Reconstruction Part 1 - My New Skirt

What to do with a knit jumper your teenage daughter will no longer wear and you couldn't get into if you tried? A picture is worth a thousand words... here's several thousand for you:

It isn't easy being green - but it sure is sweet!

So, I’m getting into the Green thing.  Green meaning recycle, reuse, repeat…  Since my greenery includes reconstructing garments and clothing accessories I have a preoccupation with vintage Singer sewing machines.  I find they sew like nobody’s business, they last forever and can take a serious beating.  The downside, all of mine are straight stitch only – that is, until today when I managed to cop this lovely green beauty off Craigslist this morning.  A Singer 319W – the third zig zag machine Singer made (preceded by 206 and 306, which were basic zig zag stitch machines).  This beauty has multiple fashion discs which allow her to sew zig zag as well as a variety of fancy stitches. 

 

Here’s what I got:  the machine, the ORIGINAL manual, a box of feet attachments, a double needle (these are really hard to find), a box full of bobbins, the original and matching green pedal and cord (many of the 319s found today have had their cords replaced and are black or brown), the original brass Singer lint brush and a feed dog plate – although these feed dogs can be dropped down.  But wait! There’s more – the original sewing machine cabinet!

 

All for $25 bucks!  Hoo-rah!  And that folks is my sweet deal of the week (hence the mango in the pic).

Tie Block Tee

I truly love making these tie blocks. They are fast becoming my signature by steadily creeping into my wardrobe. I promise to stop before they reach my undergarments. I draw the line at tie block undies. But then again, they are silk...

Ghetto thread stand - but it works!

My mom found large spools of thread dirt cheap at a thrift store, so now I have all these large spools of thread that don't fit on my machine... What to do? Ghetto Thread Stand! I took my largest cone of thread and set it as my stand. Then took a long size 11 (any size needle that's long and thick enough to keep from slipping through the bobbin) aluminum knitting needle and placed it inside the spool, point up. Place an empty bobbin atop the needle point. Next, a large spool of sewing thread (this is the working spool) sit it on top of the bobbin so the bobbin allows the cone to float above the base cone and spins freely... Voila! A thread stand that spins freely. You may need to play with your thread tension a bit. And, you'll need to hold the stand firmly when winding bobbins but that's it. Enjoy.

It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's an A-bike!

A Sinclair A-bike to be exact. One of the smallest and lightest personal transport devices available today. Although I'd love to use this bike for daily travel, it's only built for short combined commutes, like a ride to the train or quick travel distances after jumping off the bus.

Pros: This baby is only 12 lbs and folds up into its own backpack. You could carry this bike on a plane and fit it in the overhead. Nice.

Cons: Holy cow is the seat uncomfortable! But, it can easily be changed and it will! I love this new fangled transportation gadget. More pics and info to come soon. In the meantime, check out www.a-bikecentral.com for more info. Oh yeah, and watch out for those asian counterfeit bikes - they're mass produced and all over the net.