Love yard sales

Last week I stayed with my cousins Thursday through Sunday on Cape Cod. My cousin and I took a ride to Provincetown, while there we both enjoyed a delicious lobster roll at the Post Office Cafe.

 Friday and Saturday we spent the day stopping at yard sales. I didn't buy much this time, but I always have fun looking. I did finally find several heavy aluminum pie plates, and was thrilled because I've been looking for a long time, a bargain at 25 cents each. I like the heavy, metal pie plates better than Pyrex glass pie plates.The bottom crust brown much better.Before I left for my cousins, I bought a bag new Jersey Mac apples, the first of the season. Last night I decided to make apple pie and use a couple of the pie tins that I bought at the yard sales. I will bring one of the pies to my parents today.

( last week I made 2 custard pies..one for my parents and one to bring to bring with me to my cousins. I didn't take pictures, sorry.) There was enough egg mixture left that I made a custard for Tom. Here is the custard pie recipe that I found on Facebook from the website below.

Southern Comfort Zone

Old Fashioned Custard Pie

1 unbaked pie shell (I use Marie Callendar's deep dish)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2-2/3 cups of milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat your eggs slightly, then add sugar, salt, nutmeg, and milk. Beat well and poor into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Sprinkle the top of pie with fresh ground nutmeg and serve. ( I found I had to cook the pie much longer than this recipe called for.)

In one of the yard sales we went to on Saturday, I came across a vintage, Minnesota VS treadle sewing machine...$10.00, but it was in horrid shape. The cabinet was all but disintergrated, the machine itself was pretty rusted. The iron legs were good and it did have several long bobbins. I passed it upas I have 3 treadles that I need to work on. I didn't take any pictures of this machine.I had never seen a Minnesota brand treadle sewing machine before. I did buy an old wooden needle holder tube that had been in one of the drawers of the sewing machine, for a 25 cents. Approximately 2.5 inches long.

In another yard sale there was a working, 1957 Kenmore sewing machine. The price was $50.00, but they would take $35.00. For that price..The machine was in a cabinet, had a chair that the seat lifts up to store the manual and attachments.(which the machine also had) I passed on this machine too.Sorry the machine was in the shade and I took the picture with my cell phone.

At yet another yard sale, I found a small white kitchen hutch for $20.00 that I picked up for my son and daughter in law. It will be repainted.

My son and daughter in law, and granddaughters are moving into my grandfather's farm house that was built in1841. My dad was born and grew up in that farmhouse. The kitchen doesn't have a much cabinet space, but it does have a wonderful pantry. I love pantry's and wish our house had one.

                                     Old photo of the farmhouse..My grandfather, his horse Jerry, 3 of my uncles and                                                                                        aunt.

2013

Saturday night we took a ride to Sandwich near the Coast Guard station to watch the sunset. The Sagamore bridge can be seen in the background. A huge tanker was being pushed through the Cape Cod Canal by a large tugboat.

Just before sunset I saw a herring gull catch a crab, drop it on the rocks for it's evening meal.

I love poking around at yard sales, garage sales and thrift shops. I just love bargains and not knowing what you will find when you least expect it. How about you, do you love yard sales?

Elaine

Singer Featherweight sewing machines

The 2 Featherweight Singer sewing machines I have once belonged to my mother, who has Alzheimer's. Mom gave me her Featherweight sewing machines a couple of years ago, before her disease really started to progress. I love the size of the Featherweights. I would be very happy to find  more bobbins and a box of attachments that I could use with both machines. Owners of Singer Featherweight sewing machines love them because they are small and portable.

 Below..black Featherweight 1953 manufactured in Port Elizabeth, N.J. This Featherweight has a case. The fold up deck on this Featherweight is longer than on my white Featherweight.  

Both of my Singer Featherweight sewing machines work, but I can't get the light to work on the black Featherweight. The bulbs filaments look intact. I have taken out the bulb and put it back in, but the light still doesn't come on when I turn on the switch. Guess I will have to track down a new bulb.

 Below..white Featherweight manufactured in 1963, Great Britain, Scotland. I have no case for this plain white FW sewing machine.

Elaine

Investigated the Treadle sewing machine cabinet more

 long bobbins

First off, I brought in the Princess treadle sewing machine from the back of my car this morning. As I was emptying the center drawer where I found the extra bobbins yesterday, I found a surprise...another long bobbin in another drawer that had no thread on it. So, I now have 8 long bobbins. If and when I get the machine ready to sew I will change out the thread.

In the other drawer that had the wooden sock darner there were 2 sets of floor protectors one set was heavy glass and the other wood. These protecters also raise up the machine so the treadle will move freely on a thick carpet.                  

                         and 2 sets of wooden wheel casters. One with a short and one with a long shank..I guess for the same reason..to raise the treadle higher off the floor.
                                                                                                         

After bringing in the machine I went to a sewing machine repair store in a nearby town (Ables in Raynham, MA on Rte. 44) and bought a new belt for my Princess. The lady working there was quite rude I thought, not helpful at all. Unfortunately the owner wasn't in, because he is very nice and very helpful.  I was asking questions if they carried certain products and she was quite snippy and asked me why I bought that old machine and not a new one.

I ran a few more errands and then this  afternoon I went back to get a better look at my grandmother's 2 old treadle machines. I moved the machines into an area with better lighting. Sad to say, the Singer was missing a face plate. I also couldn't see a bobbin in the machine. No attachments, bobbins, manual, paint mostly gone from the head. The wood veneer on the table top was severely buckled in so many places. On the up side..the iron legs are in great shape. So sad that it hadn't been covered and protected better.

The New Home on the other hand held a big surprise. When I removed the face plates I found it had a vibrating shuttle just like the Princess I bought yesterday. WOW! I noticed thread in the shuttle so there must be 1 long bobbin in the shuttle already.  In one of the drawers there were some attachments, but unfortunately no more bobbins or manual. The drop leaf on the side of the machine, the wood was lovely as was the iron bracket that folds away to hold it up. The irons are also in great shape. The wood needs lots of TLC don't know what kind of damage the bird droppings did to the wood. I'm hoping elbow grease and Old English or Howards wood products will do the trick. Will surely use gloves and a mask when cleaning her up.

Here are some more photos of the New Home treadle sewing machine that I took today.

front and back face plates off

so rusty

foot and face plate needs lots of TLC to remove rust

iron legs and treadle

the drop leaf wood looks almost new

look at the difference in the wood

lovely folding bracket that supports the drop leaf

My 89 year old aunt gave me a tin with spools of thread, old buttons and thimbles.

One thimble has no tip, the tiny one fits my baby finger. 

 front and back of an old cologne bottle with cork stopper filled with sewing needles, about 2.5 inches tall

                                                    assorted glass and metal buttons

cute metal button on end with rhinestones and a fan in the center

 strand

Elaine

1902 Princess Treadle sewing machine found a new home

  

I kept thinking about this Princess treadle sewing machine that I found yesterday and had shared photos on my blog, I decided to go back to the antique store and give it a second look after I took my dad home from grocery shopping. I was showing dad photos of the machine that I took on my cell phone. I loved the pretty decals on the machine and cabinet. Yesterday the workers at the store told me they would cut the price from a hundred dollars to seventy five. 

I called the store from my parents house today after lunch to see if the machine was still in the antique shop. I also asked if they would consider selling the Princess for fifty dollars. The woman told me she would have to ask her boss, but she would let me know. I got to the store, and was told that yes they would accept fifty dollars for the Princess. Yeah. My dad had handed me fifty dollars before I left his house. He said; if you can buy it for fifty, get it. Thanks Dad.

I hadn't looked yesterday so didn't realize that the machine didn't have regular bobbins or bobbin casing. Duh, but what did I know, as I'd never had a treadle machine before and didn't realize that the older machines had shuttles. 

machines vibrating shuttle. I had never seen one like this before and had been looking for a regular bobbin casing. 

As I looked the machine over I picked up my cell phone and wrote a message on Facebook to the Vintage Sewing Machine group and sent photos of the shuttle and also what I thought must have been the bobbins that I found in the drawer to see if the machine had all it's parts. Everyone has been wonderful to me on the Facebook group, a total treadle novice. As I waited for replies from anyone who happened to see my message, I dug through drawers in the cabinet and kept finding items that I never noticed yesterday. When I read replies that everything for the machine was there and correct I  knew that machine was definitely coming home with me.

the Princess taken apart and loaded into the back of my car ready to come home with me

 above and below ...cabinet with head of machine taken out..dirt encrusted black metal tray ( oil drip pan)

front center drawer that I didn't see when I found the machine yesterday. I found lots of goodies inside the 3 compartments.

left side of center drawer had needles

 middle section of center drawer. I don't know what that tool is in the middle, it has 2 prongs one on each side when turned over, anyone know what it is?

Below: right side of center drawer..wow, to find 2 keys for the cabinet and 7 small metal bobbins and someone told me there is also a quilting guide. No attachments were with the machine.

inside the left side drawer of cabinet stand had a wooden sock darner and several wood wheel casters, also several wooden and glass protectors to place under the legs of the machine. The decals are beautiful on the outside panel of the drawer  and in wonderful condition

Below...right side cabinet drawer that I found a wonderful surprise

Box with attachments that I found in the drawer

When I looked quickly in the drawer yesterday I thought the manual for the machine was a total loss, but much to my surprise today when I looked again, I found that yes the pages are very fragile, but most of the pages were intact except the front cover of the manual with the warranty page.

in pieces

enlarged 

 inside cover with machines diagram. I would love to find an intact manual. The complete page is in the drawer, but now to figure out how to put it together so I can photocopy it without tape showing. I can't believe that the machine had everything with it after all these years. I was told the antique shop workers had a hard time taking it down from the attic on the winding, narrow stairs.

rest of the pages from the manual

 Yesterday the belt was intact when I turned the wheel, but today when I got to the shop the belt had split in two, but I knew the belt was going to need to be replaced. I can't wait to start restoring this old sewing machine.I am sure that it will require lots of elbow grease and TLC, but I am so thrilled to have found the Princess a new home and life. Oh, and Tom's reaction was what I knew it would be..where are you going to put it.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Elaine