Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Etsy & Getting to Know Mabel

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I had planned to write about the newest addition to the Etsy shop,

but almost as soon as it was listed, it was sold. No complaints here! I’m crocheting more of these scarves, of course. I’ve just started one in autumnal colors.

Sorry, this is a little dark – it’s raining today. It will be much prettier than this photo indicates. I think we’re in for a dark and dreary day here at the cottage.

I dreamed I heard a dog barking this morning. This has happened to me a few times since Riley died. I hear a single bark and I struggle to wake up. For a moment I can’t figure out if it is real or not. Riley used to bark in the early morning hours if he needed to go outside and I would jump out of bed and run downstairs to let him out. These dreams I have are unsettling and leave me feeling sad and empty. The dream, coupled with the rain, has made for a bittersweet morning.

Thank you for all the wonderful names you suggested for my new Featherweight. I love them all, but I have to say that the one that really makes me smile is Debby Messner’s suggestion: Mabel. There’s something old-fashioned and sassy about it. Mabel it is!

So, I took Mabel for a spin yesterday. I have a wonderful book that I bought when I was using my friend’s Featherweight, Featherweight 221 – The Perfect Portable. Besides being full of information, it also has a reprint of the original manual. I needed a refresher on how to wind the bobbin and thread the machine. Then I found a piece of fabric and started Mabel up.

She purrs like a kitten.

Beautiful, even stitches. Perfect tension.

But, a funny thing happened. I plugged in the footpedal and it didn’t reach the ground. I thought: How strange! I don’t remember this being a problem with my friend’s machine. I examined the plug, I moved the machine closer to the edge of the table. Still a problem. This is what I had to do to work the pedal:

Yes, that’s a piece of McCoy Pottery I’m using. And that, of course, is Scout on the right.

One of the comments yesterday was from Pam and she sent me a link to a wonderful site, Nova Montgomery. Nova knows about all there is to know about Featherweights. I wrote her and asked her what the length of the cord should be from the machine to the foot pedal. She said about 47 – 50 inches. I measured mine: 28 inches. Yikes. Nova thinks that the cord most likely got damaged and was shortened and repaired. How anyone used it, I’ll never know. So I’m going to send the foot pedal and cords to Nova and she’s going to replace the cord.

Other than that, Mabel is perfect. She’s probably been yearning for a longer cord. Now she’ll get one.

By the way, here’s a post I wrote back in San Diego when I was using my friend’s Featherweight – sort of an ode to the Featherweight.

Happy Tuesday.

 

An Early, Early Birthday Present

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First of all, Don’s been playing with Picnik. Yesterday, I checked my email to find this:

Could he be any more adorable? Gosh darn it, what a cutie he is.

In that same vein (Don = cutie) we needed to get out of the house yesterday, so we traveled up the road to a favorite antique shop. I found some fabulous vintage fabric, a little dollhouse chair – I’ll share them with you another day – and something else. I hit the brakes when I spied this something in a booth on the floor. Shall I give you some clues?

  • I’ve written about my love of this ‘invention’ many times on this blog.
  • I’ve been honest about my jealousy of others who own one of these.
  • I’m even more jealous when these bloggers own more than one.
  • I used one for a period of 6 months a few years back. (A friend let me borrow hers while I was working in San Diego.)
  • That experience made me an even bigger fan than I already was.

If you’re a long-time reader, you might have guessed. I’m going to delay the reveal just a moment longer.

Interestingly, I had actually planned to write a post for today with 3 potential presents I would like to receive for my big birthday (in November.) The 3 things were: a cordless drill, this item or a new DSLR, all of which I want and, yes, need. I was going to say that I would be happy with any one of these items and that, given our finances, I would probably get the cordless drill. Totally fine with me.

But when I saw this, and went on and on about it, Don and I decided it would be the perfect birthday present. I’m just getting it early. Okay, no more delays, here it is:

Eek! A Singer Featherweight! Be still my heart. Isn’t she gorgeous? She’s in great shape.

I mean, look at her….

All of the gold decals are intact. The paint looks pretty pristine. There are the usual faint scratches from pins, etc.

She was made in New Jersey in May of 1953. We’re awfully close in age. Now you have an even bigger hint as to what particular birthday is coming up.

She has that Art Deco looking face plate. And she came with a lot of the original attachments.

That motor lubricant has no cap and looks a bit nasty. I’ll keep it, anyway; it should be on display.

And she came with a case.

Of course, she smells musty, as does her case. Every Featherweight I’ve ever encountered smells musty. I guess when all those new-fangled sewing machines came out, the trusty Featherweights were stored in attics. Any tips for getting rid of that smell?

Gee whiz, I love her.

She needs a name. And I need your suggestions. Would you leave a comment with a suggestion or two?

Happy Monday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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