I have a National Two-Spool sewing machine that was removed from a treadle base…probably to make one of those awful tables…
I added a motor and use it as an electric machine. I had it set down in my Mother’s sewing table because it had a surface for the machine to sit on. My Mom’s machine was not mounted into her table by hinges. It is bolted to a flat surface and that surface is hinged. I had screwed a block of wood into the bottom of that table to hold the motor for the two spool. It worked fine, but I knew it wasn’t a permanent solution. I was hoping for a portable base that I could attach it to and carry it around. But before that happened, we found this table on the street for big and bulky garbage.
The table isn’t anything nice. It was dark wood and reminded me of the Mediterranean furniture that was popular in the 70’s. It wasn’t going to bother me at all to drill holes in it to mount the motor. A coat of paint fixed the color problem. And, Rob has built a surround to make my machine fit into the hole in the table and he’s built risers for the machine to sit on to raise it to the correct level. It’s a great solution.
I’m still painting and we haven’t mounted the motor brackets yet, but I can hardly wait to get it finished. Not that I have a place to put it. For now, it’s going where my Mom’s table has been and her table is going to the garage because I am starting to work on her machine. It needs a good cleaning and oiling and then I plan to mount it back into her table where it belongs.
And, as if getting the table set up for me wasn’t enough of a Man-Mom’s day gift, he also had this made for me.
It’s a seam ripper. Double ended. The sharp parts pull out and insert into the handle.
Now, how cool is that? A friend of a friend makes them and sells them and he brought a couple of examples home for me to see and I liked them. And, then this one showed up for me. Thanks, dear!
Everybody have a great Tuesday. Last night was my first quilt guild board meeting. I practiced taking the minutes. It was an interesting exercise in editing.
Lane
9 comments:
That table is a nice find for curbside shopping! Way to go Lane and way to go Rob for the modifications.
A belated Happy Mother's Day to you! Sweet gifts! I have a seam ripper like that, and it's nice to use something lovely for an unlovely task. BTW, if it's like mine, the cutting part could use some sharpening and refining. I used a small, fine file, or you could ask the maker to polish up the blade parts for you.
Cool seam ripper! And your table is coming along beautifully! You really have a talent for repurposing!
xo -E
You find the coolest stuff, Lane! Love that seam ripper, too. For mother's day, I got an iPad cover that I purchased for myself and instructed my husband to wrap for me, and a ceramic bird house that my little one made in art class. :-)
I never find anything like that!! I love it!!
Ah yes. taking minutes is definitely an exercise in discretion.
Great fix for the two spool and can't beat recycling a trashed table. I hate those treadle tables also. I went to an "art" show held in the old theater lobby here. There I saw a batch of sewing machine cabinets that the tops had been hot glued down and the cabinets coarsely painted think leftover wall paint/loving hands at home decor tossed on. I thought I would faint just thinking of all the machines they trashed. I got out of there so fast before I said something that I'd regret. Now I can't even look at those sorts of tables anymore. The vintage machines have made me insist that even the modern ones have a designated table or cabinet. It is so nice to sew with one recessed into the surface. I seem to see a blonde cabinet behind the new table. Would that be an old kenmore rotary? It looks a lot like the one that lives here. You haven't mentioned using it in a very long time on the blog.
I'm so jealous of your Two Spool, every time I see it, I want one! Do you know if it will fit into a Western Electric bentwood case? If so, I have one you can have, as it doesn't fit any machine I own.
OMG I have been searching and searching for a two spool machine for such a long time. I want one so bad. How did you find yours?
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