Mendelsohn Bespoke: June 2016

Rachel Revere Costume

School Play for 5th Grade History. Costume for Rachel Revere.

Simplicity Pattern 3725

The real Rachel Revere

Vespa - Singer 301 with a (long) Shot at Redemption

While restoring Vaiden, I purchased a parts machine. The body was in terrible shape, water damage causing the paint to crack off all the way to the aluminum in one spot. The inside was caked with a layer of mold. When I opened the shipping box, I had to take it in the back yard because the mildew odor was so bad. The drip pan was rusted and warped.

I stripped off the good parts. What to do with the rest of it? At this point, we (the machine and I) had nothing to lose, so I decided to paint it and see if I could restore a second Singer 301. Even though it was in bad shape, it ran better than Vaiden.

I gutted the machine of all wiring and the motor, leaving the internal workings intact (I learned my limits a long time ago when I took the back off a wrist watch. That could be a whole other post). I scrubbed the body down in warm water to soften the clear coat and get rid of the remaining mildew.

I baked it in the oven to remove all the moisture. If you are wondering why I did this, don't ask me. It's Dave McCallum's doing. It's what he recommends in his great book "The Featherweight 221 and I". His book and DVD are well worth the money, and his engaging personality really comes through the pages. It's a fun read in addition to being a helpful reference. He was also kind enough to reply to an email asking for clarification on a point or two.

The color option of this model is reportedly called "Light Beige-Oyster White" or LBOW in the enthusiast blogs. I was not very fond of the Beige part of this combo. I already have a black 301, so I needed to pick a good color.

Vespa in seafoam green and white

I've always wanted a Vespa scooter. Not any old Vespa scooter, but a vintage, Sea Foam green scooter. Our neighborhood and lifestyle are not very well suited to owning a Vespa right now, so I decided that the 301 would be a good stand-in.

I'm not a very good painter, and don't really like taping, painting and sanding, painting, sanding... (Where is my sister-in-law when I need her??? Rumor has it that she's an expert with a rattle-can).

That said, here is the state of my machine today. I'm about one or two coats of Krylon Catalina Mist and a few coats of Dupli Color Engine Clear Coat away from a finished body.

I hope the colors will work well together. The top, front nose, lamp cover and hand wheel are the original off-white, and the body will be green. The original trim on this model was brown and gold.

In between coats of paint, I've been searching for the hardware for the wiring. Some of the clamps and connectors are rather specialized. I've been asking around town with no luck. Someone recommended the local model car racing hobby store. That's an errand for another weekend.

Victory - A Singer Featherweight 221

My brother likes to pick up the odd item here and there at estate sales. When I started quilting, and heard about Featherweights, I asked my brother if he ever came across them. He told me he already had one - so I offered to buy it. That was when he told me he couldn't find it. I sort of believed him... but there is that really great vintage bean-pot that he wouldn't sell me either. Not that I'm upset about it.

Last Christmas, we drew names. My brother got mine. He said my gift would be a little late; which is fine. I figured he's good for it, and I do happen live all the way across the country. A month or so into the new year, my sister-in-law came to visit. When she walked in the front door, carrying a black case, I knew exactly what it was! I was thrilled. I had images of her running through the airport, trying to make her connection, black case in tow. God love her soul. I left the airline tag on it.

This Singer 221 'Featherweight' was made sometime after June 4, 1946. In the year after the end of World War II. So I named it Victory in honor of that time when the war was over and people were hopeful of better days ahead.

I'll be restoring this machine for active use as a portable, and not as a collectible. I think it's in 'middle of the road' condition. The mechanics seem to still work well. The motor appears to be in good condition. Cosmetically it's okay. The clear coat and decals are worn in places and there is some tape that seems to be fused to the body. I LOVE it. It's the best Christmas present from my brother, ever. And I'm so grateful to him for giving it to me, and my wonderful sister-in-law for flying it across country. It will take me a while to restore, because Vespa is also on the workbench. It's good to have more than one project going at a time. Right??

The Story of Vaiden: A Singer 301 Sewing Machine

About 30 years ago, my dad picked up an old sewing machine off a trash pile in Virginia. He used to do a lot of that... one day I'll have to post about my favorite lamp. A neighbor, who worked for Singer, told my mother that it was one of the best models that Singer ever made - a 301 slant needle, with an aluminum body. Light enough to use as a portable, with a special cradle that allowed it to fit inside of a sewing cabinet. It's also gear driven and can stitch around 1,500 stitches per minutes.

The neighbor told my mother to hang on to this machine, so she did.

When I graduated from college and was still sewing on my great-grandmother's treadle machine, mom tried to give me this machine to use. At the time, I was not very interested. It's a straight-stitch only and I had my heart set on a fancy new machine with automatic button holes. That was when I purchased my Bernina 1020, which I still use today.

While visiting my folks, I decided to take another look at this old machine. It has been in storage at my parents home for over 20 years.

There are two reasons why I named this one Vaiden, after my grandfather. The first is that the machine itself reminds me of him. The style lines are modern and the design is efficient. The thin hand wheel is flush with the machine, the bobbin winder folds down and the motor is completely enclosed. It's a very 1950's sort of machine, and he always seemed (to me anyway) like a 1950's sort of guy.

Second, when my grandfather retired, he opened a small engine repair shop. He was a tinker, my dad is a tinker, my brother is a tinker and I'm a tinker. It's a nice thought that we all like having a project on the workbench and the smell of parts soaking in Kerosene.

Before

Vaiden needed some work. It was very dirty from being in storage, the finish was dull, and several chrome parts were rusted. Some parts were missing or broken. In addition to cosmetic issues, the needle bar was misaligned, which was causing the needle to strike the hook. Not conducive to good sewing. I cleaned it up and took care of the mechanical problems as well as I could. It sews a decent stitch, but I think it needs adjustments beyond my skill. Maybe I'll work on it more some day, but in the meantime, Victory is on the workbench and needs my attention!