November 17, 2011

Sew …. what’s new???

Hey readers, I’ve got something brewing in my garage.  No…. it’s not hubby’s still (I can’t say that too loud, he’s McGyver inclined and may just try it out --- LOL).

bubbling-cauldron

Nope, it something better than alcohol, well better than Grain alcohol anyway, never better than red wine you understand – NOTHING is better than red wine.

red-wine-red-grapes1

But I digress, back out to the garage.

A couple of weeks ago my friend and fellow blogger Kelly of Jax does design gave me one of several old sewing tables (including the machine) of her grandmothers.  I was beyond thrilled.  You see I have a small obsession with previously loved furniture. (See my last makeover here).  I think it’s partly because of the secrets they hold.  Where have they been, who have they known?  And in this particular case, how many garments have been lovingly created or repaired by this machine?  That’s part of it, but the main reason is the draw of giving these pieces a new lease on life.

IMG_4713So, after I brought my new friend home, I was “alotted” a small space in the garage for my latest find.  Then the fun began.  What did this new treasure hold ….

In the original picture Kelly showed me I wasn’t sure if the top was one or two pieces.  I used to have a sewing table that had a split hinged top.  With this in mind, I was thinking I would replace the top with a nice piece of granite or marble.  But … looks like I won’t have to, since this sewing table has a solid one piece top that lifts off – sahweet!

IMG_4719

Now, what secrets is this solid one piece top hiding …

IMG_4711

IMG_4709

The machine is a Franklin, made by Sears Roebuck Co. in the early 1900’s.  Here are some close-ups:

projectIcon

So, what started off as a cool new furniture makeover, morphed somewhat into a Google research project to find out as much as we could about Franklin sewing machines.  Here’s what we found:

image

The whole story can be found at http://www.ismacs.net/sears/sears.html, where you’ll hear all about the exciting world of sewing machines :)!  The machine isn’t worth very much at this point, but it certainly has some decorative value if you were going to display it somewhere. 

Next week, I’ll share my ideas and inspiration for re-finishing this gorgeous piece … stay tuned

3 comments:

  1. Would you believe in all the years I had this sewing machine, I never actually looked at the machine itself?! Well, maybe the inch of dust covering it was a hint ;-) Can't wait to see what you have planned for this baby!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh the exciting thrill of a makeover! Can't wait to see how you work your magic.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I, too, can't wait to see what inventive idea you conjure up, Donna! You see, we also have a Singer Sewing machine set in a table, also thanks to my Grandmother (z'l), though ours has an additional wrought iron (?) scroll-work foot pedal. Very interested to see your fabulous design solution! ;) Pam

    ReplyDelete

Talk to me ...

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts with Thumbnails