Happy Birthday Alice

May 7, 2012 at 2:55 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/groups/birthday.php

See what I found. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Only $6.20. Probably, I shouldn’t confess how cheap this machine was because it is a birthday present(as long as I don’t become attached to it while cleaning it up).

Only kidding!!

Happy Birthday Alice ; )

today is #1 daughter’s birthday. Ok I only have one daughter but believe me she is #1!!

When Alice was a kid we celebrated her birthday over the course of a week — first there would be the quiet family day where she would choose her favorite dinner and there would be cake for desert. And then a kids birthday party on the weekend with games and cake and presents. My favorite year was the year we went to the zoo. You can arrange for the zoo  Children’s Birthday Parties – Milwaukee County Zoo to host a party in Milwaukee with games and food and train rides and then you go home and they clean up after the children–best kid’s party ever!!  Oh but back to the Alice birthday celebration the week would finish with a sunday dinner at Great Gramma’s house. Yes– more cake and presents. Ahh what a spoiled life. But every kiddie deserves to be spoiled –right?

So back to the machine–it is ancient– made in 1888. I have been looking around the internet for a manual but haven’t found one yet. See the 2 knobs on the wheel. I thinkthe lower one means it could be turned into a hand crank.
or maybe it was a handcrank at one time. Because I think the motor and the light were added later. The way the machine is set up you could also drop it into a treadle base. And as luck has it I have a treadle base up at the cabin. a table would have to be cut for it but it is a doable project. Decisions —decisions!!

So this sewing machine is a little different than the treadle I use, it has a long bobbin instead of a round.

And the bobbin fits in the bullet or shuttle which swings back and forth under the needle assembly. It is real fun to watch unfortunately I don’t know how to do a movie clip so I can’t show you. You will just have to take my word for it.

Now whoever used this machine lined the bottom under it with an old newspaper dated Nov.10, 1954. The newspaper was from Chicago. 

there was an advertisement for a  newly built house for just $9,300. And help wanted for a Santa for at Goldblatts. And jobs at Thrall Car Manufacturing Co. promising 53 hour work weeks.

perhaps waitressing would be more up your alley– here’s one that promises good tips, room and board. But you must be white.
there was also a box with lots of doodads that don’t nessicarily go with the machine and 10 spare bobbins. and this doohingy what ever it is

And  here is kit kat with todays yarn.

A dark purple flecked yarn that brings the total up to 9 mini skeins. Hardly any one is commenting —-remember you have to leave comments to win.before I go find a basket or a box to corral the skeins I thought I would show you some knitting. It looks like a soaker from this side.

And a whatzit from this side.

not a whatzit though it is a …. well never mind I am going to keep knitting for a while before I tell.

Happy Birthday Alice!!