Why I don't sew and the pink flamingo quilt.

Some of my customers think that because I selling sewing machines, I must sew.  When they ask me if I do do, I deny it, claiming that I'm a mechanic and I just fix machines. That's not strictly true......
I don't sew, because sewing, to do it well, is a skill, that takes a very long time and lot of effort to learn. Consider the Pink Flamingo quilt that Aleda Johnson gifted me.
Hundreds of pieces of fabric were cut out and stitched together precisely to form the squares. They were then sewed neatly and precisely into the larger cover, which in turn was sewn to the patterned backing. It's a lot of  fussy work.
That the squares were sewn together on 2 hand crank machines, and the quilting done on a treadle, tells me that this a labor of love on the part of the artist. And that's why I don't sew!













I was delighted to receive this quilt from Aleda, because now, Flamingo Sewing has it's very own official, Flamingo Sewing, Pink Flamingo Quilt to show off to our customers. Our QA manager, Alice (the cat) has thoroughly inspected it and given it her stamp of approval as well. (she took a nap on it it.......)
Thank you Aleda!

What happened to Singer 201K, #8304

By the time a sewing machine falls into my hands, it has generally had a long and interesting life: Take this machine for example: The serial number, EA146845, tells me it was made at Killbowie in 1932, one of a batch of 10,000 machines, which, as near as I can tell was the first batch ever made. This makes this machine the 8304th 201 built for production.
It shipped with a spoked wheel, which means that likely it was a hand crank equipped or in a treadle table. It came with a Singer hand crank, so that rules out the treadle stand.
I bought it from a young woman who told me that she got it from her "Gran". She was selling it because she didn't know how to sew, and ironically lives up above a shop where they make Tee shirts. (I was about to suggest that she walk downstairs and flutter her eye lashes at any hand male and ask for some lessons, but I really wanted the  machine...lol)
It came in a particle board Japanese table with a green motor and controller from a 200 or 300 series Singer, that didn't work, the hand crank and a clone instruction manual, titled "You have invested wisely....lol.
I didn't have a period correct motor on hand so I replaced the old green one with a newer .95mp one and matching controller, serviced the the whole thing and put it in a faux crocodile clone carry case.
The result of this; It's a fast and powerful 201, that breezes through 7 layers of Sunbrella, and just about everything else I have shoved under it's presser foot. Of course, because it's a 201, it's makes a great stitch while doing so.

Candy Floss

What can I say? It's red, blue, key lime pie green, light green, orange and probably another couple of colors, that I don't remember.......
That said, this 1960's Japanese straight stitcher will happily munch its way through 6 layers of Sunbrella, most any other upholstery fabric andn set up properly, will also sew 1/4" of soft vegetable tanned leather. Tough! Then when you're done with that, it will sew all regular fabrics and not really notice the difference.

The Fabulous Miss Coral

Playing with paint, The fabulous Miss Coral:
Kenmore shipped this clone in the usual black, sometime in the 1950s. By the time it got to me it had all the usual finish issues (and then some). So I decided to refurbish it and give it some 50's flair and sophistication with a two-tone coral and chestnut paint job in a faux alligator skin case.
I like the results. I think that she is, as the French would say, "une mademoiselle, trez chic"

What should I feed my baby Kenmore?

What should I feed my baby Kenmore?
 I found this cute little Kenmore 158.104 in a thrift store. I thought to myself, maybe, I should do a Kenmore family portrait with Miss Coral, and Lou (the Locksmith) freearm standing in for parents. It's a tough little machine with a double reduction drive and I can hardly wait to see what it grows up into.
The question that troubles me though, is what do I feed it?

Key Lime Pie

 Key Lime Pie. It's funny how your vices can gang up on you in the most surprising ways. For example, I have this vice on hot summer days... yummy Key Lime Pie with whipped cream. Then I have this all year round vice called vintage sewing machine addiction. I never expected those two things would ever connect... Until I came in to a paint color called Key Lime green......... Pie anyone?

supervisors.....Always we got supervisors..

Can't seem to avoid supervisors....even at home. Here for example, is Alice, who is our QA manager here at Flamingo Sewing, hard at work, supervising the re-assembly of this 221.

Singer never made any red 221's (or green or blue or yellow ones). So any red ones you see, have been repainted. Singer tended to be stodgy in their color choices. The only color options they offered were the traditional black, tan and mint green. You had to know, that that just wouldn't  last....Someone was going to custom paint one red and show it to their friends.........
You can buy them online now, in just about any color you you can imagine. If you are willing to fork over a lot of money, and wait six months, you can get them painted in whatever color you personally prefer. You can even get ones with hand painted flowers on them. What a change!
This one is for sale, and I wouldn't mind if the buyer traded in a black one. I have sone ideas involving yellow paint and black decals.....