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Singer Tension Assembly Fix

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This post is kind of technical and specific to certain machines. However I could not find this help elsewhere on the internet so consider this my contribution to the sewing machine self-help knowledge pool. If you find it helpful please let me know! The clever Nichola at Handmaker's Factory in Melbourne recently posted about fixing the timing on the industrial Janome sewing machine in their studio. This spurred me into action because I knew I had an old Singer that needed its timing fixed. I have a love of old mechanical sewing machines and fixing minor issues makes me feel rather handy. So I watched the videos, gave it a try and it worked! Booyah! But. The machine still had a problem. Pretty much total lack of tension on the upper thread. The end of the tension dial would not wind in far enough to put pressure on the tension discs, and when wound out, it would keep winding and come right off. The machine is a Singer 348 - the beguiling 'Blue Magic'. This is how ...
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Care of your Boiled Wool

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We have some lovely 100% boiled wools at The Drapery for this first time this year. The care of these fabrics was a bit of a mystery to us as well as to you, so we've done some investigation. Will my boiled wool shrink if I wash it at home? More than likely, yes. That surprised us, too. One would guess since the fabric is called 'boiled wool' and has a felted, non-fray texture, that it is pre-shrunk and would not shrink further. Not so - please be well aware! Here's what we found: We tried three kinds of gentle washing: - Front loading machine wash 'wool cycle', 30 degrees , with wool wash liquid, rinse, spin. - Gentle hand wash, warm , with wool wash liquid, rinse, press dry in a towel. - Front loading machine wash 'wool cycle' cold , with wool wash liquid, rinse, spin. In both warm washes (machine and hand) the wool experienced 10 - 15% shrinkage in length. There was little to no shrinkage in width. The cold wash showed sligh...
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We heart it - the Surface Art Wrap Skirt

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The oh-so-versatile Surface Art Wrap Skirt. Here made up in Umbrella Prints hemp/organic Cotton Grand Hearts in Smokey black. If there's one pattern we recommend time and time again for beginner sewers, it could well be this one - the Wrap Skirt by Surface Art. This skirt is a great way to dip your toe either into or back-into sewing garments. And who can go past the simple wrap skirt as a handy wardrobe staple? Not me, apparently - I've made three of them. Look! It's just three main pieces, plus a narrow interfaced waistband. There are a couple of ties on the inside to prevent wardrobe malfunctions, and a button to finish off. Because it's a wrap skirt, there are no tricky fitting issues since you can just move the button to get the fit spot on. Sizes from XS to XL are all covered in the one pattern. Excuse the hopper-ball flare. This version of the skirt made up in Mid Century Vessels, cotton/linen. The pattern can be found on our website here .  P...
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