Things That Inspire and Comfort

 

I love white bed linens.  Of course, I also love pastel bed linens...and printed bed linens...and warm flannel bed linens...the latter, especially on the cold nights we've been having lately.  Recently someone told me she has found a beautiful vintage pillowcase with lovely, wide hand crocheted lace, but the she would probably never actually use it because she had only one.

I confess, having only one seldom stops me from using them, if they are not too fragile to be used. But I always hope nothing ugly happens to them while they are being used.

I found these on closeout at TJMaxx or Marshall's or a similar place a few months ago.  I'm so glad that someone in the world of  design and marketing had enough appreciation for the past to bring these to the marketplace, even if the decoration is just a piece of machine embroidered ribbon.  They bring me a comfort beyond anything rational.

This is the 1919 Singer Redeye treadle I purchased at the end of November and have been cleaning and working on ever since.  I had no success finding the Orange Oil cleaning solution or the orange oil and beeswax polish that others assure me are carried by antique stores everywhere.  I finally went to the Amish Collection furnishing store in Albuquerque and purchased a wood cleaner and lemon and beeswax polish from them.

While working on this machine, I'd begun to wonder if the woman who owned had wanted a new electric machine and at some point messed with every tension control until it would no longer sew.  Then I remembered how the Singer salesperson/repair person had messed with my mother's WWII era Singer until it would no longer sew, told her the gears were worn out, and that she'd just have to get a new machine, a Touch and Sew.  (A couple of Viking dealers told me the same thing about my 1974 Viking.)

In any case, this Redeye is sewing once again, and the wood, while it is too damaged to ever be near perfect again, is being fed and nurtured once more.

In return, this machine is encouraging me to dream more dreams of more quilt tops yet to be created.