After my sweetie and I had our coffee this morning, he trekked off to work at the park while I hopped in the car on a QUEST. I had a phone call from a weaver down in Milwaukee who had a pile of weaving yarns that needed a new home. She was moving soon and wanted to get rid of them.... She had called the local weaving guild down there, but they said they didn't have room to store any donations. She called fellow weavers in Beloit, Jim and Norma. They passed on my name and number. She called me with her plight. I offered to come and get them, and if it was stuff I couldn't use, I could pass it on to members in my guild up in Menasha.
With coffee cup in hand, off I went... the GPS led me right to her house. Easy Peasy 90 miles. She was so thankful I could take this off her hands, because next stop would be St. Vinnies! Her husband helped me load up the trunk, and off I went to hit the interstate and head on home.
On my way back to Chilton, I managed a stop in at Trader Joes on the north side of Milwaukee. Two cases of Two Buck Chuck wine somehow found their way into the back seat of my car, along with ten more jars of that sinfully delicious cookie butter, and three tubs of olive taupenade for muffeletta sandwhiches.
The rains let up on my way home, and by the time I was lugging these treasures into my house, the sun was shining! I had to play a few rounds of fetch with the dogs, to make up for leaving them home all morning alone. The sunshine was infectious and sooo enjoyable!
Some of those large cones in the back are 5-6 pounds of cotton and wool... and there is even a small drop spindle and ball winder and warping tools. It sure was a bumper crop of good stuff!
I had to lug in the contents of this box in four smaller separate loads because it was sooo heavy! It was over 100 Handwoven magazines and a couple weaving books too.
The funny part about this box of 100+ magazines is that I used to own these same issues in a complete set before we moved away from our old house. During my down-sizing, I gave a bunch of them away, sold a few on Ebay, but first scanned in the most desirable patterns and ideas before I got rid of all of them. Scanned in for reference is good. But having the actual magazine is nice to page through for inspiration. These aren't ordinary magazines that you look at once and toss... they have patterns, materials and technical instructions that make them sought after many years beyond publication.
Remember, when we were selling the house, our plans were that we were going to live full time in the motorhome. There was NO room for that many magazines, not to mention hauling their weight around for something that I would not be using all of the time. Reluctantly, I passed them on to friends after scanning the best of the best.
Well, here I am now the proud owner again of all the most-desired issues of Handwoven Magazine from 1980-2001!
What goes around, comes around?
Now I have to find spots for all of it .... I have a "Fiber Storage Room" at the top of the back stairs in our house. It is quite full now, but I am sure I have room for more once I get in there and reorganize it a bit. The next course of action is to start weaving it up into usable sell-able products!
My Loom Room is on the main floor, in a large room off the dining area, facing to the south. I love the natural light in the room, and the hours just fly by when I am in here creating. Sometimes, I hear a noise at the door and it's Steve coming home at 4:20 when I swear it was just lunchtime or 10 a.m. or whatever. That is what weaving does to me.
Here are a couple of my rug looms along the west wall, and a smaller folded up table loom on the floor between them. I take that loom out on the front porch or along in the motorhome when travelling.
On the other side of my Loom Room along the east wall is a tall hutch cabinet that had been built in on the wall in our diningroom when we bought the house. Since my dining set already has both a hutch and buffet, we carefully detached and moved this hutch into my Loom Room. I keep the most-often used items handy in the hutch in the Loom Room... and settle into my newly refurbished rocking chair with my spinning wheel for relaxation.
On the south wall, between the looms to the west and the hutch to the east, are the big windows facing south is where I keep my prized 100 year old treadle sewing machine.... under the leaded glass portion which makes rainbows all over the room!
The beautiful piece of machinery is in perfect working condition and I use it weekly, if not daily. I was reading about the history of Singer sewing machines. When a family back in 1914 was deciding to buy a machine like this, it was a real serious investment. It was akin to purchasing a family automobile when the yearly income was considered to what we spend now for a car compared to our wages nowadays.
When the machine is all closed up inside this "Drawing Room Cabinet" it looks like any ordinary piece of antique furniture.... I just love it!
I can only imagine the thrill of the lucky woman who was honored to own this machine brand new the day it came into her home. Heck, I am probably just as thrilled to have it 100 years later! Thanks to my sweet friend Paula, who gave it to me!
Well, back to my day... as I unloaded the new fiber things, I was rushing a bit because I had to get to an appointment in Manitowoc by 2pm. Just as I was rushing around like a chicken with her head cut off.... the door bell rang. AHHHHHH
My sweet darling Steveio sent me flowers for Mother's Day....
We will be celebrating Mother's Day with our daughters Erin and Heather and their families tomorrow during the Bark in the Park game at the Appleton Timber Rattlers event. Our son Dan and his family are off camping this weekend... it's their first time out in their new travel trailer! From their facebook posts, it looks like they are having a great time!
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I have 1919 machine just like yours. Mine is a singer 66 red eye and it's either treadle or electric. I use it all the time, it is so smooth to use.
ReplyDeleteI remember my great Aunt had one like it. I also remember who all of her old furniture was hauled off when she moved in with us. I hope it continued to be used by someone over the years.
ReplyDeleteTo tell the truth, I felt really bad about your getting rid of looms, supplies, and such when you sold your other home. I guess because when I thought I would go full timing I got rid of so much that I later wish I had kept, even in storage for a few years. But I am so happy that you are getting some of it back.
ReplyDeleteMy father electrified an old machine like yours when my parents had to move into a tiny travel trailer in 1939. That machine served us well for many years!
ReplyDeleteDo you get any sore arms, neck, back from your weaving, etc?
The Odd Essay has left a new comment on your post "Yarn Stash Enhancement Quest and a bit about my Lo...":
ReplyDeleteYou have made yourself a very lovely place to work... I can easily see how the time passes so quickly. How magic is must feel when the sun makes rainbows through that window!
(I accidentally hit "delete" instead of "publish" when I was moderating this comment)
Gypsy mentioned about my getting rid of looms... I only got rid of 3, and I kept 2 and about 20-25 tubs of fibers I stowed in our son's garage attic.
ReplyDeleteAnd Hazel asked about getting sore... yes. but I do it in moderation and work out the kinks after a while.