So I got this EZ-Lock EZ100 serger from Mike's mom...I have always wanted one. Why? After trying to learn to use it with no manual, that serger nearly became road trash.
Side Note: in Alabama, you can put anything by the side of the road on trash day, I do mean anything, furniture, old carpet, giant boxes, etc. I call it road trash and sometimes road treasure. Got a neat vintage desk the other week with a personality (meaning there were I love so and so's carved into the top).
I logged onto the WWW in hopes of finding a manual for this old machine that evidentially Singer refuses to take credit for. Each one threads differently and if you don't get it threaded proper, you are doomed! I found one alright, on eBay and I had to pay $8.95 for it. Oh, I can't blame the seller. It was a scanned copy and was e-mailed to me PDF.
The other thing. When I sew on the serger, the foot pedal makes popping noises. Mike says it is something about the flux capacitor (okay, those weren't his exact words, but who can be bothered with technicalities when they are sure their serger is going to zap them into who knows where). He said make sure to wear my flip-flops and it will be fine. Okayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
Anyway, the point of this story is that I wanted to share this manual with those other's of you that I saw looking for it, free of charge and NO HASSLES!
Click to open and save the PDF file EZ-Lock EZ100 Owner's Manual
Too bad for me it doesn't come with a brain!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Low Water Immersion Experiment
So I found some other dye locally that wasn't "Rit". I ignored the package directions and did it my way. here is what I did:
1. I pre-washed 2 yards of unbleached muslin and left it damp.
2. I scrunched it up and put it in a bucket.
3. I mixed about 1/4th of the package of Dylon Ocean Blue dye in about 3/4 cups warm water in a plastic bowl.
4. I poured the dye directly on top of the fabric about the same way you would do sauce on broccoli.
5. Next, I mixed the green Dylon the same way and poured it on in spaces that the blue didn't touch.
6. I took a paint stick and mushed it up some so the dye would penetrate and spread a bit.
7. I poured salt all over the top and let it sit for 45 minutes while I messed with my "Hillbilly" dress form.
8. I rinsed, dried, and pressed the muslin. By the way, muslin is a giant pain to iron!
Here is what I got
I learned that I needn't be so stingy with the dye. I intend to grab a darker shade of blue today and some purple and throw this baby in to see what I get!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
First Blog ADD Minutes
I was searching around the web the other day and found the MOST awesome quilts by Amish Country Lanes. This one in particular caught my eye and my imagination. Wow. Reading on, I found that they are using hand dyed fabrics. As one thing leads to another on the World Wide Web, I found myself surfing sites on how to Batik and hand paint fabrics.
I stumbled on a site on "natural dyes" as I don't have any dye in the house and evidently Rit dye would not EVER be the dye of choice (who knew?). Surveying my refrigerator, I found I had plenty of mustard. Okay I have the dye, now what? I found an old sheet which was not likely 100% cotton, so what, it was white and worth a try. I ripped off about 2 by 1/2 yard section to try my experiment. Next. What to do about paraffin? Meh, I have a white candle. I chunked some of it off and put it in my electric wax pot and waited for it to melt. Meanwhile, I made a mild mustard and water "dye" solution and lightly dyed the fabric, rinsed it, and dried it in the dryer. All good, it DID come out a light yellow. I laid the fabric on an old paper bag and tried "painting" on the wax in a sun shape. Yeah, no. That was nothing but a mess. No matter, this was an experiment after all. I found a wine bottle cork and decided to use it as the sun's middle. Dipped in wax then pushed it onto the fabric with a slight twisting motion. Okay, now the rays? Aha, round toothpicks. I created the rays around the suns. I waited about, oh, a minute (adult ADD and its pitfalls), then crumpled it up and dunked it into a stronger mustard solution. Hmmmmm...not getting much darker. I added some Turmuric, after all, I use it to "enhance" my chicken soup. Helped a little, but I was hoping for an orangier color.
Here are some things that do not work that well.
Cranberry Grape juice.
Tea bags that have only been allowed to steep for about an ADD minute.
Coffee grounds.
The yellow was slightly darker. Maybe if I had let the fabric sit in the solution for more than an ADD minute!
Rinsed it again and began scraping the wax off. Did have a pattern, faint as it was. Tried to iron off the rest of the wax and ended up with grease splotches. I gave the experiment up for dead, but kept the fabric for my upcoming hand dyed quilt thingy that I have huge lofty aspirations about and minute increments of time.
This morning I came across another site with instructions for dying with bleach. So quick and easy, even a flighty ADD person could accomplish lovely things with available household items.
I found a blue long sleeved T-shirt no one will wear cause it fits weird (meh, a dollar on clearance Walmart). Some other time I will tell you about this piece of lace I have been carting around for years with permanent stains on it. Cut it up the other day...don't ask. Anyway, I laid the lace on the sleeve of this shirt and sprayed on the bleach in an un-ventilated area of course because who could be bothered to go outside at 6 in the morning in a tattered men's bathrobe? Really.
Long story made even more convoluted. The pattern looked really neat; however, still not a soul will actually wear this T-shirt. Looked around the studio for something else to un-dye...YES! My failed experiment, for sure bleach will take the mustard out!
I laid the lace on the yellow mess and sprayed away. Wow, this came out fairly cool!
Here is a picture of the entire pattern.
This is a closer shot of the "lace" impression.
My point here does not have a lot to do with my failed experiment and the topic of my blogs space EXCEPT...I went hunting around trying to find local classes on Batik and hand painting fabric, low immersion water techniques, etc. Yeah, no luck...there just are no other hippies in Huntsville.
I stumbled on a site on "natural dyes" as I don't have any dye in the house and evidently Rit dye would not EVER be the dye of choice (who knew?). Surveying my refrigerator, I found I had plenty of mustard. Okay I have the dye, now what? I found an old sheet which was not likely 100% cotton, so what, it was white and worth a try. I ripped off about 2 by 1/2 yard section to try my experiment. Next. What to do about paraffin? Meh, I have a white candle. I chunked some of it off and put it in my electric wax pot and waited for it to melt. Meanwhile, I made a mild mustard and water "dye" solution and lightly dyed the fabric, rinsed it, and dried it in the dryer. All good, it DID come out a light yellow. I laid the fabric on an old paper bag and tried "painting" on the wax in a sun shape. Yeah, no. That was nothing but a mess. No matter, this was an experiment after all. I found a wine bottle cork and decided to use it as the sun's middle. Dipped in wax then pushed it onto the fabric with a slight twisting motion. Okay, now the rays? Aha, round toothpicks. I created the rays around the suns. I waited about, oh, a minute (adult ADD and its pitfalls), then crumpled it up and dunked it into a stronger mustard solution. Hmmmmm...not getting much darker. I added some Turmuric, after all, I use it to "enhance" my chicken soup. Helped a little, but I was hoping for an orangier color.
Here are some things that do not work that well.
Cranberry Grape juice.
Tea bags that have only been allowed to steep for about an ADD minute.
Coffee grounds.
The yellow was slightly darker. Maybe if I had let the fabric sit in the solution for more than an ADD minute!
Rinsed it again and began scraping the wax off. Did have a pattern, faint as it was. Tried to iron off the rest of the wax and ended up with grease splotches. I gave the experiment up for dead, but kept the fabric for my upcoming hand dyed quilt thingy that I have huge lofty aspirations about and minute increments of time.
This morning I came across another site with instructions for dying with bleach. So quick and easy, even a flighty ADD person could accomplish lovely things with available household items.
I found a blue long sleeved T-shirt no one will wear cause it fits weird (meh, a dollar on clearance Walmart). Some other time I will tell you about this piece of lace I have been carting around for years with permanent stains on it. Cut it up the other day...don't ask. Anyway, I laid the lace on the sleeve of this shirt and sprayed on the bleach in an un-ventilated area of course because who could be bothered to go outside at 6 in the morning in a tattered men's bathrobe? Really.
Long story made even more convoluted. The pattern looked really neat; however, still not a soul will actually wear this T-shirt. Looked around the studio for something else to un-dye...YES! My failed experiment, for sure bleach will take the mustard out!
I laid the lace on the yellow mess and sprayed away. Wow, this came out fairly cool!
Here is a picture of the entire pattern.
This is a closer shot of the "lace" impression.My point here does not have a lot to do with my failed experiment and the topic of my blogs space EXCEPT...I went hunting around trying to find local classes on Batik and hand painting fabric, low immersion water techniques, etc. Yeah, no luck...there just are no other hippies in Huntsville.
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