Purple Flower Shirt Refashion

It was the purple flowers that caught my eye on this fabric. Originally sewn into pajamas, this fabric was looking for a bit of an update to take it from lonely item on the sale rack to new item in my wardrobe. It was priced at 70 cents and there was a lot of fabric to play around with, so the pajamas came home.

Front view

From the back

The tag said made in India and there was no size label, but it was too big on me so I'm guessing XL or XXL. I started by taking in the sides and sleeves to get a better fit and plan A was to make a tunic or dress. A t-shirt that fit me well helped me see how much to take in on each side. I basted the sides and then tried the pajamas on my dress form.

There was quite a bit to take in on the sides

After the sides were basted in, I tried playing with the length. If it went below my knees, it still looked like pajamas. If I shortened it a bit to wear with tights or jeans, it still felt like too much fabric. I settled on plan B and made it about the same length as a t-shirt.

Inside out before sides are finished

The side seams on this shirt are finished with my new-to-me serger. This is the third serger I have bought and it's the first one that has worked. It's a Brother 1034D and it seems to have finished the seams pretty well. I look forward to learning more about how to use the serger, but this was a good first project.

Serged seams, is the thread sticking out too far from the edge of the fabric?

Oops, I sewed a pucker into the side.  That will have to come out

Pucker eliminated

With the side seams done, I pinned the hem and sleeve lengths and used my Bernina 830 to sew those in. The fit well now, but I thought it still needed some embellishment on the front. The shirt definitely has a vintage look, so I searched my odds and ends box for buttons, snaps, etc. that would liven things up. I found some embroidered flowers that came from an estate sale a couple summers ago. I stitched three of these on to the front panel by hand. Lastly, I added some purple centers to the flowers to coordinate with the purple flowers in the fabric.

Flowers stitched on

Adding purple centers

The weather around here isn't going to call for a short sleeve shirt any time soon, but I'll have this shirt ready in my closet when the time comes. Here it is finished on the dress form.

I think the white flowers were a great addition

Loose fitting, but not several sizes too big

Kept the pleats in the back

Freeing Up A Bernina 830 Presser Foot Bar

From the very beginning, when I got this Bernina 830 thirdhand, it was clear that the original owner had taken pride in her machine and had done regular maintenance on the machine. The second owner may not have ever even used the machine and it had sat in storage for several years. After a good cleaning and oiling, the machine sewed a great straight, reverse, and zig-zag stitch. My first indication that something was wrong was when I tried changing the foot to try out an embroidery stitch.  I lifted the foot lever to the top position and switched out the feet. When I went to release the foot lever the lever went down easily, but the presser foot bar did not move.  It was stuck in the raised position.  I cleaned again, lubricated with Tri-Flow, and now it moved only slightly and would not return all the way to the lowest position.  I tried applying heat with a hairdryer and that did loosen things up, but it was temporary and when the machine cooled down again it went right back to not releasing.  After triple-checking my work, I was a bit puzzled and tried to understand what could possibly be sticking.  I ended up taking the screw out from the top of the presser foot bar.

Presser foot bar screw

There is a large spring under this screw and it popped out before I was ready. I had to listen for the small screw to land after flying through the air. Next time, I'll keep my fingers over the screw as I'm loosening it.

Large spring with small screw on the end

 Looking down into the bar, I could see some discoloration that was probably dried lubricant. Using q-tips and alcohol, I cleaned as far down into the hole as I could reach.

Definitely removing something that was causing the bar to stick

Foot lever in the back always moved with ease

As I worked, I would keep trying to move the foot lever up and down. It moved smoothly from the start, but eventually the bar itself was also moving up and down freely. I know that the spring applies pressure to push the foot down but, I keep cleaning until the bar moved without any added pressure.

Looking down into the presser foot bar after it was cleaned

Here's a short clip that shows the movement inside the cleaned presser foot bar when the lever is adjusted.

Eventually, when I raised and lowered the foot lever, the presser foot bar moved in unison. I put the spring and screw back in and put the top back down. Good news, unlike the heat application that was a temporary fix, cleaning the presser foot bar has proved to provide long term results. Now we're ready to sew.

Here She Comes, Ms. Universal

In the spotlight

When she came home from a garage sale in October, Ms. Universal was in need of some work before she would be ready to compete in any pageant competitions. Since then, she has had her chrome polished, paint shined, motor cleaned, belt changed, insides cleaned and lubricated, wiring checked, and foot controller cleaned.  Now she is ready to take her place on stage with all the other contestants.

Her facial treatments didn't eliminate all the age spots, but as a senior competitor in the pageant she looks fantastic for her age. 

She has a slim and angular body with a distinctive stitch-length selector surrounding the reverse lever.  The feed dog release knob is on the right, below the made in Japan badge.  

The upper thread tension wheel is on the back of the machine

The teal motor matches Ms. Universal's outfit

You can see a bit of Ms. Universal's built-in sewing light peeking out below her nameplate on the back.  There is also a well-polished access panel above the motor and an adjustable-height spool pin located on the top of the machine.

Hand wheel and bobbin-winder all shined up

For the talent portion of the competition, Ms. Universal executes flawless stitches in a variety of lengths moving both forwards and backwards.  She is careful not to miss a stitch and keeps consistent tension at all times.

Flipped back on her hinges

A quick glance at Ms. Universal's undercarriage reveals inner workings that are clean, strong, and efficient.  

Attachments and foot controller

Ms. Universal comes with her own entourage.  A color-coordinated foot controller and accessory box with extra feet, attachments, and unused bobbins are included.

Ms. Universal insists on using her own private travel service.  And while she is not a dainty lady with a featherweight physique, Ms. Universal is often conveyed about town in her own personalized teal case.  She travels in style.

I have had fun getting to know Ms. Universal.  The judges are still counting the final votes, but I really do think she has a chance at the crown.  After all, in the interview when asked what she thinks our society needs Ms. Universal answered "more people who enjoy sewing." Yes, that and world peace.