Nearly Done and a New Sewing Machine

The crown is sitting on the brim here but not sewn on yet

I'm further ahead in my sewing than I've explained on this blog. Last night I couldn't stop working, so I only paused long enough to take pictures. I'll post those later. I am ready to sew the very last seam, now, but the hat is so bulky there and the seam so difficult to reach that my reliable little New Home machine isn't up to it. In fact, last night the motor was showing signs of stress.

I know a free arm will allow me to sew this difficult seam, which attaches the crown to the brim. However, my machine doesn't have that feature. Luckily, my neighbor, Jan Sinclair, gave me her machine when she moved into assisted living a few months ago. I hadn't used it yet, so I opened the case to look, and yes! it does have a free arm!

A free arm is just a feature of some home sewing machines where part of the bulk of the machine under the needle -- the machine table -- slips off, leaving only a very narrow bit there. You can easily sew pant legs and shirt cuffs with a free arm, since you can poke that narrow bit into small areas to sew. Free arm machines are convertible, so you can sew with the wide table if you prefer. It's a nice option.

Jan's machine is a nice old metal Kenmore. My kind of machine! I tried it briefly, and it seems to run fine, but I gave it a good oiling before going further. It is very clean inside. I'll bet she hardly used it. It is really like a new machine.

Oiling the "new" machine

It's a lovely, rainy Sunday afternoon here. Though Christmas has come and gone, the leaves are just falling from my backyard maple trees. The ground is a russet gold color so intense I can almost smell it. I took the photo below to show you, but it is not as impressive as the real thing. Can you see the pair of sandhill cranes in the distance at the left?

Stay tuned...