Early Christmas Gift

Last Tuesday DH was down in Atlanta with his family while his Mom had her hip replaced. She's now in rehab and doing well, slowly recuperating from the surgery. It'll be a different Christmas this year but having her recovering is so much better than the pain she'd been in this fall after her bone broke.

He came home with our early Christmas gift from his parents.

 A couple of years ago when she turned 80 my Mother in law got an old featherweight Singer. I"ve always liked them. Was sorry that back in 1974 when I got my Singer Flexistitch that I hadn't gotten the featherweight instead, so much lighter and cuter!!
I guess she decided she wasn't going to be sewing much on it and hoped I would, so I got it!! I love how it all fits into the case so nicely. The sewing bed part folds up so that it fits well into the box.

 This particular model is really ornate and doesn't have a scratch on it. I do hope that I continue to maintain its pristine condition!!

 It even came with some vintage singer needles!!! I don't think I"ll use them but sure do like the way they look in their packages.

 I've got the book that was written by Nancy Johnson-Srebro as well on the Featherweight so I think it won't be hard to figure out. I really like the straight stitch foot that's on it.

I'm going to find a small throw pattern for a quilt and use this machine to sew it all together. It does need to find a home in the house on a table that's just right for it too!! I'm so excited about the prospect of sewing on a machine that's been around so long. I'm not sure how old this one is, just having gotten it and not having had a chance to talk to my Mother in law, I'm just waiting to get more details. All I know is that this is my gift and I'm thrilled!!!

On the weaving front, the warp I showed that needed to be threaded last week is off the loom, serged, washed and dry. I'll be assembling a top today that hopefully will be done tomorrow so I can send it on with Ila for LaDonna. Then I"ll put another rug warp on. That might be on by later today as well. I'm going to do all looper rugs on this one. I need to get that stash down so that more loopers can come into the house!

Saturday we went on a mini vacation. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside so I don't have any but we went on the candlelight tour of Biltmore Manor in Asheville. It was gorgeous, tons of beautiful trees, nicely lit rooms, lots of stairs to climb and always new things to discover. We hadn't been there in about 10 years so there were new rooms to discover. They have an temporary exhibit going on how they discovered what the original wallpaper or chair fabric were on the furnishings in the house. Then they went to France to get reproduction fabric or wallpaper made. I found the fabric so interesting because it was velvet. They have some of it in a room now too. Very cool. Having taken Robyn Spady's class where velvet was a sample we wove and watching videos since made their video of the fabric being woven just totally understandable!! There's  a pattern with their velvet made by the cards on the loom but the whole basic construction was just like we did in Robyn's class!! 
There was also an exhibit down the road at the manor of Tiffany Lamps. They have over 30 of them there. What a treat to be able to see them as well. Of course, no photography again!!
Guess we all have to go to the Biltmore website to see some of the pictures!!

Our Christmases are always very quiet. There are only 3 of us plus the cat and we like to just lay low, relax and enjoy ourselves on Christmas. We usually go to Atlanta sometime before the New Year. This year DH will probably go down this week to check on his Mom and then go for a couple of days after New Years. I'll probably go to Canada for a couple of weeks late in January to see my family there. So I'm looking forward to a not so hectic time these next few weeks!! Just the way I like to celebrate Christmas!!
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Carol