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Sep. 26th, 2024 09:11 amMy aunt has begun the process of bringing gramma's things from her house to a storage unit in the city my gramma lived in, with the intent that it will be sorted through and us grandkids can go through and take what we like. She had some smaller furniture items brought already and we claimed or not via text. I'm the only one close enough to get them sooner, so yesterday my dad and sibling loaded up the things I wanted and something for themselves, and brought it over last night. I did think it was awfully soon, but then I remembered that she is trying to sell her house, as well as being off work at the moment, so the sooner she can get the things out of her space and mind, the better.
Among these was the 1912 sewing machine that once belonged to my great-grandmother, Augusta, of whom the machine is also named (Gussie, for short). My aunt has had it for many many years and was ready to pass it on to me. I am absolutely smitten with it! I believe it to be a Singer 27, based on how similar it looks to my other Singer 27, plus the serial number being in a group allocated to that model in December 1911. The booklet wasn't with it, but my aunt will send it along if she finds it in her things. It has the beautiful Sphinx decals I adore, in decent condition. It currently doesn't run and I've been told multiple times that no one's been able to get it to work; a quick look-over makes me think it needs a good cleaning, oiling, and a replacement treadle belt, because it seemed to run fine when I turned the wheel (thinking back now, I wasn't looking at the needle bar, I was trying to get the bobbin race into the right spot to remove the shuttle). It is dusty AF and sticky with a good 60+ years of non-use. Most delightful, in a bag in one of the drawers was what appears to me most, if not all, of the attachments. There is a ruffler foot, a hemmer, a tucker, and many other delightful items including a spare shuttle and a box of original needles! I have absolutely no idea where I am going to put it except that I want to look at it forever and ever amen. It is currently living in the hallway. (Photos on Instagram, I'll load them up on Flickr too just for better quality/framing.)
I have met a couple of my neighbours, thanks to the kittens. Don lives upstairs and across the hall, and Jan lives above him. Don thought the kittens were sweet and at one time thought Calcifer was an exotic cat (nope, bog standard tabby, albeit a very pretty one), and complimented Sophie for being a pretty "Halloween cat". Jan delighted in them because she's been watching them in my windows, and told me about her kitties, whom I've seen walking about on leashes from time to time. Don saw us moving the sewing machine yesterday and ran down to open the door for us. "Do you sew?" he asked. Yes I do. "I have an ulterior motive, come see me when you have a moment." Here it comes, the dreaded "can you sew this for me?"... Well, I went anyway, and I got to see his place (which is a little larger than mine, if only by way of having an extra room). He was making little not-quite-bibs for his rugby club, which meets every Wednesday for soup at a local restaurant, and asked if I could make them up for him. He hasn't sewn since high school, where he made a shop apron, and was considering buying a machine to do it himself. "I don't expect you to do it for free," he said, and offered me some money, enough to make it attractive. Then he gave me a squash and some tomatoes from his container garden lol. I estimate him to be about 70-ish years old. Looking back I could have directed him to the library which has a maker space that includes sewing machines, but I really don't mind doing it (and esp at what he offered!). It'll be a quick little project to get the creativity juices going.
Grommets should be delivered today so I can set them in the corset and try it on. Test pattern is expected tomorrow so I can get going PDQ! I've also separated the corset cover directions to prepare that, and perhaps I can do that too. If the kittens let me lol. And of course I would love to start cleaning Gussie up and revive my teens project.
Tonight is a writing event for my local group, we'll see how much the kittens let me work on that.
Among these was the 1912 sewing machine that once belonged to my great-grandmother, Augusta, of whom the machine is also named (Gussie, for short). My aunt has had it for many many years and was ready to pass it on to me. I am absolutely smitten with it! I believe it to be a Singer 27, based on how similar it looks to my other Singer 27, plus the serial number being in a group allocated to that model in December 1911. The booklet wasn't with it, but my aunt will send it along if she finds it in her things. It has the beautiful Sphinx decals I adore, in decent condition. It currently doesn't run and I've been told multiple times that no one's been able to get it to work; a quick look-over makes me think it needs a good cleaning, oiling, and a replacement treadle belt, because it seemed to run fine when I turned the wheel (thinking back now, I wasn't looking at the needle bar, I was trying to get the bobbin race into the right spot to remove the shuttle). It is dusty AF and sticky with a good 60+ years of non-use. Most delightful, in a bag in one of the drawers was what appears to me most, if not all, of the attachments. There is a ruffler foot, a hemmer, a tucker, and many other delightful items including a spare shuttle and a box of original needles! I have absolutely no idea where I am going to put it except that I want to look at it forever and ever amen. It is currently living in the hallway. (Photos on Instagram, I'll load them up on Flickr too just for better quality/framing.)
I have met a couple of my neighbours, thanks to the kittens. Don lives upstairs and across the hall, and Jan lives above him. Don thought the kittens were sweet and at one time thought Calcifer was an exotic cat (nope, bog standard tabby, albeit a very pretty one), and complimented Sophie for being a pretty "Halloween cat". Jan delighted in them because she's been watching them in my windows, and told me about her kitties, whom I've seen walking about on leashes from time to time. Don saw us moving the sewing machine yesterday and ran down to open the door for us. "Do you sew?" he asked. Yes I do. "I have an ulterior motive, come see me when you have a moment." Here it comes, the dreaded "can you sew this for me?"... Well, I went anyway, and I got to see his place (which is a little larger than mine, if only by way of having an extra room). He was making little not-quite-bibs for his rugby club, which meets every Wednesday for soup at a local restaurant, and asked if I could make them up for him. He hasn't sewn since high school, where he made a shop apron, and was considering buying a machine to do it himself. "I don't expect you to do it for free," he said, and offered me some money, enough to make it attractive. Then he gave me a squash and some tomatoes from his container garden lol. I estimate him to be about 70-ish years old. Looking back I could have directed him to the library which has a maker space that includes sewing machines, but I really don't mind doing it (and esp at what he offered!). It'll be a quick little project to get the creativity juices going.
Grommets should be delivered today so I can set them in the corset and try it on. Test pattern is expected tomorrow so I can get going PDQ! I've also separated the corset cover directions to prepare that, and perhaps I can do that too. If the kittens let me lol. And of course I would love to start cleaning Gussie up and revive my teens project.
Tonight is a writing event for my local group, we'll see how much the kittens let me work on that.
