Well you need a Singer Skirt Marker of course....
I'd never heard of such a thing, but luckily my Mum spotted it at the secondhand shop in Winchelsea on Sunday.
It's circa 1960's and it's supposed to have this chalky blower thingie to mark the length.
I figure this must have been extremely messy. Good grief!
Anyway, I didn't buy it to use it. I just bought it because it's pretty to look at!
I also found this very cool Sailing Ship Tapestry at the Winchelsea Oppy. The colours are beautiful. It doesn't look like it was ever framed - just stitched and then folded up.
Soooo much work has gone into it. I think I'm going to make it into a giant cushion for the couch, so that everyone can see it.
It makes me sad to see work like this at the oppy. Unappreciated. Discarded. I like to perform little craft rescues. I'm sure the Nana's of the world would be very proud.
15 comments:
Love that stick idea - but would have been V messy like you say! The tapestry is amazing, it'll look gorgeous as a large cushion Cam!
Yeah I think it would look great as a cushion too.I love that term "little craft rescues".
When I read what do you need? I thought a good eye and a sharp needle and cotton that doesn't tangle.
1960s is right for the hemmer my sister had one, it was a bit of a nuisance to use, better off with the old tape and pencil.
that is an awesome tapestry - I pictured it as a fab footstool until I read that you'll be turning it into a cushion - that will be fab too!!
Love old gadgets and craft rescues - I've an old hemmer (not as flash as yours) which sits in the corner looking important while gathering dust and many a tapestry/x-stitch which I'd love to know the history behind. I once bought a gorgeous floral tapestry for $1 and paid $400 to have it framed!
My MIL gave me one of those but it doesn't have the chalk thingy. Mine is gathering dust in the corner!
I inherited my nana's skirt hem ruler when she passed away - looks home made, no Singer labels on it or anything. I'd hazard a guess that it was from the 40s.
There was an artist I saw in San Fransisco years ago who rescued old tapestries and Long stitches from the oppy, and embroidered little Lara Crofts into the scenes. They were fantastic!
Ah - found the artist! You'll get a kick out of this http://www.spritestitch.com/?p=134
I like rescuing Nana crafts from the charity shops too :)
great find's both of them.....well spotted your mum....
I have a similar hem marker that I bought new in either the 80s or early 90s. Mine is German, and has a metal (aluminium?), rather than wooden ruler part. I didn't find it messy - it only puffs out a tiny bit of chalk - it gives a thin line which looks as if you drew it with a chalk pencil. Unfortunately on mine the rubber bulb bit has perished, so it's not usable any more.
Am I showing my age to say that we used that style of hem marker in my high school sewing classes?...
I too feel bad when I see rejected craft in op shops. All the love and attention to detail and time that went into those items. Saddest when you look at the baby clothes and see unworn knitted items, all of them knitted with love and hope and joy, I am betting, but so carelessly discarded by young families who maybe didn't know what went into them.
OMGsh my mum had one of those when I was before teens. I used to play with it and squirt the powder around. Dont think she probably really ever used it.
BTW I have finished my skirt - just have not blogged about it - actually finished it five days ago. slack I know. I will get there. Just have this groovy idea and need to combine three things to get it to happen and one of those things is my geeky son!
I actually have one of these, a different brand, and without the chalk. I wonder where it has ended up......(my step-Nana gave it to me, she was a big sewer in her day)
Yours is gorgeous!
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