The One That Got Away

Word count: 692.

I didn't get much sewing done today, because it ended up being a non-rainy afternoon, so I did some gardening.  I got the tulips my neighbor gave me a couple months ago finally planted in the rhubarb bed, and I took the strawberry runners I've been rooting and planted them, turning last year's tomato bed into next year's strawberry bed.

I did, however, get the label written out and attached for the rainbow mermaid quilt!

So now that's ready for quilting.

But today's story, however, is about what happened a week ago today!  I had gone up to Port Orchard, to find more of the green fabric for the rainbow mermaid quilt at JoAnn Fabrics.  And since I was there and it's very close by, I popped into Goodwill.  Where there was this:

A Singer 27, in a seven-drawer cabinet.  I checked the drawers and they were empty - no sign of the missing front slide plate or bobbin shuttle.  A moderate amount of wear on the table and on the decals.  But both the machine and the treadle moved freely, and more importantly, when I checked its serial number, it dated to 1894.  A 126-year-old sewing machine.

It was $100.  Not out of budget.  But did I have space for it?  Where would it go?  I walked away and debated and agonized on it for three days.  I arranged to meet up and go thrifting with my mother and sister on Tuesday, and told myself if it was still there, I would get it.

They got to the store first, and were going to place a hold on it for me.  But as they walked in, a sales ticket was being written up for the machine.

Beaten by ten minutes.

So, the one that got away. *points up at post title*

I'm a little wistful about it, but not crushed.  If it was meant to be, someone else wouldn't've been ten minutes faster.  (Still, sewing on something that old would have been awesome!)

And I'm thinking about where I could put the treadle I do have, so I could finish converting the Singer 201 in it to treadle-ability, and sew on that.