Courtney
Courtney has been busy with his 1863 Willcox and Gibbs machine and working on a quilt and ideas for another.
Last month I discussed the 1863 Willcox and Gibbs machine I had purchased. I mentioned that it was pretty rusty and I was having trouble with the timing of the machine because of a stuck nut. A bit of heat helped get the nut free so I was able to get the timing correct. I still have a bit of clean-up to do but at least is is sewing now. I did not have a way to power the machine so I had a kid 3D print me a hand crank wheel and I made another of by hand crank bases I reported on about 3 months ago. The base was an old one with a dark finish that I repurposed (see picture.) This gave me a chance to compare the dark finish to the light golden finish of the earlier ones. I think I prefer the lighter finish. I used some of the green poly for the belt because is makes the cranking so much smoother than the old leather I had laying around. The little W&G ferrule holds the poly belting nice and tight.
While I was looking around, I also found a treadle top I had made about 10 years ago. This inspired me to also get to work on getting a little treadle table I had cut the pieces for last years before I had to vacate the shop. I had to quickly cut the pieces so I was not sure how well they would go together but they seemed to go together easily. I still need to do some sanding, staining, and finishing but at least the table is together and sturdy (see picture, still have to attach the top!)
Once everything is together and finished, I have a project in mind. Since the W&G machine was made during the Civil War, I plan on making a Civil War quilt. I hope to use the specifications as requested by the US Sanitary Commission for donated quilts. I have purchased the fabric and plan to make a “potholder” style quilt similar to those made in New England during the war.
In other quilting news, I have also gotten started on some of the squares for my Blazing Star quilt that I was working on some time ago. I have all the pieces cut for the squares and have started to sew them together.
Thanks!
Courtney
to be continued...