>>>>

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Bringing Lillian Home.

20171120_122830
This was the view outside of my window as we descended toward the Salt Lake Valley.

Iced ginger crinkle cookies come to mind – my absolute favorite.

I was just here in August.  Seasons have changed, the summer heat turning everything a deep baked brown, and snow is beginning to fill in the higher elevations.

It was our first flight of three yesterday, a 4 airport day with run-run-run-run in between landing and the next taking off as connections were very close.

There is something to be said for that.  It gets the heart pounding and the feet moving, perhaps getting a head start on burning off all of that food we have eaten over the past 4 days.

20171120_122431

There is a bank of clouds parked on top of this ridge!

20171120_123114

And yes, the city’s haze is sometimes locked in up against the Wasatch front.

Click to play:



20171120_101149

Something special was coming home with me yesterday.

I’ve known about it for a while.  There had been rumors of a featherweight living in the basement at Dad’s house – but no one knew the story, who it belonged to, and for some reason Dad was reluctant to give it up.

20171120_101202

This rolling cooler is a Magellan, bought at Target I believe -

It fits the machine IN its case and I have flown with machines with this case before so I was prepared.

20171120_111754

2 small commuter planes – VERY shallow overhead bins.

These bins barely fit a backpack or even a purse so my solution is to keep a fabric bag with the machine in the cooler.  If the cooler isn’t going to fit the overhead, remove the machine, put it in the cloth bag and THEN put it in the overhead (You can see how tight of a fit it is without the case, no case would fit) and then gate check the cooler plane-side.

When you get to the next destination, the cooler will be returned to you at the jet-bridge and you can put the machine back in the case, and off you go.

Never never never gate-check or check your machine all the way to your destination.  Want to know why? 

20171120_110122

Waiting for yet another flight ---

20171121_083525

I unpacked her this morning!

The story continues – the machine turns out to have come from Dave’s mom’s side of the family, most likely from his Grandma Snader, whose first name was Lillian.  This machine has been stored away at least since the 70s when she passed away.

20171121_083532

The bed is cracked.

20171121_083828

Broken at the hinge.

But luckily I knew about this and planned ahead.  I ordered a replacement from a parts machine off of Ebay! (And wouldn’t you know it there was only ONE available?!)

20171121_083603

Let’s fix you up, Baby!

20171121_084546

Good as……well, 1941!

20171121_084617

Decades of dirt, but bobbin case is there.

Yes, I’m naming this one Lillian after Dave’s Grandma Snader. We’ll get her cleaned up and running as time allows.  Right now I’m hitting the ground running as I’ve been gone since Thursday, and we leave for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

And there is a MYSTERY POST to prepare!  Whoowhooooo!! 


This also released while I was gone!  I had so much fun doing an interview with The Stitch TV Show on YouTube!  It’s a fun little clip and it runs about 18 minutes, so pour yourself a cuppa-something and enjoy! 

We chat about early home ec projects, the On Ringo Lake Mystery Quilt, and more!

If you've enjoyed this video, please like, share, and subscribe! Learn more about Pam and Lynn at http://www.TheStitchTVShow.com.

Thanks, ladies!  It was a ton of fun and I can’t wait to catch up with what you’ve got going on next.  If you are new to The Stitch TV Show, go back and watch the many previous episodes.  It’s a really fun show to quilt to, just like hanging and stitching with friends!

The drawing for the Quiltmaker 100 blocks, vol 16 bundle is TONIGHT!  Did you enter here?

Our Quilty Box Gift-Away will happen tomorrow night from the cabin in Virginia.  Enter that give-away HERE.

11_21_2017

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Two days until Thanksgiving, and my heart is full.

So grateful to be home!


17 comments:

  1. I also have a Featherweight from the same era with the beautiful scroll plate. She is also named Lillian after my sister's mother-in-law, the original owner. My brother-in-law remembers many an evening he fell asleep to the sound of the machine humming away as his mother sewed costumes for a local community theater group.

    Good to know that replacement parts are out there if needed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a lovely tribute. I got a Featherweight recently that I'm working on and I would love to see your progress. One quick question, what kind of lubricant do you use on the gears?

    Thanks

    Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Bonnie- I wish I lived closer- I would love to polish it up and tune it for you- just for the love of it. I have found great success with https://singer-featherweight.com/ and the lovely people there. Free shipping, free videos, and super knowledgeable. The order comes tied with baby ric rack! Their customer service and enthusiasm is amazing- just like you! Glad you are back home, so rest up and reflect.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I didn't know you could take a sewing machine on a airplane!! How did you manage to do it? I would love to be able to do that too!I am ready for the MQ.glad you got the machine.,have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Waiting for MQ kick-off is like being 8 years old and waiting for Christmas...so much excitement.
    Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So glad you are all safely home. Did you ever write a follow-up to your horrible adventures of the checked machine to let everyone know what the outcome was? There were certainly a huge number of commenters who I'm sure would love to know what happened!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I started listening to the girls from the stitch as a podcast while I quilted on the longarm. They are so funny.I also used to travel with my featherweight, only I used a 20" pull along suitcase that would roll right under the seat in front of me. Left just enough for personal things I really needed in there and it was perfect.I still use that method to get it to retreats but fill the extra space with projects and my little tool box.

    ReplyDelete
  8. My featherweight came from my Father-in-law's very full garage. I was the only one who knew what was in that little black box so I got to keep it. Her name is Jean after my Mother-in-law.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I travel with my Lulu 1937 featherweight,that was my grandmothers first machine. I purchased a small Jenome Gem case to use for traveling with Lulu. She usually rides on top of my small rolling carry on. And fits in the overhead commuter bin, while my carry on bag goes below.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the heads up about Stitch. Glad you are home safe and sound. Happy thanksgiving to you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I just loved that interview!! Feel like I'm getting to know your design style when matched up with your personality!! Can't wait for Ringo Lake!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Seeing your photographs of the snow on the mountains makes me so envious, we are just going into a very hot and humid summer here. No white Christmases for us this side in South Africa. Maybe one day before I pass from the temporary to the permanent I will get to experience a white Christmas. (Turning 60 in three weeks time) :)
    Looking forward to my first mystery quilt, going to need a lot of help from all the ladies on the site.
    Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. My sister and I learned to sew on our Mom's Featherweight.When I purchased my first of many sewing machines,the machine became hers. My sister used the Featherweight up until the last few years when it wouldn't work properly. Then she purchased another machine.After 50 years the Featherweight is now back in my ownership with a promise from my husband that he will work out the kinks after the upcoming new year.I had purchased the DVD and booklet from the knowledgeable people who used to run the fix up Featherweight classes.I am so thrilled that this machine will work once more.It brings with it many memories of Mom making clothes for the 8 of us children and all the doll clothes and Halloween costumes she made. Both Mom and Dad were so creative in making the costumes.Oh the memories!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've been lucky enough to own my grandmother's featherweight since I was in college (c 1974). I learned to sew for 4-H on that machine and all other machines thread "funny" for me. I have to look up in the manual how to thread them, but the FW I could thread blindfolded (except for the needle LOL).

    I remember when the airline broke your painted FW - so sad. Happy turkey day to you and yours.

    ReplyDelete
  15. How lovely that you got that Featherweight! I acquired my Featherweight ("Rose") a couple of years ago and when dating it, discovered it was made the same year my mother was born - 1938 - which makes it VERY special to me. I think of her each time I sew on Rose (I lost my mother when I was 23), and my family always asks me to bring Rose with me when we're heading their way -- usually to fix something, sew curtains, etc. Both my grandchildren have sewn on her and she's a part of our family. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and THANK YOU for all the lovely things that you share with us! Deb E / Oregon

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am so happy to hear that you have a family heirloom that will be appreciated beyond words. So awesome. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Looking forward to Friday. Yippy. Bobbins wound, new blade in cutter, fabric ready. ink ready......set go

    ReplyDelete
  17. Loved watching your interview on StitchTV! When they asked you about what you like to watch and you said you binged on Alias Grace and then you said you saw a quilt on the show and hit the pause button. Well....I was watching an old, old Wagon Train (B&W) the other day and there was a beautiful quilt in the wagon. I just about jumped out of my chair and my husband looked at me like I was nuts. It was a shoe fly design with extras - very interesting. I'm not too fast with media stuff so it's gone now, but I'll watch for that episode again and maybe draw out the pattern next time or get my phone ready for a picture. Maybe we are nuts, but we sure are funny!

    ReplyDelete

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)