Goodies in A Treadle Drawer Rambling

Well, some might call it junk.  Junk in a treadle drawer.

 

 

 Glorious glorious junk I say!  :)  This is actually what's LEFT inside of the drawers of this treadle I picked up several years ago.  Yep, that's pretty much how things go around here.  It took about three years go get around to cleaning it out.  I have kids ya know.  Lol*

Anyhow the drawers were stuffed FULL.  I pulled the attachments and goodies out...lots of patches, safety pins, sewing pins, hook and eye clasps...things like that.  To me this is just like buried treasure.  You just never know what you are going to find in there.  I'm the type to almost always buy little metal boxes of sewing machine attachments because I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt.  I have found some pretty neat bobbin shuttles, old bobbins, tons and tons of attachments to fit my old machines.  I even found a few very old pictures in the top drawer of this treadle...and I felt like they blonged to a Mother who owned this so I couldn't bare to remove them.  I left them in...and I will leave them there for good.  Everything else was cleaned out and sorted through and I'm feeling in the mood to get back to work on this machine.  All it needs is an oiling and a new belt.  That's the AMAZING thing about these old all metal machines.  They work forever.  They are simple enough I can work on it myself and not fear breaking it.  The more and more I find myself coming into these old machines the more I love them.  The more I realize why my generation has been called the "throw away" generation...

It REALLY hit me how different things are nowadays yesterday when my brand new washer arrived.  I have never had a new washer or a new dryer for that matter, and within a week both of ours went and since the Husband has finally gotten sick of buying me a used washer and dryer every six months, I finally talked him into buying new.  I love them!!!  But anyhow, my point was that my dryer arrived and it's computerized!!!  Holy cow - don't you just forsee lots of problems with these things in the future?  Very expensive computer repairs that people won't have the money for so they will just buy new washers and dryers and these babies will pile up...where?  Where will they all go?  It's just not the same.  Cost effective has won over quality.  It's kind of sad.  :(

So a lesson I am learning from somebody's Great Grandma's sewing machines.  There is something to be said for quality and efficiency...these sewing machines are things that you just don't throw away.

Thrift Store Finds

I need another sewing machine like I need a hole in my head...and I'm NOT joking!  Yes, I brought home another sewing machine yesterday.  Yes, my Husband is still letting me live here.  LOL*

This machine isn't particularly valuable and I'm discovering I'm just a few models too late because this baby was born around the time that Singer started putting plastic in their machines.  These are the machines your Grandmother refused to buy because it was "inferior" to the all metal machines.  It has been called some nasty names around the vintage sewing machine circuit...the "Touch and Toss", "Touch and Torch", "Touch and Break" are all that have been thrown around generously in the 48 hours that I've owned it...but I'm pretty fond of the aqua face lil' bugger.  :)  It's a Singer Model 628 Touch and Sew.  From what I've read some of these have all metal gears and some have nylon gears...guess what I've got?

Nevermind the clutter...check out that machine!  Oh yes, and the cabinet that is probably worth more than the machine!  Lol*

Lol*  Nylon gears.  I'm ok with that.  I popped off the top and bottom to take a look and all the gears appear to be working well.  I don't know what it takes to wear a nylon gear out.  Lots of sewing?  Age?  Sewing denim?  Sewing lots of denim?  The reviews are all over the board...some love it some hate it.  Ehh, I think it's pretty cute.  I actually only bought it because of the table!!!  I don't have a Queen Anne style table!  Well...I guess I do now.  :)  In any case the machine was a bonus...it's just missing a power cord so I'm trying to get my hands on one or two (it's nice to have a back up) to see if the motor works.  A few have popped up since I've been looking and hopefully one will be on it's way by next week.  I've never had a machine that took cams before either so this will be fun to play with!

Here's the box of cams that came with it.  It has rubber feet so I could take it out of the cabinet and set it on the table but I had to take them off to get the bottom cover off.  (That's what's sitting in the lid of the box over there...my rubber feet and screws!

I cleaned out a few spiders nests from the bottom and there's a little rust on some of the outer metal parts but other than that it looks to be fine.  I literally CAN NOT WAIT for the power cord to get here...it's going to be like Christmas!!!  I hope it sews I hope it sews I hope it sews!

Oh and I also had to share this pattern I bought...it's a McCall pattern printed in 1949!!!  The envelope is falling apart but it's just very neat to look at and own  :)

Belle Inspired Dress

I'm almost Disney'd out with my sewings.  Lol*  I'm having so much fun though.  I'm going through a major sewing identity crisis though...after years and years of believing I could only love quilts...and now all of a sudden I have discovered I love dressmaking!  Granted I've been kind of slapping together costumes for the kids as of late...it's inspired me to want to spend time on well made garments.  I'll soon be adding some some ideas for custom request items to my etsy shop.  But anyhow...here's what I'm working on now...

...this is not finished but I was excited to share.  Rosettes are in progress...

Vintage Greeting Cards

I seriously love these cards.  But I'm a hoarder.  I need to pair down.  I just listed these on Etsy.  :)

What I'm Sewing

Here I am *waves* - still alive over here.  I'm sewing, as always, and almost daily.  Lately I've been really into sewing clothing though - namely - costumes!!!  I still love quilts, but isn't it always fun to do new things?

Here's what I've been making...


...playing with curly hems...holy cow this is fun and opens a whole world of sewing possibilities for me...and lots of clothing requests from the daughters.  Lol*  :)  This is leftover fabric from the rapunzel dress and the overlay from the ariel costume...I added fishing line to curl the hem and am playing with weights to get the best tightest curl.  I think this is just going to be a play dress up skirt since it was just practice really.

Pageant style swim wear...more leftover fabric.  Holy cow - oh squeeels this was fun!!!  I have like, a dozen ideas for costumey outfits and swim suits too.  I love sparkly shiny fabric.  :)

A few other things that I don't want to share on here as I don't like posting a lot of pictures of my kiddos.  But really cute stuff...having so much fun though, playing and experimenting!  :)

A Cinderella Inspired Dress

Utilizing my newly discovered overlock stitch and foot I made this today!  Woohoo!  LOL*  This is for my 1 year old...

Overlock Stitch and Some Chatter

Do you know what all those little feet and attachments that came with your sewing machine are for?  Well, I know what some of mine are for.  I find it fascinating that many of my sewing friends have been avid sewers for YEARS, dare I say decades, and still have no clue what half of the feet for their machine do.  I'm on a bit of a personal mission to figure them out.  :)  After all...I paid a whopping $100 for my sewing machine, I want to get my money's worth!  LOL*  (As if I haven't from the hundreds of dollars I've saved making and selling quilts, crafts, and clothing!)

So if you haven't noticed, my Disney obsession has spawned me into a clothing making spree.  I haven't really made a lot of clothes since I was in high school, so in a lot of ways this is pretty new for me.  I have been sewing as long as I can remember...way back a bazillion years ago...ok maybe just 20 years ago, my Momma let me play in her stash and fiddle with her sewing machine.  She taught me about using a 5/8" seam, how to use a pattern, how to install zippers, and of course the value of a seam ripper.  She also taught me how to use her serger...boy oh boy, you don't know what you have until it's gone!  Let me tell you!  When I grew up and moved out I did a little bit of sewing, but it wasn't until about 7 years ago just before my second child was born that I discovered quilting and really started sewing on a daily basis.  Still, that was quilting, and anyone who sews can tell you that quilting and garment sewing are two very different sports.  I made a few costumes and the random outfit here and there for the kiddos but I am just now rediscovering an interest in making clothes. 

Why didn't I think long ago about making custom clothing for my children??!!!  I'm kicking myself now! 

Anyhow, because I didn't think I needed one, I never invested in a serger.  I know there are inexpensive versions out there...but remember, you're talking to the queen of thrift right now.  I figured why spend the money when I only make an outfit once a year...I'll just use Mom's serger.  Well now adays I have three kids and it's not so easy to run over to Mom's house to use the serger...and I don't have the money sitting around to buy a serger...so as I make more clothing a dilemma begins to form. 

Well what about all those feet in my attachment box?  They must do something.  What the heck did people do before sergers?  They used their sewing machines DUH!!!  So here is what I found...my sweet little inxpensive Simplicity Quilter's Classic makes a pretty nice little overlock stitch...isn't it pretty?  Holy cow I am thrilled!!!  Two different ways that I like to use it...like this...to finish an edge...

...or like this, to hem and finish off the raw edge at the same time.  Who knew?  I rubbed along the stitching to test it's durability...it's pretty darn secure!  Woohoo!  Sergers...pppffffbbbbt...who needs 'em.

Ariel Costume Finished

I know these are seriously NOT the best pictures...I usually try to spend some time taking good photographs but I just don't have time right now!  Eek!  This is how my daughter's Ariel costume turned out...I used Simplicity pattern number 4043.  I'm thrilled with it!  I'm debating on adding some trim underneath the dark purple just for something a little extra.  They have some Little Mermaid Disney licensed trim up at Jo Ann's Etc but it's a drive from here.

You can't see it but there is a slit in the skirt where legs through trhough...LOL*  There is a handle on the fin so she can put it on her wrist to make it easier to walk...and she'll wear this over her regular clothes to meet Ariel.  I need to find a starfish and a cute flower for her headpiece still...

I'm seriously LOVING making costumes and costumy clothing.  I never thought I'd have this much fun with it!!!  I'm working on that pirate outfit for my middle daughter now...pictures will be up soon.  She loves it because it's "jingly".  LOL*

Am I The Only One...

...loving all of the new fabric at Walmart lately?  Our Disney trip is coming closer...and I'm falling into a sewing frenzy!  I frequent a Disney message board and on it is a thread dedicated solely to people who like to sew for Disney.  Of course this is right up my alley!!!  :)  So today I decided to pick up some fabric and notions to make my middle daughter a pirate themed outfit.  Here's what I bought...