Mom bought an antique sewing machine!!!

How did she know?!?!

Mom was driving past a consignment shop in Milford awhile ago and saw this lovely piece of "furniture" outside the front door. I say furniture because if it had been me I would have been all "Oh look at the nice little table. I wonder if it has a twin!" But mom knew what probably very few people would- THERE WAS A SEWING MACHINE INSIDE! Or at least, there used to be. She was hoping there might still be something inside. I have no idea how she knew that. The photo above is literally what she saw from the street.

!!!!!!!!! 

Mom had told me about this a couple weeks ago and then I kind of forgot about it. She went back to see if it was still there on Thursday and bought it for $25. What a steal! But it's kind of heavy so I came over after work to help her get it home from the store (that was a whole separate fiasco). Then we set it up in the driveway to take a look.

Look how big the work surface is!

Some moron painted it white but we're going to try and refinish it this fall/winter (right Mom?! :) This is actually electric (I know it looks much more ancient than that) and came with all the original attachments, manual, feet, etc. Mom found them all in these side compartments that the consignment lady didn't even know about!

The two sides lift up to show little organizers, but under THOSE is a
big open space where lots of things were hiding!

Jackpot!! Everything in wonderful condition.

The original manual, from July 1927. :)

Two heavy tin boxes, and inside....

All kinds of feet and attachments! We decided you'd have to be either an
engineer or my Papa to figure out a machine like this nowadays.

Those things above can make ruffles and all kinds of crazy things. But, one of the coolest things emerged: the buttonholer.

It came in this little rectangular leather case that folds up and snaps all together.
It has its own little instruction booklet and appears to be in perfect condition.

However I also feel like some of its attachments resemble old torture devices.
Kind of sinister looking huh?

So after looking through everything we decided to plug it in and see what, if anything, happened.

Yeah...I don't think that plug is up to code...

The answer at first was: Nothing. Nothing happened. UNTIL, I pressed this:

Turns out these were controlled by the side of the leg/knee while sitting down.
Just press your leg against it and the motor starts whirring!

Unfortunately it didn't all start turning and the needle (which is still in the machine!) didn't go anywhere. BUT I think there is hope. Because the needle does move up and down when I turn the wheel at the end. We just need to get the wheel cleaned and lubricated and I think it might actually "work" some day.

Look how huge those diaper pins are!!

That last photo is the part of things like this that I really love. I wonder what kind of baby the woman had. And if she made diapers for it. There was still a threaded bobbin in the machine with some God-awful red/orange/rust 70s-type thread in it. What was the last thing she made before she put this machine away forever? Why did she decide to stop sewing? Because she couldn't any more or because she didn't want to anymore? Is she still alive today?

This was such a fun little adventure with Mom--almost like a treasure hunt. Can't wait to see what else can come of this little machine!

I'm Buying a Sewing Machine!

No, I do not sew....YET!!! :) This summer I was supposed to be only cooking, but was sneakily recruited by the sewing ladies to help while I was on tour. It was hilarious the way they did it--saying they had heard I wanted to know how to sew, and then teaching me a few basics so I'd feel more comfortable with the machine. Letting me help on a pair of pants or two. And then BAM!! Out of nowhere, telling me that there's nobody signed up to sew the entire time I'm on tour. How could I turn them down? They work so hard, and we can't have the kids in baggy, ill-fitting uniforms! This is what you're going for:

Hi Brian!

As I've mentioned before, I learned quickly that Mary, the physical therapist, was an excellent sew-er (when you put it as sewer it looks like you're meaning sewer system...) and I was able to bow out of any real sewing duties until finals week.

Vintage looking handmade Barbie clothes from here. 

But I've been interested in sewing for a long time. And I've grown up knowing that my Granny is an excellent seamstress. She would make my Barbies elaborate clothes with snaps and coats and matching skirts and tops out of little scraps of fabric. The dresses above are not from MY dolls, but I'll have to take some photos the next time I'm at Mom's! I have always heard stories of the clothes she made my mom. I know my mom has made herself some simple dresses and tube tops when she was younger. My cousin Carrie bought a sewing machine awhile back and we had joked about her making the chair covers for my wedding. I've mentioned before how we're a crafty, creative family, and I've felt for some time that I could be quite successful in the sewing world.


This past week, I had the opportunity to proofread my first quilting book for F+W and that's when the lightbulbs went off. I had previously wondered how successful I could or would be with making clothing. And if I would even keep up with making clothes. When I started reading about quilting I realized that that is the type of project I've been waiting for. Everything about quilting appeals to me. The different fabrics you choose (and the quite involved/complicated process for choosing them), the pattern you choose, piecing it all together over a period of time. It is all very precise and measured, but at the same time gives you infinite creative possibilities to experiment with color and pattern and size. When I make cards I've realized my most favorite part is choosing the papers I'm going to use. If I had a project I wanted to start and didn't know where to begin, I would sometimes just walk around a craft store until a piece of paper caught my eye. And when I found that right color or pattern or texture, suddenly I could see everything else I needed to find to make the vision a reality. I already have my eye on some fabrics that I think would make beautiful quilts. I keep gravitating towards these two! I'd probably want at least two more patterns/colors, but these are a good start. :)

 

From Jo-Ann's

Also from Jo-Ann's (brand is Legacy Studio)

Those would be pretty with some gold and coral patterned solids. Maybe a cream backing? SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.

The other aspect of quilting that appeals to me is that I think it would be a wonderfully heartfelt gift. It would take a little research to figure out what colors/sizes/etc. appealed to the recipient, but I think it would be a pretty awesome experience to spend so much time working on a project that you're going to give away to someone else. I know many people only see quilts as "country," but if the book I've just read (and countless others I've now researched) is any indication, quilts can look more modern and fresh than ever. I really think the fabric is the most important part of getting the right feeling. 


Here's one that made me think of our friend Jenny from small group, and her new baby Liam. Their nursery has a woods/owl theme. This would be absolutely adorable in his room!!

So adorable. Baby quilts will be a good place for me to start! From Etsy here.

I haven't seen anything like this yet. Love how it's quilted. From Etsy here.

More modern in black and white. The pattern is so creative! From Etsy here.

So here's the sewing machine I'm thinking about, a Brother XL-3750. Sounds fancy but I don't know if those letters/numbers mean anything! 

I'll be getting it from Amazon thankyouverymuch Jo-Anns...

It's reasonably priced, it can do quilting stuff. There's a few different, more decorative stitches. It has, overall, really great reviews. Some people have had thread tension problems but others were able to fix that. I went to JoAnn's to get some expert advice on a first sewing machine and was incredibly disappointed that the women there are affiliated with Viking and really only wanted to recommend the $400 machine with the automatic up/down needle. They wouldn't even discuss the Brother machine I'd like to get. I asked how they could sell a sewing machine online and not have any information about it in the store, and that's how I found out they were associated with these particular brands only. Are you listening JoAnn?! VERY disappointed. So I'm going with this one, and we'll see what happens. I basically just need some straight stitches through 3 layers of fabric. Can't be that difficult right? And I'll take it somewhere to be professionally quilted, but one reviewer has even done that herself freehand on the machine. If anyone knows anything about this particular machine, or has any suggestions/opinions for a CHEAP comparable one let me know! I have relied soley on Amazon and other website reviews to make this decision!