Kildare Hand Crank Sewing Machine ~ EBay Business Review

This weekend has been littered with Spring rain showers.  So, what better time to rearrange my sewing area?  As I moved around machines, boxes and notions, it occurred to me that I neglected to introduce the newest member of my sewing machine family.  This is a Kildare hand crank sewing machine that was made in England.  This little beauty was purchased on EBay after a trip to the Baraboo Gas and Engine Show.  The Women's Center always puts on a wonderful exhibit for visitors of the old hand cranked Singer machines.  (It just fascinates me to watch a machine function without electricity.)  Right then and there, I decided to "gift" myself a new machine.  Thanks to EBay seller rjones9500, this Kildare arrived at my house and has been an absolute pleasure to spend time sewing with. 

 

The machine was packed extremely well and did not take hardly any time in transit.  I was very happy with its appearance and performance.  Although I must say, it took me awhile to get use to being coordinated enough to make it run! LOL

The decals are just stunning and that is what sold me on it.  Pretty superficial huh? LOL  I know most quilter's preference is for the Singer brand (I almost went that way), but this one's overall appearance just called to me.  I will confess though... I conversed with the seller via email about his opinion on this brand versus the Singer.   In his opinion, the only difference was parts availability between the brands.  Singers are so much more abundant.  So, I'll take my chances! ;)

This past weekend, Mr. Hollow and I ventured out between rain storms to the Pec Spring Fling in Pecatonica, Illinois.  The Winnebago Fairgrounds host a large flea market.  The weather was kind to us.  Other than muddy shoes, we had a fantastic time.  So much to see!!   A vendor in the last indoor building had two treadle sewing machines... *sigh*  I do believe that Mr. Hollow was holding his breath as I inspected them, but he shouldn't have worried...  Okay, maybe a little! ;)   They are still available today, since I left them behind.  They appeared to be in a little rough shape, and I am NOT looking for a project.  But the secret is out, Mr. Hollow has now been informed that a treadle is the last machine on my wish list...  Well, I am NOT sure it will be the next or the last.  But for right now, that is the plan! :)

Sources for Dyed Wool ~ Etsy and Ebay Business Review

It has never been a secret from all of you that I absolutely LOVE wool.  What is it about this wonderful renewable resource that calls to me in its various forms?  I will never know. It has me under its spell, and I really do not care. :)   I mourn the days gone by... Does anyone remember the days of thick plush felt made from 100% wool, the norm in those days, that was easily found and not an expensive oddity?  My Mom made us all Christmas stockings from a current pattern (which at the time was the 1960's) and used felt to construct them.  She still has those stockings.  They of course would be considered vintage now! LOL  But the felt of the day was thick dense 100% wool.  It stood up through many Christmases that saw pounds of fruits and candies 'come and go'.  (Although one of my sister's still has a piece of candy melted in the toe of hers! ;) ) 

 

Where is the quality of yesteryear?  As I stated earlier, wool IS a renewable resource.  Why is it such a rarity?  Why does it cost over $22 dollars a yard to find quality wool by the yard to dye?  Let's not even discuss felt again... I mean the current quality of wool felt... you know that usually has 35% wool content, IF you are lucky.  I made myself and two of my sister's sets of stockings fashioned from the same pattern that my Mom used back in the 60's.  I searched high and low for 100% wool felt in the appropriate colors.  The finished products paled in comparison to the 1960's group.  They are thin, only trusted for display in my house and have felt embellishments that colors could not be found in 100% pure wool... :(   It really bugs me.  Sorry about the rant, but I just needed to throw a few questions out into the blogosphere.  It relieves my mind a little.  Now, onward to my post...

 

Penny rugs are one of the most creative and unique forms of hand stitched decorations.   Spanning back to pioneering days, it was a great way to protect tables that were not sealed from candles that could run.  Plus, they were just simple decorations that played in well to having pieces of fabric that were not big enough for any one item.  With circles being a primary motif,  the tiniest pieces could be cut into circles drawn from using coins as templates... Pennies included... Hence the name. ;)   I especially love it, because it is a kind of "anything goes" craft, involving artistic imagination and hand needle crafting.  How can you top that?  The little rugs feed well into my love of salvaging wool from thrift store items as well.  :) 

 

There has been a Halloween drawing in my sketch book that begs to be turned into a modern day penny rug.  After much thought, I decided the main piece of wool should be dyed.  (A hobby I have not tried... yet. ;) )  This is where Etsy and EBay come in.   Thanks to some very talented fiber artists, I have the beginnings of a gorgeous dyed stash, created with Dorr wool.  The first two colors are courtesy of Gina from Across Generations.  (Click on her name to visit her Etsy store.)  I marvel over the various colors that emerge in such a copacetic way on her fabric... breathtaking!  Then the next two pieces are from Frances at Sun and Wind Farm.  (Click on her name to visit her website.  She also has an Etsy store.)  The depth in this ladies colors is nothing short of spectacular.  The range of her colors is extraordinary.  I hope that I live to see her full span of colors folded in stacks inside one of my hutches.  *sigh*   The last four colors are from Petit Violet.   (Click on her name to visit her EBay item page.)  The colors literally spring from the wool.  They are based on a more basic one color application, so they are "jump off the wool" vibrant.

 



 

 

 

Each store packaged their wool attractively and shipped in a timely matter.  I was very impressed.  Their shipping was fair, as well as pricing.  One must keep in mind the size of the wool that is being purchased.   It seems that their main customers are rug hookers, but the sizes are equally as friendly to penny rug creators.  As far as appearance, it is simply a matter of design.  Pricing might give some new wool purchasers an enlightening moment; but when you consider that Dorr wool can sell upwards to $22.00 a yard retail and these are hand dyed "ready to use for that special project", I think their prices are more than fair.  Plus keep an eye out,  I hesitated and missed a wonderful sale at Sun and Wind Farm.  I am hoping to catch it the next time around! :)

Easter Cactus and Prayer Plant ~ Review of EBay Store Hirt's Gardens



My Easter gift to myself this year arrived from Granger Township, Ohio.  They are the most beautiful beautiful plants courtesy of EBay seller Hirt's Gardens.  I will admit that I was a little surprised to see that they were packed with Styrofoam popcorn holding them in place, but the photos don't lie... They made it to my house in great condition.  ;) 

 

My first purchase... a lovely Easter Cactus (Told you that I would get one!) had only two small loose joints on its arrival that I took off and placed in soil to root. The color of this Rhipsalidopsis  is the most gorgeous shade of Orange.  It arrived in a 4" plastic pot for $7.99.  The color reminded me of Easter egg dye.

 

Note:  I purchased a bunch of $2.00 distressed looking ceramic pots from the Dollar Store to be new homes for the travelers.  Seriously... How Can You Beat That?



 

 

This is how it looked Easter morning, and it was the perfect choice to brighten my day. :)

My other purchase was a Prayer plant.  I can remember my Mom having one of these when I was little.  They are the most amazing plants.  As you can see in the photo, the leaves are like any ordinary plant, but...

at night, they all rise in prayer...  Pretty cool isn't it?  

The Prayer plant arrived in a 4" plastic pot for $5.99.  Three plants arrived in a Priority Mail box (the Shamrock plant was part of the order) for $7.70 shipping.  I could have ordered more for the same shipping cost, so I think that their shipping was and is very fair.  They have some good deals in their store.  There are some items from Hirt's Gardens that are not available at my local greenhouses.  So, they will definitely be seeing another order from me soon!  :)

How to Propagate Christmas Cactus Cuttings WIP ~ EBay Business Review

This past week, I have been reminiscing about "Muppet's Treasure Island".  The Muppets are on a pirates ship, and there is one scene that keeps playing in my head.  Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat and the gang are singing along with the song "Cabin Fever". LOL  Although they were lamenting about being stuck on a pirate ship,  mine seems to be brought on by the latest February driven artic blast.  It snuck up on me, and before I knew it... I was gone!

 

How do you battle Cabin Fever?  First, take down the red and white Valentine decorations.  The colors are too reminiscent of Christmas.  Then, put up the cheery green St Patrick's Day decorations.  Aaaah blessed green.  Finally, have a wonderful customer walk into your place of employment and donate a plant that needs saving.  What??  Yep, a plant that needed saving.  Funny enough, it was a Christmas Cactus but do not let the name throw you... This is a lovely green plant... reminiscent of the coming of Spring!! :)

 

The plant was dry and not complaining at the moment.  It looked to have seen too much water in its past, which is never good for a Christmas Cactus.  The over watering caused it to lose the bulk of the plant.  The plant needed some company in the big pot, and the previous owner wanted some cuttings... so, I was given a much needed project. 

 

It's been a while since I worked with cuttings.  Here is a photo showing the cuttings from the plant that is at work.  I twisted lengths at the joint that were 3 to 4 segments long.  I put some potting soil in a cup and buried 3/4 of the first joint on some and the first joint on others... I am doing a little experimenting. ;)   Then, I moistened the soil.   The success of this experiment should be revealed here in the next 2 to 3 weeks.

 

I have been taking care NOT to overwater the little cuttings, since they rot easily.  I have my trusty Dollar Store spray bottle filled with water and spray the soil to add moisture. :)   It has been over a week, and they seem to still be happy...

 

**Note**  These are the cuttings from the aged plant at work.  As you can see, the soil that I had on hand was a fine potting soil.  There were two large Cactus arms in the pot that we received at work... one with very pointy segments and one with miner points.  This would indicate that the plants are a Thanksgiving Cactus or "Schlumberga Truncata".  (They flower around the holiday that they were named after.)  It will be interesting to see what color they flower, since this type of variety has a larger range of colors.  Oh.. and all stores sell it as a Christmas Cactus.  I imagine Thanksgiving Cactus wasn't a real crowd grabbing name. LOL

   

 

This is 3 of 9 cups that are little starters from the adults that have been pruned back in my household.  Usually, I stick the little guys back in the pot with their parent, but those pots are currently filled.  They will make some great new plants to keep or give away by Christmas.

**Note**  My Christmas Cacti, that were originally purchased for a few bucks at  the  same garage sale a year apart,  are the true Christmas variety "Schlumberga x buckleyi". (They flower at Christmas time.)  As you can see, the cuttings have scalloped segments.  I purchased a bark filled potting soil that would provide nice drainage and be more comparable to their natural habitat.  

Here comes Cabin Fever to the extreme.  As I was floating around EBay looking to buy an Easter Cactus, I ran across colors of modern day Christmas Cacti (aka Thanksgiving Cacti)  that I do not possess.  What to do?  Since Mr. Hollow wasn't watching me close enough, I purchases 8 little plants for $28 including shipping here.  After 3 days in transit from their warm home in Florida, they arrived in Northern Illinois greeted by temps in the teens.  :(   Look at them!  They don't even know that the weather outside is frightful.

They are the most healthy little plants.  I was all ready for them, having purchased some tiny pots and potting soil for their arrival.  I worked with the wonderful soil and plants on my kitchen island in the balmy 67 degree air! LOL  Mr.  Hollow, Farmerboy and I gabbed away as they were transplanted into their new homes.

Here they are looking pretty happy (they fanned out as the day progressed).  The ceramic pots were purchased for a $1 a piece at the Dollar Store.  I am not to crazy about the polka dotted distressed look, but they were purchased solely for starter pots.  The more I look at them though,  the ceramicist in me kicked in... I am thinking about using some enamels to do some sponging on them.  It would give the pots a unique face lift and get rid of the polka dot pattern.

And just when Mr. Hollow thought the Cabin Fever was at bay, I found a yellow cactus on EBay that was my only missing color!  Instead of buying one older plant, I purchased six little guys here for $15 shipping included.  Now, Mr. Hollow is getting a little nervous. LOL  I told him that I had other homes for some of the duplicate colors... IF I can part with them! ;)

It has been really fun playing in my houseplant garden this weekend.  I look forward to seeing how the little cuttings do and will share them again in a few weeks.  Although shopping local is one of my favorite things, EBay shopping comes in handy when my traveling is at a minimum.  And just in case Mr. Hollow thinks that I have forgot, I still have a gorgeous Easter Cactus book marked! :)