Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Oil Cans

Hello

Vintage Singer Sewing Machines like to be oiled and run smoother if you do this on a regular basis.  The rules are you MUST use sewing machine oil (not like my niece suggested, vegetable oil!!!, she has a white featherweight which she got for Christmas from her mum, might have to take if off her is she doesn't behave herself!).

For those who are interested, I have put  the Simanco (which stands for Singer Manufacturing Company) part numbers under each style of vintage can.

I first used a new Singer own make bottle but it is a bit messy to use and tricky just to put the one drop in the oiling holes.  The handbooks show you where to oil.

So I bought a vintage oil can which drops one drop when you press the bottom. It is tiny, very easy to use but it leaked (cos its old).  The spout screws off so that it can be refilled.

So I went on the hunt again and found another dinky can, this time it drops one drop when you press the sides. Don't think that is made by Singer though. This one leaks like a sieve so very messy. Again the spout screws off so that it can be refilled.

Finally got these two shiny ones, these don't leak.  One is marked Singer the other isn't.

36569 - Tin Plate oil can with detachable spout for refilling

This design was made for years, the bentwood case on my Singer 28, the fake croc skin case for the 201 and the 201K table all have a special clip for it to sit on.

Then I found this one on eBay, so cute but its empty.  The cap screws off but the spout doesn't so can't figure out a way of refilling it

120862 1 1/3 FL OZ Oval Oil can with lead screw cap

 There is a clip in the Featherweight carry case which this fits in perfectly.

Found this larger can on eBay which has the added bonus of being nearly full.

120862 - 3 FL OZ Oval Oil with lead screw cap

My Singer 201K in the table came with an oil tube but as it has a clip for the little oil can don't think that this oil tube is original to the machine.  The other was in a box of attachments that I got of eBay.

161609 - Oil Tube

Finally, this larger tin.  Perhaps it was from a Singer shop, there is a dinky funnel that neatly sits upside down in the top of the can and the lid holds it in place for storage.  They probably filled the neat little cans from this one.  This is my latest purchase.  Couldn't find a Simanco part number for this one.

Quite a little collection going on, might have to stop now but there is one more style to get!

Getting excited over oil cans, not sure if I am right in the head.

Footnote:  There is a tube of Lubricant for Electric Motors 161609. This is the original tube from my 1957 Featherweight. This is for using on the electric motor, there are little tubes on the motor that you fill with this.  You can buy new lube for your motors but if you have the old stuff, it will still work.  If your motor (as in the White Featherweights) doesn't have lube tubes then they don't need it.  The handbooks explain where they are.   NEVER EVER USE MACHINE OIL ON THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IT WILL BREAK IT.

Cheers
Sharon

Hoppity Bunny Cot Quilt

Hello

Just a quickie, my friend Olwyn asked me if I could make a quilt for her friend's baby which is due in July (that will teach me to show people what I have made, she saw the last creation).  She liked the bunny fabric so I sent away for some more.

Put a label on it.

Cheers

Sharon

Summerhouse Hideaway

Hello

Today's sunny weather has inspired me to sort out the summerhouse, my intention was to just use it as a shed but when it was put up it was so lovely, it was a shame to use it to store stuff.

Soooo, had a tidy up.  Recycled an old metal shelving unit.  The shelves were very rusty and scanky as they were used to store tools in a garage.

 So I cheated, tidied them up with some grey spotty oilcloth and covered the shelves, gluing it down with hot glue gun.  Burnt my finger in the process, ouch.

These shelves have to house practical stuff like paint, brushes, tools etc.  Used old tins and baskets to store them in.  Didn't know that there were Yorkshire Fish Cakes but apparently there were some once, the old wooden tray that held them is next to the radio tin that I saved this from going in the recycling at one of my customers.

The small cupboard is pure Art Deco.

Finally, my Singer 201 in its original sewing table.

Ooops seem to have created somewhere to sew in the garden, I am a lucky girl.

I needed to cover the windows couldn't decide on making curtains or using a frosted window effect film.  Decided on the film, mainly to protect the fabrics from the sun.  It cuts out the view of the garden when I am in the summerhouse but realistically, I probably will only use the summerhouse when its too hot to sew or sit in the conservatory, so the doors will be open.

Haven't spent much money on this apart from buying the paint for the summerhouse, the timber for base, tin roof,  Llloyd loom chair, new lock, oilcloth to cover the shelves and the frosted film for the windows.  The Singer was free from Freecyle, shelves, cupboard, drawers, chair all came from my parents house.  Books came from Anita and the bookend (aka cobblers last) from Dad's garage.  The summerhouse was free, a gift from my new neighbours, they brought it with them when they moved in but then decided that they didn't want it.

Roll on the summer.

PS.  Everything is level its just my photography that's cockeyed!

Cheers
Sharon

DIY Upholstery Lesson - Lloyd Loom Chair Makeover

Hello

Have been keeping an eye out for a Lloyd Loom chair for the summerhouse for a while, but strangely non in the local auction houses.  Finally found one on Ebay which wasn't too far away, left a bid on it £9.50 bargain.  Brought it home on Thurs so yesterday's job was to sort it out.

Buzz was very interested in it, was looking for the cat that left all the hairs.  I took the top cover off and found the original fabric on the seat but it was scanky so decided to have a go are reupholstering it so took it to bits.  Underneath all the padding, there was a beech frame and four large springs attached to the frame to make the seat a sprung seat.

Was going to unpick the fabric to use as a pattern to make another cover but decided that I quite liked this fabric and if I could get it clean?

Tried soaking it in pure soap flakes which didn't do a great deal so chucked it in the washing machine with Ariel washing powder, it worked, lovely and clean.  Gave it a good iron.

While I was waiting for the fabric to wash, gave the chair a paint .  I was going to use Laura Ashley eggshell paint but when I got the tin out it was nearly empty.  Couldn't be bothered to drive to town to replace it so used the cream fence paint that I had used for the summerhouse windows.  It worked a treat.

The seat cover was a tight fit when I put it back on, it might have shrunk a little.  I used the old tacks to fasten the fabric to the frame, I could have used the staple gun but liked the idea of using the original tacks. Some of them had rusted so broke when clonked with a hammer.  It was a bit of trial and error, haven't really done upholstery before, the tacks took some hammering in which surprised me.

Pleased with the finished result.  Going to make a cushion for it.

The lady I bought it off reckoned it was 100 years old but I think the fabric is more 1920/30s. There is no Lloyd Loom label on it so not sure who made it.

The summerhouse is just about ready as a garden getaway (sewing place), just need a few finishing touches and then I will let you see!  

Cheers

Sharon

Farndale Daffodils

Hello

These descend from the Farndale Daffodils.  For those who are not from England, Farndale is the National Park of the North York Moors and it's famous for wild daffodils.

Aren't they gorgeous.

There is a little tale about these Daffs, my Great Aunt Clara was married in 1908 and sometime between then and WWI, she went with her husband Percy, on a trip from our village in a charabanc (which is an early bus) and took a spade with her!  She helped herself to a clump of daffs and brought them home.  These daffs were split and moved about the farm, then my Dad took over and carried on splitting the clumps eventually moving some to his bungalow garden.  I have my own clump in my garden so over a hundred years of family tradition is in my hands!

I treasure them more than anything passed down the family.

PLEASE NOTE, TAKING THESE DAFFODILS IS NOT ALLOWED NOW, YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE THROWN IN JAIL AND THE KEY BURIED WITH THE DAFF BULBS!

Cheers
Sharon

Luscious Liberty Prints

Hello

I have been a very lucky girl.  My friend's Mum Anita, a quilter arrived with a car full of goodies for me. Talk about combined Christmas and Birthday all at once.

All sorts of quilting books to give me inspiration.  Quite a library.  Packs of writing paper and envelopes with quilting designs on them.  A bundle of wadding for my hexie quilt.

A lovely collection of Liberty prints.

A huge collection of fabulous fat quarters in all sorts of colours and prints.

And finally, the lend of a floor mounted quilting frame for me to try.  I had mentioned that I was struggling on the larger quilts to keep the fabric from bunching up when I hand quilt.  Did try a hoop without a stand but just couldn't get comfortable with it.

How exciting is that, now I need to find somewhere to store the fabric.  Will have a clear out of any fabrics that I already have but will never use.  A spring clean is in order.

Need a shoehorn to squeeze the fabrics into the cupboards and drawers.

A huge thank you to Anita.

Cheers
Sharon

Ivorine and Silver Pin Pot

Hello

My mum used to have a sweet little pin pot when I was a kid but I hadn't seen it for donkey's years.  When we were clearing out the house I thought that we might find it but alas no sign of it.

I spotted this on Ebay so had to have it, there was some dosh in my Paypal Account so I left a bid.

The silver writing has a London hallmark for 1902 with the makers mark for Casimer Widmer & Sons of St Johns Street, Clerkenwell, London, the box itself is ivorine which is an early plastic (celluloid) but it has the appearance of ivory.  Much more elephant friendly.

Not sure it if was for sewing pins (I like to think so) but more likely for an elegant lady's hair pins.  Put a bobbin so that you can see what size it is. Cute.

It is very delicate as the ivorine is so finely made so it will be easy to break which probably explains what happened to Mum's.  Think that I will just look at it rather than use it. Wouldn't want to break something that is 113 years old.

Cheers
Sharon