Sunday, October 23, 2011

No I have not been shipped wrecked on a deserted Island!

I am still alive! 
I am working on a wall quilt but off and on since the  news of my pregnancy ! Someone said that you just have to get over the first trimester ! Their clearly wrong! But for some pregnancy comes easier then others. Not getting into my history but I can tell you that it takes  week 23 so that they can give you the steroid shot for a fetus(fetuses) to mature their lungs faster.  I missed it by a week in my first twin pregnancy .My son due to my history I was placed in the special pregnancy program at Mount Sinai where Dr Whittle who is a living Saint in her own rights helped me through it .A follow up every week with weekly ultrasounds that her and her staff did right in the office .In fact I was 2 weeks before my expectant date when she decided to plan induce labor because my little guy was strong enough to survive on his own.

                                     Dr.Whittle(special pregnancy program )

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Summer has come to an End


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Well it’s September,summer has gone by faster then we would all like it to have gone .I have to admit I was starting to have so much fun ! We celebrated out 10th anniversary ,despite our rocky beginnings where an individual thought they knew everything about my husband’s life the way she thought he felt , and his experiences which was far away from the truth .Sadly it did take my daughter’s death and a comment that was made by that individual that not only had me upset but my husband,as well .Yes we have come a long way ,which I think many couples can if they can keep in check individuals who live out of novels and day time dramas who don’t have a realistic take on life and live bi curiously through others!
Outstanding Events of our summer
- My son’s  3 rd Birthday !!!!
- Our tenth anniversary spent at Niagara Falls
( just a note: we stayed at a brand name hotel .Well our view because of badly sealed windows was  not there at all. Due to the condensation between the windows which we could not wipe we were lucky we still had our hot tub Jacuzzi :) Interestingly I think the one above us must of been leaking because they did try to patch them but never painted them so they were clearly visible .) Being the considerate person I am (smile) I took pictures and sent it to their head office in Texas.To my suprize we received an immediate response,they seemed apologetic for our anniversary experience and reimbursed the stay to us .They did not tell me if they were going to fix it but I am sure they would of taken action to immediate the situation as soon as possible.I also suggested that maybe housekeeping should  also be addressing repairs such as this to management,as this would be the only way they would be able to truly keep up the maintenance and reputation of their  name .
-Our anniversary spent at the cottage in Blue mountain,with my son and my dad came along :)
-My aunt from England and her husband, sadly they are going back to the UK today :(
So now what is to be expected?….
Well a chill has already been showing up in the air ,you can tell that winter will soon be on it’s way here.Now that all the kids have started back school ,the leaves will be changing colours and I will be in my sewing room  and searching for my vintage retro finds.As those who really know me know I am a girl with a heart that is back in the past where manners and elegance where all so important .Okay and I also remembered loving all the old re runs on tv as a child of such classics as .”Leave it to Beaver”, “I Love Lucy “,and all my old “TCM” movies that I use to watch when I was small. Is it a wonder why I do not understand newer movies and all the television reality shows they have on now ?:)

The walkway dress 1950's


The “1952″ walk way dress

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The above is the ad from the original 1950′s walk way dress.It’s a one piece .Ties at the back  and at the front .
It may be a wrap dress but I have found that proper fitting is important with it .I’ll post the dress with me wearing it soon . I think it fits me better then my dress form :)

My two Men ,at the base of the CN Tower

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My aunt and Uncle being tourists from the UK,wanted to see the CN Tower.Something every tourists I guess in Toronto has on their must do list or else it just does not seem right.(Crickets chirping in the background) LOL all my life I have lived here and I have never been up to the CN Tower or even felt the need to , same as my husband so we stayed around harbourfront that day and had a day with our son ,and just had a meeting point and time to catch up with them.Plus I figure if they are like my husband and myself they want to spend as much romantic time as possible .When you have it good trust me that feeling never ends !
My son is fascinated with trains ! That is without a doubt ! And to be honest of all the times we have driven by harbourfront and lakeshore we never knew their was a display dedicated to the history of trains where the “Steam whistle Brewery ” is located.SO thanks to our drop off we had to do at the CN Tower we found it , to the happiness of our son .
They were so glad to go back home.Far away from the
crazy older sister (my mom ) who seems to be the twin
of her dad in every way .I could not get them to take her
with them even if I paid them :( LOL

1950's reproduction dresses


1950′s reproduction halter dresses

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This dress was drafted from an actual design of a 1950′s dress. Pardon moi ? You did not realize how style conscious women were before our era? Looking at my mom’s old pictures  I am actually shocked she had any  fashion sense, let alone seeing the pictures and how she rocked the clothes ! ….actually to realize by her own admittance it was  my grandmother who was her “fashionista ” stylist back in those days till up till when she married my dad.
Okay I never said every woman had a great sence of style back then , but it helped when you had great clothes to choose from and your own personal stylist  if you lacked that attribute for yourself :)
My grandmother had an amazing sense of taste ,without a doubt !!!! I think one day I will have to go through some family pictures .
Needless to say here is my rendition of the 50′s halter dress in this passion purple colour ! One day I will have to refit the dress though as the thighs are way too big ( you can not really tell the way the picture is taken) but it looks like with a good gush of wind they might fill up with too much air and I may fly away !


THE BLACK AND WHITE CHIFFON HALTER DRESS

I love halter dresses , which you can not tell as yet . This one is a black and white Chiffon .
Chiffon is a light fabric ,usually combined with other silk like fabrics : like organza ,laze or bridal satin.
When sewing they need some type of support like acetate lining ,inter lock lining  or fabric fusing .

My Sewing machine collection


My Sewing machine Collection

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have actually come to a halt for the time being in my collection because my husband made me aware of the fact we were running out of room !:)  Many currently are packed up and it would take awhile for me to unpack and take photo’s of them .
Once we are in our new home that we purchase next year, if the 2011 Sonata does not need to be in the garage during the winter then my husband is letting me have the garage as my sewing room .
Okay this probably seems strange to you ! the garage as the sewing room ! Well you see I have TWO  INDUSTRIAL machines!
A singer sewing machine and a Juki serger ! They are heavy  and if you don’t believe me you can come by and try to lift them ! It takes about 4 men (with a lot of muscle to move one machine ) and a moving van ! No their not the type of machines you can place in your mini van and happily move it to their new location . My husband idolizes me , truly ….hence my large as anything dreams always come true :) I am a lucky girl  …with an adoring husband and a sweet  little boy !
I am not sure if I can name every machine I have but the ones that I can remember , besides the industrial are:
One – Kenmore 
The Kenmore .She does a good selection of stitsches.Which to be honest I don’t use . Easy to thread .Dual needle .
I use her to when I go to my friends homes.We sometimes get together just to have sew alongs and talk .
I had purchased her in 1996 .I still have the receipt for her. I can not believe I paid 500 for her back then .Unlike my older machines I have now ,not saying their is anything wrong with her but I would only pay the most 40.00 for her ,now ..LOL I think I may be bias against new machines !!!
Two – of the most wanted 221k  feather weights… and yes they are both from the 1930′s made in Kilowbie , Scotland in mint condition .And both have that wanted attractive scroll work on the faceplate. I had a third I had in my collection when I had started feeling bad .I felt like I was a hoarder !!! LOL  the man in British Columbia was so excited when he received it .It seemed like he was a collector himself  and was impressed I actually knew the proper way to ship the machine unlike a few he had purchased that all arrived damaged because of sellers who were not properly educated .
The Singer Featherweight portable sewing machine is a model made by that company between 1933 and 1964. The machine (model 221), adapted from an earlier portable, the Standard SewHandy (which company was bought out by Singer) weighs about 11 pounds and has been found to be an ideal machine for quilters and other sewers to take to classes or “on location.” Very quiet and sturdily made with all-metal parts (mostly aluminum), the Featherweight sews only straight stitches but it sews them very well. Even the oldest machines, if they’ve been cared for, still sew wonderfully.
The Featherweight came in a standard black model made in the U.S. Those made before World War II (and apparently a few after the war) had an attractive “Egyptian Scrollwork” pattern on the faceplate, while most of those made after the war had a simple, striated pattern of vertical stripes. They were further decorated with gold decals and the Singer name, but nowhere do they say “Featherweight” on them.
I also have all the attachments and manuals with both of these machines. Even the one I sold had everything .with them 
I was able on the internet to help a few people who had attachments who were puzzled in what they were for and how they were actually used on the machine 
One -222 featherweight
This is my treasure and my prize! I can see where she is packed but to get her would be to pull many boxes .With my luck the boxes would be on top of me and I feel a little too pushy to ask my husband to take them down because I need a photo shoot with it . So I will just paste a link to the info on them here .With the future a plan to post her on my blog .
TWO- Husqvarana’s 19e and 21 a
The two I have look similar. I have the 19 e and 21a. She has a free arm and a removable table. Very handy is the reduction gear which let’s you sew slow even though the motor is at full rev and thus very strong. Very suitable for thicker materials and/or many layers of material.
non block rotating hook mechanism, which makes the machine very suitable for darning and free hand embroidery.A drop feet machine .
They are made entirely out of metal unlike the newer ones of today ,hence a heavy but durable machine !They are made in Sweden and make for an excellent stitch !
unlike the 19 e model my 21 is capable of doing many various stitches it is complete with cams !You can switch from one pattern to another with the machine RUNNING but if the machine is stopped, then you have to set the stitch width control to zero first.
They are green Beauties :) :) Now don’t go green with envy from them !
Singer 401 
I truly love this machine .Not only is she a work horse .She sews with a whisper very smoothly !
Funny I hear people speak about just buying a sewing machine that does so many stitches , well did you know their were quite a few machines in the past that already covered that ? Besides the ones that you can do with out extra cams , she does a a good amount on her own . I have though all the cams in my collection ! What sort of a collector would I be if I did not ? And yes with the 401 you can also use two needles .
  • Full aluminum body, flat bed
  • Weight – about 22 pounds
  • Bobbin – class 66
  • Needle system – standard household sewing machine needles (15×1, 130/705H)
  • Hook style – horizontal rotary
  • Motor size – about 0.7 amps
  • Drive system – gear (no belt)
  • Slant shank
  • Built in cam stack with zigzag and decorative stitch capabilities
  • Adjustable presser foot pressure
  • Elevator style throat plate – lifts up for darning and free-motion work – feed dogs don’t drop
  • Light at the front of the machine
  • Original foot controller- carbon pile, button style
  • Adjustable stitch length and full reverse
  • Adjustable needle position
  • Adjustable stitch width
  • Uses standard, home sewing machine needles (15×1,HAx1, 130/705H, SY2020..)
  • Twin needle and double needle capable
The appeal with the 401 apart from it’s sturdy build and all metal construction, drop in bobbin and smooth rotary
hook, is it’s ability to produce many decorative stitches with the built-in cam stack and additional, external cams.
stitsch pattern chart
My Own 401 Beauty ~!
By the way my 401 ,she is a durable “Diva” she was actually rescued from years in a barn . It actually took no time to get her purring ! In fact all I did was plug her in !:) I think she was waiting 60 years for me to be born and to be in my hands ! LOL…
When this was made in the 50′s it was marketed as the only slant machine that was ever built,that out sews all others in both zig zag and fancy stitch and trust me after so many decades it still does ! If you do not believe me you are welcome to come by and try her out ! I just checked her value on ebay …in good condition ..which she is certainly in  they go from the 200′s to 300′s and that is not including all the accessories I have for her .But she is not for sale !!!!
Singer 99k
  

Bonnieres (France) 1950 -60

(french ) 191b (the mystery gal)
Well for those of you who do not know “Singer ” has an excellent date service ) And “no” you can not find a man on it !:) Before some of yo contact me for their number!:)That is how I have been able to find out for many of my machines the year and date their serial batches were made on .But you see they themselves do not have a full history on many due to the war and other events (like the burning down of  their headquarters in one year )many records that were lost .On my french 191b they have admitted  that they have no records for her :( :( but what I can tell  is she can sew though leather like most of the “singer” old gals like if it was butter!:) If anyone finds more info on her let me know!!! I searched the internet  and the ones who have this machine are also in search of info ,like myself .
Singer 185k
once again for those who do not realize it for Singer ,the “k” at the end of certain models just means that this one was specifically made in kilowbie, Scotland. She has a captivating mint green .
they were 3/4 size machines but still very heavy ,unlike featherweight which are known as the quilter’s dream.
My Babylock embroidery machine-what I should say is I really need to find the time to use her more often !
Which I will once I have a good sewing room set up again . She comes with her own scanner for custom designs :)
Actually she is an amazing machine .Really embroidery machines just work by themselves .You place the cards in and watch them go at it :) As you can see I have her under wraps stored.
The Brother Quattro 6000
I picked this beauty up at the sewing craft show. She has an electronic eye for embroider and does 4d. She was purchased for 7,000. I know a little crazy,but that is considered a great deal on her .But for those of you who do not know , an issue with my husband is once he knows I want something he buys it for me . I really have to watch what I say at times !
Well winter is coming and hopefully my” etsy” store will be back running .I have almost made back the money on my machines .I see them as investments !
Because their is so much features to her , I am just placing a link
Singer Industrial 211G
This industrial machine will sew a  little more then a half of an inch thick .Good for leather work
Their is about two dozen points in this machine to be lubricated.It is an industrial so does not have it’s own self lubrication system.Technically it should be lubricated daily :( yikes I know lol
Sadly due to it’s heaviness both my industrial are in my mom’s garage for now.And no matter what I try to tell my mother  she is a stubborn woman who does not listen to anyone but herself or cares to .I have issues with this for many reasons and she keeps piling her Junk on my beautiful machines:( I can not wait to rescue them next year

My Industrial Serger 

Juki MO-3700 Series High-Speed Overlock

provides consistent thread tension even when running at high speed, thereby contributing to improved productivity. With its low-noise and low-vibration mechanisms, a quiet working environment is assured. The machine has been developed so that soft stitches with a good feel can be created. Easy maintenance.
Here is the joke . I needed to get a copy of the maual .I contacted juki’s head office seems they do not keep manuals after a couple of years :( !!!! Except for their service manual /repair.  But I was lucky I found an amazing family business.
Paul Garde they have been running a family business for more the 60 years .He gave me a manual for free :)