That's Enough Glue

Craigslist is a dangerous place. Not because of the shady deals for electronics or the occasional stolen car, but because for collectors and hunters of the curious it is a place where much of our money meets its fate. The story here starts with a craigslist ad about a series of sewing machine accessories. I do a search for sewing supplies pretty regularly. I find that often enough if I'm in need of a small little bit of thread or a cool button craiglist can help me out. This eventually led me to these feet I had never seen before, and a plastic box of cams I'd never seen outside of a sewing machine. I purchased it. Reassembled version of what I bought, it was missing bobbins and booklet Then I started my research. What machine did they go to? What is this shank height? Why is it slanted (I thought only Singers had slants)?, what era?  I know it is Kenmore and Sears because both are listed on the top of the case, my great Grandmother had a Kenmore from the late 1950's...

Within the world of the 158 Kenmores, there is an array of monogrammers. We couldn't go as far as call it vast, but large enough to cause confusion and headache. Perhaps the most elusive of the monogrammers is the disk cam monogrammers of the 1802 variety. This monogrammer is shaped very similar to the metal buttonholer of the mid to late 60's. To use this monogrammer you need a machine with the 1 1/8" inch notch (which itself will be a flat bed), and a drop feed. Something pretty standard of the mid to top models of this era. What makes this one so frustrating, isn't the 1/2 inch height on the letters, it is  the lack of a full set of letters. Each letter had to be purchased separately, and most original owners did not purchase all 26 to 36 cams depending on year. 1802 Monogrammer with A cam The cams are green disks with a stylized letter or number on one side and a number from 901 to my guess is 940 on the other. This cam fits between two arms, one arm fitti...

Let's open up and be honest about fleece, the polyester kind, it's a version of a nightmare to work with. It's great for warmth and has that great texture that *most* people love. Unfortunately it has two things that drive people up the wall: STRETCH of knit fabrics, and BULK of high nap fabrics. From a distance the fuzzy nap may make it look like it isn't woven (or knit), but it is so it has the normal fabric qualities like grain, cross-grain and bias. That fuzzy puff of a top tends to obscure the directions, the right and wrong side. But never fear! Most fleeces have the high level of stretch in the cross-grain, and the mid-level stretch in the bias, with the least stretch along the grain.  And the wrong side can be found by stretching along the cross-grain and seeing which way the fleece curls. It'll curl to the wrong side. This is *really* helpful when it comes to figuring out how to construct fleece clothing. For knitters: it's just like a project...

The obligatory mother's day gift. From the latch-key craft that they teach you just to keep you occupied on rainy days to the carefully chosen card. They have all been well crafted, and usually heartfelt, but none were really my choice. I changed that this past year. By using one particular project I picked up on my own. Making fleece scarves. There are the scarves that I gave to various family members which are just 1/8 yard cut pieces of design covered fleece with the salvage edge cut up about five inches. Warm, comfy, and just a little bit shedding. I have no idea if any family member still has their quick gift. For my Mum, however, I stepped up the game ones year: it was fleece sewn to silk with fringe trim on the ends. Sewing these projects has always been a bit of a problem First off: Silk and Fleece have dramatically different stretch. Secondly: Fleece and Silk have dramatically different bulk. Imagine trying to sew a washcloth to a piece of paper. It doesn...

I love food. Full Stop. Most people I imagine relate. The whole, one of those things keeping us alive deals. Either way, food is a major part of my life like most people, as was so kindly pointed out by that crafty Bruce Willis character in "Over the Hedge" I just don't like the TEXTURE of most food, I'm one of those people who'd drown food that I didn't like in ranch. I'd convert the food into a vehicle for ranch. Lately, however, with the demands of my life, the time restrictions I have, and my desire to not eat myself into a ranch based coma... I've opted to try out Soylent . Unlike it's namesake, it's an FDA approved food "replacement". In its design it's meant to allow you to eliminate food without compromising your actual health. As much as I cannot stand the seeds in a strawberry, the natural goodness that is all around me will sing to me and I will be drawn in. Soylent may replace a meal here and there, but it'...

 You may call me Mark. Or `Mark..er. Marker. A full time Scientist, part time Graduate student, an ardent lover of the solace of the forest, and a mistress to Old Man Winter's son. Most of my time outside of school and work, when I have it, is spent at home with my cat, Lexi. She's a menace to any string, a deep lover of cuddles, a purrito or cupboard critter when startled, but overall prefers being next to me. Hailing from the Mid-west of the USA, I find that I'm sort of a busy homebody science/nerd/geek streak, with a love of teaching and exposition, which means my posts will often be sort of technical, and likely longer than most people can stomach. The time I spend home could be reading, time with friends, or creating things. My main "thing" is knitting, but I sew on occasion. I do find time to crochet all of my own dish rags and potholders, though. Cross stitch and embroidery sometimes find its way on my project queue, but not often. ...