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

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