Michelle, sewing machines, & S*ing*er Certif*icates

For a long time, I thought I was the only one who was "silly" enough to have a whole "herd" of sewing machines.  (People would just give me their unwanted machines.)  Then one day while reading a blog, I noticed a profile picture that was of a sewing machine instead of a person.  Not only that,  it was a machine very similar to one I had just purchased at a thrift shop.  (No pictures yet.)  I just had to see who this person was.  It was dear Michelle.  She has more sewing machines than I do, and her collection is growing all the time.

With help (and enabling) from her husband, Michelle "rescues" homeless sewing machines.  She cleans and fixes up the machines, and her husband works his magic on the cases or cabinets.  (Michelle, correct me if I'm wrong.)  These wonderful machines are then displayed in her home instead of being hidden away.

Michelle has many really nice machines, but recently, she picked up a real beauty (for a picture of a similar one scroll toward the bottom of the article).  Then, she found out that Sin*ger is providing certificates for machines made pre-1970.  Seems like a good thing to have some history to go with these older machines, right?

So, here is the Sin*ger that I bought at a yard sale approximately 33 years ago.  At the time, I thought the price was steep (twenty dollars), but I knew the woman selling the machine. It had just been serviced (receipt showing she had just paid $35 for the cleaning and oiling!) and the owner assured me it worked.  It did, and still does.  Sews perfectly.

(click on photos for larger views)

The beautiful decals are worn, but this to me means that the machine was used rather than just stored away someplace.  That is the original plate with the patent dates stamped in it leaning against the case.  (One end of the clip is broken off, so I had a new one put on the machine.)  The rubber bobbin winder ring is "new", and the bobbin winder gear may have been replaced with a newer (not new) one.  (I can't remember if it was this machine or another one...)  Because of the age of the machine the electric motor was probably added later and maybe even "fairly recently".  The cords are "rubber" coated rather than cloth covered, and they are in excellent condition.
Oh,  the machine is so old that there is no reverse.

The underside of the machine.

The part of the wooden case has almost a woven grass/cloth fiber type covering.  The covering is fraying along the edges, but the rest of the case is in excellent condition.

(Sorry about the name being wiped out.  I had issues with photo*shop.)

I didn't need another sewing machine, but I fell in love.

Vintage fun

Thrift store finds:

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Western wear is still normal in our part of the world.
  This 1956 pattern is so out of date that it is almost in style again.

Also, 1956.

Anxious to see if all pieces are here.  Want to make a pair just so that I can say I have. lol

Remember these?  Found this calendar page in an old cookbook.  The calendar forms a pocket that was used to hold receipts, recipes, bills, birthday cards, etc.

  In August of 1965, my fellow 4-H friends and I would have been frantically finishing up our projects so that they could be exhibited at the Western Idaho State Fair.

We would have been riding our bikes to school almost everyday until the class assignment sheets were posted in the foyer windows.  None of us thought we wanted school to start, but we were always anxious to know who our classmates would be and which teacher we'd be "stuck" with.  (Poor teachers!)

And, hopefully, we'd get one or two last camping trips in before school started.

I hope you can read the recipes.  All look edible except one.  Even it might be good; it just sounds awful to me.  Please, tell me which one or ones you wouldn't care for.  Let's see if we agree. :)

Thrift store find

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Selected by The Child Study Association

Illustrated by Theresa Kalab

Copyright 1950 by Whitman Publishing Co, Racine, Wis.

Printed in U.S.A.

(Click on picture to enlarge)
from the story "Snow Pictures"  originally from Martin and Judy Vol. 1 by Verna Hills (later Bayley)

This 11-1/2 x 8-1/2 inch book has almost 400 pages with a comfortable sized print on rather flexible off-white paper (now a little yellowed like old coloring book paper).   The cover is heavy cardboard with a slick finish as so many books had then.  The illustrations are black and white but absolutely delightful.  Some are quite detailed like the one above and some are simple sketches or borders.  The stories deliciously old fashioned.   (These were the kind of stories that were read to me and were in our reading textbooks when I was in elementary school).  Some are re-tellings of old tales and Bible stories.  Some are adaptations or excerpts from other books. The copyrighted stories seem to be from about 1931 to 1945.

I've only had time to read a couple of the stories, but this one really amused me:  from Gone is Gone, Or The Story of the Man Who Wanted to do Housework by Wanda Ga'g.  This is a classic tale about a farmer who thought that his wife sat around the house doing not much of anything all day and what happened when they traded places.  I have known a few men (and women!) who would do such stupid things.  Actually, if we are honest we all probably have done at least one similar thing - like leaving the food on the stove.  (Well, if you haven't, I certainly have.  Like now.  The food is still out where the cats could probably get to it.  Oops.)

It is obvious that the book was read but there aren't any torn pages or scribbles.  A couple pages have had the corners turned down at some time, but not long enough to break the fibers in the paper. The owner's (?) name is written in pencil with childish handwriting (third grade-ish?) on the inside of the first paper page.  I suppose this devalues the book.  To me, it is wonderful.  Who was this child?  (I don't recognize the name as a local.)  Where did she live?  If not here, how did she and/or the book wind up here?  If she lived here, where did her parents go or did her mother remarry?  Who did the little girl marry?  Is she still alive?  Did she like to read?   And, ultimately, why would someone get rid of such a wonderful book?

This is the only example of Theresa Kalab's illustrations I could find.  click here

There are also many children's books written by Theresa Kalab and Theresa Kalab Smith.  Needless to say, I will now be on the lookout for books illustrated and/or written by her.  Also, I'm going to look through the children's books here at home to see if we have any.

For those unfamiliar with Whitman Publishing Co. - I cannot imagine what my life would have been without them.  They printed books that were affordable to the middle class. (Maybe not the highest quality, but obviously this one has withstood 60 years.)  Besides these type of books, they printed coloring books, cloth books for babies, paper dolls, things that could be punched out and put together  (like buildings, cars, scenes), at least some of the Trixie Beldon mystery series, and probably much more.  (Whitman was a subsidiary of Western Publishing also in Racine.  Western was the company that printed The Little Golden Books, some comics, and much, much more.  Source Wikipedia)

My price - 50 cents.

Disclaimer:  I have not received any compensation from any company or individual discussed in this post.  Opinions are mine from ownership and experience.

Easter

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!






With beautiful eggs like these, who needs to dye any? (Fresh eggs courtesy of my friend's mother-in-law and her chickens.)


Another bit of nostalgia.



My mother (the little one) and two of her cousins near Zuni or Black Rock, New Mexico, Easter 1936


Happy Easter, Everyone. May you have a wonderful day.

Update 9:33 PM Saturday evening, April 3: About 15 minutes ago, there was an earthquake in Yellowstone National Park. I didn't feel it, but the animals did! The dogs went nuts; they were barking hysterically and running around the house and back and forth from door to door. (Yes, it scared the bejeepers out of me!) The cats have been pacing all afternoon. Hmmmm. (Blasted edit program! Font size is shown small here, but huge when posted!)

Random photos

Bed "hogs"




"Hahaha. I have your bed. nanner nanner nanner." (This is one of the dog's bed.)




Look what I found in the far back corner of the cupboard in the laundry room. Okay you young vintage lovers - eat your heart out. LOL For those of you who don't know what this is, be glad you haven't had to use this. My arm used to get sooo tired. Hint: I use a spray bottle only when needed now instead of this.




Roughly from 1953 or 1954




On top of the world (about 2006?). (I am down in the bottom of one of those canyons.)