaged in the wholesale and retail sale of sewing machine heads imported from Japan. Specifically, the complaint alleges violation of Sec. 5 of an act of Congress approved Sept 26, 1914.

The story gets interesting, as the FTC FINDINGS state SORITE and CLEANRITE offered items for sale that were not marked or were not adequately marked showing that they were of foreign origin. When the sewing machine heads were received by SORITE/CLEANRITE, the word "Japan" appeared on the back of the vertical arm. However, before the heads were sold to the public, it was necessary to attach a motor to the head and accordingly the word "Japan" was covered by the motor and not visible. In some instances, a medallion was placed on the front of the vertical arm upon which the word "Japan" appeared. The FINDING state the words were so small and indistinct that it did not constitute adequate notice to the public that the heads were imported. The FINDINGS note that when articles of merchandise, including sewing machines, are exhibited and offered for sale by retailers and are not marked to show foreign origin, or if the marks are insufficient, the public might assume the product to be of domestic origin.

The FINDINGS further allege SORITE/CLEANRITE advertising, letterhead and invoices made the following statement and therefore inferred the sewing machines were manufacturered by SORITE/CLEANRITE, when in fact they only imported the heads and did not own or have a factory of any kind:

MANUFACTURERS AND WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS
SEWING MACHINES, VACUUM CLEANERS AND SUPPLIES
MR RETAILER:
Deal directly with the manufacturers.
Eliminate the middlemen and save the distributors markup.

In addition, the FINDINGS state SORITE/CLEANRITE placed medallions on the sewing machines that had the following inscription, thereby implying their machines were manufactured in Washington, D.C. when they were truly manufactured in Japan:

Simplex Sewing Machine Compnay
Simplex
Washington, D.C.

It was also stated that SORITE/CLEANRITE used the name "Admiral" and other well-known domestic sewing machines names as trade and/or brand names for their imported machines.

To make matters worse, the FINDINGS state SORITE/CLEANRITE shipped many of their machines in boxes on which was stenciled or printed "Singer", thereby making false representation to the packages contents and company of origin.

Other statements in the FINDINGS assert SORITE/CLEANRITE made false statements in advertising, including using the words "20 year guarantee bond" and inflating the actual retail price of their sewing machines. Advertisements from the day state the retail price to be, $149.40, $179.50 and $189.50.

The FINDINGS states, "As a result of respondents' practices...substantial trade in commerce has been unfairly diverte to respondendts from their competitors and as a consequence thereof substantial injury has been and is being done to competition and commerce."

On April 28, 1953, the FTC issued the following ORDER:

SORITE/CLEANRITE must cease and desist from:

* Offering for sale, selling or distributing foreign made sewing machines without clearly and conspicuously disclosing country of origin;

* Use of the word "Admiral" or any simulation there of as a brand or trade name;

* Using cartons or boxes or cases for shipping which bear or contain the name or portion of the name of any well-known manufacturer of sewing machines;

* Making representation that they are the manufacturer of the sewing machine; and

* Representing, directly or implied, that machines are guaranteed by the manufacturer, unless the manufacturer is obligated by a guarantee which sets forth clearly and conspicuously the nature and extent of the obligation.

A single charge was dismissed: The charge of inflating retail price in advertising was dismissed for lack oof evidence.

SORITE/CLEANRITE had 60 days to file a written report stating they had complied with the cease and desist. As of this writing have not been able to locate any additional information.

Source: Findings, Order & Stipulations Volume 49 (1953) Docket 6049, pp1323-1334.

So what's your Sorite sewing machine worth?

Well, post-WWII Japanese clones are a plenty. And if it was grandma's machine, it has more sentimental value than currency value. Keep it around and teach the kids how to hem their pants, shorten a hem on a curtain or even make your own placemats. They can even whip up pillowcases for Christmas gifts or to use as your gift wrapping. You'll receive more enjoyment than the $20 bucks.

For those that want to sell their machine, there are collectors out there who will pay $50-$75 for a rare or perfect machine, but those are few and far between. You will find many Japanese clones for sale at yard-sales and thrift stores for $15-25 dollars, and on online auction sites. But keep in mind, they don't require a lot work or investment to get them running again. Usually all you need is a can of air to get rid of dust, some good sewing machine oil and a new belt (available at your local fabric store or sewing repair shop).

But beware ! Check the wiring. If the cords are brittle or cracked, it is best to replace them. Alternatively you can convert them into a handcrank machine.

The Japanese clones of post-war are solid machines, sew a fantastic straight stitch and are the closest thing you will get to industrial. I have a few working ones on hand that I use to hem jeans, repair duck blinds and sew canvas bags for backyard bean bag toss games.

If you are looking to buy a post-war Japannese clone, don't get sucked in with the statement "industrial" machine that is a common 'hook' on many of the online auction sites. Just because the machine is heavy does not make it an industrial. All machines, including Singers, New Home and the Japanses clones, were intended solely for home use. Although they are far more sturdy and durable than many of today's machines, a true industrial machine will cost you more than $500 (yes even an old one) and will require a large table for the specific machine, a separate motor and comes with no bells or whistles. Most industrial machines are made to do one thing - either straight stitch, zig zag or coverstitch. Rarely do you get all in one.

Happy stitching!