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Wednesday, May 04, 2022

The Baby Blue Dreamy Machine -


Remember when machines came in car paint colors and all metal parts?

You guys, I am having such a hard time resisting this one.  I have rehomed MOST of my vintage machines with the sale of the Wallburg house - our cabin is much smaller (the smallest house we've ever lived in) and I just don't have room.

I'm happy that machines are going to live happy lives in other sewing spaces - but there is something about this robin's egg blue beauty that keeps me coming back and looking.


It sits in this very traditional cabinet, made in a time just before "mid century modern" blonde wood and skinny straight legs became a thing in 1950s home decor.

The color of that machine!  

It's based on the Singer 15, like the one I shared in yesterday's post but this one was made Post-WWII in a recovering Japan.

I petted the machine - I didn't even need to "free" it from hiding within a cabinet piled with stuff - perhaps someone will adopt it before the next time I peruse that antique mall. 


Only one quilt was found - Double-knit!

Sometimes you find the quilts, sometimes there aren't any.


There were some vintage album blocks, however!


Lovely 1930s - 1940s prints and signatures.


I love this lavender paisley floral.

Can't you see these makers - choosing their best dress scraps to use in these blocks gifted to a member who perhaps was moving away?

It was $80 for the set - so they stayed. But perhaps someone will adopt them and put them together.


The thing I'm excited about and truly considering -

I've been looking for the right sideboard/buffet for the dining room at Quiltville Inn since we bought the place.  (It was 4 years ago last week that I signed papers - how can time fly so fast?) 

I think this may be it.  I measured.  I came home and talked to the Hubster.  Without the truck to pull a trailer, we think we can get it in the back of the van.  It measures 26'' wide by 66'' long.


It's got claw feet and original glass knobs!

And TONS of storage for things I want on the ground floor.

My grannie had a lot of Empire heavy furniture.  I have a couple of pieces of Empire at the inn - my favorite of all being the scalloped round coffee table in the Hen Den.


(Only part of it shown in this photo from March!)

At any rate - I'm going to call today and see if they can hold it with a credit card number and we can pick it up on Friday.

A good rub down with some scratch cover/finish restorer and some elbow grease and a good waxing should have it spiffed up in no time - 

Things that DID come home:


A spring arrangement for the dining table at home -

And a set of pottery salt/pepper shakers for the kitchen at the inn.


A stop at Goodwill found a vintage iron for $2.00.

It seemed to be covered with a decades old layer of starch mixed with dust.  Yuck!  But for $2.00 it's worth a try, right?


And it cleaned up well!

I simply used windex and a rag to wipe away all of that old yuck.


Solid sole plate - no vent holes!

No auto-shut-off, and this baby gets hot, hot, hot!


The other best part of yesterday!

The dash lights and notification for *maintenance required* on Monday's drive to Roanoke is what started this whole jaunt yesterday.

The places I have to take my car for regular oil changes and tire rotations is limited.  The one place in Jefferson didn't have an opening for me yesterday, so I ended up dropping the car at Walmart auto service department.

In the plaza across the street is a nail salon.  I knew I could enjoy a bit of pampering there instead of sitting in the packed waiting area at Walmart.

I had to buy the sandals before leaving Walmart so I wouldn't muff up my new polish upon leaving!

Even better - there is a Chinese/Japanese restaurant in the same plaza and by the time I was just about done with lunch the ping on my phone told me that the van was ready for pick up.

I know that was 2 solid days of being out, about and away - but the car DID need maintenance and it was the best day of this week to do it.

Besides - it's Mother's Day Week, so that should count for something, shouldn't it?

Today there will be studio time.  I've got some projects under way that need to be seen to.


It's Quiltmaker Gift-Away Time!

And not just Quiltmaker, but our three winners will also receive products from IronEZ!

One winner will win the IronEZ with standard bottle, a second will win the IronEZ with fine mist bottle, and our third winner will receive a 2 pack of fine mist bottles!

No more knocking that spray bottle off of their ironing board ever again.

I am just this sold on the product, and the kind folks at IronEZ are offering a 15% discount to my readers using code BH15OFF.

Quiltmaker Magazine AND an IronEZ product? Who's ready to win?

Head on over to yesterday's Gift-Away post and get your entry in.  We'll be drawing for our 3 winners (USA Addresses only please) on Monday 5/9/2022.

So here we are at mid-week.  What do you have going on in your world?  Anything interesting under your needle?


My view this morning.


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

My smiles this morning: ⁣
Up with the birds the morning after a hard rain.
Enjoying a cuppa while rocking on the porch with the above sight and watching hummingbirds find their new feeders that were hung just yesterday.
The leaves are out and we've lost our long-range mountain view, but I can still see wisps of fog down the valley through the trees.
There aren't always butterflies in my stomach, but many things do make me smile and that is just as wonderful.
Enjoy your Wednesday, everyone!


 

17 comments:

Connie said...

You do know that anything you buy/do for yourself in this week counts as a Mother's Day present, right? So go back and get that pretty blue machine!!

Cats said...

I was about to encourage you to "keep" the blue Universal!!! Thought it was one you were thinking about re-homing... it is, but not the way i thought... giggles n grins in Carlsbad CA I'm not one to ask about "stuff" -- i usually say, have it all... life is short buy the machine!!! fabric! what-have-you!!!! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there... it's a calling not all can answer! <3 <3 <3

Judy said...

I love the sewing machine!! I have a basic iron like the one you picked up at Goodwill. We have had it for years and hopefully for more to come.

Mary said...

Stars Wars Day. I'm not a real fan but it's funny the things that remi happy Wednesday d me of my Mother- by -love. March 4th was always the deadline day for a family Newletter. Got my Unity Quilt out of the tote to see if I could get a couple borders added. Need more flying geese. The Sideboard and robin's Egg colored machine are calling you..

Leah said...

Vintage Album blocks - Effie Burgess' royal blue rose print is GORGEOUS. Wish I could get my hands on a few yards of a reprint of that fabric!

Not sure if I've said this before, but the Inn could be a sort of stopover foster home for a few select vintage machines. You have an experienced eye for which machines are still in good working order, and which are a good value for the asking price. Bringing a few home on occasion, enjoying them temporarily, and then rehoming them with appreciative retreaters, would just bring them closer to their target audience than the antique malls can do. Like fostering puppies, but without poo on the floor. ;)

BrenWall61@gmail.com said...

The sewing machine is beautiful and I see why it is on your mind, but I do understand the lack of space also. Thank you for sharng.

Anne said...

I agree with Connie. Buy the blue universal machine. Rarely do we buy something that gives us butterflies in our stomachs and puts a smile on our face. It gives you JOY!

Josie Too2 said...

Check with The Vermont Store. I think I saw one there.

Janet O. said...

That's a tough one. I don't have room for another machine in a cabinet, but that would be a hard one to resist.
I got a kick out of your comment about taking the sideboard in your van. Hubby always tries to get me to buy something different when it is time to replace my vehicle, but I tell him my van is my truck. Even my adult kids say they can get more in my van than in their Dad's truck when they need to borrow a vehicle to move large items.
Beautiful morning view!

Lisa C. said...

There are no true coincidences in this world and that gorgeous blue machine is meant to be adopted by you. Pick it up when you pick up the sideboard and re-home a lesser enjoyed machine or household article. We quiltesr need to stick together to help enable others, be it 50 yards of more fabric or anything else that makes our hearts' pitter-patter.

Jenny said...

Where did you find that machine? My sister lives near Roanoke and is driving to me in Colorado in July. I could have her go get it!

Cindy said...

PLEASE PLEASE GO RESCUE THAT MACHINE!!!!! It is so beautiful!!!!!!!

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

3 hours' drive from Roanoke. It's too far especially with the gas prices :)

Aby Dolinger said...

Your picture of the green trees is like nature's cathedral! I am so glad you took time to enjoy it, drinking a cuppa on your porch/deck!

Kit said...

i think the pups should buy you that sewing machine for mother's day. and like pups, there's always room for "just one more" !

Barbie G said...

I agree with Cindy - Please rescue that beautiful machine.

Janet J said...

I passed up a vibrant blue machine in a cabinet a few years ago, still wish I had bought it. But space is an issue, and I don't need another machine. Oh well, was not meant to be I guess.

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