Montgomery Ward Sewing Machine

Posted on May 21, 2017 by treshabarger

Look what I found in the guest room where I stayed with friends: a Montgomery Ward sewing machine. This was one of those instances where I made myself at home: I spent at least 30 minutes moving this sewing machine all over the room trying to get a good photograph. (It wasn’t set up to be used. It was being stored in the extra bedroom.)

I have no idea as to the year it was made. Montgomery Ward sewing machine (23)

Moody, Texas

I even took some art work from the dining room and turned it around to use as the backdrop because I discovered that the sewing machine and the wall were the same color. (The framed art work was just leaning up against the wall; it wasn’t hung up.)

I don’t know what this knob does.

Moody, Texas

And, yes, I put everything back in its proper place after finishing the photograph session.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the original post, I asked Kay if the machine works. She said it works and she uses it all the time.

Circular Embroidery Attachment

Posted on March 6, 2017 by treshabarger

In the last sewing class I took, I learned how to use the circular embroidery attachment. I had owned the attachment for years without using it (eek!), but I had it when I needed it for class!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the practice piece, this is the first class sample I made. As far as I can tell, the circular embroidery attachment is magic. I can’t really see how it works as it is covered up by the fabric, but somehow it makes the fabric move in a circle. You have to be careful not to tug on the fabric as the machine is sewing or the ends of the stitch circle won’t match up. Ask me how I know.

Class Sample 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the second sample I sewed in class.
Class Sample 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I got home and unpacked all my sewing gear, I set up my machine and practiced a bit more just like I’m supposed to do, to help internalize what I learned in class. I’m pretty happy with the results. I’m not sure what I will do with these samples but now I know how to use the attachment.

Circles on my own

Feathers in Thread

Posted on January 29, 2017 by treshabarger

Here are two feathers I sewed. No pattern, just free-motion quilting. I lightly penciled in an outline before I started, but that’s all.

Metallic thread is finicky. A lot of sewists have trouble with it breaking easily and often. That certainly had been my experience and I hadn’t tried to sew with it in years. I heard a rumor recently that the quality of metallic thread had greatly improved, so I bought three new spools.

My tested the gold metallic thread and sewed the first feather. The thread did not break! Yippee!

a-feather-metallic-s

Next I sewed another feather using 30-weight polyester thread (three colors). I liked it, too.
a-feather-three-reds-s

The black markings are done with a special pen whose ink disappears when heat is applied. I took the feathers to my ironing board, covered them with a layer of fabric, and gently pressed them.

Yes, the black markings disappeared, as advertised. But the stabilizer on the back shrunk up a bit and I came away with two feathers free of markings but way more rippled than when I started. Sure hope I remember that the next time I try to remove markings.