This shot of the downtown seattle skyline was caught from the window of the train ---the train was a great way to get from place to place and we found the whole process easy!
Not having ever been in downtown Seattle before, we weren’t sure which way to head, so we chose City Center ---full of shops and restaurants and just enjoyed our evening. The weather was gorgeous!
You can see both the football stadium and the baseball stadium right next to each other in this photo ---
While walking downtown, don’t forget to look up!
And don’t forget to look HERE!!
You’ve probably heard of the All Saints clothing chain before, I’d seen photos –but it’s true! The walls are lined with vintage sewing machines ---I didn’t care about the overpriced clothing, I just wanted a good look at those machines!
Can you see my reflection in the right front door taking this photo?
The glass was so reflective at this time of the day I had to go inside to get better photos!
Many of the machines were hand cranks. Lots of singers, but several others too.
Some of them in such excellent condition that I hated to see them strapped down like this.
Glimpses of machines between clothing hanging on the wall.
Everywhere you look – more machines!
From what I could tell, the machines are not being harmed in any way. They are strapped down, but nothing bolted or preventing any machine from becoming useful again ---that was a bit comforting.
I wanted to take this one home:
Singer 66 with Lotus Decals!
I have wanted a machine with these decals for a long time!
Floor to ceiling machines!
I found the clothing in the store to be completely drab –all black and grey. It might be the “in” thing, but I like color!
Road weary after a long day of travel, but I was the most colorful one in the store with my Maine Quilts tshirt!
If you have a chance to wander in – do so! Don’t be shy! I asked the staff if they have lots of folks wandering in just to see the machines. The young man shook his head and said “only about 5 an hour ---and they want to know if they are for sale!”
The next place we wandered ---
NIKE!
I must be getting old. All of the shoes remind me of the shoes in Back to the Future where they are IN the future.
But I did like the colors --- perhaps there is a quilt in the making here?
There may be indeed!
This morning we are headed to the pier and our Alaskan Cruise Adventure begins! I’ll be in touch as often as I can ---I did write one blog post ahead for tomorrow, but other than that I’ll be grabbing wifi where I can so be patient with me ((And keep checking back!))
Bon Voyage, Y’all!
20 comments:
Have a great trip Bonnie. Will be thinking of you, happy wedding anniversary to you and your hubby. See you when you get back.
Julie (Australia)
I just checked out the All Saints website, and there are two stores in the Chicago area. I am definitely going to make it a "must see" when we are there in November! Did you ask anyone if they would sell you a machine???? vbg
Don't be telling people about the gorgeous weather in Seattle! It's our closely-held secret! Actually, it only happens from about the 3rd week in July to the 3rd week in August. Then it rains the rest of the year. Really. No kidding.
I had never heard of this store before but since I get to Chicago once in a while I am going to check it out for sure. Have a wonderful trip!
Enjoy!
When we were in Chicago last weekend we walked by a store like this. I didn't know what it was called and it was 11pm so not opened. I did however take a few pics of the windows full of machines. I wonder how many thousands of these machines they have throughout the country?
There is one of these stores in NYC, I couldn't resist going in. Like Bonnie said, the machines were more interesting than the clothing! Have a great trip!
I am so torn with these shops.They are everywhere here in the UK. Sooooo many machines bolted to shelves all over the place!!!
While I love the look, I think of the good these hand crank machines could be put to in third world countries where they have no electricity :/
Cheers
Lush
Worthing, UK
Thanks for the pictures Bonnie, I've never seen anything like it before. The shoes are strange, I don't care for them, but I'm sure lots do.
Re: shoes...Remember this pattern from Quiltmaker last year?
http://artisania.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/i-love-my-allstars-quilt-pattern/
So cute!!
When we were in Seattle a couple of years ago, I took a ton of pics here!! Love the machines--and the antique spools--but they wouldn't part with a single one :( !
Have a great trip!
Oh yeah I took a bunch of pictures there too,.all those machines in the windows, but I never see anyone buying the clothes inside. If you get to go back downtown go into the public library, what a beautiful building, it is mostly glass and the views from the top are amazing...yep take the neon escalators all the way to the top for
a beautiful skyline view.
Enjoy the Northwest, will you get to a ferry ride to any of the
nearby islands?
Happy Sewing and have fun sightseeing!
That's a super cute pattern - thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed the vintage machines. The Pretty Little Lotus is just like mine, it even looks like a back mounted foot. That would make it a 66A I believe.
Have a wonderful trip Bonnie. Have a wonderful Anniversary.
I love seeing that many machines in one place--although I do not like the fact that they are not being sold and can not be used. I've been told that not only are they bolted down, but also that to keep them "safe", the needle bars have been welded in place--so that no matter what happens, they will never again be used. That's very sad.
Have a really wonderful trip!
What great machines! I bet it was haed for you to see them just sitting there.
That wall of shoes really is colorful. Memba when we could find black, white or pink?
Have a great trip.
Found this post interesting as I've traced some of my family to Spitalfield area of London. I wish I would have gotten my grandmothers old sewing machine when she passed on back in the early 1980's. Remember my aunt saying it was an old hand crank that they electrified and she would get it all screwed up and she would have to take gran's machine in to get it right. This was way before I was interest in quilting. (Have always wanted to go up there - have a elderly second cousin that live on the island of Victoria.) Take care and have a good time. From northern Iowa.
Don't forget to hit the flying fish market at Pike's Market by the Pier. There is a quilt shop there too.
There is a sister shop in York, England with some of the same machines in their window. I too went inside to take better pictures. I had never seen so many vintage machines in one place. It was nice to see them on display and not relegated to some dump or moldy basement.
Clarie
How funny! You want a 66 Lotus, and, I just got one last month. I had to convert mine to a hand crank (the motor was shot, and no cords or foot control). I had to move it this morning so that I could get to the treadle it was sitting on. Have a fun cruise. My (future) daughter in law just arrived in Alaska for her last year of college.
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