Looking for Lube but Finding Fabric!…and some other fun stuff!

I’m in search of Singer Sewing Machine Lubricant.  This stuff…

I have some but with several antique Singer machines in the house I’m going to need more and I just can’t find it anywhere.

So my thought was to go in search of it at Estate Sales and Garage Sales.  So far I’m 0-5.  I went to 1 Estate Sale and dropped in on 4 Garage sales yesterday, all to no avail.  I know.  Needle in a haystack.  Just when you need something you’ll never find it but when you don’t it shows up everywhere.

I found the sewing room upstairs.  I asked about the machines but they said there weren’t any.  Bummer.  So the machines were probably handed down, it’s a guess, which could be a good thing I suppose.  Lately, however, I’ve been seeing posts on Craig’s list or Ebay that state “This machine was my Aunt’s (or Grandma’s or Mother’s) and I’ll never use it…blah…blah…blah and I’m selling…will take best offer.  Oh how I cringe when I see those listings!  Makes me sad, especially here on Mother’s Day.

I wasn’t the first to arrive either but there were still lots and lots of sewing items and fabric.  I came home with a bag full of fabric, some scraps, a few books, a couple of notions and an iron I found in the basement…           

The fabrics were mostly greens, some Christmas, some primitive…

…a few reds and novelty…

The scraps were strips and bricks…

…and the notions were this Add-A-Quarter seam ruler and this bias tape maker…

…I debated on the iron.  Those voices in the head.  On one shoulder, the cautionary “Should I?”.  On the other shoulder, the take a risk side, “Oh, just get it…see what all the fuss is about these NON-Steam irons…”

I don’t know I thought to myself.  This one has quite a bit of black gunk on it.  I cleaned it up a bit, though it still has a ways to go to get all that blackness off the plate.  I plugged it in and within seconds, HOLY MOTHER OF HOT IRONS!  This iron was so hot, when I placed it on a wet piece of cloth steam soared up to the ceiling and my glasses fogged up!  I unplugged it and it remained EXTREMELY hot for a good 10-20 minutes.

I’m not even sure that is a good thing.  I know these type of irons are praised in some of the quilting forums for their flat face plates and their ability to press without steam…

…But the question is…Do these irons get too hot for our own good?  Are they a safety issue?  Do you scorch more than you care to admit?

Which leads me to thinking of a class project I made almost 30 years ago.  The iron melted a section of it and I received a low grade because of it.  I think the term was “inappropriately pressed”.  I’ve learned over the years how to do it right but I will say that painful lesson back in my younger days was enough to know that having an iron too hot can be a bad thing!.  What say you about irons?

Do you have experience with these flat faced irons that get extremely hot?

In case I forget, Happy Mother’s Day!

~Happy Ironing, Happy Quilting, Happy Hunting!

~Cathy