My X-Kilt questions and progress

**sydnie7** · 10th July 09, 04:21 PM

Great find, those "ancient Singers" are highly prized around here! You'll probably get a call for pix of the machine along with your kilt LOL

**MMorgan** · 10th July 09, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by sydnie7

Great find, those "ancient Singers" are highly prized around here! You'll probably get a call for pix of the machine along with your kilt LOL

Its a fashion mate 237 in pretty much mint condition.... solid metal and when I say solid I MEAN solid I been goofing with it most the afternoon cleaning and such and making sure I understand how to thread it and adjust things and wind bobbins LOL.... from pictures I have found on the net of the 237's it seems to be of the first runs so prolly around 1965... VERY basic has settings for stitch width and stitch length(no fancy stitches here) and then a needle center or right or left setting.... also have a singer monogram attachment that does letters automagically but it seems the pressure foot is just a TAD to long for the attachment to bolt up correctly

(I will find out a way to make it work even if I have to drill and retap a higher hole on the pressure foot arm... and a random assortment of specialty foots and a ruffler attachment... basicaly a bunch of misc peices I have no idea what to use them for

So I am pretty happy but did not get around to start marking and cutting things yet as I spent the afternoon getting familliar with my new toy

**Heming** · 11th July 09, 01:23 AM

That sewing machine will last you a lifetime, be handed down to your eldest child, and probably still be working for your grandson when he's an old man. No joke. Cast metal singers from the 60's have to be melted to give up - you only have to make sure you take proper care of them (oil in the right places, exchange worn out parts etc.).

I had a cast metal Elna that i inherited from my mother. It worked a charm for 45 years before any part had to be exchanged. After that it caught fire once due to a power surge. The melted plastic pieces were replaced, and the thing still worked for years after that. It was programmable with little cogs and gears you could move around and replace, It would sew automatic buttonholes (in the fifites!), ducklings, overlock ... I miss it a lot.

**MMorgan** · 11th July 09, 08:38 AM

Yea the more I have read about this machine the more I am appreciating what I have especially for a 10 dollar find...

**Pleater** · 11th July 09, 10:11 AM

I make reverse Kingussie kilts - and although the visual symmetry is there you can still have the under apron longer than the over apron in order to maintain what I think of as the standard first closure of the kilt - that is the edge of the under apron to the left hip joint - even if the over apron is narrow so the second closure is a long way from the right hip joint.

An alternative would be to create the kilt absolutely symmetrical, then place snaps along the edge of the apron, either the visible ones you put on with a hammer or ones sewn on which can be placed behind the folded edge of the apron to be invisible when worn.

I suggest fairly large ones, which take some pressure to open and close so your aprons are firmly fixed together and also weighted so as to fall vertically when sitting.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**MMorgan** · 11th July 09, 12:18 PM

You know something..... I have yet to see an xkilt with a tassled/frayed edge along the over apron..... I had wrapped the material around me after I cut it to length and was thinking I like the way the frayed edge looked LOL think I will add a inch or two, so that when I fold that edge for the hem I can fold it back out leaving the raw edge exposed and left to fray.... and if I decide I dont like it I can just trim it down later... Only thing is that it would make that hem thicker right??... which may not be a bad thing with this lighter fabric.... win/win??

**MMorgan** · 11th July 09, 01:56 PM

LOL Please excuse the blow by blow... hopefully it doesnt drive people away from the thread as I am sure I will have a ton more questions... but

Well I just did my first ever hem....(I think the only other thing I ever sewed was a pillow in Home EC like 16 years ago lol) time consuming pinning and ironing 12 foot of hem but the sewing part went SO smooth.... really this old sewing machine feels like silk when its running.... Really proud of myself to the hem is nice and straight and the stitches are nice and straight and even...

Took pictures will post them soon

**sydnie7** · 13th July 09, 07:50 AM

So happy to hear that it has gone so smoothly for you! Black is hard to shoot but we still want pictures!

Lots of choices in belts. For black casual, a simple and inexpensive belt can be found at most hardware/home improvement stores -- black webbing "tool belt" with plastic push-together style buckle. They also have nice wide leather belts but mostly in light color brown leather, but those can be dyed with shoe dye. Be sure to make your belt loops big enough -- if you plan for a 3-inch belt, you want loops at least 3.25 to allow for thickness of belt.

Again, congrats!

**Alan H** · 13th July 09, 09:48 AM

I've made an X-Kilt with a frayed over-apron edge, it was just a long time ago. Hey, if you want yours made that way, then do it! It's YOUR kilt!

And yeah, that machine is a keeper.

**MMorgan** · 13th July 09, 10:34 AM

Argh I seem to be having problems finding buckles for my straps..... What is the name for those smaller type buckles??? (there is a picture of the kind I want in the the manual on Andres Papouseks Kilt...)

And I think I might have done my big underpleat wrong... it looks fine wearing it but just doesnt seem right for some reason...