The Holy Aprons!!!

I have been sewing like crazy lately on my "new" vintage sewing machines. 

Part of the reason is that I want to use up a lot of my huge stash of fabrics I have accumulated over the years.  Storage is getting to be a real issue for me. 

The other reason is that I want to be of service to the community.  So, I have gone back to making my design of aprons.  Why, you ask, do I sew aprons?  Well it is one item that I know will be appreciated by my area's church kitchens!  And with the scraps left over, I can make matching potholders. 

Over the last few years I have made and donated aprons to my home church.  This last weekend, I donated another 9 aprons that I made with gray cotton twill fabric and white cotton ties.  I donated these to another church -- the one my grandmother was instrumental in starting.

I have 10 yards of a nice 100% cotton chintz drapery fabric that I am thinking of using for the next church on my list.  I am planning to give them to my girlfriend's church by Christmas.

All Aboard the Viking Express Part Two

 

 

Well, I only thought it fair.  I had gotten all the bells and whistles for my beloved Necchi Lelia 515 sewing machine, so I had to do the same for my workhorse Viking 6030!

 

 

 

 

 

I have never seen a full set of these particular cams, and when I saw them on Ebay with the cam holder, I bought them immediately.  It has the rare I cam -- $80.



 

 

 

Cam K is apparently rare and hard to find, so it will be the next cam I add to my collection.

 

 

I found this information online, but I don't know how true it is, except I HAVE found B1!

 

"Not all Cams have the same decorative stitches even though they may have the same letter.

I have found so far: A3, A4, A5, B2, B13, C1, C12, D3, D4, D12, E, F, G, H, I, J, K

(on the side of the Cam in the middle is stamped with a letter and sometimes a number)

So there are more possibilities than you probably realized! "

 

I will sell the duplicate cams on the Yahoo Sewitsforsale site and get my money back -- keeping the camholder for a few of the rarer cams that I know are still out there!

 

 

 

My next purchase was this Viking 6000 series instruction handbook.  I think it completes the collection nicely.  The Viking 6030 will be my dedicated cam embrodiery machine. 

 

 

 

I hate those clip on low shank feet that Viking has!  So instead I bought Pfaff feet instead!

 

My Viking 6030 had to wait for several years to get these goodies, but he managed to get far more expensive goodies than my Necchi Lelia 515!

 

 

 

 

NECCHI LELIA MY LOVE PART TWO

You know by now I adore my "new to me" Necchi Lelia 515 sewing machine.  Therefore, I decided it needed all the jewelry and accessories that it had when it was a new machine. 

Joyfully, I discovered by looking on the Yahoo Necchi site that the proper cams for the Lelia were the same cams that the Necchi Nora used and memorized their outward appearance, then I immersed myself into the search.

First, I found the decorative stitch cams on Ebay.  Here is the ad:

"These cams are for an older Necchi sewing machine. There are 11 cams inside the cardboard tube. They are marked made in Italy. Part #'s are 9661400, 9661410, 9661430, 9661440, 9661980, 9661990, 9662020, 9662060, 9662070, 9662080, and 9662100. I know that they fit in the Necchi Nora because these part #'s are listed in the instruction manual."

 

 

On the Yahoo Necchi site I found out that the chrome rimmed hole to the right of the Necchi name on the front of the machine was actually the mechanism [when fitted with the proper dial and foot] to create buttonholes.

Then, I found this ad on Ebay, and decided I had to have it.  Right before my eyes are the needed feet, buttonhole dial, and buttonhole foot.

"This is a nice Necchi sewing machine parts set. I am not sure if the set is complete, but the case and all of the parts seem to be in great shape. Please see pictures.  A SET OF 9 FEET, BUTTONHOLER KNOB."

 

 

This auction features a removable dial key for the unique 5 step buttonhole.  The dial is removed or installed from the 0 position and the buttonhole is made via a unique 5 step process.  I have found a photo of a copy of a page from a manual showing the procedure for inserting the key dial and then forming the buttonholes and then removing the dial for normal sewing.

 

 

 

The white nylon lever below the slide plate controls the feed throw out.  Push down the lever to drop the feed dogs and raise the lever to place the feed dogs in the normal position.

 

 

 

Numbered presser foot tension indicator, Turning the chrome pressure adjusting knob moves the indicator on the face plate.

 

 

 

My Necchi Lelia 515 will now be my dedicated buttonhole machine, and I will install it in the "new" sewing machine cabinet!  I went to my friendly neighborhood thrift shop yesterday. They gave me free a Sears Kenmore sewing machine cabinet -- 1970's era!  It is not the most beautiful piece of furniture I ever saw, but it isn't the ugliest either.

 



Dinner in the Garden III

 

 

My mother left me a beautiful vintage set of Oneida Community Morning Star silver plate flatware, service for 8. This highly collectible pierced floral pattern dates back to 1948. 

 

Morning Star is perfect for traditional or modern settings. Deep sculptured carving and pierced detail add depth and richness to the floral design. It has the appearance of heavy hand-made silver. Every knife, fork and spoon in Community Silverplate has been made with Oneida's unique balanced plating process. This assures a heavy plating of pure silver scientifically placed on each piece for maximum life and additional layers of pure silver are placed on the back of most pieces at the points of greatest wear.

Dinner in the Garden II

 

 

I remember walking through the antique stores of Manhattan, Kansas during the 1970s.  That is where I fell in love with pink depression glass -- Dogwood in particular.  I was entranced and became obsessed with owning as much of the elegant ware as possible.

 

Dogwood is also known as Apple Blossom and Wild Rose, and was manufactored by the Macbeth Evans Glass Company from 1929 to 1932.  It is one of the most popular patterns produced.  Made in pink, green, crystal [clear], monax [white], cremax [beige], and yellow; it is most abundant in pink. 

 

My mother had a few serving pieces of pink depression glass in the Hocking Lace Edge pattern.  I inherited them as well. 

 

 

During this education in the world of glass, I found the wonders of the simple undecorated blank stemware produced by Bartlett Collins Co.  This glassware was called "blanks" because they were produced to sell to other glass factories to be etched with their own custom patterns before re-sale to the public.  But I like the plain pillar optic design of the pieces without embellishment.  The pink crystal is lovely, and goes with any of the pink glass patterns perfectly.

Come With Me To My Garden -- at Dinnertime

My mother left me an historic and beautiful display of antique eggshell nautilus china Ferndale by Homer Laughlin.  Eggshell Nautilus china was designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead and sold by the Homer Laughlin China Company from 1937 until the 1950's when the pattern was discontinued. The eggshell design was one of the company's most popular china styles and was described by some as a joy to behold.  Elegant scrollwork was the hallmark 

of this delicate china.  While the Homer Laughlin China Company is still in business today, eggshell nautilus china, originally sold through catalog sellers, such as Montgomery Ward and Sears, now offers only a memory and a glimpse of the past.

Finest Quality, Lightweight Eggshell Ferndale pattern N1577, made by Homer Laughlin form 1937 to about 1950 in Newell, West Virginia, USA. It is a hard to find pattern and is in the Eggshell Nautilus line.  Eggshell made by Homer Laughlin, was made in two forms of Nautilus; original and eggshell.  Eggshell is the lightweight version. Eggshell Nautilus has a pedestal foot and a smooth handle.  Both patterns have a shell-look shape to them.

Delicately covered in pink and yellow roses on background of lovely floral sprays is the motif of the elegant pattern.  Wide ivory border, usually found on only the finest china, genuine 22KT gold line on rim and gold color line on inner circle.  Embossed rim gives the final touch aristocratic distinction to this deluxe quality dinnerware.  The bottom of the piece has the stamp of HLC Eggshell Nautilus. 

 

Necchi Lelia My Love!

 

I just found a Necchi Lelia 515 sm in a case at the thrift shop today for $10! It looks to be in great shape, and I can't wait til I get home to play with it!

This machine was built in Italy between 1963 and 1971 with all metal internals and a cast metal body and was designed for household use.   The 515 Lelia was the top of the Lelia line.  These machines where very well made with great precision by Necchi and this is demonstrated by the quiet hum of this machine as it works effortlessly through both heavy and light materials. 

It is built like a tank,  runs like a dream, and will outlast any modern machine.  The cams are interchangeable with the ones for the Necchi Nora and are very hard to find.  I have my eye on four of them as we speak.  Wish me luck!  There is a built in buttonhole attachment for the Lelia but I doubt I will ever find one.

Here is more information about Necchi sewing machines.

BC Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Black; Italy

BCJ Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Black; Italy

BF Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Black, Green, or Pink; Italy

BF Mira Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Gray; Italy

BF Supernova Flat Bed; Straight Stitch; Oscillating Hook; Gray; Italy; 1955-1962

BU Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Black or Green; Italy 1948-1953

BU Mira Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Olive; Italy; 1952-1956

BU Nova Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Dark Green or Black; Italy; 1953

BU Supernova Flat Bed; Manual Zig Zag; Oscillating Hook; Gray; Italy; 1955-1958

Esperia Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Italy; 1958-1961

Miracle Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Black; Italy 1955

Miranda Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Olive; Italy; 1961

Supernova Ultra Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Automatic zig zag; insertable cams; Italy; 1958-1963

510 Lelia; Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Straight Stitch; Pink/Cream; Italy; 1961

512 Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Cream & Green; 1963-1971

513 Lelia; Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; Buttonhole; Pink/Cream;
Italy; 1961

514 Nora; Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Automatic; Insertable Cams; Gray or Pink;
Italy; 1957-1961

515 Lelia, Flat Bed; Automatic with BH; Insertable cams; Cream & Pink; Italy;
1963-1971

522 Lycia; Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag; White; Italy; 1955

523 Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Manual Zig Zag with BH; Pink; Italy 1963-1971

524 Lycia; Free Arm; Oscillating Hook; Automatic; Insertable Cams; White;
Italy; 1955

525 Flat Bed; Automatic with BH; Italy; 1963-1971

530 Mirella; Free Arm; Straight Stitch; Convertible to handcrank; Pink; Italy;
1963-1971

532 Flat Bed; Manual Zig Zag; Oscillating Hook; Pink/Cream; Italy; 1954-1962

534 Supernova Julia; Flat Bed; Oscillating Hook; Automatic with BH; Insertable Cams;
Lavender; Italy; 1961-1971

544 Lydia; Free Arm; Rotary Hook; White; Italy; 1962-1971

554 Flat Bed; Automatic with BH; Cream & Beige; Italy; 1963-1971