Klemmepose -- Bag for Clothes Pins

     For ni år siden skrev jeg et indlæg med præcis den samme titel. Det er her. Nu er den nye klemmepose ikke ny længere. Der var huller i, den trængte kort sagt til at blive skiftet ud. Spirillen, der er den, der hænger det meste tøj op, sagde jeævnligt:"Åh, mor, nu har du igen ikke syet en ny klemmepose!"
     Og i går skete det søreme. Først et billede af den ikke længere nye klemmepose:

-- 👕 --

   Nine years ago I made a blog post with the very same title. You can find it  here. Now the nice, new bag is not new and efficine any longer. It's holey and worn out. Marsupilami, whose chore is the hanging of clothes complauined often:"Mum, all the pegs are falling out, please make a new bag!" 
  And yesterday it happened. First a photo of the once new, now old bag

Slidt op! -- Worn out!

     Spirillen har testet og godkendt den nye klemmepose.

  Marsupilami testing and approving the new clothes pin bag.

     Denne gang syede jeg på min nye, gamle symaskine. Det var herligt! Ingen brækkede eller bøjede nåle og det hele gik glat.

-- 🧵 --

This time around I used my new, old sewing mashine. It was wonderful, no broken or bend needles, everything just worked!

Japansk knudepose -- Japanese Knot Bag

   Tja, hvor japanske de faktisk er, er et godt spørgsmål. Men de er sjove. Uglemor har syet et par stykker. Naturligvis på den vidunderlige maskine der stadig syr som en drøm.

How Japanese these bags really are, is a good question (that's what MotherOwl always answers, when no answer will be forthcoming). But they're fun to make and great for carrying stuff around. MotherOwl has made several so far.Of course using the wonderful machine, it is still stitching along as good as new.

    Første forsøg - en kirsebærblomst-inspireret sag (jeg ved altså godt at det er roser, men de havde den rette pinke farve). Mønsteret ligger i mange forskellige udgaver på nettet, men de lider af den fælles fejl, at de er bredere end de er høje, og da der går lidt højde fra til knuden, er det slet ikke smart. se bare på billedet med den lyserøde side ud, strikkepindene - en kort model oven i købet - stikker jo ud foroven.

- o 0 o -

First try. A cherry flower-inspired knitting bag (I know it is roses, but they're pink). The pattern can be found in several corners of  the internet. They have a common source, MotherOwl thinks, as they suffer from the common flaw of being wider than they're long. When the knot then takes up part of the length, it's not that smart. Look at the photo of the bag turning the pink side out. The knitting pins are too long - and they're even short ones.

     Næste forsøg: længere og en anelse bredere for et harmonisk udseende. Nu er strikkepindene indenbords. Kort sagt, Uglemor har fundet sin model.
     Denne her er bare blå indeni.  Den er lidt sjov at sy. Der skal klippes fire dele, to spejlvendte af hver farve, så syes toppen af stropperne og bundene op til udfor åbningen  farvevis sammen ret mod ret, Dernæst propper man de to dele ind i hinanden og syr ret mod ret mønstret mod ensfarvet rundt i midterhullet. Så vender man tasken rigtigt og syr de to ydre hankehuller i hånden - det er i hvert fald hvad Uglemor gør. Der kan godt være, der er en smartere måde, men 3D-tænkning er ikke Uglemors spidskompetence, og det her virker.

- o 0 o -

Next try, longer and just a teeny bit wider for a harmonious look. It is perfect, the knot is tight, and the knitting pins stay inside. MotherOwl has found her way of doing it. This one is plain blue inside.
It's a bit - if not a lot tricky to sew the bag. You cut four parts two monochrome and two with patterns - they are mirror images.  First step is sewing the two bags' bottom seams and top of straps. Each colour together with itself. Then the bags are put into one another and the top hole sewed in one long seam multicoloured and monochrome to one another. Then the bag is put into its right place and the sides of the straps are dome by hand. At least that's how MotherOwl does it. Smarter ways might exist if you search the web, but MotherOwl's brain cannot wrap itself around too much 3D-thinking. If this is "Japanese" to you, how to's are easy to find in English.

     Spirillen fik lov at vælge stof til en gymnastikpose - og valgte præcis de samme to stoffer som Uglemor allerede havde brugt til den blå strikkepose. Mønsteret blev forstørret, gjort endnu noget længere og lidt bredere. Det er nemmere at sy den i stor størrelse. Her fik sømmene rundt i åbningerne en ekstra stikning på maskine for at holde til sliddet.

Marsupilami wanted a bag to use as gym bag. And he choose the exact same fabrics as MotherOwl had used for the blue knitting bag. That boy has taste. It's way easier to make a bigger one. The pattern was enlarged, and once again made longer and a bit wider. An extra seam was made around the holes for longevity.

     Og så en lille en. Den er ca 25 cm fra top til bund og syet i vatteret julestof - urgh, Der var ikke andet i restekassen. Det var ikke nemt at sy de sidste huller i stropperne sammen, men den passer helt perfekt til Uglemors kamera. Den beskytter mod stød og snavs og er let at få øje på.

- o 0 o -

And then a small one. Made form quilted Christmas fabric (Meh, it was the only quilted fabric in the stash bin). It's 25 cm from top of strap to bottom. It is for MotherOwl's camera, shock proof, protecting, and easy to find.

Symaskinen -- The Sewing Machine

     Til den gamle håndsymaskine var der flere underlige fødder. Ud over den helt almindelige, var der en rynkefod (?), en lynlåsfod og så en fire fem mere og mere vildt udseende fødder. De to mest almindelige legede Uglemor lidt med, og fandt faktisk ud af at bruge. Den første var en trykfod til fremstilling og påsyning af skråbånd i én arbejdsgang. Den virker også med præfabrikerede skråbånd.

- o 0 o -

The old hand crank sewing machine came with a green box full of accessories. Of course a normal presser foot, a zipper foot and a shirring foot - their uses are obvious. But the rest ... they looked scary in varying degrees. Some of the less scary were these two presser feet. Ons is called a binder. It makes and attaches bias tape in one go. It also works with pre-made bias tape.

Skråbåndsfod  --  Binder

• Skråbånd syet på i én arbejdsgang. rød overtråd og gul undertråd bare for synlighedens skyld. 
• Bias tape attached in one go Upper thread is red and lower thread is yellow. Just for visibility. 

     Den anden nogenlunde normalt udseende fod er en sømfolder. Den folder en smal søm ind og syr den fast. Vældig smart og tidsbesparende.

- o 0 o -

The other somewhat peaceful looking foot is a hemmer. It folds in a small hem and sews it. Very practical and efficient.

Sømfolder  --  The hemmer

• Søm, syet med foden. Jeg skulle lige lære det. 
• Hem made with the hemmer. A steep learning curve. 

     De resterende fødder ligner små fabrikker. Uglemor kender ikke de danske navne på sådan nogle, og det er meget anstrengende at læse en engelsk brugsanvisning, hvor hvert andet ord skal slås op. Billederne her er klippet fra manualen. Måske burde jeg fotografere dem. Især den midterste ser meget imponerende ud.

 - o 0 o -

 The last of the feet looks like mini-machines. MotherOwl finds it very hard to try and decrypt the user's manual. Every 3rd word calls for a dictionary. Danish names for these beauties are so far unknown. The pictures are copy-pasted from the manual. Maybe a photo would be better. Especially the middle one looks very impressing in real life.
 

Edge-stitcher, ruffler and an adjustable hemmer

Furoshiki 2

     Som sagt, døde min trofaste symaskine eller rettere den døde næsten. Hvis man kilder den det rigtige sted og holder på den helt korrekte måde, så virker den. Derfor bliver den da heller ikke afskaffet foreløbigt. Men hvad nu med mit halvvejs sømmede furoshiki, de lagener der skulle sys ... og alt det andet.
     Så gravede jeg en anden elektrisk maskine frem, som jeg ikke rigtig ved, hvor kommer fra, Den virkede god og solid, men så ... da også, spoleholderen sad ikke rigtigt i, og ville slet ikke gå i hak. Som en sidste udvej fandt jeg en tredje maskine frem. En gammel håndsymaskine, som jeg havde fået af min mor der havde købt den på et loppemarked - ikke fordi hun havde brug for den, men bare fordi hun syntes den var flot. Det synes jeg også da jeg fandt den frem. Den var jo næsten ny! Det var intet problem at træde den, hverken over- eller unedertråd voldte problemer - og mindede mig om min barndoms hyggelige trædesymaskiner. Men den kunne bare næsten ikke dreje rundt.

- o O o - 

Well as said, the old sewing machine died, or rather almost died. If you tickle it in the exactly right place, and then pull just so .. on the fabric it still sews. So even if it's not ready to be thrown out it was too testing for MotherOwl's patience to sew on with it. 

But ... MotherOwl was hemming a furoshiki, we're almost out of bed sheets, and, and, and. As always MotherOwl has many projects, it seems most half of them involve sewing. 

MotherOwl said. Hah, I have another one. It was just as old, bigger, and more unwieldy but sturdy looking. Everything seemed A-OK until threading the bobbin. The bobbin case was not in its rigth place, and no amount of tickling, tugging, screwing, or harsh words did help any. It did not go in! 

Well I have one last resort MotherOwl thought. GrannyOwl bought an old hand operated sewing machine in a second hand shop. Not because she needed it, but because it was beautiful. MotherOwl thougth the same, and as she said so, GrannyOwl gave the sewing machine to MotherOwl - not that she needed it either, just for the looks. 

Well now it was dug out of its mock crocodile case. It looked almost new, not a trace of wear on it. Threading was no problem, it even reminded me of my granny's old treadle machine, but then ... it would almost not turn. 

• Her er vidunderet. 
• Here's the good old sewing machine

      Åh, ok, tænkte Uglemor. Den har stået i måske 50 år, den trænger nok til at blive renset og smurt. Uglemor fandt en instruktionsbog på nettet og rensede symaskinen for den smule fnuller og et par løse tråde, først indeni, så nede ved spolen, og til allersidst under bunden. Så smurte hun alt, der rørte sig og de anviste huller. Så kørte maskinen, og efter et par minutter uden tråd kørte den som en drøm. Herligt! Nu skal der sys!

     Lidt efterforskning på nettet har dateret symaskinen til 1953-1954 og fremstillet i Clydebank.  Så jo, 50 år i hi var nok ikke over målet. 
     Der er for mig noget Lille hus på prærien-agtigt over den her maskine.  Jeg forestiller mig en ung kone, der køber sådan en efter at have sparet sammen et stykke tid. Og så bliver den brugt til at sy kjoler og dragter til børnene, skjorter og bukser til manden, lagener, duge, viskestykker og sengetøj. Og alt sammen uden at den nogensinde mere ser en reparatør, men som der står i manualen: "Symanskiner kræver daglig rengøring og smøring, hvis de bruges kontinuerligt. Ved moderat brug - et par timer om dagen - rækker det at rense og smøre en til to gange om ugen." Uglemors brug kan vist knapt betegnes som moderat, så en ugentlig omgang smurt og renset rækker nok. 

 - o O o -

 Oh well, MotherOwl thought to herself. It's been inside this box for like 50 years. It might need a cleaning and some oil. A manual was found somewhere in the internet. It was not that dirty, but a small amount of lint and an old thread ot two were removed from underneath the machine. MotherOwl oiled liberally behind the face plate, in all relevant holes and underneath, in short all movable parts. Then slowly it turned, and after five minutes of sewing with no thread, it ran just like new.  Wonderful! Now the furoshiki, the sheets and all the other projects will be finished after all.

A bit of reading of internet pages told that this machine (a 99K) was made in Clydebank, in either 1953 or 1954, so my 50 years were not that wrong.
This sewing machine reminds me of pioneer life. You bought this machine as a young wife after saving for a time, but then it just did its job for the rest of your life, sewing dresses for your daughters, shirts and trousers for your sons, linen, curtains, tablecloths, in short all things fabric-y, without more than a drop of oil. As the manual states: "Sewing Machines require cleaning and oiling daily if they are used continuously. If used moderately - a few hours per day - it is sufficient to oil and clean once or twice a week." MotherOwl's use of this wonder, can best be described as modest. Oiling once a week must suffice.