Needless to say, things here have been very busy... and it has just now begun to settle into a new normal.
In this quiet, with parts of the house empty... it was time to begin a list of improvements and updates, and to put the sewing room back together. The single most difficult part is that I've collected a few more sewing items than we had two years ago. Actually, ahem, several more items. Decisions had to made as to which few sewing machines was going to grace the room. It's unfortunate that I couldn't fill the entire room with sewing machines, but everyone else insisted that the room be functional; that you might have room to sit and sew. I know right?
Machines were chosen by both curiosity and abilities. The 'curious combination' would set the Pfaff 130 in close competition with the Necchi Mira. The two machines are nearly identical in ability, and we're terribly anxious to compare the two side by side. With the arrival of a post 1929 Singer Combination table... newer machines with more sewing possibilities were also considered and finally chosen: the Necchi SuperNova Automatica and Lady Kenmore model 89. Both machines are dependable and have a host of decorative stitches available. There will be one last addition: probably the Kenmore 158.1918 free arm with it's monogram attachments. It might not be in a cabinet, but the versatility and free arm might prove useful.
There would be many hurtles to get all this done.
The Pfaff 130 cabinet needed repairs. In particular, the threads of the pivot pins into the wood of the cabinet were stripped and I had to figure a way to make the set screws hold the weight of the 130 when the cabinet was closed:
The Singer Combo table needed a ton of cleaning, and lots of glue and clamps... and then more glue and clamps.
While all of this was happening... the sewing room floor was sanded and re-coated (twice). The ceiling repainted, and three coats of paint redid the walls. The last 5 weeks have been very, very, busy.
Top surface of the hinge area on the Pfaff cabinet.
Lower view.
Since there was that depression on the lower side of the hinge mount, I went ahead and carved out two wooden plugs to fit in the depression.
These would be glued into place, allowed to cure, and then trimmed as needed for the hinges and deck of the machine to turn freely. In addition to these plugs, I found similar straight slot tapered head wood screws that were a half an inch longer than the originals. These would reach the 'new' wood that I had glued on to the bottom.
I added a squirt or two of plastic wood putty to the screw holes prior to tightening everything down, and again, allowed that to cure. Hopefully the putty would assist in making the mount more stable.
Meanwhile... since I had to wait for the cure... the walls got painted. =)
Finally, both cabinet and sewing room walls were nearly finished and for the first time since it's been here, the Pfaff 130 was rolled down into it's cabinet. It might seem silly, but it really was sort of exciting. The fix held, the putty held, the glue held, the longer screws held... and the forty pound machine did not come crashing down onto the floor. That was a really good thing considering that I'd sanded the floor down by hand and had applied two coats of poly. I'm not sure which would have been more heart-breaking...
This Singer Combination table arrived early in December and as excited as I was about it being here... it was several weeks before I had the chance to touch it.
This is the post '29 version of the Combo table and it has the swing-out side door. Originally it had a Singer 66 dated to 1930. The bones of the table were in great shape, and the veneer was almost all there and although quite loose- it was still looking pretty good.
This table gave me lessons in patience. I'd glue down the veneer on this edge... only to find it loose on another, and another, and another. I didn't have enough clamps. The glue takes 24 hours to cure, and all told, gluing down all the loose edges with three pairs of clamps... took nearly a week.
It was worth it. I rubbed down all the outside surfaces with Orange Glo. The dry wood sucked in several coats of boiled Linseed oil and after a little more work, the table became warm and inviting.
The tri-fold insert now opens and closes without issue - when before it was hanging up on it's own loose edges. I debated which machine for several days and finally I gave the Necchi SuperNova a try...and for reasons I can't explain it seemed to be picture perfect.
The white and pink went with the wood, the cane in the chair, the wooden floors, and the white window and baseboard trim... and it all seemed to fit well with the dusty gold walls. Perhaps the three hours spent looking at off-white interior paint tints wasn't a total waste of time?
The room is almost finished. The Pfaff 130 and Necchi/Combo table are the dark furniture. The other two cabinets that I could squeeze it are more mid-century modern and in the lighter maple wood tones. I'll take shots of the Necchi Mira and Lady Kenmore 89 as they make their entrance, and maybe soon I'll have another machine or a sewing project to post. =)
