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Messages - Addiscomber

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1
A Good Yarn / Re: Monster "crochet" hooks
« on: May 24, 2021, 17:30:33 PM »
Thanks all. Have never heard of Tunisian crochet before - shall have to Google. I cannot imagine how they are used as they are seriously heavy, but I don't like knitting with anything bigger than about 4.5mm needles and have come to prefer circular needles anyway.

2
Vintage Machines / Re: Husqvarna Viking Free Arm zig zag rotary
« on: May 24, 2021, 17:15:23 PM »
There is an email group for Pre 1980 Viking Husqvarnas here https://groups.io/g/vikingsewingmachinespre1980 
It is moderated by an ex US dealer (also moderates the Vintage Singer group there). The rules about messages are very strict - you have to cut all irrelevant stuff from previous messages in the thread and be very 'on topic' - and you get told off if you transgress. I can understand that he is busy trying to help a lot of people but I find it a bit off putting so I tend to only read the messages. If you don't fancy signing up yourself I could search for posts on your problem if you tell me exactly which model you have.

I'm sure that the machine is worth the effort. I would have loved to get a vintage Viking but have to admit to having too many machines, especially now that I cannot get up the stairs to my hidey hole in the box room.

I have always found World of Sewing at Tunbridge Wells to be helpful with questions about feet etc for my vintage Swiss Elnas. Perhaps it would be worth giving them a call if you are not too far away? Sadly they have closed their Croydon shop, and moved their Bromley branch way out of town, but they helped me over the 'phone.

3
A Good Yarn / Monster "crochet" hooks
« on: May 24, 2021, 16:32:54 PM »
In amongst a mixed lot of knitting needles that I bought on ebay several years ago were the following huge hooks

6.5mm - 34cm long
6mm - 34cm long
5mm - 30cm long
4.5mm - 30cm long (x2)

Can anyone tell me what craft they would used for, please?

4
Dolls and Toys / Re: Sewing for dolls - mostly 18 inch like American Girl
« on: January 06, 2021, 15:30:21 PM »
From one of Pixie Faire's 12 Days of Christmas emails

Guess What! Freebie Friday Is Back For 2021!
We are super excited to announce that we are bringing back a full year of Freebie Fridays

5
Fun with Fabric / Re: Fabric for PJs
« on: January 06, 2021, 15:24:22 PM »

6
Thanks all. I'm not quite ready to start yet, but if I had needed to order cotton threads that could have been going through whilst I finish off a couple of UFOs.

7
I have reluctantly accepted that it is too uncomfortable for me to use a sewing machine for the moment, and so I think it is time to try some patchwork and quilting by hand. I have done some research and decided what I would like to do but I am totally confused by which thread to use.

Some books and Internet pages are adamant that only cotton should be used, whilst others (including The Quilter's Bible) say that regular sewing thread is fine for piecing. Being a garment maker up until now I have a range of colours in good quality polyester thread, and I do not want to buy more thread if it isn't necessary, so can I use them to sew my patches together, or will the sky fall in?

8
House Beautiful / Re: Corded curtain rails - a question
« on: December 25, 2020, 23:10:14 PM »
They certainly wouldn't be suitable from a cat point of view. She isn't quite so bad now, but our current curtains have a great many pin pricks in them where she has stretched up and put her claws in them. I think moving vertical blinds would be too tempting by half.

We have agreed that when it is covid safe to do so, we will get someone in to put up one of the rails that I found earlier, as DH doesn't feel competent to do it himself. I can understand that as there is very little at the top of a semi-circular bay window to fix things to - no wall above as the window butts up to the ceiling coving.

9
House Beautiful / Re: Corded curtain rails - a question
« on: December 06, 2020, 13:43:54 PM »
I've been trawling around and found this one which, if I'm reading it correctly, has a separate track for each curtain on the over 3m length tracks?  I wouldn't be able to control both curtains from my chair, but DH wouldn't have to do a limbo dance to do the opposite one.

I just know that when we measure we will need a shorter one  :(  No chance of measuring at the moment as the family are watching Crystal Palace FC on TV.  I shall be looking at other tracks  :)

https://www.terrysfabrics.co.uk/products/swish-superluxe-corded-track-white

10
House Beautiful / Corded curtain rails - a question
« on: December 05, 2020, 20:18:24 PM »
I am disabled and spend most of my day sitting in an armchair fairly close to our south facing bay window. When the sun is lower in the sky during autumn/winter and spring, we have to play silly games pulling each curtain separately to avoid glare on the TV and my computer screen during the morning, followed by the other curtain later in the day to avoid the sun shining right into my eyes. There is no way of re-arranging the room.

This hasn't been a problem until the last week or so when we bought a huge cat tree (hint: measure the space before buying. We have high ceilings and were so focused on getting one the right height that we didn't give any consideration to the width etc). Cookie loves the tree but it is now quite difficult for DH to get to a point where he can reach the curtains.

If we bought a corded curtain rail is there any way to adjust/replace the cording so that I could control the curtains individually from my chair? Or is there a way of doing something with the existing rail and hooks? The rail was already up when we bought the house in 1992 so we don't know what make it is.

11
Vintage Machines / Re: Elna Lotus SP
« on: July 16, 2020, 17:36:08 PM »
I have a Lotus TSP (well 2 actually, as I like the one I acquired with only 2 of the acrylic cover panels so much that I bought a slightly older one with the metal covers when I got the chance, intended for my granddaughter when she is older if she shows any interest in sewing). I sewed 8 sets of scrubs on the younger one during April and May. £40 was a very good price as they are sought after by quilters to take to classes and clubs etc.

Vintage Elnas are very pernickity about any little bits of thread caught in the bobbin area. My first TSP sewed much more smoothly once I had cleaned thoroughly, removing an inch of thread that I had no idea was there, and applied a couple of drops of oil to the oiling points. Apart from keeping them scrupulously thread free, it is recommended to hold onto both threads as you start a seam to avoid nesting underneath. I now do this for every machine that I use.

12
The Haberdashery / Re: Magnetic seam allowance guides for scissors
« on: June 28, 2020, 23:36:40 PM »
On the other hand, if you just want a stack of button magnets Amazon have loads to choose from.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/walolo-Strong-Magnets-Neodymium-Picture/dp/B07GFK5XFC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2I1KX7ED9SGLE&dchild=1&keywords=button+magnets+strong&qid=1593366260&sprefix=button+magnets%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-2


Thank you, BrendaP. I had no idea that magnets like that existed let alone were so reasonable in price. I see that there are packs of 20 1mm thick which would enable several widths.  I had heard of the 2 pencil arrangement but I want to be able to add more than 1/4 inch sometimes.

13
The Haberdashery / Magnetic seam allowance guides for scissors
« on: June 28, 2020, 17:41:48 PM »
https://www.debondtbv.com/magnetische-afstandhouder-voor-schaar-5-10mm-3x10st-663590.html?option=65043



These were suggested when I asked on a Dutch doll clothes FB page if there was a nifty gadget for adding seam allowances to paper patterns that don't have them, as I am afraid to just add as I am cutting fabric because I would almost certainly forget to do it every time. They don't seem to be available in the UK (although Barnyarns sell a different idea which attaches to scissors but I am not finding them easy to use). I have found them on sale in a Dutch online shop but the P&P makes them prohibitive for a single pair. P&P doesn't increase for at least 15 sets and so I wondered if there would be any interest if I bought several sets and sold them on the selling pages here? I don't want to profit from this idea, just bring down the cost of my own set. I have calculated that if I bought 5 they should be under £8 a set with postage within the UK, and that would reduce if more than 4 people wanted to join in.

14
Embroidery Machines / Re: Embroidery Software
« on: May 26, 2020, 13:46:47 PM »
Sorry - made a mistake.

15
Machine Accessories / Re: 1/4 inch stitch for Brother LS14
« on: May 21, 2020, 13:34:03 PM »
Are you asking about setting the size of the sewn stitches to 1/4 inch? Because that would be way too long for most sewing. As Iminei has described the 1/4 inch refers to the seam allowance.

I'm not familiar with your particular machine but whatever default stitch length it does is probably fine for the majority of things that you will want to sew, unless you want some sort of special affect.

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