6/12/14

A Few Little Things

This morning I put the last stitches on the 7th of 12 blocks for the Quilting Snowladies.


The next time I work on a block for this quilt, it will be this one:


After that, I went to work on sewing together the blocks for the Good Morning quilt. I'm really loving all the color in this one.


There are seven rows of blocks along with sashings and cornerstones. I had a good start on the third row when I needed to quit and go swimming.

Before I went to the pool, I needed to go to the post office, and then it was sooooooo tempting to just finish up the rest of my errands and go home. At the beginning of the year I set a goal of getting an exercise program going in 2014. My goal is to do four days per week. So far, I've only managed three days per week with any consistency. It's an ongoing battle with me either coaxing or arguing with myself to go. I'm always glad when I do, however, and so I keep reminding myself of that.

Zumba turned out not to be a good fit for me. For one thing, it was hurting my knee; but mainly, I didn't like the hour-long class. So I've been looking for something to do on the fourth day that I was likely to follow through with. In the end, I decided to go back to Curves one day per week. Curves is a mindless workout, and so one or two days a week is my limit. I had to go back this morning to get a new key tag since I'd discarded mine a while back. I was still in their computer, and so I'm back, Jack! Simple as that. Sue and I were supposed to walk tomorrow, but she's out of town. I might head down to Curves tomorrow as a substitute.

Also today, I went to Goodwill, which is where I have the best luck finding clothes I like. (Always a trendsetter, you know.) I've been on the hunt for short sleeve t-shirts, and I hit the jackpot today. Of course, I still need to try things on, but I'm feeling pretty confident that they will fit. If not, I can take them back.

While I was there, I found this "Willamette D" treadle sewing machine.


That's all there was of it...no case, no book, no accessories, no nothing, but it was interesting to see. "Willamette" is the name of the river that runs through downtown Portland, and so I was curious about it. I found a little bit of information on this blog post from Serendipity Vintage Furnishings, and you can see some more pictures there.


I'm not sure about the mechanism below...something to do with winding the bobbin? Maybe one of you knows, but you can see where the stitch length was adjusted behind it.


I was thinking this must have been somebody's baby at one time, and I found myself wondering what kind of sewing her owner must have done. Quilting? Garment sewing? Hard to say, but I'm sure she was a wonder in her day. 

Goodwill wanted $30 for this, which seemed a bit high to me. After all, check out this pdf I found online when she was for sale at the now defunct Meier & Frank department store. Her mail order price was only $15.75! That was probably a king's ransom when this ad appeared in the very early 1900's. The last digit is unreadable at the top of the pdf, but the first three numbers are 191_. Sometime in the 19-teens. The pdf also lists all of her many desirable features, none of which mean anything to me. I know some of you are very smart about vintage sewing machines, so give it a look. It's interesting. 


Fully guaranteed. You can't beat that. Even Big Bertha will be an antique some day. You have to respect anything as old as this Willamette D. I wonder if Big Bertha will fare so well when she's a centenarian.

So that's about all I did today. Tomorrow, I'll continue on with the Good Morning quilt. We have a fun weekend lined up. Matthew called today to tell me he'd passed his Spanish test, and so he successfully tested out of his foreign language requirement. Sunday...Father's Day...he'll walk in the ceremony to collect his diploma from Oregon Institute of Technology. I couldn't be more proud of him.

And that's it from me today. Kind of an easy-going day.

13 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

What fun little stitcheries - this will be so sweet. Curious where you will put the little kittie in the next one. Interesting history on the machine - not a name I am familiar with. Poor girl looks really beat up.

Judy1522 said...

Interesting information on the Willamette D machine. The M&f add says they are bringing it to women outside the Portland area so it makes me think it was named after our river or valley. I just did a little research out of curiosity and it was badged the Willamette D by National to be sold through Meier and Frank.

Dana Gaffney said...

I like when you post the picture of the next snow lady because now I'm looking for where to put the cat.
Congrats to Matthew, I can't think of a better Father's Day gift.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

That is a 'badged' machine, I believe. Many companies had another company make the sewing machines, then they had their own 'badge' put on the machine. The tension is a 'leaf' tension. Yes, that is the bobbin winder. You can clean it with sewing machine oil, and cotton balls (lots of them). Members of Treadle On will be able to help you with info on your machine (needles, where to get bobbins, etc). http://www.mckennalinn.com/sewing-machine-how-tos/ her site will tell you how to clean the machine without damaging the decals.

crazy quilter said...

Vintage Machines were made to last so you can find the ones the owner loved a lot and had taken good care of. This one looks like a jewel. Many of these older machines do have manuals which can be found online. Your friend google can help you with that as there are many very good sites available, and usually the manuals are free. You are correct the pic you showed is the bobbin winder which this machine uses the long spindle bobbins, it is a real treat to see one of these wind a bobbin as the arm goes back and forth to get the thread even, but you need the shuttle for the bobbin to work in the machine. Many of these shuttles have been misplaced or taken for other machines .But there are still sources for these in todays world. There is nothing like the hum of a treadle machine . There are also lots of online communities that cherish these. Treadle On is a popular site.The stitches these machines make are unmatched by the newer models. Enjoyed the pic, thanks for sharing!

Diane Wild said...

A fun day for you to work on your fav projects and a trip to Goodwill. Everyone commented on the old machine so I'll not say any more on it. I use to have a few of the old spindle bobbins and remember watching my grandmother when she filled one. Sew on.

Kate said...

Your snow lady looks great. You continue to just move ahead on all your projects.

Enjoy the weekend.

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

Sweet vintage find. If you ever have questions there is an awesome Vintage Sewing machine group on fb. I have learned alot from them and they share amazing stuff! I have acquired three vintage machines since joining the group.

Lucky Duck Dreams said...

Sweet vintage find. If you ever have questions there is an awesome Vintage Sewing machine group on fb. I have learned alot from them and they share amazing stuff! I have acquired three vintage machines since joining the group.

Christine M said...

Your snowman block is lovely Barbara. So are your Good Morning quilt blocks.

Betty said...

That is a winder for a long bobbin, shuttle type machine. It looks just like the bobbin winder on my mother's old Montgomery Ward machine, although the machine itself looks very different. My understanding is that the National Sewing Machine Co made the MW machines and several other "badged brands", but I haven't had much luck finding good info about them. Mother's machine was purchased new in the late 30's or early 40's by mail order. She paid $12.50 for it.
Congratulations to Matthew and to a very proud Mom & Dad!

Betty said...

I also meant to say that I agree with $30 being pricey for that machine. If it were cleaned up a bit, it might seem more reasonable.

quiltzyx said...

You just blasted that last snow lady out! Wow! It looks terrific. More than half of 'em done now, right?

You're really on a roll now. A lot of sashings & cornerstones in the Good Morning quilt. Looking mighty fine indeed.

Maybe if the Willamette D is still there the next time you go, you could always offer them less - if you were looking for a treadle for your sewing room decor. :^)

Enjoy Matthew's graduation day tomorrow! WoooHoooOOOoo!!!
And happy Father's Day to Mike too!