A Precious Treasure

For a quilter/sewer there is always treasure in the form of thread, pins, buttons etc. in the drawers of a  sewing machine cabinet.  As I sorted through the drawers of my new/old treadle machine they proved to have much of these items in them except one of the drawers held more. A different kind of treasure that I wasn't expecting. This is what I found tangled amongst the thread.

In the bottom left of this photo you can see a locket with no chain. It has some decorative scroll work and my Mom's name engraved on the front.  I believe this is the same locket that my mom is wearing in this photo.  She would have been in her mid teens in this photo.  Mom was 85 years old at the time of her passing. 

I cleaned it up using toothpaste, added a chain from one of my old necklaces and found the perfect frame from a thrift store and now the locket sits on the fireplace mantel.  It has no monetary value but it is priceless to me.

My New-Old Machine

It has been awhile since I have posted anything to my blog.  With the busyness of summer, time got away from me.  In some of my previous posts I have mentioned my mother and her battle with dementia.  The Lord called her home in August and now she is at peace.  I miss her everyday. 

On this past Saturday I met with my sisters to start the task of sorting through our Mom's belonging's.  She was the type of person who very rarely got rid of anything.  (I think it is a habit she has passed onto me.) One of the things that I brought home with me was her treadle sewing machine. Over the past years the machine has been stored in an unheated covered porch.  My sisters are not big sewers so  the machine hasn't been used in many years. 

As you can see from the photo the top of the cabinet isn't in very good shape. The veneer is cracking and chipping and it is in need of refinishing.  

The machine itself needs refurbishing and the cables need replacing. 

 The center medallion.

I have looked up the serial number from the machine and discovered that it was manufactured in April of 1914.  I would like to restore this machine to working condition in the future.  I have never used a treadle sewing machine but I am looking forward to learning especially since this was something that had belonged to my mom.