pond_ripple's Fabric Blog

Saturday, I made the hour long trek to Jacksonville to get everything my sewing machine needed. The motor and bobbin belts were replaced, and there was a very tense moment where we finally got to see how it ran. It made the most awful screeching sounds, but it was doing everything it was supposed to do. The man who was assisting us took a good look and told us that oiling it up should do the trick. He was right! It runs really well. I still have some issues. The bobbin belt they gave me is too big which doesn't really matter since my bobbins are too wide to fit under the thread guide on the bobbin winder. I'll be hand winding for awhile. :) My stitch length regulator is still rusted in place, but judging by the few test seams I ran, whatever I make is going to be super durable. The stitches are tiny and the seams are impossible to tear with brute force and almost as tough to get out by hand. I'm just happy that my stitches are stuck at something I can work with.

It turns out that my Singer sewing machine is a model 99-13. The previous owner said it was a 99k. The bobbin belt and the motor belt need to be replaced, so I went looking online for belts for the 99k. They arrived and didn't fit. Frustrated, I searched for answers and came across this wonderfully helpful identification guide for older Singers: http://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm

I'm relatively new to Spoonflower and fabric design in general. I am making this blog mostly in the hope that I can share my fabric photos and projects. I am trying new things and I'm prepared to learn and fail along the way. I have an old Singer sewing machine that I'm getting in working order, so until I get this ball rolling everything is going to be hand stitched. Yay for manual labor! It will take me much longer to do things, but hopefully it will just mean that I'm more selective about what I make and quality will win out over quantity.