A Tale of Three Blogs - Second one Fiber Stuff 100 year old treadle machine

This is the second post now in my trilogy of making up for delay of blogdom!

This one is dealing with my fiber stuff.  Memorial weekend we went to visit our friends, Mel and Paula over in Wausau.   Years ago, we met Mel via the motorhome yahoo group we both belong to, and then his wife Paula had run across some weaving apparatus to bring to me and we have been bestest buds ever since!

Paula had run across another "too good to be true but it is" deal.  Someone had GIVEN her this lovely Singer Treadle sewing machine in what is known as a "Drawing Room Cabinet" !!!!

And since Paula already has a treadle machine... (and computerized quilting machine and a big huge long arm quilting machine)  she asked if I would like this one???? for FREE?????

(oh, I might add that Paula is responsible for my recent quilting addiction too-- 

she is quite the "enabler") 

We looked it over, and loaded it up in the car trunk!  It was best to haul it upright, and we protected it with our honeymoon blanket from Canada.  Here is Paula giving it a final pat goodbye and sending it on to a new (and well-appreciated) home!

This machine and cabinet are just TOO COOL!   and might I mention HEAVY????   Our son and soninlaw carried it on Memorial Day to my Loom Room.   The cabinet is absolutely beautiful!

First you open the doors to expose the treadle portion, then you push a button... 

And the sewing machine rises up out of the cabinet like an elevator!!!!! 

It is a gorgeous "Red Eye" Singer treadle machine. 

 All five drawers were chock full of old buttons, zippers, needles, attachments and such treasures! 

The serial number dates the machine as being made in 1913, the SAME YEAR as our home!   How fitting is that?  The machine is in perfect condition and sews wonderfully.  Nothing rusted, nothing broken.  What a TREAT!

I remember sitting on the treadle of my Great Grandma Today's sewing machine while my brother Butch pumped the treadle with his foot to give me a ride, and taking turns I am sure we were pestering her to keep the bobbin and spool threads out so we could treadle and not snarl the threads up.  

Words can not express my happiness in getting this machine and giving it a Forever Home in my Loom Room.   Paula, you have no idea how happy you have made me!  

I have sewn a number of my quilted hotpads on the machine this week, and it sews like a joy!

my hotpads are available in my etsy store:

http://kareninthewoods.etsy.com/

This week was a busy one in my Loom Room.  The Newcomb Studio Rug Loom needed to get warped up for a rug order.  I lined up my tubes of warp in a pattern that I enjoy weaving.  It goes great with denim for rag rugs. 

I ordered my rug warp from Chris Gustin at http://www.homesteadweaver.com/  She is kind, courteous and I love to support a small business person when I can! 

This pattern works well in either 2 or 4 harness looms.   It's a favorite and I made it up myself, but anyone is free to copy it if they wish.

The center of the rugs will be all denim colored warp threads, 

and I put three striped sections on each side of the rug 

and one more solid denim colored section on the outermost edges.  

The rugs will be 30 inches wide 

and I cranked on 40 yards, enough for probably 30 rugs or so. 

Nothing makes my heart go pitterpat faster than a nice neat evenly wound sectional warp! 

And on the sockknitting front.... fellow weaver Peggy came over for a sock machine lesson last week.  She is planning on buying a machine of her own, and wanted to be sure it was something she wanted to invest in.  I let her crank out a pair of socks on my machine and she did very very well!  (Duke supervised)  She used this lovely soft variegated yarn called "Amazing" from Lion Brand, and was so kind as to bring me 2 skeins of it for myself!   Thank you, Peggy!

Whew... I caught up two of the three blogs I planned to write tonight.  It's now almost midnight and I am heading to bed.  I will write the third blog in the morning.... I hope!