I met my friend Elizabeth several years ago, and along with our shared love of vintage machines and emails going back and forth sharing finds and treasures, she also joined me on a trip to Italy on one of my Craftours ventures -
One of my favorite memories of that trip being a lazy afternoon lounging on the pool deck (fully clothed, too cool in May for the swimming pool yet!) sipping beverages and working on handwork projects – “This is the LIFE!” we said, and it has stayed in my memories, filed under “Amazing pinch me moments never to forget.”
She came and saw me when I taught outside of Erie, PA – and made new friends from her home state there.
And yesterday, she and her hubby (Lovingly nicknamed Mouse after 33 years of marriage) rolled on up to Quiltville Inn for an invited visit!
I dished out apologies – Things are not perfect in the house, the pilot lights for the gas fireplaces had gone out over night and I was too chicken to try to light them myself – and there are electrical supplies all along one wall in preparation for all of the upgrades to happen in the Quilting Quarters.
Still, I ushered them from room to room, recalling as much of the house’s origins as I could - and retelling the story of the big house, the mill (remains are barely seen behind us in the photo above) and the little mill town that sprung up around this hub that is no more.
And they brought me a house warming gift so that I may find time and a place to sew with the quilters when they come:
Oh beautiful!
And do you see that cut out?
It fits a featherweight!!
Be still my heart!
And don’t think for a moment I missed that the trim has mitered corners - Perfection in details!
This is the best use of re-purposed treadle irons I have seen yet!
And it doesn’t stop there:
See the black gizmo under the pedal?
The foot pedal of the featherweight goes under that, and the piece will press the button on the featherweight foot pedal as I use the treadle pedal to make it run – so I get to actually keep my feet ON the treadle pedal to run the featherweight!
The only set back? My featherweights are at HOME in Wallburg and I am in Virginia.
Never fear, I will be bringing The Hubster’s Grandmother’s featherweight (The one I brought back from his Dad’s funeral trip) to come live at Quiltville Inn.
This table can be used as a side table if needed, or it can hold a machine, and be wheeled to where I need it.
Something you can’t see from the photos – those metal wheels? Mouse glued strips of leather around each wheel so they can roll on the wood floor safely without marring the floor. INGENIOUS!
So for all of my treadle loving, metal wheel hating friends – it’s time to get out the leather scraps and the glue. Not sure which type of glue, but I’m going to find out because there are other treadles in the house that need wheel covering so they don’t damage floors when moved.
In fact – One more fix-it happened while we were talking machines and I proudly displayed the Singer VS2 that Kim had gifted to the inn – remember the one that was perfect in every way but the bobbin winder was stuck?
Click to play:
It works!!!
After all of this, we celebrated with lunch Appalachian style -
Corner Market and Cafe!
This little place is 4 miles from Quiltville Inn and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner – and on some summer evenings there is bluegrass music to be found on the porch. So retreaters who don’t want to cook for themselves can find a bit of homegrown southern comfort food right here close by.
Thanks for the visit, my friend-
I will catch you on your next trip through the area!
Returning to the cabin after our farewell -
Still raining – but leaves are thinning and things are turning golden green.
Thinking that the next time I come up the leaves will all be gone.
Serenity dwells here.
Did you check out yesterday’s October ‘18 Quilty Box Gift-Away? Enter to win ON THAT POST – it’s a great one!
Today – I’m hoping to tackle a project that has been baffling me for quite some months. Nothing I can show yet – but I was down to the setting stages and the ideas just would not come.
I think I’ve finally got it – today, all else aside, I’m diving in!
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Vintage quilt found in Salem, VA.
I've had "Stress on the Brain Syndrome" with all that is happening in the next coming months.
Both over things that I can and cannot control. Holiday ramp up included!
Today – all that is on the shelf. It’s a weekend, and the rest will be dealt with beginning Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
21 comments:
I hope you are doing well, because stress is so destructive and it has been dumped into the recipe making up your life in large quantities. Hope all the things truly important to you work themselves out and the rest fall away.
love love 💕 your new table I think I need to be on the hunt for a treadle base.
Thank you!! I really appreciate your kind words!
Charnette, it would be such a cute addition to your place!!
Love the treadle table...and now I have to hunt for leather and glue for covering the wheels on my parlour cabinet housing a redeye. I think leather would also be a good choice to replace the felt stick-on feet that I have on several cabinets as that felt seems to be a thread and lint magnet!
What a beautiful housewarming gift, so beautifully created so as not to ruin the treadle table just perfect. Enjoy your peace until Monday.
Quilty hugs
Anne
Love, love, love the treadle/Featherweight table! Please post pics when you get your machine in the table. I have just given my hubby the job of making one for me one day (we have a set of treadle legs from an antique festival). I enjoy reading about all the wonderful things going on with Quiltville Inn. I hope to be able to come and stay one day.
Fun to show off the Inn. Quilting friends who bring gifts and help with a Vintage machine even more so. It was fun to watch the Bobbin winder go. Happy Sew day.
What a great surprise. My Aunt was a nurse on the night shift and walked so quietly that she was always scaring the other nurses so they called her Mouse. I called her Aunt Chuck that’s another story for another time. Have a great day.
Oh my gosh, What a beautiful table/base for your featherweight!!! I now in serious thought trying to figure out how to get one made. Hubby is not handy, but he does enable my hobby.
I loved your quote for today! Friday was MY day to do just that and I loved it!!
I have my grandmother's treadle machine sitting in my dining room at the moment closed with fall decorations on top, sometimes I open it and drape an either finished quilt or a work in progress over it. It needs a new belt and I have no idea what else as it has not been used in probably over 50 years but I love it just the same. I sew in my dining room and have give some thought of sitting my machine on top of it when it is closed but then I would be staring at a blank wall so that idea fled my mind as fast as it poped in. I so much love seeing the posts of how Quiltville in is coming together. You are doing such a FANTASTIC job and many quilters are going to have a wonderful time.
Love the new featherweight base, gonna have to see if my handy hubby can make one too. I have a featherweight table so he would have a pattern for the cut out. Sweet!
I had such a good time on that Italy trip, and also hung out with Beth. (mouse fixed my foot pedal recently). So nice you could reconnect. And the treadle table - wow!
I have LOVE LOVE LOVED watching your journey with Quiltville Inn. When I grow up, I want to be you! :) When you get a moment...could you take a zillon (ha) pics of the featherweight table? Up under it? I have a treadle base with no top and this would be FABULOUS to turn into a featherweight table. THANK YOU!
Hi Bonnie. I am new to your site. Do u still have the singer 227?
My husband got me one today. It came with few items, no manual. I am sure I will find one. Just wandering if its capable of doing chainstitch. Not sure about anything right now, just love it
I would be so excited over the featherweight table. Such a thoughtful. Beautiful gift.
Hey Bonnie, I just spent the last 3 days in Gilbert, AZ, with the son and DIL and wanted you to know I thought of you and your family often.
I love, love, love the image of putting things on a "shelf" that don't have to be dealt with today. The featherweight table is gorgeous. Loved watching the bobbin winder in action, too. One of my mom's machines, in my youth, had a shuttle bobbin (?) like that and I have no memory of how it was wound but sure remember the bobbin case I saw on your machine base. As others have said, please take good care of your stress load and get rid of what you can... you need to take good care of you! You've been through a ton in the past few months alone.
Kathy and I have added retreating at Quiltville Inn to our bucket list. It looks like a lovely place to stitch, read, sip coffee and make friends. Really enjoying seeing it come together!
I am also on a put together stage of an awesome quilt. I want to do something dramatic and have several ideas. I don't know where to put them but will look and wait patiently 'cause this will be a beauty. I'll work on gifts in the meantime. I don't want to hurry this one. Love your blog.
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