By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
Cazenovia resident Bill Hall taught himself to sew in order to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.
In late March, Hall was copied on an email from his neighbor Kerstin McKay requesting help sewing masks for Upstate University Hospital.
“I decided I needed something to do and figured if I could make fishing rods using thread, I should be able to make masks using thread,” Hall said. “All I needed to do was learn how to sew. I remembered my wife, Nancy, had an old sewing machine that she had bought when she was in high school. I located it . . . and brought it down to check it out. I recalled Nancy telling me that years ago [a] repair man told her never to sell it since it was one of the best portable sewing machines every made by Singer. I checked the manual and it is a 1938 Featherweight Singer Sewing Machine. That just happened to be the year I was born. I sure was glad there was an instruction manual since I had to learn how to fill a bobbin, thread the machine, run it forwards and backwards, etc. They say you learn from your mistakes. I must admit I definitely made every mistake possible trying to learn how to sew.”
After learning the basics, Hall reached out to McKay to request some material for a mask.
His first attempt, which took nearly a day to complete, was a disaster, Hall recalled.
“I just couldn’t understand the instructions provided by Upstate,” he said. “It was a foreign language to me. I had no idea what a top stitch was, nor turning the material inside out, etc. . . It was a struggle, but I was determined to make a few more masks . . .”
According to Hall, a jammed bobbin temporarily thwarted his efforts.
Figuring he had broken the machine, he searched the internet for a solution.
“[I] found a video on how to take apart the bobbin mechanism,” Hall said. “Unfortunately, there was one small set screw that had to be removed that was broken so I couldn’t get it apart. After working on it for three days, I was about to buy a secondhand machine or borrow one. I tried one last time to unjam the bobbin with what I consider a last resort. I got a hammer and ice pick and began hitting the broken set screw and all of the sudden the bobbin turned and a small piece of thread dropped out and I was back in business. In reading about problems with sewing bobbins I realized I had repeatedly been doing many things wrong.”
Since fixing his machine, Hall has completed nearly 20 masks and started another 15.
“Thanks to Kerstin McKay, it has been an interesting adventure and I must admit, I find sewing relaxing and it has given me something to do during these crazy times,” Hall said. “I’m sure Kerstin will reach her goal of providing 500 masks to Upstate. I’m doing my best to help her. That’s what neighbors are for.”
