Bernina-O-Rama, Second Edition

 I did it again.  I admit it has been 5 years, but I found three Berninas on Ebay.  Two are a little harder to find than the third.  

The first is a 717.  It is a flatbed 3/4 machine built in 1971.  I got a deal because it had a cracked cam gear.  Those are readily available and easily replaced.  So I repaired it.  Now it sews a beautiful stitch.  

A manual for it is available from Bernina here.

It is a beautiful machine.  It came with a box of feet and the manual.  It is hard to tell it is over 50 years old.

The second is a 125.  This cute little all metal machine was built around 1953. It is the first zig zag machine.  It uses regular low-shank feet.  I did not realize how small the machine is. I got a deal on this one because it needed the belts replaced.  The belts were a little harder to find, but I ordered them from England and the machine is now sewing great.

A manual is available here.

It came in the original case with a box of feet also.

The third is a 830 Record.  I don't know why, but I was the only one to bid on this machine.  In fact, I was the only one to bid on all these machines.

This machine was triple-boxed and packed wonderfully.  Upon inspection, it needed a belt also.  But this one I was able to get easily on eBay.

It is a beautiful and smooth machine.  It didn't come with any feet, but I have quite a few.  It did come in its red case, table, and knee lifter included.

A manual is available from Bernina here.

It was built around 1977.

I have many Berninas and they all make me smile.

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McCall's 6087 Jacket

 I tried my luck with another jacket pattern.  This one is McCall's 6087 from 2010.  It is a unisex pattern with either patch pockets or flaps.  I decided to add welt pockets with a flap.

I used my Bernina 840 Favorit to sew the first muslin in medium.  It came out very form- fitting, so I decided to try a large.

Medium

Large

The large definitely fit better, so I continued making a large jacket with two inches added to the sleeve length.  I used a wool I purchased from Fashion Fabrics Club. I  interfaced the fronts with a lightweight interfacing, even though the pattern didn't call for any.

I used my Kenmore 117-959 to make this.

I  made the pockets using Pam Howard's instructions on Craftsy.  I used the pocket flap and bag pattern from McCall's 7818.

Once the pockets were made, the body was sewn together.  I worked with the sleeves a little, but they finally went on without any puckers.  Then the shoulder pads were sewn in.

Here it is now at this step.  Next comes the lining.

The lining went in fine.  The only hand stitching was the hem and the sleeve cuffs.

I used my White Buttonholer with my Kenmore for the button holes.  I used my Bernina to sew on the buttons.

The instructions were very good throughout this pattern.  

Here it is finished, with a made by me outfit of pants and shirt made this year.

It is a very simple jacket that will be good for a casual outing.

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Beehive Quilt

 I have been working on the Beehive Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman.  

Her quilt has a gray background.  Mine has a blue background.  I purchased a Layer Cake (a stack of 10" x 10" squares) from Cali Quilt Company in Sacramento to make the bees.  All the other fabric I bought at my local Joanns.

I made the small quilt that has 25 bees and is 59" x 63".  The large quilt has 38 and is 71" x 73".

I made it with my Singer C240 Featherweight.

I quilted and bound it with my Necchi Supernova.  I quilted it by stitching in the ditch with matching thread.

Here it is:

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Christmas in July

 I bought some Christmas motif snuggle-flannel last winter when it was on sale.  I stashed it away and forgot about it until I found it when straightening my stash.  I think I will make a shirt now so it is ready for the Holidays.

This will be perfect fabric for Simplicity 2741.  I use small and add two inches to the sleeve length.  This pattern has a continuous-lap sleeve placket, so I substitute a simple tower placket from another pattern.

I am using my Domestic sewing machine I bought at Goodwill a few years ago and can't believe I never blogged about it before.  It is friction-drive and the handweel goes away from you.  It is the same as a White Rotary, so I used my White buttonholer.

I decided to serge the seams with my Homelock  523.

It turned out bright and festive.

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McCall's 8264 Slacks

 I found McCall's 8264 on sale at Joann's and thought I would give it a try.  

I am making view D, the others have cargo pockets.  View D doesn't have rear pockets, so I am going to add a welt pocket.  I watched this video for making the pocket.

I fall between sizes, I am about a 31" waist.  This means I will make the size 38, which should fit a 32" waist and slim it up at the waist.  I also will be adding 4" to the inseam.

I found some black fabric at Wal-Mart in the pre-cut pieces that should work nicely for the muslin.

I am using my White Sewmaster 611 for this project. It is a straight-stitch machine, even though it has three levers on front. 

The muslin turned out as I suspected.   A little loose around the waist.  I took them in an inch at the seat.  Then I realized the rise was extremely high.   They come up past my bellybutton.  

Extremely high rise

It is not evident on the front view, but on the rear view of the model you can see the high rise

Model's view

Time for a new muslin with 2" removed from the rise.  I have not shortened a rise before, so I looked in a few books to see how to do it.  I ended up using KwikSew 4045 as a pattern for the shorten line.  Thankfully, the pockets didn't move.

I bought some fabric from Wal-Mart for $2 which will make a nice muslin.

I decided to use my Bettina 731 for this muslin.  I have had this machine a long time, but I haven't used it lately.

Now that the muslin is done, I decided to move on to the slacks using some material from my stash.  I am using my White Euro flair 8910 for these.

I serged the seams with my Brother Homelock  523.

I finally finished them.  I don't know where or when I will wear them.

It would be a good pattern if it didn't have the high rise.

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Kwik Sew 3883 Dress Shirt

 I need a lightweight white dress shirt.  When looking in my closet I decided I had none. 

I went to JC Penney's and found none in my size.  Then I went to Macy's where the clerk measured me and decided I needed a 16 neck and a 36 sleeve.  She found me a Calvin Klein slim-fit shirt.

I told her $75 for a simple shirt was too expensive.  She quickly adjusted the price to $45.  I guess it pays to haggle!

At home, I noticed the sleeve packets were square and not pointed.  I thought this was odd, maybe just a styling feature.

Calvin Klein sleeve

I decided I would use a $12 white sheet from Wal-Mart and Kwik Sew 3883 to see if I could make a similar dress shirt.  I used size medium and added 2" to the sleeve length.

The sheet was so wrinkled even after washing, I had to press it with my Singer CSP-1  press I bought from the thrift store last year but I hadn't used much.

An interesting part of this pattern is it has a 1/4" seam allowance.  Because of this, after sewing with my Bernina 930 with a 1/4" foot, I serged the seams with my Brother 523.

Another feature not on many shirts, is a sew on button packet for the left side.  The right side is folded over as usual.   The yoke was quite small, so was the one on the store-bought shirt.

Here is my store-bought shirt modeled with McCall's 7987 slacks I made a while ago.

Here is my Kwik Sew shirt.

I haven't decided which shirt I am going to wear.  Decisions....

Thanks for stopping.

Ten Years of Blogging

 Where does time go?  Yes, it has been ten years since I started sewing and blogging.

I want to thank my readers for their time spent with me.  

There were good projects and bad ones, but always a learning experience for me and hopefully you have picked up some tips, I know I have.

My first attempt at apparel was in my first blog, and in fact I still wear it.  A t-shirt made with a pattern and material from a thrift store.

 

My last shirt.

I started sewing with a Brother XL2600i.  It is a very good machine.

My sewing has included many vintage sewing machines.  Most of them I still have and use.  I have re-donated some back to the thrift store because they have to make me smile.  Who wants to sew with a machine with no personality?

The only machines I have ever named are Alice and Ann.  They both have lots of personality.  They are straight-stitchers.

Alice

Ann

Another machine I like is the Singer 6268 with embroidery attachment.  It does simple embroidery via plugin cartridges.

Of course, I have to mention my Berninas.  They are so smooth and quiet, with a perfect stitch.  The 707 Minimatic  is so cute, I have it pictured here.

My oldest machine is a 1906 treadle made by White.

I have many more machines, but decided just to mention a few.

A few years ago I started quilting.  I enjoyed going to class until it was cancelled due to Covid.  One quilt I did took two years.  It is my Farm Girl Vintage quilt I did in class.

A quilt top I have done now, but I am waiting for Spring to make into a quilt because I do it in the driveway.

 

Now working on shirts again.  I should have another blog soon.

Thanks for stopping.