I've hit a slow down in my pursuit of Antique Sewing Machines. Since I finished fixing the Bowman, I have nothing else to work on. I surfed my local Craigs List and found lots of antique treadles but nothing that was inspiring. Only one was in bad shape and they wanted way to much money for it.
As a result, I was forced to do some sewing today. A project has been brewing int he back of my mind for sometime now. Take a sweatshirt...cut off the neck band and bottom band. Then cut it down the center. Pick a nice cotton and make quilt binding from it. Sew it to the raw edges to make a decorative edge to a sweater jacket. Add a pocket featuring one of my digitized embroidery designs (yes, I'm a digitizer). Perhaps add some designs around the neck and front edges and you have a fun fall sweater.
With this plan in mind, I went to Target to pick up a sweatshirt, but they were not in for the fall season yet, so I picked up a mens size at Walmart. I started my project and have attached the cotton edging so far. I have finished the pocket design and will attach the pocket tomorrow. I chose the antique sewing machine design I just finished. I think it will look quite good. After I am done, I will post a picture on this site and on my personal webpage at http://mysite.verizon.net/restui4l/ I have many lovely things displayed on my personal page as well as embroidery designs for sale!
Well, got to go hunt for a new "old" machine to work on. I would love to get my hands on a pawfoot handcrank. Good luck finding one for a reasonable amount of money.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
My Bowman Troubles
I thought I was all done with my restoration of the Bowman (pic at bottom of page). Boy was I sorely mistaken.
I had been anxiouly anticipating the arrival of a full set of feet and accessories for the machine, generously given to me by Katie...owner of the White Research Project website, when they arrived only yesterday. I tore open the package and set about attaching the foot I was missing. I had everything in place and began to sew...only to find that the feed dogs were not moving in an eliptical manner as they should. Nothing was happening.
After hours of inspection and many tears, I bullied my husband into taking a look. It took him all of five minutes to show me that a small wire spring had come loose and it was responsible for creating the forward and backward motion of the feed dogs. I almost laughed out loud. After all that work my husband comes along and fixes it in 5 minutes!! It's good to have a handy husband.
Now it works quite well. If I could only get my hands on an dirty and needy hand crank model from the 1800's I would be all ready to start working on it!
Kel
I had been anxiouly anticipating the arrival of a full set of feet and accessories for the machine, generously given to me by Katie...owner of the White Research Project website, when they arrived only yesterday. I tore open the package and set about attaching the foot I was missing. I had everything in place and began to sew...only to find that the feed dogs were not moving in an eliptical manner as they should. Nothing was happening.
After hours of inspection and many tears, I bullied my husband into taking a look. It took him all of five minutes to show me that a small wire spring had come loose and it was responsible for creating the forward and backward motion of the feed dogs. I almost laughed out loud. After all that work my husband comes along and fixes it in 5 minutes!! It's good to have a handy husband.
Now it works quite well. If I could only get my hands on an dirty and needy hand crank model from the 1800's I would be all ready to start working on it!
Kel
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Little Details of Passion
Like most great love affairs, the passion starts with the fist look. The first glance is important. Did the other party catch your eye right away, or did it take a good long second look to capture your attention? Oh sure, there are those "pretty ones" that already look great on the outside, but then I guarantee someone else tidied them up long before you came along. What's the fun in falling in love and not having any work to do? I say look for the dingy ones. Don't pass up a fine machine just because it's dingy.
Machines, like men, sometimes need a makeover, but often have a wonderful mechanism just waiting for the right touch to make it purr. So there you are at the big flea market, local yard sales, or just cruising Craigs List, and you see it. It's ugly and covered in rust, but it's sturdy and looks like a real fixer upper. You push your way through the throngs of people ( or just click on the link) and there it is...right in front of you. You walk around it, observe all of it's flaws. Did you look at the wear on the decals first? Or was it the rust on the head plates that got your attention? You tentitively reach out to give the hand wheel a tug, only to discover that it moves smoothly! That's a plus.
Then you look at the price tag and pass out. After a kindly old gentleman revives you with a few firm pats to the cheeks and a splash of water, you prepare yourself to haggle. No way you are paying more than $40 for this rusted (but loveable) hunk of junk. You stretch your arms, crack your knuckles and approach the vendor. You haggle and haggle over the price and finally, he agrees to a price of $35. You reach into your oversized handbag with the mola you lovingly machine embroiderd on the front, and pull out your money and a clean cloth. Grabbing the neck of the rusty beast you hoist it up like your are carrying a baby and beat your way back through the crouds for your car. You start off nonchallantly and begin picking up speed until you are almost trotting to your car...all of this in case the vendor changes his mind and tries to renegotiate the price. You make it to the car, load your prize, and head for home. It has been a successful shopping trip and you are both exhausted and exhilerated at the same time. The rest of the month will be full of oiling, wiping, evaporusting, and more oiling.
You go home and take a nap. Dreams of passionate love for your new machine prevade your dreams. Your love affair with antique sewing machines continues.
Machines, like men, sometimes need a makeover, but often have a wonderful mechanism just waiting for the right touch to make it purr. So there you are at the big flea market, local yard sales, or just cruising Craigs List, and you see it. It's ugly and covered in rust, but it's sturdy and looks like a real fixer upper. You push your way through the throngs of people ( or just click on the link) and there it is...right in front of you. You walk around it, observe all of it's flaws. Did you look at the wear on the decals first? Or was it the rust on the head plates that got your attention? You tentitively reach out to give the hand wheel a tug, only to discover that it moves smoothly! That's a plus.
Then you look at the price tag and pass out. After a kindly old gentleman revives you with a few firm pats to the cheeks and a splash of water, you prepare yourself to haggle. No way you are paying more than $40 for this rusted (but loveable) hunk of junk. You stretch your arms, crack your knuckles and approach the vendor. You haggle and haggle over the price and finally, he agrees to a price of $35. You reach into your oversized handbag with the mola you lovingly machine embroiderd on the front, and pull out your money and a clean cloth. Grabbing the neck of the rusty beast you hoist it up like your are carrying a baby and beat your way back through the crouds for your car. You start off nonchallantly and begin picking up speed until you are almost trotting to your car...all of this in case the vendor changes his mind and tries to renegotiate the price. You make it to the car, load your prize, and head for home. It has been a successful shopping trip and you are both exhausted and exhilerated at the same time. The rest of the month will be full of oiling, wiping, evaporusting, and more oiling.
You go home and take a nap. Dreams of passionate love for your new machine prevade your dreams. Your love affair with antique sewing machines continues.
My Antique Sewing Machine Collecting Begins!
You know, for years I have created beautiful things with a menagerie of marvelous modern machines. It never once occured to me that I might enjoy the sensation of sewing on a non-computerized, non-electric sewing machine. I guess I thought that was outdated.
Now don't get me wrong. I like antiqes as many people do. I basically have your standard American Eclectic house full of both modern ( in my case Ikea and soft contemporary) furniture with some antiques thrown in. For instance, I have the most wonderful dining room, created from a c.1930's walnut sideboard and a dining room table which with empire feet that dates to the turn of the century, when my great gradfather bought it. It's tiger oak, cut to reveal the grain, which I understand is a practice that is no longer allowed as it wastes too much wood. It's a real family heirloom! These things, and a small collection of vintage Halloween items have been my only real antiques, until now.
So how did I get hooked on antique treadle sewing machines, you ask? Well, believe it or not, I always thought they were beautiful when cleaned up, but could not see a reason to buy one. Then one day, I was cruising Craigs List,when I happened upon a lovely picture of a fully restored Singer Treadle. Yes, I drooled, but $350 was not in my spending budget. So I trolled the list some more and started seeing some really messy, dirty, and rusty machines. So many people still wanted WAY too much money for them. I was going to give up, when I decided to put a wanted ad on the list. I simply asked for a nice looking and mostly clean treadle machine that worked well and had all of the parts. I listed my interest in paying no more than $75. I figured no one would be interested in selling me one for that low a price. Low and behold! Several people emailed me with pictures and from them, I chose the Singer 27 shown in pictures to the right of this blog! When it got here, it still needed rust removal, so I got online, sighned up for some yahoo groups, got cleaning advice, and away I went! It did not take long to finish cleaning the Singer. I even attempted to sew on it and found it very pleasant.
The next thing you know, I was chomping at the bit to buy another one. I could see my husband was not thrilled with the idea. But he has always been an accomodating man, and did not discourage me. I found a total disaster on line for $10 and went to pick it up. When I arrived at the house of the seller, I found that it was not as bad as it looked, but certainly would take much more effort than the Singer. Plus, I could not identify the maker. Not long after aquiring the machine and beginning the restoration, I found out that it was a White manufactured machine that was distributed by A.G Mason to various department stores throughout the US in the early 1900's. In my case, it was sold to a store called Bowman Co., hence the name on the front of the machine. I was lucky to have identified this machine as it was missing a presser foot, and without properly identifying the make and model, there would be no replacing it. Luckily, one of the wonderful ladies who had identified the machine, had the presser foot! Problem solved.
Well everyone, that is the story of my beginnings. While I am on vacation, I plan to do a little searcing for other delapitated machines to restore. I think this may take my sewing in a whole new direction. Next on my list: Learn to sew on the Singer 27 treadle, and make something fun with it!! Stay tuned!
Now don't get me wrong. I like antiqes as many people do. I basically have your standard American Eclectic house full of both modern ( in my case Ikea and soft contemporary) furniture with some antiques thrown in. For instance, I have the most wonderful dining room, created from a c.1930's walnut sideboard and a dining room table which with empire feet that dates to the turn of the century, when my great gradfather bought it. It's tiger oak, cut to reveal the grain, which I understand is a practice that is no longer allowed as it wastes too much wood. It's a real family heirloom! These things, and a small collection of vintage Halloween items have been my only real antiques, until now.
So how did I get hooked on antique treadle sewing machines, you ask? Well, believe it or not, I always thought they were beautiful when cleaned up, but could not see a reason to buy one. Then one day, I was cruising Craigs List,when I happened upon a lovely picture of a fully restored Singer Treadle. Yes, I drooled, but $350 was not in my spending budget. So I trolled the list some more and started seeing some really messy, dirty, and rusty machines. So many people still wanted WAY too much money for them. I was going to give up, when I decided to put a wanted ad on the list. I simply asked for a nice looking and mostly clean treadle machine that worked well and had all of the parts. I listed my interest in paying no more than $75. I figured no one would be interested in selling me one for that low a price. Low and behold! Several people emailed me with pictures and from them, I chose the Singer 27 shown in pictures to the right of this blog! When it got here, it still needed rust removal, so I got online, sighned up for some yahoo groups, got cleaning advice, and away I went! It did not take long to finish cleaning the Singer. I even attempted to sew on it and found it very pleasant.
The next thing you know, I was chomping at the bit to buy another one. I could see my husband was not thrilled with the idea. But he has always been an accomodating man, and did not discourage me. I found a total disaster on line for $10 and went to pick it up. When I arrived at the house of the seller, I found that it was not as bad as it looked, but certainly would take much more effort than the Singer. Plus, I could not identify the maker. Not long after aquiring the machine and beginning the restoration, I found out that it was a White manufactured machine that was distributed by A.G Mason to various department stores throughout the US in the early 1900's. In my case, it was sold to a store called Bowman Co., hence the name on the front of the machine. I was lucky to have identified this machine as it was missing a presser foot, and without properly identifying the make and model, there would be no replacing it. Luckily, one of the wonderful ladies who had identified the machine, had the presser foot! Problem solved.
Well everyone, that is the story of my beginnings. While I am on vacation, I plan to do a little searcing for other delapitated machines to restore. I think this may take my sewing in a whole new direction. Next on my list: Learn to sew on the Singer 27 treadle, and make something fun with it!! Stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
