for mom

my mom has the most beautiful old singer sewing machine that nobody can seem to figure out how to use. the bobbins it uses are these gorgeous little shuttles that are so wonderful they are suitable to be worn as jewelry, but i can't make the machine 'go' for the life of me. i also can't remember where the machine came from [she's an avid antique store hunter and yardsaler, as i am - so either of those are good leads], but regardless, it came with a lovely oak accessories box with all sorts of elaborate feet and parts - but most importantly the instructions for some of these feet were still intact.

now, if you've made ruffles before, you know the agony of pulling the bobbin thread, and it snapping; also the pain of evenly distributing the gathers along the fabric. the little wooden box contained two 'ruffler feet' attachments, neither of which fit my old brother industrial that my actual brother shipped to me from vancouver. i called up the fellas at bridgewater sewing shop, and a new ruffler foot is $300, so i tinkered for the afternoon [having put off ruffle-making for far too long], and with a little macgyver modifications on my part, got the foot working on my old husqvarna viking!