Quiltingboard Forums - My Wilcox & Gibbs chain stitcher

Got a big surprise yesterday---long story! A few years ago DS and DIL got me TWO W&G chain stitch machines. One had the original "foot" shaped foot control and motor but the motor didn't work. Each machine needed something but we thought we might get one good one out of both. Time went on and I gathered parts--repainted irons from Wolfgang on ebay, a bonnet top, drawers, and a cabinet top. When the irons came, in the process of unpacking them, we lost the bag with the assembly parts-screws, nuts, bolts, etc. My DIL was able to find enough to assemble them and I bought another large bolt from Mike/Wolfgang and Marian/DIL got the base together. The top, bonnet and drawers still needed restoring tho. Then I swapped a New Home treadle for a W&G in case w motor that actually worked and we put that one in the treadle cabinet. By this time I was downsizing and decided to sell the whole conglomeration. Hadn't put it up on Craigslist yet and yesterday we had our Christmas (DS/DIL live out of town) and we were back at my apt. getting things out for them to take home with them--a Kenmore cabinet to go with the 1803 I'd sold to her friend. She went down to the basement to look at the cabinets I had left to see if any were Kenmores. She came hurrying up the stairs and said "Look what I found!!!" It was the bag of W&G parts we'd lost a few years ago!! Somehow it had gotten into one of the cabinets....how I don't know....top must have been open but can't imagine why. So now DIL said "NOW we can put it together with the real parts".....SO.....this prob won't get done til spring but I may at least get to try it out with the one machine that works and see how she goes!! I had originally wanted one (1) because I loved the look of them, and (2) to try to use it to do some redwork type embroidery for quilts, wallhangings, etc.

It's funny how things have changed over the past few years....I was SO much into the vintage machines.....had gotten a little Singer 12 in a treadle cabinet in a wonderful way that seemed like it was meant to be, and when I used it I felt like I had sewn on it in a previous life....there was that much of a connection. Most of the decals were gone but it was beautiful. I finally sold it....not easily tho! A lot of the passion for machines has quieted now but it doesn't take much for it to flare up again.....like that little W&G!!! It's hard for me to treadle now so I will probably end up selling her but I should at least try to use her first!!

That little bag of parts suddenly appearing yesterday did seem like a small Christmas miracle!! So glad it turned up before I sold the machine!
Polly