Sew I See!

There's a new old sewing machine in the house.   That is, a new-to-me vintage sewing machine.   It's been here in the house for a while, actually, but what with one thing and another, I haven't gotten around to writing about it until now.   Okay!  Confession:  I actually wrote most of this blog post back in March, and I'm only now coming back to the draft in late August.  It's long and rambling, but I'll probably keep most of it.  There will be a "too long; didn't read" summary just before the photos.   - - - - - - - As much as I like the Minnesota, it has its drawbacks-- the special needles and the less-common (and more difficult to replace) shuttle.  I'm almost afraid to use it too much, for fear that I'll completely wear out the shuttle... I still will use it, I guess, and just hope for the best (and maybe find a spare shuttle, if I can), but I thought it might be nice to have a more modern vintage treadle.  Somet...

This blog has been quiet for the past month-and-a-half.  What with one thing and another, it hasn't felt like the time to write.  Donald was away for a while to attend his father's funeral and spend some time with the rest of his family in Sweden.  Now that he's back home again and we're returning to our routines, I think I'm ready to also return to blogging.   I suppose there's no better way to get back to blogging than to just write a blog post!  (Buckle in for a long one, this time...) I had thought that while Donald was away I'd get all sorts of crafty things done.  Well, I thought it was possible .  I wasn't really expecting an amazing spurt of activity, wise from previous occasions when I found myself ostensibly with all the time in the world to --insert crafty pursuit of your choice--, only to discover that I actually get less done, when my routine is thrown off-kilter.   That's exactly what happened this time, too.  I did sp...

Here I am again, trying to do better than one blog post per month... 😅 The first topic for today is a bit of a weird one.  Remember those mysterious paper circles ("confetti" with something inside) I found in a small box with the spare needles for the Minnesota?  Here's the photo again, for a reminder: I couldn't figure out what they were, so I asked somewhere online-- one of those helpful groups of people who enjoy identifying random things for random strangers-- and several people said they look like "ammunition" for an old-fashioned cap gun.  I tried hitting one with a hammer (outside).  There was no bang or smoke, but perhaps that's not so surprising, considering how old these may be.  Maybe they've been exposed to too much humidity over the years, or maybe that one was just a dud.  Either way, it definitely smelled like sulfur, and looking online for images of "round caps", I see some that look similar.  I feel confident that's wh...

Warning! 😉  This is a particularly long blog post.  It's essentially everything I know and want to remember about a new-to-me sewing machine, so it probably has a lot more information than anyone else (except possibly a budding fan of vintage sewing machines) would ever want or need.  Tl;dr version:  I bought a treadle sewing machine and am excited about it. 😁 - - - - - - - I've thought for a few years, now, that I'd like to someday try a treadle sewing machine.  It would be nice to know that I can sew even without electricity.  I don't exactly expect to need  to do that, but still, it would be good to know that it's possible.  I do live in a place where hurricanes can knock out power for days, if not weeks.  I probably wouldn't feel like treadling away in the aftermath of a hurricane (it's so hot and sticky, and you're likely to be too physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted to feel like sewing!), but you never know.  We also ...