Hello y'all

[daveandpamz]

I've been exploring the forums for awhile, and thought I'd actually say hello!!

Dave and I have a 1977 Overlander. It's in pretty good shape, all things considered. We've been Airstreaming since last April; we got into camping figuring that our 10 yr old son, Asa, would eventually prefer to spend time with friends rather than with us and we should make good memories while we can (at home, there's always something else demanding our attention).

The camping community is a lot like the boating community -- strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. We make friends wherever we go and never lack for things to do. We take our youngest cat with us (he's the FCC, the Fabulous Camper Cat) and he happily watches the world from the vanity in the rear bath.

I just finished making new curtains for the bed area, using vintage fabric and advice found in these forums. We're going camping in Michigan next week; I'll spend the 6 hour car drive sewing those little loops onto the fabric and voila -- no more disintegrating curtain fluff raining down as we sleep! Dave wishes the fabric weren't a kitchen print, but hey - burnt orange, avocado and harvest gold in the same print isn't easy to find!

Oh, BTW, does anybody know where to get real matresses for those twin beds? They're smaller than standard size, and really uncomfortable....do we have to have matresses custom-made? Any idea how much that would cost?

Thanks!
Pam

[Mel]

I gotta say, I'm intrigued by your description of the curtain fabric. I hope you'll post pictures once they're finished!

[harestream]

Hello.. I am new to this site, and just purchased my first airstream a 72, tradewind just last weekend. My boyfriend and I are packing up and moving out of NYC and plan on traveling around for as long as we can stand it! My question for you is, are you sewing while you are on the road? I am in the proces of selling my big kenmore model with cabinet and I am not sure what I should purchase to replace it that is reliable, small and portable to bring with. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

[daveandpamz]

Oh, I don't sew on the road. I'm self-taught on a late 1950's Dressmaker cabinet unit that my husband got at Goodwill for $35 bucks. I'll take my sewing basket with me, but the Beast stays at home!

I'm afraid I don't know much about sewing machines, but my friends speak highly of the White company. It seems that there are many portable units nowadays. When it's time to sew curtains for our downstairs parlors, I'll cough up big bucks for a better machine with more options and a drop-in bobbin.

If your travels find you in southwest Ohio, please stop in and visit. We have an old house we're restoring -- we can sit on the front porch with a glass of something cold and watch the riverboats and barges go by. It's a very different thing from NYC....

Attached are some pics of the camper and the curtain fabric.
curtain fabric


sitting around -- the whole reason to go camping!

[harestream]

I just might find myself in Ohio one of these days. Why thank you very much. I will look into the white models. I sure will miss my cabinet model, but everything is getting sold! thanks again! and great fabric by the way!
-kelly

[silver 67]

Hi Pam -

That's great vintage material. I understand about the husband comment; I am getting the same response, except about lime green and aqua. We are still rebuilding ours, so the only sitting outside the trailer we do right now is either to analyze what's next or clean some piece that has been drug outside.

Love your area. Our daughter used to live in Loveland. We really enjoyed the drive from here to there.

We have 43 acre yard and a long extension cord for anyone that wants a place to rest. Kansas isn't all prairie dogs and dust - we're close to the river.

[blucloud]

Welcome to airstreaming. We had a 77 safari with twin beds and we had custom made mattresses from the Original Mattress Factory.
I think they have a store in your area.
Dave

[daveandpamz]

Originally Posted by blucloud

...We had a 77 safari with twin beds and we had custom made mattresses from the Original Mattress Factory.
I think they have a store in your area.
Dave

Do you remember about how much they cost? The Original Matress folks have a store about 30 miles north of us...and I don't think either my back or my husband's can take much more of those camper matresses.....

Thanks!

[Foiled Again]

Don't waste your money on a new Singer; but if you can find an old Featherweight (221) or Free-arm Featherweight (222) in good condition it's a great tiny machine. Quilters kill for them. It only does a straight stitch unless you can find a zig-zag attachment, but it weighs 8 lbs - 14 with the case and all accessories. I think the last ones were made in 1954. Check e-bay but be prepared to pay a premium there. I've found two at yard sales for DIRT cheap - spent $50 getting them tuned up - and gave them to nieces who were going to college. Sometimes fabric stores will have a super light, small machine that only does a few stitches for $50 - and these aren't bad, BUT the distance between the needle and the body of the machine can limit the size and complexity of projects you can do... great beginners machines though.

My traveling machines are both Janome models - a serger and a regular machine with about 20 built in stitches. Everything built today has plastic exteriors and may even have virtually all plastic interior gears, etc. Most are not built for durability. The Janome machines I have do have metal gears. I've gotten excellent performance out of both of mine and they will fit in the under seat storage of my Safari FB SE. I made soft fabric covers because they weigh less than the hard covers. Keep your machines on the floor and pad around them (I store them with paper towel & TP rolls - useful and light).
I paid less than $200 for the regular machine and around $400 for a 4 needle serger - splurge on the serger, it needs to be a workhorse.

Most new machines are built somewhere on the Pacific rim and - like some copiers - one factory manufactures most machines, only the exterior and brand name are actually different. I've seen the Euro-Pro machines on QVS and they look fairly decent too.

Enjoy.

Paula

[daveandpamz]

Paula,
thanks for the sewing machine info. I really love my all-metal Dressmaker, but I seem to do a lot of big sewing projects -- curtains, bedspreads, bigger curtains -- and I would love to put the machine on a big work table...
Pam

[Streamin 65]

Hi and welcome to the forum! We had a custom "3/4" mattress (48"x72") made for our Overlander at Mattress Mart. I dunno if there are stores in Cinci, but there are quite a few in Columbus area. I ordered the "mid-grade" and it was around $130 or so and I picked it up 3 days later! We also added a layer of 2" foam on top, it's very comfy now. --dave

[daveandpamz]

Dave,
Many thanks. I'll look up Matress Mart tomorrow. Columbus isn't too far to drive for a good price and better sleep!

Pam