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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

301 Singer Sisters

I enjoyed a fun but short visit with the Erin Quilters last night. It was wonderful to see old friends again and have a quick visit. It was a very snowy drive, so I didn't stay for the whole meeting and was relieved when I arrived home safe and sound.
Sewing on a Free-Westinghouse
I hope to have some sewing time tonight with my 301 Singer Sisters! They are my beloved work horse sewing machines from the 1950's, so of course I have affectionately named these old girls Lucy and Ethel. I make sure to give them a regular workout to keep them in good sewing condition.
Singer Sisters
The threading of these slant needle machines and their bobbins are a bit different from the majority of machines that I use regularly, so I often need a reminder of how to thread the needle (from right to left) and how the bobbins unthread in their cases (the opposite direction of my Brother 1500). A great resource for 301 machines is found at SewUSA. There is a lot of information on a wide range of machines and you can access the threading diagrams here for most of the brands you can think of. Here is the direct link to the 301 information.
Ethel's wiring is a little on the unsafe side, and she probably needs to be re-wired, but that is one job that I haven't learned to do yet. I keep her workouts brief and hope I don't electrocute myself or start a fire! But every time I use these machines I remember how much I like the sound/voice of these machines, and what a nice stitch they make.



 I have started making some improv house blocks and need to build a neighbourhood... by Wednesday!

14 comments:

  1. KateTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Glad you didn't have too much trouble getting home. Sounds like that northern snow storm was no fun at all. Thanks for the link to the sewing machine reference.

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  2. Quilting BabciaTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Singer 301s are my all-time favorite machine! I do nearly all my piecing on my black one, named Casey Jones - reminding me of the old 1950s locomotives that ran daily on the tracks a short distance from my childhood home. You are right, that connection needs to be rewired! Or the foot controller replaced - the old controllers are rather difficult to rewire.

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  3. AngieTuesday, March 14, 2017

    I don't know if the 301 uses the same type of foot controller as the Featherweight, but I replaced the wiring on my FW controller and it was easy. You can purchase the replacement cord, and they come with metal gizmos (I'm sure they have a name, but I don't know it!) that slide under the attachment screws so you don't have to work with bare wire. All I needed was a screwdriver. It's also possible to just buy an entire new foot controller - just plug it in and go!

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  4. maggie fellowTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Perfect names for your 301s. I have one also, and it helped me decide on which new machine I wanted. I bought a juki because I like how fast the 301 went.

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  5. Carole @ From My Carolina HomeTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Glad you had fun, and got home safe. What are you building a neighborhood for? Is this an Improv project?

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  6. Deanna WTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Missed slow stitching Sunday. That time change was not so kind to me this year. Still looking in each day though. Had a full sewing day yesterday, UFO day at guild. I love my 301 too. She is Annie(gift for my anni...versary!! haha Good luck building that neightbourhood!!

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  7. Janet O.Tuesday, March 14, 2017

    Good to hear that you got safely to and from the meeting, however brief.
    Love your choice of names for your girls (love that show, too).
    That is quite the deadline for a housing development!

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  8. Missy ShayTuesday, March 14, 2017

    I have heard that the 301 is a good machine! I don't mess with electrical problems either.

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  9. gayleTuesday, March 14, 2017

    Aw, I used to have a Free Westinghouse machine years ago, but it disappeared during one of my (many) moves. I miss that lovely old workhorse - she and I pieced a lot of irish chains and log cabins together back in the day...

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  10. JoTuesday, March 14, 2017

    I like how you have cut the house blocks up.

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  11. Maker JoyWednesday, March 15, 2017

    I have an older machine too and I love how it seems to sing when I sew. The new ones just don't sound the same.

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  12. JillThursday, March 16, 2017

    It is always a relief to arrive home safe and sound on a snowy winters night. You were wise to leave early. Thanks for the 301 link as I have a matching one to Lucy and Ethel. I love her and do not use her enough. Thanks the reminder on how she needs to sew and not sit in the closet.

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  13. Chopin - A Passionate QuilterMonday, March 20, 2017

    Neat! I went nuts and purchased a Black 301a and a Beige 401a. I love both of the machines. I am hoping to get then out and work on them again this year. I also have 2 featherweights and love them. I know that you enjoy them My 401a is the first machine that came out with the different designs! Amazing that we go back to the older ones.

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  14. EllenFriday, March 24, 2017

    I love my 301s as well. The slant needle really does make it a lot easier to see exactly where you are stitching.

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