Josh got home and helped me with a few things. First, we installed the pegs that allow the left hand tray / fabric support to rest securely on the left-hand doors. Next, we installed the longer footers on the foot rest.
This is how we plan to store the cabinet overnight. Will we be running into in the dark? I also have my drafting table chair pushed in because that is an important element. I need to measure how high it is, seat to ground, in case we decide (I decide!) if having to move a chair room to room is a major inconvenience. If so, I will need to know how far up or down a chair can go when and if I buy another one.
If you look into the foot space of the cabinet, you can see that my machine is lowered and the plug / machine cover is in place.
This is a view from the other side of the table which gives a better view of the plug on the top of the machine.
The Next Day . . .
Okay, overnight I stored it like this, both shelves on, folded in, and chair in place. No one got nailed in the middle of the night!
Now, in use . . .
I have set up the cabinet as I want to use it today. The extension table is out to support the rotary cutting mat. The left side has had its tray removed and stowed in a storage area in the footwell of the cabinet. The left side drawers are folded back so that the cabinet can be rolled in closer to the wall. My old typing table from the last century (I think even 1970s) is supporting a portable tabletop ironing board. The iron itself rests on a silicon mat so it won’t burn the ironing board cover. Time to iron and then sew another quilt square – and there are 4 in this pattern, so off I go!
Yep, the sewing cabinet arrived yesterday. No drums or Main Street parades, but locked up dogs and both front doors open. This is a floor model of a cabinet made by Koala Studios, and the quality is superb. Even better, it’s domestic, and that makes me quite happy.
Warning! Lots of external links to Flickr (where you can enlarge any image) and watch a video I made of the machine support going up and down.
Tim, from Kingdom Sewing, along with his kids and a friend, delivered it. The whole process went smoothly and quickly. Tim explained this and that, as well as showed how things work. Let us begin!
The cabinet against its blank wall. I have to fill up that space! It stands between the door to the hallway and the bathroom in the master bedroom. It matches the oak trim and base board (removed and not yet replaced, sigh), but doesn’t work with the floor. My opinion.
If you enlarge the photo above by going to Flickr (click on picture), you will see the plug that covers the machine lift that lowers and hides the machine into the cabinet. The cabinet itself measures 53-54 inches wide, 26 inches deep, 33 inches high. An extension table in the back doubles the depth of the table to 52 inches.
In the US, 29.5 inches is a pretty standard height for work surfaces, so I am actually a bit higher up than at the dining table, where I currently do all my sewing.
The cabinet rolls about extraordinarily easily and smoothly with very high quality casters that can be locked into place. It moves far more easily than my smaller white sewing cabinet. Wow! is all I can say to that.
Another image of the cabinet closed, with my floor lamp I use. It will be on the left side when I sew. If you click on this image (and any) you will go to my Flickr page. Admire the paint can we use as a door stop . . . and I need to get something on that wall above the cabinet. Ikea pegboards? A painting? Shelves? Walruses and peanut butter?
Here, the machine plug has been removed, a rubber cushioning mat (to cut down on vibration and to protect the surface from any ickiness under the machine), and a machine placed on top.
Here the cabinet is opened. My flashlight is on top. The doors are opened and folded to accommodate the shelves that can be mounted on top of them. Each shelf has pegs that you attach to the bottom of the shelf. These shelf pegs then can be inserted into holes on the tops of the folding doors and locked into place. The doors can be moved around or locked into place by locking the wheels.
This is the left side of the cabinet. The shelf is smooth. It can be used to support a serger, swung in to support fabric at the far left of the cabinet, or swung in closer to support long, as opposed to wide, bits of fabric, when the extension is fully to the left.
There are three drawers on the left of the machine, and because of the taller height of the cabinet, there is also a shelf cubby for a shallow storage container. To the right of the bottom drawer you can see a shelf. This is a foot rest. It comes with different footings so I can make it higher if I want – this is great for either tall people (shorter footings) or short people (taller footings). I haven’t figured out what I need yet – I have to see if I want to buy another chair or just use the one in the studio at the drafting table.
The right side of the sewing cabinet is wide open, with the doors swung as far back as they can go. The notion tray is on the top. In the back left, you will see some black – these are holes into which I can place scissors to hang down. The other indentations can hold things that might roll around, such as spools of thread or a bobbin.
Again, you can see the foot rest on the bottom part of the cabinet, and the cubby at the top of the drawers. On the left side of the open space (knee space) is the left side of the motorized machine lift, which is currently up. The indentation on the top of the cabinet shows you this.
This is the notion tray. The two black rings are for scissors. If you look closely at the lower left, you will see the power switch, “on” with the blue light apparent, that allows you to raise or lower the machine support as you desire.
Here is the power switch, turned on. As you can see, there is also a “remote control” for the machine lift! I can have it on or off.
Remote control! Notice the different shape of the up and down buttons? How clever is that? I did a phone video of the lift going up and down with a machine on it. I filmed it with my cell phone and triggered it with the remote control. When I try to put it into this post, there are weird gaps above and below it, so click on this link to see it if you want: https://flic.kr/p/2kNLDU8
The extension is supported by two flanges which roll out. The one on the left is snug against the undersurface of the extension, but the one on the right needs some help. It flops around a bit. That is a problem to be solved in the not too distant future . . . As you can see, there are also holes for electrical cords, one at the top for lamps, and one at the bottom for the machine lift on the motor. I am still working that out how I want to set it up.
Here you can see how smoothly the extension sits next to the table itself. This prevents snagging of fabric as you sew.
I’ve rolled the cabinet out and lifted up the extension, holding it in place with two supporting panels which swing out. The machine is totally raised up and resting on a rubber mat which will prevent damage to the surface of the machine support.
Smudge is here to supervise. She likes a photo op whenever possible. (Or is it a photo bomb?)
Sewing machine in place, notions tray in place.
Nice hardware, baby!
Ready to sew! Good light, adjustable chair, table extension, notions tray.
And there you have it! It will take a bit to work out how to do things and figure out what will work to my liking and my needs.
The extension table will be useful to support large items I am sewing. An issue with it is that one of the extensions appears to be a little short. Lopsided floor? I will have to move the cabinet around a bit to determine the situation, have Josh look at it, and / or call Tim.
I will want to put a mat under the chair to keep from wearing out the flooring when I roll around. The chair is adjustable in height, but may be a bit too wide and too deep for proper support when sewing for a long time. Lumbar support means a less deep chair if it is going to work. The foot rest inside the cabinet may need to be raised with the longer footings. I prefer to have my knees up and bent a bit, not dangling or having my toes lower than my heels. The chair itself is nice as it has a foot rest on it, but may not be the best when sewing. Again, that will need to be worked out.
The notion and side trays must be locked in on top of the folding doors. If not, they will topple off and break or otherwise get damaged. I managed to do it by myself, but that screwdriver needs to be close at hand!
Altogether, I think this is going to be a great bit of furniture to use while sewing. There is a lot it has to offer and adapts to situations and needs.
Well, I have actually been doing it over the last few weeks
At long last, it is just a few days before the delivery of my new, and final, sewing cabinet. I’ve been waiting for it for 3 weeks. It has drawers and shelves, so hopefully the mess that is my sewing, strewn about the house, will not be focused in one area, and easy to tidy up.
Years ago I had a tiny room off my kitchen in an old and odd boarding house I lived in during the 70s which served beautifully. Good light, built-in wall ironing board. I used a student desk as a sewing table and spent hours in pure bliss. Now, nearly 50 years later, after testing out with a small sewing table in the bedroom, the investment is made. Good light, room to move, and a whole wall to myself.
To accommodate this new member to the household, a domino effect has to happen. Stuff needs moving, discarding, rearranging. I couldn’t do it in one day. This cabinet is made by Koala Cabinets, manufactured in the USA, and beautifully finished. Not cheap. My local sewing machine store sold me their floor model for a reasonable price and are delivering it this coming Tuesday night. The reason? Koala has revamped their sewing cabinet line to become more modular, as well as more cost-efficient to manufacture, but not less in quality.
Below is an old YouTube video that shows the manufacturing of their cabinets, which I think is absolutely fascinating. You can find more info online, of course.
Yeah, so I want it now. Instead, more work has to be done on revamping and moving and reshelving stuff, but in the long run, the effort is worth it: less junk and clutter! I think the arrival and using the new sewing cabinet will not be outpaced by my anticipation!
I carry a lot of things in my pockets. I put my phone in, my keys, money, a small wallet with ID. At times my pockets carry lens caps, tissue, paper towels, pens or pencils or markers. If I can stash things in pockets, I would rather do that than go out with a purse slung on a shoulder.
A pocket is a bag– or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag or pouch.
That works for me. Pockets have been found as bags to carry items, such as with Otzi the Iceman, bags worn under clothing with slits to access them, and so on. It’s good to have them to carry things, leaving hands free. Backpacks and other types of bags (fanny packs, butt bags, whatever, be you English or American 😉 ) are all useful ways to tote.
And then there is a “poke” – a dialectical word for a pocket, used in mountain areas to this day in the US. “A pig in a poke” leaves a lot to the imagination.
So, why pockets?
Sewing. I love sewing, and have decided to work on expanding my skills as well as knowledge. Hand sewing is an art I have long enjoyed, and have set myself the task of improving those skills, such as hand sewing a 17th century shift in linen. (Nearly done!) I have also collected some books on medieval clothing, Tudor, and Regency era clothing. Hand sewing was done in all those eras. But, as I also like modern clothing, I have decided to improve my machine skills, such as with my serger / overlocker and coverstitch machines. All this in addition to my first love, painting.
Back to pockets.
Burnley & Trowbridge have a whole YouTube series on sewing pockets that tie around your waist, accessible through your clothing. Very simple and elegant. Here is the first video in the process:
And there is a book that I just bought, by Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux:
Definitely a great read so far – scholarly, thought-provoking, and a great look at the humble pocket.
However, is it just utilitarian? Nope! Pockets can also be works of art, with fine embroidery, as seen on the cover of the book above. They are also included in the wardrobes of dolls form long ago. You can read about pockets at England’s great Victoria & Albert Museum.
Besides the V&A,  VADS has a whole series of pictures and information about pockets – 373 to be exact – of accounts of material bought for pockets, paintings with pockets, dolls clothed with pockets, children and adult clothing with pockets. Scroll through it – it is a stunning resource for pockets and all kinds of other things. Words cannot describe the visual richness and historical treasures found at these sites. Here is an image of a doll, skirts flying, and pocket showing:
And so, I will leave you with thoughts of the humble pocket. I have plenty on me today – two in my fleece vest, two big ones in my pants. I am a very happy girl, I assure you. If it ’twere true I had on socks, I could also use those for pockets. (We won’t discuss my underwear.)
Pocketses are truly precious. Gollum knows. So do I. So do you.
Where to begin? The best laid plans of mice and women can tumble away into oblivion. What once was planned is now unplanned. Chaos moves in and takes the reins. So be it.
Let us begin with yesterday. It started well enough. The Factory Dress is complete with only the need for a bit of top stitching along the front and a dab of fray check on a spot. That never happened because I set it aside for a quieter moment when I had the No. 5 open to sew a muslin (toile) for a shirt I am planning for Josh. I laid out the pattern and cut out the necessary pieces so the muslin could be basted together. But first, to be a good sewing machine owner, I determined I should oil my trusty and unrusty No. 5.
I popped open the machine to access the metal parts beneath the machine itself. And pop it did. The stretchy drive band I use on it snapped. Pure hell as these stretchy bands need to be melted together with a steady flame, a steady hand, and a lot of patience.
Let’s take a time out. I will not repeat what I said.
Okay. Moving on, the melting of and mending of the drive band for the No. 5 did not take place. Attempted and failed. Thus, I oiled the lovely girl and pondered my options whilst doing so. I finally decided to try, for the second or third time, to install the traditional leather drive band, of which I have several. Historically I have tried and failed each time. To succeed at last required thought. To YouTube for what to do in order for a successful installation. This was my fortunate and happy find – lengthy, wordy, informative.
From there, it was planning and thinking. I needed to cut the leather drive band to the correct length. I needed to make a hole it the other end. Should be easy enough, but past experience showed me that the leather is hard to cut with a pair of ordinary scissors. The hole is hell to make as the rounded band rolls to and fro, escaping as you make the hole. I don’t have a drill I can use without adult supervision. And, accessing the grooved wheel is a bitch to get to. I had to plot. The under carriage of the No. 5 is a tight fit, and I am no longer my svelte and agile younger self.
The under carriage of The Free No. 5 – here the leather drive band is installed. Behind it you can see the drawers that were in the way.
In the end, it was so simple to reach the wheel I was stunned. I pulled out all the drawers on the side of The Free No. 5 to access the drive wheel. Before doing that, I was reaching inside from the knee space. Moving the machine away from the wall helped a bit, but not a lot. Removing the drawers for easy access was amazing. Click on the pictures to read the little captions below each one.
Drive band wheel hidden behind the drawers.
No drawers! If you look at 3:00, you will see the little cut out in the wheel to allow the easy movement of the drive band through the system, from one side to the other.
Next, inserting the drive band to wind it around the wheel to get the correct length. There is a slot in the wheel to help you guide the band around, but I didn’t do that at first. I didn’t think about it, just thought, hmm, interesting. Of course, if the manual mentions it, I don’t know as I didn’t look. Moving on, the drive band got stuck quite tightly where it shouldn’t. I had to pull and tug on it while turning the wheel. In between, I cleaned up the dust behind the machine. At least I had stretched out the drive band as recommended in the above video.
Three choices of drive band – two stretchy ones of different diameters, and one traditional leather drive band, complete with staple for attaching to the other end.
Finally loose, stretched in the machine and across my shoulders as suggested in the video, I reinserted it for the 5th time, using that nifty little groove to guide it from top to bottom and back to the top. I measured, and cut. Then, make the hole needed to join one end of the drive band with the other. A jig of wood and tape to keep the band steady, a hammer, a fine nail. All ready to reinsert, top to bottom to top, and then splice. Again, click on the pictures below to read the nifty little captions below each one.
Tools to nail hole in drive band, with pliers and cutter to make a smooth end.
The jig is up and ready to go! The drive band was taped in place, the nail held steady in my dainty fingers, and slow tapa-tapas of the sledge hammer to nail the drive band to the jig.
My adventure was done. The belt was installed. My dirty floor was a bit cleaner. The splice was beautiful as I had a great pair of pliers to make a smooth cut as well as to press the wire flat into the drive band. All came together as if it were meant to be. It only took about three hours of my day, but I have emerged victorious and well educated on installing a leather drive band on a 110-year-old sewing machine.
Leather queen indeed.
An electric-powered sewing machine would have been easier, but not as much fun.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 