Sewing Machine Shelves

Yesterday when we were close to a Lowe’s store, we stopped and bought shelves and brackets so we could hang two shelves in my quilting room to display my vintage sewing machines. This morning, Louie and I hung the shelves.

Before, I had one shelf that went about 3/4 the way across this wall. It wasn’t good for much. You can see where the paint is a different color, just where it was.

We drilled into the concrete and anchored the brackets to the wall…..

….we added the shelves and touched up the paint (don’t look too close!)…

…and I added the machines. Top Row: Singer 404, Singer 500A, Singer 503A, Domestic Rotary. Second Row: 401A, Zenith straight stitch (Japanese made) badged machine, Singer 285J, Singer Featherweight 221 and Singer Toy Machine.

I think there may be a couple machines on the shelves that you have not seen yet. This one is a Domestic. I’m not even sure where I picked this one up, but it was at a ‘junk shop’ somewhere. It reminds me of a machine that a friend of my dad’s gave to me when I was about 10. I don’t know what happened to my machine, except that it was kept at my dad’s, and when he passed away, the machine was missing. I could never forget the smell of the machine and the case, and this machine holds those memories. Incidentally, it won’t sew, because I can’t get it to pick up the bobbin thread. I played with it for awhile and tried to adjust the depth of the needle bar, and in doing so, I removed the whole left end of the machine, including the needle bar and the pressure foot all in one unit. It is not precision, if you get my drift. I really don’t care if it sews or not. It’s the memory for me. It also is a rotary machine, so a rubber wheel that is attached to the shaft of the motor rolls against the hand wheel to make it sew. It’s an oldie, and it was an oldie when I received the gift from my dad’s friends when I was about 10. (No need to do the math….it was DECADES ago!) This machine is actually aluminum and not heavy at all.

This machine is my garage sale Featherweight. Louie found it at our neighbor’s garage sale last fall. This is the first time I have had it out of the case for display, and I didn’t oil it or even run it until today. Those machines are just so darn cute!

I’m not sure you saw my toy Singer either. I got it at the Salvation Army in Marion a year or so ago, for $20, I think. This is the first time I have had it out of the box to display it.

After the shelves were up, the mess was cleaned up, and Louie got back from his Sunday pool leagues, we went for a motorcycle ride. I wore a long sleeved shirt with a light jacket, and it was just right for riding. We rode from Maquoketa to Monmouth to Cascade to Worthington and Dyersville, then down to Dubuque and home. We stopped at Save-A-Lot in Dubuque for a few things and by the time we got home the sun was on it’s way down. There were lots of cold spots in the last 40 miles, but it was a beautiful ride. We were out about 3 hours. There won’t be many riding days left, so we have to take rides when we can.

What did you do today?

Have a wonderful week, and be blessed!

Michelle