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Saturday, September 21, 2019

On A Glorious Day Such as This!


Martha and I stopped at the overlook on our way to Chilhowie, Virginia – It’s a pilgrimage that needs to be done and appreciated during every seasonal change. 

And yesterday things were highlighted in the most gorgeous of golden glows.

The drizzle of the day before had dissipated, and we would find ourselves amidst cloud cover changing over to sunshine and blue skies, and back to cloud cover again as if the sky couldn’t yet decide whether it truly wanted to be autumnal, or hanging on to the slim remnant of summer.

My first outing in 2 weeks really – and it felt so good to be taking these long and winding roads to where our hearts lead us.


Make up your mind clouds!

I need some vitamin D after the past couple of weeks!


Stop number one!

Oh, I love these old buildings -

And those window panes!

And here is where I made a complete friend fail.  Martha found the most wonderful blanket chest, and I was so busy I didn’t even stop to get a photo of her purchase!  She has plans for the perfect spot in her dining room, and it is from the same time period as her old farmhouse.  It was handmade in Tennessee and is the most wonderful folk-arty piece.

I also found a small china pitcher that will be great with a silk plant or some flowers in it – my total cost? $12.  And I forgot to take a photo of IT!  (It is already at the retreat house, will grab a snapshot of it later – I’m playing lazy and typing from the cabin this morning.)

And did you know that on this day, THIS DAY ONLY – the purchase of that little pitcher came with a free bonus?  No, not a bamboo steamer, or a set of ginsu knives, but….


Free with purchase!  One decrepit Singer 66 Red Eye.

LOL!


G9022734

Sept 20th, 1921.

Now queue the twilight zone music.  What was yesterday?  SEPTEMBER 20th!  Wow.  Just WOW.

The story went like this – when the owner of the shop found out that I worked with vintage machines, he said he had a “boat anchor” he was willing to give away for free.  Free intrigues me.  Do I need another machine?  NO!  Do I want another machine?  Not really.  BUT. (There is always but!)

I have another 66 that is missing a decent face plate because the thread guide is broken off.  And I was trying to figure out a way to replace the thread guide – and I do NOT weld.

This lovely freebie may just become a parts donor. Things I could tell the shop owner about the machine?  I could look up the serial number and date it.  I could tell that whomever owned it loved to sew – and sewed A LOT.  The decals are completely worn off in front of the needle, and the evidence of former pin rash are still present.  (Pin rash is the term for where a piece of cloth was wrapped around the neck of the machine as a place to keep pins close and handy, and they always scratched off decals in a noticeable fashion.)

There is a bobbin inside.  The slide plate is present.  The needle bar doesn’t move up or down– it’s frozen solid, even though the hand wheel turns. But the tension assembly is good, as is the bobbin assembly – and even the spool pin.  The spoked hand wheel could be shined and restored and used to turn a machine into a hand crank with the addition of a hand crank mechanism.

And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!


Antiques at Winterhurst.

(See how blue the sky got? For a bit at least!)

We came up to this lovely antique shop in an old house to mostly browse – it’s full of VERY FINE antiques, most of which are English or very high dollar.  No chippy pitchers or freebie machines or even primitive blanket chests to be found here.  But it was a chance to see inside the house, full of gorgeous crown moldings and Victorian pianos and chandeliers to die for.


Besides – isn’t that the most inviting front porch?



Not sure what I adore most - a pick up full of pumpkins, or advertising signage on old brick building exteriors.  It was farmer’s market day in Marion, VA!


Past Time Antique Mall in Marion -

This USED to be a boarding house above a shop below. Now the whole thing is an antiques place.  SO much fun to wander. 


Oh, sweet ragged thing!

Can you imagine not only quilting this, but doing the chicken scratch embroidery around each piece?  Such a great folksy piece!


There were not many quilts this day – but I also loved this one with big hexies.

Sweet fabrics.


Martha busted a gut when I named this scene:

“Suitcase Taxidermy!”  LOL!

(WHY would you do this? Just WHY?)

And I really am proud of myself not only for what DIDN’T come home with me, but what did.


Bath salts jar full of old buttons.

Hand embroidered pillow.

Destined for Quiltville Inn decor!


The JAR is what is really cool about this one.

However, I don’t think anyone CLEANED OUT the remaining bath salts before putting the buttons in.  There is all this crystal-y sand looking stuff in the bottom of the jar – hmmmm.  May have to clean this up a bit.  The pillow I think is going in the blue bedroom with the white iron beds.  Just too sweet. 


AND THIS!  Perfect lunch!

What’s a Dip Dog?  Think Corn Dog, only much much better.  It was just an awesomely fun day out.


The long and winding way home.

This morning I’m not moving so quickly.  I think I may have overdone it a bit – so this weekend is going to be VERY low key.  And that is perfectly fine with me!


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Sometimes I can even do things that make me wonder about myself! Lol!

Have a wonderful Saturday, friends.


23 comments:

  1. Here in Tarpon Springs, FL we also have an antique store that used to be a shop below and boarding house above and is now all antiques. Love to browse in there but we certainly don't have the quilts down here that you find further north!

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  2. Cool to find and get an old Red Eye on it's Birthday. Have a restful Saturday. I will Celebrate my Daddy's birthday today with my Sister. Going on a Roadtrip. Breathe in, Breathe out kind of day.

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  3. Wow, interesting trip (they all are) and the hallway picture shows what appears to be a room of displayed glass ...intriguing ....bumped my nose on the computer screen trying to see closer.......giggle...better stick to sewing!

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  4. thANKS for sharing a perfect Friday... I FINALLY have solved the challenge of the rescue quilt and shall be finishing that project today. Thanks for a lovely day off!!! I wonder about me, too... it's great fun. this wonder thing. Warm & happy thoughts from Carlsbad CA Cats

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  5. Such a pretty old boat anchor! I have a couple of those too and wonder what they will become!

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  6. Love following your adventures. But be sure and get rested up for your Kenya trip!!

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  7. I love that you received the "boat anchor" but got really confused re the serial number. If I go to ISMACS and enter that number I get Dec 30, 1910. How do you date and how do you get exact date - month and day?

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    1. Dec 30, 1910 is the date for a 6 digit serial number(902273). This machine's serial # has 7 digits (9022734). Scroll down further in the Singer G serial # table and you'll find the serial # range 8987101-9037100 was given to Singer 66s manufactured Sept 20, 1921.

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  8. Cats would you contact me? QuiltedDrummer (at) gmail (dot) com

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  9. Glad to hear you are feeling better. Especially before your huge trip next month! Take care 😊

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  10. I just love that raggedy quilt!

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  11. Just love those old buildings so pretty. You adorable little cushion will look beautiful by the white iron beds such a perfect find. Why would anyone do that to suitcases lol some people have strange dreams ideas lol.
    A rest day after your fun day with Mona is a good idea, you need to build your strength after your illness. Take care of yourself
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  12. the anchor machine would be pretty on a little table on the porch......but I also like the idea of parts. I would have loved to see the inside of the Antique house. Enjoy your weekend.

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  13. I have a button jar that looks a lot like the one you bought. Mom had several of those jars from when they ran a general store in the late 30s or early 40s. She said that coffee came in them.

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  14. Take it easy, Bonnie!
    I Love the quote of the day!
    Stay warm and dry!

    Donna
    Kasilof, AK
    Where we get a couple (and only a couple) days reprieve from the rain!

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  15. Your blog is the first thing I read, right after Our Daily Bread. How apropo. Each lightens my day as I go forward. Although I receive your blog a day later (I live in Florida), I pretend it is the same day. Take care of yourself, perhaps a message that it is time to slow down and focus on you.

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  16. Love the suitcase shelves, a great idea for an interior designer. In a show house for sure.

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  17. I am concerned for you and your "cold". Perhaps you may need to see doctor again to get this bit cleared out of your system.

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  18. What a coincidence! I just received a 1921 Red Eye treadle in a beautiful cabinet that is in great condition on the 18th of September. It also was allotted for production 9-1921. I have always loved how you share your love of quilting and vintage machines. I have my grandmother's featherweight and great grandmother's 1912 treadle machine and that is what got me started on vintage machines. Thank you Bonnie. I am from Idaho and my machines are from Eagle, Boise area.

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  19. What a coincidence! I just received a 1921 Red Eye treadle in a beautiful cabinet that is in great condition on the 18th of September. It also was allotted for production 9-1921. I have always loved how you share your love of quilting and vintage machines. I have my grandmother's featherweight and great grandmother's 1912 treadle machine and that is what got me started on vintage machines. Thank you Bonnie. I am from Idaho and my machines are from Eagle, Boise area.

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  20. Oh, I'm so homesick in such a good way! As a child, my uncle lived in the mountains close to Marion. When we would visit Uncle Herman we would stay in his cabin & sleep on real feather mattresses & go to the spring for water. Thanks for the memories! Enjoyed your antique hunting.

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  21. A local sewing expert has a row of old sewing machines in her flower bed - ones that were beyond repair - thinking of doing the same in my flower bed. A great way to say a sewer lives here!

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  22. And September 20th was my birthday!

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