My New Treadle!

 Last November, I heard about a Willcox & Gibbs treadle on the Salvation Army website.  The treadle was in Santa Monica, California, and they didn't ship, it had to be a local pick-up.  One of the ladies in one of my vintage sewing machine groups said that she lived an hour from there and would be happy to pick up the machine and hold it for me, so I went ahead and bid on the treadle.  

Well, I bid on the treadle, and at the end, there was a bidding war between me and one other bidder.  It was going up, $1 by $1 for a while, but, in the end, I won the auction for a whopping $32!  Woohoo!

Nancy picked up the treadle a few days later, and when she got there, she discovered that the treadle drawers were full of goodies (not mentioned in the ad).  Woohoo, even better!  Nancy was drooling over the decals and the lovely attachments in the drawers (these seldom come with any of the attachments).

Well, Nancy held my treadle until Kim could pick it up.  Kim drove it to Flagstaff, AZ, where Wendy held it until my nieces friend could pick it up and drive it to Albuquerque, NM, where it changed hands 3 more times, and then it headed to Silver City, NM, where Anne and Bob picked it up.  After they picked up the treadle, it got to vacation with them across several states for the next 3 months before it finally got to their home in Wisconsin.  Last Saturday, hubby and I drove up to Wisconsin to pick up the treadle (and eat some yummy venison with Anne & Bob).  

This week, I've cleaned the treadle irons and the wood cabinet, and today I cleaned the sewing machine.  The entire treadle is in great shape for a 109 year old machine.  It was dirty, especially the treadle irons, which had some rust on them.  

before cleaning

before cleaning

lovely treadle peddle

I cleaned the irons outside (in the 90+degree heat).  You can see the rust on these 'before' photos.

belt guard

Here are the irons after cleaning and then waxing (Howard's Feed 'n Wax was used).

belt guard

re-assembled

One of the feet that holds the wheels on the treadle is broken.  Nancy found 2 treadle wheels in one of the drawers.  Since the metal foot is broken, there isn't a way to fix this (the broken part wasn't in the drawer).  At least it is the back wheels that aren't on the treadle anymore, so it tilts a fraction of an inch backwards.  Not a problem.

Front wheels

back wheel (not broken)

back wheel, broken off

Next was cleaning the wood on the cabinet, then waxing it (also with Howard's). 

before

before

after cleaning & waxing

Today it was the machine's turn to get cleaned & polished.  First, the before photos (it wasn't very dirty).

before cleaning

before cleaning

Serial #A586194 (from 1913)

thread and lint in the looper

dirty hand wheel

After cleaning the lint out and finding a whole bunch of thread wrapped around the hand wheel (I've not seen that before this machine)....

lots of lint around the feed dogs

threads wrapped around the hand wheel

the thread I got off the hand wheel

Finally, the treadle is re-assembled (except for the treadle belt, which will happen after I post this).

1913 Willcox & Gibbs treadle

I did test it, and it sews nicely!  This machine makes a chainstitch.

stitching from the top

stitching showing the chainstitch underneath

I told you that this treadle came with several attachments in the drawers.  Here is what came with it.

ruffler with original instruction sheet

original manual (109 years old)

Tuck Marker in original box

Wide, Narrow and Linen hemstitchers

wrench, gathering foot, quilt bar and seam guide

Oh yes, and Anne gave me some original W&G needles from her Boye needle case (Thanks Anne)!

2 Boye needle cases for W&G's

I have done some other things this week besides cleaning the treadle.  My Treadle On group is having an Advanced block exchange using the Radiant Sun's pattern (curved piecing).  I was smart and bought the templates, not just the pattern.  Those templates are worth every penny!

Earlier this year, I went thru my batiks and pulled fabrics, then bought the few colors that I didn't already have.  This week, I cut the pieces I'll need for the 3 different colorways (24 blocks in one colorway, 12 blocks each in the other 2 colorways).

24 blocks worth cut

12 blocks worth cut

12 blocks worth cut

Cara Gulati, who wrote the pattern, has a great YouTube video telling how to make this quilt from picking the fabrics thru stitching the blocks.  Hopefully the curved piecing goes as well as the cutting did.

I have two different sew-in's next week, so I'll be prepping some things to work on for them.  What are you working on this weekend?

April was Busy!

Last time I posted was March 24th.  It's been a whirlwind since then.  

First, I traveled to Texarkana, Arkansas for the first ever Texarkana TOGA (Treadle On Gathering & Academy).  Lots of people that I knew from other TOGA's past, and some new friends. There were lots of classes taught at the TOGA.

Missy teaching how to use the ruffler

Gina teaching Missy how to tat

Gina teaching tatting

some of Gina's tatted items

some of Gina's tatted items

Sue teaching something

Margaret teaching chicken pin cushions

Lisa teaching how to make straps for hauling machine cases

straps for hauling machine cases

Me teaching paper piecing

teaching how to make tea bag and food packet wallets

tea bag & food packet wallet

 The world is a small place.  I was chatting with someone at the TOGA, and was asked where in Texas I used to live.  I mentioned my hometown, and a lady who had just walked up said that she knew people who lived there, her niece's inlaws, then mentioned her nieces husbands name... which was my brother-in-laws name.  My sister-in-law's aunt and uncle were at the TOGA.  

Phyllis, Mac and me

Between classes at the TOGA, there is a 'hospital' for machines that need help (I had 3 machines that visited the hospital during the TOGA), and lots of visiting and other things going on, including the raffle table at the very end of the TOGA.

Teaching someone how to make quilt blocks for next year's raffle quilt (yes, I have permission to show her)

on of the hospital tables with Dr. Margaret

Dr. Floyd working on my new Wizard machine

raffle table

some of the machines that were for sale

Maria and me

Two raffle quilts (due to postponed TOGA's)

I went to the TOGA with 7 machines in my car (5 of the machines were heading to other people and were NOT mine, I was just helping with Pony Express rides) and I left the TOGA with a new (to me) machine.  On Thursday, a lady brought an aqua and cream Wizard sewing machine.  Well, I've been wanting a Wizard machine, since my family is really big into Harry Potter.  Meet Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (Dumbledore for short).  This is a straight stitch machine made by Brother in Japan, back in the 1950's.

Dumbledore, my new Wizard sewing machine

Dumbledore's new spool pin doily

I did get to help with another Pony Express ride on the way home.  I got to haul this pretty Willcox & Gibbs in a parlor cabinet.  

Willcox & Gibbs straight stitch machine

After the TOGA, I got to give the baby quilt to the new baby.  I loved getting to snuggle with him, too.  This is my cousin's newest grandbaby.

He really likes his new quilt

getting lots of snuggles

I didn't take many photos for the rest of the trip, but I did get to visit with some family and friends.  My in-laws live a few blocks from my mother, and they are friends.  

my in-laws

my mother and my father-in-law

On the trip back home, I stopped in the St. Louis area to see a friend, and to pick up a sewing machine that she had picked up for me.  No photos of Dar (she doesn't like having her photo taken) but I do have photos of the little Singer 20 Sew Handy machine that she found for me (most likely made in the 1970's in Turkey, but still working on info on this little chain stitcher).

I only had a few days after I got back before my in-laws arrived for Hubby's 60th Birthday.  They stayed for over a week.  My in-laws are great.  

Being gone for 2 weeks, then having guests for over a week, with little time in between is why I haven't gotten much sewing done.  I did take some hand work on my trip, but only got to work on it a few times at the TOGA.  I finished 4 sewing caddies at the TOGA, but someone saw them and wanted to buy one of them.

sewing caddies

I finished the last one at home this week.  I'm keeping this one for myself.

These sewing caddies were on Elephantz blog back in 2015.  I made another one with the embroidery, but gave it away years ago. 

I've been working on several other sewing kits for the Missouri TOGA in June.  I also needed one for a gift, and finished all the pieces this week.

I got the idea for this sewing kit from one that was given to me last September.  A lady from my little quilt guild made everyone a sewing kit for our Annual Tea.  I found all the parts online (saved to my Pinterest page).

When I got home from my trip, this cute little key chain was waiting for me from Darlene and Sally.

Bunny key chain

Hopefully I'll be blogging more frequently.  I've been behind on blog reading, but I'm going to start fresh and get back to reading blogs again.  I miss reading blogs, but I'll never get caught up, so starting fresh is a better idea.