Embroidery Machine
December 17th, 2011
If you’re wondering why it’s been (gasp) more than two whole weeks since my last update, it’s because I am preparing to move 3,000 miles across the country. I’ve been packing madly, and growing more and more astonished at how much stuff we managed to store in our little Greenwich Village garret. Here’s one of the treasures I uncovered.
It came in a cardboard box that promptly disintegrated as soon as I opened it. The instructions were crumpled up, in nearly as poor shape. There was no way to save the box, alas, so I made the instructions my priority.
The paper was torn into three pieces, each one folded up like an accordion. And it was VERY dry. Lacking proper humidification tools, I broke out the steam iron and got to work, gently puffing steam at the paper until it relaxed enough to lay flat.
After a week or so resting between sheets of acid free paper under a heavy book, I was able to piece it together well enough to take this picture (edited a bit to take out the worst of the rips and flaws).
The embroidery machine belonged to one of my forebearers. I wonder what she made with it. I wonder what I’ll make with it…
if the antique model doesn’t suit you, here is the modern day plastic version!
http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=C8800
It’s basically a punch needle tool.
Ahhhhh! That’s so cool! And likely much more practical than trying to use this dinosaur. Though I do plan to give it a go once I am reunited with my hoops and floss (which are all currently reposing in boxes, waiting for The Move).
Do you embroider?
This is weird and great! However I wonder, it seems to have a gigantic needle. Maybe that’s just the picture? Wouldn’t that thing put a gigantic hole in your fabric? Or maybe it was meant for tapestry.