Jake Kupiec

Machine of the month: July 2026

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:July 26, 2026
Post category:Sewing Machines

Singer 9410

This might be the Clark Kent of the modern-ish Singers—it’s an unassuming machine with a superpower, two actually.

The 9410 is a circa-2000 purchase. It’s a slant-needle Singer with lots of specialty stitches. It uses Class 66 plastic bobbins and 15×1 needles. (Change your needle!) This is one of only two machines I own that I purchased new, so we have all the original accessories and manual. Robert and I took several quilting classes together (so fun!), and he needed his own machine.

Is it vintage? Is it modern? I guess it leans modern, but with a twist. I only learned about this machine’s superpower recently when scrolling through videos from Randy Your Sewing Machine Man. Sewing machines are a bit like people you are close to—you can recognize them in a split second. He shared the 9410’s superpowers: it has an air-powered foot pedal. That means you can operate the machine with your mouth. This information went right to my accessibility lovin’ heart. The other superpower is that the frame is ceramic, like a coffee mug. It was made to be recycled! Randy doesn’t hate this machine, so that’s saying something. He also demonstrates how to thread the machine AND test that it is threaded properly.

Singer 9410 (Air) has an unknown SUPERPOWER that makes it unique. Light duty. 66 class (video 161)

I dusted this one off, and I am appreciating what good shape this is in. This Singer needs a home where it can be someone’s number one. It deserves that.

Resources

Blue Creeper penetrating oil and sewing machine oil (SMO): https://bluecreeper.com
Need Vintage Singer and Kenmore parts? Central Michigan Sewing Supplies is a go-to resource.

Gardening journal: July 2026

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:July 26, 2026
Post category:Gardening Journal

After the May and June we had, I was unprepared to be huddled under a fleece blanket in July and sweating through a 95-degree heat wave all within a couple of weeks.

Lots of things are blooming. It’s hard for me to see past the green sometimes, but there’s a color riot happening in the garden this month: reds, pinks, oranges, purples, lavender, and yellow. The long-lasting white blooms of the oak leaf hydrangea remind me of bridal lace. The yarrow bloomed for the first time ever. This is its year, apparently. I don’t know the exact combo of factors that led to amazing growth for some plants, but I am grateful.

The indoor plants are doing well, too. My fiddle leaf fig that I thought was a goner is making a comeback. And one of our peace lilies bloomed for the first time since we got it nearly 10 years ago! After moving it around, it seems like it likes the tub in the upstairs bathroom. The skylight offers lots of light but not direct sun. No heat to dry it out. Steam from the shower. It has moved into the spa! Don’t give up on your plants.

You gotta eat: Carrot risotto & chick’n salad

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:July 26, 2026
Post category:You Gotta Eat

I love chile crisp, and the first time I made this Carrot Risotto with Chile Crisp recipe from Alexa Weibel for the New York Times, we had an abundance of arborio rice on hand. (We always have chile crisp; that’s a Jake staple.) The thing that cracks me about the recipe is the number of servings: 4? As in 4 linebackers? It calls for 2¼ pounds of carrots; that’s more than ½ pound of carrots per serving! Even for a carrot-loving vegetarian, that’s a lot. But lately our cooking has slowed way down, so a recipe with lots of leftovers is appealing. The vegan parmesan shreds from Trader Joe’s worked well in this dish. More spices were added. Smoked Paprika is our latest go-to.

Vegan Chicken Salad

This recipe by Sam Turnbull of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken earned a spot in the regular rotation with its ease and versatility.

We added more spices because that’s how we roll, and ate ours as a wrap with lettuce, tomato, and avocado. We used the vegan nugget recipe from Sweet Potato Soul to prepare the tofu. Delish!

Photo by Hans Ott on Unsplash

Poets and Poetry, July 2026: Mary Oliver

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:July 26, 2026
Post category:Poets and Poetry

“The Summer Day” is one of Mary Oliver’s most recognizable poems, especially the end:

“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?”

(Read the full poem on poets.org or better yet, spring for a book of her poetry. She published more than 30 collections of poems and essays.)

What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

It’s such a great question and one we can keep asking. Every day, every moment is a chance to recognize the brief length of our existence and to begin again. I think she would have loved the very modern advice to “touch grass.”

There’s a new Mary Oliver documentary airing on PBS starting August 25 by filmmaker Sasha Waters: Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World | American Masters | PBS

Photo by Harry Le on Unsplash

June 2026 Bookstack

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:June 28, 2026
Post category:Bookstack

It’s been webinar month at Chez Haiku. (If I am being honest, every month is webinar month.)

This always leads to books, and I love that for me. I climbed out of last month’s reading funk and back into the land of books.

In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty by Francis Weller. If you have tried Francis Weller’s work before and could not get into it, I recommend this slim volume.

Agnes Aubert Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett was our read-along selection this month. This cozy fantasy did not disappoint, and this book has one of the more beautiful covers that I have seen in a while.

Veg in One Bed New Edition: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, by Huw Richards, is an inspiring book for small-space gardeners of all kinds. Sometimes it’s not space that we lack but time and energy that dictate garden size.

Don’t Call It Art by Austin Kleon is a joy of a book. If you feel stuck with your creative practice or have abandoned it, let Austin Kleon help you find the way back to yourself.

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

My June 2026 makerspace: Declutter Summer

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:June 28, 2026
Post category:Makerspace

It’s declutter summer at Chez Haiku, and I have reorganized most of my fabric and sewing supplies. It was amazing to reunite all the elastic, buttons, Velcro, thread, twill tape, and the other odds and ends that make a sewing project. I still need to sort some sewing things in an upstairs closet, but the sorted-to-unsorted ratio is probably 85%:15%. Do I have too much fabric? Probably. One thing that I am learning to do is use it up or let it go.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

Machine of the month: June 2026

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:June 28, 2026
Post category:Sewing Machines

A hidden gem, the Kenmore 158.19131

I’m learning to service sewing machines, and I’m starting with my own ever-expanding fleet. Come with me on my sewing machine servicing journey!

This is the machine that my sister scored at a Goodwill in Maryland. She sent me a photo, and I turned into a hearts-in-eyes emoji in the spot. Get yourself a sister like mine.

This is a beautiful machine. I’m partial to Kenmores, and I like these beige beauties, but this model is a step above with a contrasting cut-out nose piece. This machine was dry and needed oiling, but was not really that dirty. The only bummer was the missing foot pedal. Initially, I thought this was no big deal as replacement foot pedals are usually common and plentiful. But this is from a group of Kenmores with a cut-out offset plug (#6817). Tons of #6816s available. Fewer than a dozen models use the #6817 foot pedal, and I could not find a single foot pedal anywhere, missing a few auctions on eBay.

And—I learned that this is a less-famous but equally prized all-metal, made-in-Japan model.

All that adds up to a shortage of parts, I guess.

So I turned to Goodwill’s online auctions, where I quickly learned that shoppers knew exactly what they were looking at. I had seen a few machines from this family, but the prices were steep. Finally found the 158.1813 and won the auction. The 1813 is the flatbed version of the freearm 158.1913 model.

Both machines use type C pattern cams to accomplish the utility stitches as well as a wide range of decorative stitches. I found a complete set of pattern cams on eBay for the 158.1914, a similar model.

Unfortunately, both machines are missing the default metal cam, #20. This cam enables the built-in utility stitches (everything other than the straight stitch, I think). That’s been IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, and it is also missing on the 1813. Some good news is that a 3D print file is available, https://www.printables.com/model/579005-kenmore-c-cam-20.

If there is one thing I have learned, it’s to label everything: the cams, the manual, the accessory box, the foot pedal. You think you will remember but you won’t. I’m always on the lookout for miscellaneous boxes of Kenmore parts. You never know what treasures await and I’ve had some lucky finds.

Learn more!

Kenmore 158.1914 pattern cams
Kenmore Cam Types and Stitches Embroidery: great resource on Kenmore Pattern Cams

Resources

Blue Creeper penetrating oil and sewing machine oil (SMO): https://bluecreeper.com
Need Vintage Singer and Kenmore parts? Central Michigan Sewing Supplies is a go-to resource.

Gardening journal, June 2026

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:June 28, 2026
Post category:Gardening Journal

Wacky weather has become the norm. We had a heat advisory last week, and today I have multiple layers of clothing, a fleece lap throw, and I am drinking hot tea like it’s going out of style. Temperatures that are routinely 15-20 degrees above typical aren’t the best conditions for plants. Big swings don’t help either. I’m trying to focus on soil improvements so the soil holds on to moisture. Never in a million years would I have guessed I would have fast-draining soil in the PNW.

Looking carefully at what’s thriving despite the wackiness is helpful for future garden planting. I also have plans for more raised beds. I have a Vego raised bed with raspberries. I think we planted eight plants initially (all volunteers from the raspberries in the garden area), and now it’s a forest of raspberries. They have far surpassed our in-the-ground plants in terms of vigor and berry production. We also have starts for at least three neighbors.

This year, I bought tomato plants at a local fundraiser plant sale and at our local feed store, and all have exceeded expectations. Tomatoes are iffy in my shady garden, but I just can’t help myself. Gardening equals tomatoes. They will grow in the extra-deep elevated beds that we have on our south-facing deck, and that’s about it. Potatoes, onions, greens, herbs, and strawberries don’t mind some shade and seem at home here. I am always on the hunt for other plants that like a little shade.

Completely influenced by two of my favorite content creators, Savannah and Casey of Hey Wanderer, I added a GreenStalk vertical planter to the garden. This five-level garden has 30 deep planting pockets and holds five cubic feet of soil. Our yard has more tree canopy than not, so I am always chasing the sun. Several things are thriving, but I am most excited about the thyme. I haven’t had great success growing thyme in the past, but it likes the GreenStalk.

Photo by Robert Haight

You gotta eat: Za’atar Roasted Tofu

Post author:Jake Kupiec
Post published:June 28, 2026
Post category:You Gotta Eat

Za’atar Roasted Tofu With Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Lemony Tahini Recipe by Yewande Komolafe for the New York Times

When I feel sad finishing off the leftovers of any dish, I know it was a winner. THIS DISH FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY. I loved this dish, and it quickly earned a spot in the regular rotation.

There are great suggestions in the comments, so be sure to check them out. We use a tofu press for recipes like this one. I cut the tofu into chunks instead of slabs, but would probably tear it next time.

Za’atar is an incredibly versatile spice and herb blend. Our current za’atar is a blend from World Market, but you can make your own, too, using a recipe like this one, Za’atar Spice Blend Recipe – Cookie and Kate, or this one, Za’atar Spice Recipe | Feasting at Home.

Let me know if you try it! What’s earned a spot in your regular rotation lately?

Photo by Mahz Alam on Unsplash