Friday, October 31, 2014

Vintage Sewing Machines and Spool Pin Doilies

1904 Singer Model 27, which I bought
 twenty years ago in a local antique shop.
This is my oldest machine. 
I've begun acquiring treadle machines ... they are fun to use (especially with children) and are a practical investment, as they are nearly indestructible and will continue to gain in popularity as they age decade by decade.  Two of my machines, now more than 100 years old (1904 and 1911,) are considered antiques. Two other treadle sewing machines, called Red Eye Singers, are considered Vintage as they are between fifty and one hundred years old, (they will be 100 soon!)  Another two Vintage machines are dated between 1935 and 1947, both with electric motors, but could potentially be returned to "people-powered" by removing the motors and wires and giving them hand cranks. And there are two more are from the late nineteen sixties/early nineteen seventies, considered Retro-Vintage.

The four oldest are all working treadles and my goal is to get them all in good working order and then have a workshop on care and use for those who might have one in their attic that they are thinking of restoring one day.

Dawn's Spool Pin Doilies
What I've found recently are sweet little crocheted or tatted spool pin doilies.  There is a group of people that connect via Facebook to discuss their love of vintage sewing machines and share their tips for restoration techniques.  The spool pin doilies turned up there. I connected with one of the women sharing her patterns and offering to make them for those who could not, and then connected through a friend with another woman locally who would do the same.

Dawn makes white cotton thread doilies that are about an inch and a quarter in diameter, and are a perfect fit for my small Featherweight 1947 machine.

Margaret's Spool Pin Doilies
Margaret hadn't heard of doilies until my friend told her I was looking for some; she immediately went on line, found a few patterns and made some up for me. Hers are of varied sizes and shapes, and I've used some of them on my oldest treadles.

One of Dawn's on my little Featherweight, 
Some who "collect things" collect for the sake of collecting; I collect machines that I want to keep running and share their productivity and versatility with others who want to keep the time honored traditions of quilt making alive.

To be able to do this while protecting their treasured shiny black surfaces with delicate and beautiful lace doilies gives me a great sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Two of Margaret's on a 1911 White Rotary Treadle
given to me by a friend.

If you can crochet for yourself, you will no doubt find a wide variety of patterns for free on the internet. Happy searching! If you can't crochet, you can always reach out to those who can, like Dawn or Margaret.  People who do needlework of any sort are as happy, content, friendly and generous as quilters themselves!

You can find many of Margaret's talents at her Facebook Page.   And you can contact Dawn at her Facebook Page as well. And if you want to have one of these delightful doilies at home with you today, stop in to my shop to see if I still have one or two to spare! Some day soon, perhaps, I'll find someone who will produce another dozen or so that I can post on my web-store page

As always, if you are reading this update in your email, thank you for signing up for the newsletter. We usually publish it about twice a month, but in between editions, we also update the various pages that comprise this blog. Recent additions are the Machine Quilting Classes page,  and progress on current quilts at Terry's Quilting Journal 2014 page.  Come visit us at the blog and see what else is happening at Quilters' Quarters

Feel free to share this email or blog link with your friends and families. Thank you for sharing our pages.


Terry, web page TerryCrawfordPalardy.com, email: needlesandpens@comcast.net

Rick, web page WoodenToyandGift.net, email: woodentoyandgift@comcast.net
Rick's blog: WTandGNews.blogspot.com

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Lovely Night Celebrating Art with Friends.

Yesterday was the night we shared Rick's woodworking artwork in his first public exhibit, hosted by the Pine Grove School in Rowley. His work will be there in the school's alcoves that exist because Pat Marshall was intent on reserving space during the building's renovations just for that purpose.  One of her co-workers described Marshall in these words:
"Pat was a much loved teacher, assistant principal, and then principal at Pine Grove.  She cared deeply about her staff and students and always put them first.  Pine Grove became an award winning school under her leadership. The Gallery is named in memory of Pat Marshall (thus the Pat Marshall Link Art Gallery)  and it was originally called the Link Gallery, for the fact that that space "linked" all the wings of the school, and as a gallery, we hoped it would "link" the school and community." 
A few years ago, Rick was approached and asked if he could use some wood and Plexiglas to make some protective but see-through 'gates' for the alcoves that had been designed for the new section of the building a decade or so earlier, to prevent accidental damage from the displayed artwork. And he did.

Later, the couple who had come to Rick with that commission funding remembered his beautiful doll furniture, trucks, and other woodworking art in his shop, and came back and asked if he would lend some of his work to the school, to be displayed for about six weeks. The students and faculty and parents of that school community have enjoyed years of such changing displays thanks to the space provided by that forward-thinking educator.

Here are the photos we took of each Alcove. The display was shared with the public last night, and will remain for the students until the last week in November. As the reception was on a weeknight, none of our family were able to attend, but our artist friends who have so often shared their art with us came to the reception to celebrate Rick's beautiful work, as did other friends we have in town.

It was my honor to provide several themed quilts to be the backdrop for each of Rick's displays.  Many of these quilts will be offered for sale in Quilters' Quarters and on my webstore, and will be shipped to buyers after November 30, 2014, just in time for the Christmas, Hanukah and New Year holidays.

Remember, you can click on each photo to enlarge it and see detail clearly.

Autumn Holidays
The see through 'gate' allows small children
to see the full display -- Rick's original work.



The Halloween Quilt


Winter Holidays

The Hanukah Quilt/Table Cover


The Christmas Quilt

Construction and other Vehicles








the Under Construction Quilt



 Dollhouses






Silly Birds and Crazy Daisy Quilt 
Sewing/Knitting Plaques and Doll Furniture 






Retro Kids Needle Crafts Quilt


Public Safety Officers







First Responder Quilt


Entry Way and Stairwell Wall Displays






Linus Project Quilts

As always, if you are reading this update in your email, thank you for signing up for the newsletter. We usually publish it about twice a month, but in between editions, we also update the various pages that comprise this blog. Recent additions are the Machine Quilting Classes page,  and progress on current quilts at Terry's QuiltingJournal 2014 page.  Come visit us at the blog and see what else is happening at Quilters' Quarters

Feel free to share this email or blog link with your friends and families, and encourage the quilters among you to check out the Row by Row page of the blog as well as the website itself. We're in for a great experience this summer ~ jump in and join us!


Terry, web page TerryCrawfordPalardy.com, email: needlesandpens@comcast.net

Rick, web page WoodenToyandGift.net, email: woodentoyandgift@comcast.net
Rick's blog: WTandGNews.blogspot.com