Outside the shop, in the clearance area, I found this sewing machine cabinet. It was marked down to $20, from $65, and I think I was giggling as I paid for it and loaded it into the truck.
The size is great, and the details will be lovely with a patina paint job.
The top has definitely been subjected to some abuse, but that's not too hard to fix.
I could see this repurposed with a lift-up top, made into a storage or blanket chest.
As I opened the doors on the front of the cabinet, my resolve to remake this cabinet began to fade.
Inside the right-hand door was the original manual for the sewing machine ... which had come apart and was being held together with a paper clip. Someone cared enough about it to make sure that none of the pages got lost.
On the left, there is a small storage drawer.
Inside the drawer was practically a time capsule ... bobbins, a bobbin box, a package of embroidery needles, a wooden needle holder, a sharpener for scissors, and screwdrivers. Look how the drawer even has a small built-in pin cushion.
The sewing machine itself is heavy and solid. I crossed my fingers, plugged it in, and it appears to work PERFECTLY! These old machines are fairly primitive, and they're made with all metal parts, so they last almost forever if kept out of dampness. This machine has obviously been used and loved until quite recently.
The 1927 patent date on the motor suggests that it's from the late 1920s or early 1930s.
As I stood there in my workshop thinking about this, the bargain cabinet that I bought and originally thought I would paint and repurpose transformed into a sewing machine that was once part of someone's family. I lost my nerve and my conscience took over ... this piece will NOT be dismantled and WILL continue its history as a functioning sewing machine ... in MY sewing room. I have the space for it up there (but just barely), and I think it will come in really handy for some of the more heavy-duty sewing I do ... like my dog collars, which my current Kenmore machine sometimes refuses to handle.
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Here is your daily reminder to vote for our grandson, Caleb, in the Parents Magazine cutest baby contest. You can vote once per day, per computer. Please share this link on your blog and FB, to reach as many folks as possible and help Caleb get to the top!
Edited ... Caleb didn't win the contest, even though we all know that he is, indeed, the cutest baby in the whole world!