About

I am Heather, and I am rather obsessed with making things. This is a place to record information about the various things I’m doing with my time, largely because if I don’t write it down, I’ll forget what I did the next time I try to do it.

I like the challenge of figuring out how things work, and then making them myself, or tinkering with the machines that make them. My three most common hobby activities these days are sewing, machine knitting, and baking, though I’m often to be found hand knitting as well. I can also crochet, but I don’t do it much these days, except for the occasional amigurumi project. I pretend to like gardening, but I think I really only like getting vegetables for free.

I’ve recently done a little sculpting with polymer clay, which I really enjoy as it’s building on my almost-long-forgotten cake decorating and fondant sculpting skills, and a couple of years ago I picked up some pencils and sketched something worth looking at for the first time in over a decade. I’ve been in a bit of a slump making-wise lately. Having kids in sports really limits my free time, and I REALLY need to clear out some space in my crafting area.

The sewing machines I currently have in my collection are:

  • Modern Kenmore 385.19110 electronic sewing machine;
  • Bernina Deco 330 embroidery machine;
  • Modern Kenmore 385.16622 serger – this is the only machine that I own that I bought new;
  • Elna 845 combo serger/coverstitch;
  • White 8930 “Japanese badged” zig-zag vintage sewing machine, converted to treadle operation and housed in a Singer 15-30 treadle cabinet;
  • Kenmore 158.1802 vintage sewing machine circa ~1969;
  • Bellinky linking machine – technically it’s a hand crank operated chainstitch sewing machine, but specifically for linking knit pieces

Those of you in the know will recognize that several of the modern machines in this list were manufactured by Janome. The White was made in Japan, probably in the early 1960’s, but I can’t for the life of me find a date of manufacture. The Kenmore 1802 was made by the Maruzen (Jaguar) company.

I had whittled my collection of knitting machines down to two that I was content with, but recently acquired two more, and sold one on. They come, they go. Currently in my possession are:

  • White/Superba 1602 double-bed 5mm gauge electronic machine with SuperbaKnit package and all the accessories (GLTC transfer carriage, regular transfer carriage, intarsia carriage, colour changer, forma pattern driver, currently broken motor…)
  • Brother 940 standard gauge electronic machine with KR850 ribber, KG93-equivalent garter carriage, transfer carriage, KHC900 double bed colour changer and I think KHC820 single bed colour changer, KL 116 knitleader…basically everything for this machine
  • Brother 260 chunky gauge punch card machine with KR260 ribber (THE UNICORN!)

I also love all things vintage – clothes, equipment, you name it. I have a couple of vintage typewriters, a small collection of vintage teacups. A vintage coffee percolator that I love but don’t use every day, even my cruiser bike is considered vintage, it is a ’70s Raleigh Superbe.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at heather.is.making.stuff (at) gmail (dot) com.