mcadwell

This is not a quilt but I plan on using it for quilting so I'm posting about it.

I recently purchased a 1904 Singer 27-4 treadle machine, with cabinet, and have been practicing on it. However, I've discovered I disliked sitting down at it only to have to jump up to go to my regular sewing table to get this or that tool (and then puttng said tools back when done. I can be such a child at times.)

And, to be honest, some of my modern tools just didn't look right sitting there on the cabinet. (I'm talking to you Purple Thang and plastic, yellow handled, battery operated, lighted seam ripper!)

Hence, the start of (cue theme song) 'The Hunt For Victorian Sewing Tools'.

I perused the internet cabinet of historical things and discovered authentic Victorian tools are just a tad / skosh / smidgen / little bit (ok, a lot) unaffordable for me. So, I'll have to use the ole noggin to source out affordable / doable ones.

Episode 1: The leather belt I ordered for the Singer came with an antique style thread cutter and awl. These items are taken care of.
Episode 2: I made a Victorian style pincushion. This item is taken care of.

This pincushion started out with the idea of making a reallllly large spool of thread as a decor item. I'd use yarn as the thread - if that gives you any idea the size of it. Then it morphed.

I put my late great-grandmother's pins, hat pins and rusty ones too that I inherited and didn't know what to do with, into the pincushion as decoration. The base will be used to wrap bias tape around. And there's storage inside of it. This makes it a 4-in-1 item: Decorative, pincushion, storage, bias tape wrap. Gotta like it.

Don't know when episode 3 will come around. But it will be at the same Bat Time and same Bat Station.(Erm, I think I just dated myself.)

QuiltMom2

Holy Pins and Needles! That's a great pincushion. Have fun with searching for Victorian items and I look forward to the next episodes.

Pepita

I have some tools from my great Aunt from the tun of the century. I think that was the Edwardian period, but since I’m not English, who knows. Anyway, I was surprised that the tape measure was very small, and wax was kept in a small little jar type thing bakealite maybe. I’m not sure where it is right now or I would take a picture. It was in a small rectangular box covered in silk. It may have come when she visited elderly family that were Shakers.

mcadwell

You are right that 1904 is the Edwardian period but I decided to go with Victorian since it fit my house better.

If the tape measure is that small I wonder if it was kept on a chatelaine?

oksewglad

Tell us more on how you made your super sized spool...TIA

juliasb

Your Pincushion is priceless. Watch garage sales closely I have picked up so many tools and attachments that way. That got me into collecting older machines though so be careful it is addictive. Looking forward to Episode 3.

Mousie

absolutely love this!

mcadwell

I got the idea from here, but this one was larger than what I needed: http://www.sewcando.com/2018/09/diy-...r-perfect.html

I found the two wooden plaques on Amazon.
I just happened to have everything else:
Sturdy cardboard tube that fit the smaller sides of the wooden plaques
Tacky Glue
Cardboard
Cotton batting
Cotton fabric
Leftover trim
Paint

1. Painted the wooden plaques with acrylic paint. When dry I coated it with 2 coats of quick dry polyurethane spray and sanded off any polyurethane that would be where I needed to use glue.

2. Glued the swirly fabric around the tube, tucking and gluing it inside the top and bottom of the tube and tucking in the raw edge on the outside of the tube to hide any fraying.

3. Sewed the cream fabric into a tube with a circular bottom to make a 'cup'. Folded over the open end to hide any fraying and glued it inside the top of the cardboard tube, making sure it was down far enough the 'lid stabilizer' wouldn't interact with it and possibly pull it away from the glue.

4. Glued the fabric covered tube onto the smaller side of one of the wooden plaques.

5. Sewed the pin cushion and stuffed it with a dryer ball that was cut in half (I read somewhere the lanolin in the wool helps keep pins sharp and I was trying to figure out a way of reusing old dryer balls). Added shredded batting bits and pieces to fill it out better. Sewed the opening closed and glued this onto the large side of the remaining wooden plaque.

6. Glued trim around the edge of the pincushion.

7. Cut out 3 matching circles of cardboard, stacked them and glued them together. I made sure they fit inside the cardboard tube a little loosely.

8. Wrapped batting around the cardboard circles gluing only on the backside. When the glue was dry I cut off any folds of batting to make the backside flatter.

9. Wrapped cream fabric around the cardboard circles/batting. When the glue was dry I cut off the fabric folds on the backside to make it flatter. This is now the lid stabilizer. The batting and fabric makes it fit snuggly inside the cardboard tube but it isn't so tight it can make it come unglued.

10. Glued the lid stabilizer to the smaller side of the wooden plaque that has the pincushion.

And it's done

Hopefully I described it in a way that makes sense. (If I would've known someone was going to ask I would have taken pictures.)

oksewglad

Thank you so much mcadwell. Great instructions! And yes I see why you down sized the idea to fit your needs. Well done!

What if... a food cardboard container (like oatmeal, Nestle's Quik, Tang, etc) would be used? I get bread crumbs in even a smaller one. Just thinking!

mcadwell

Any food container that was sturdy enough would work. I don't think an oatmeal container would be strong enough though. Nestle Quik probably would be if you glued more than one layer on it as the glue and fabric would make it stronger.

And if the container had a lid then you wouldn't need a lid stabilizer as the lid would keep the top wooden plaque in place (although any fabric at the top of the container may make the lid fit too snug.).

If you make something like this post pictures. I'd like to see it.