Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Life is full of surprises!

After a long and terrible day at the hospital with my brother receiving his first radiation treatment for cancer that had spread to his brain, I came home to find a wonderful surprise on my kitchen table.
Life is strange that way.
 I had no idea what was in this box.
Imagine my delight to find it was something sewing related!
Singer = Sewing!
But imagine my shock to discover a prized and rare white featherweight sewing machine
Perfect and gorgeous! 


This machine is easy to thread and of course I put her to work right away sewing squares together!

She sews like a dream... such a quiet motor making dainty, perfect stitches!


I burned my hand more than once on the very hot light bulb when reaching through the machine with my right hand to put the presser foot up and down, and had to learn to use my left hand to reach around the back. 

Online research revealed that this beauty is a 221K probably made in Clydebank, Scotland in 1964, born the same year as my sister.
Maybe I should name her "Baby Jayne"??


 It took me a while to "accept" this gift. A long time ago I was talking with friends about our "bucket lists" and how much I would love to have a featherweight someday. Not only did my friend actually listen to my rambling about sewing (she's not a sewer herself) but she gifted me with a beautiful treasure she knew I would love. 
How can you thank someone for that?

39 comments:

Hilachas said...

Wow! Wow! What a great friend. Prayers for your brother. I hope the treatments go well for him.

Lee said...

Praying for your brother. I don't know that I've ever heard of or seen the white Singer featherweight, what a sweet friend.

Janet O. said...

Kathy, this moved me to tears. What a blessed friend you have and I am glad there was something there for you at home to lift your spirits after such a difficult day. That is a sweet treasure and Baby Jayne sounds like a great name. I can understand that it would be hard to accept such a valued item, but I bet your friend feels so good having been able to do this for you. Let her relish that feeling and you relish the ownership!

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

Congratulations! You can thank your friend by using it~ that will make her heart sing. :-) So sorry to read abt your dear brother. Sending lots of warm wishes! ((hugs))

Kindred Quilts said...

Perfect timing by a sweet friend to lift your spirits... blessings to you, your friend, and your dear brother. Baby Jayne is truly a treasure.

audrey said...

By being a good friend which is undoubtedly why you got the amazing gift in the first place! There are always cycles in life--sometimes you give, sometimes you receive.:)

Maggie said...

When my mom gave me her Featherweight, I used it to piece a thank you quilt. I realize that might be out of the question with all you have going on right now, but just a thought.

Also, if this friend is as good as she seems, finding a gift for you that she KNOWS you will love, was totally worth it.

Sally Ann said...

Wow Kathy!! It's beautiful! I love the white and so is your friend who gifted you! Continueing to pray for your brother and his treaments. Aren't you glad you always have something to work on while your with him! Happy Quilting with your new machine!!

Andra Gayle said...

looks just like mine! Yu are going to love it!

Vicky said...

Just say thank you and tell her often how much you treasure the machine and her! What a glorious friend you have!

Teresa in Music City said...

Oh my!!! What an amazing gift!!!! I think that is the kind of gift you can never really repay except to pay it forward. You are the kind of person who really listens to others and cares about them, so I know you'll find the perfect way to pay it forward with the perfect gift to someone else someday :*)

Mary said...

She's a Beauty. I'm so happy for you to get her. You have a true friend for sure. You can sew along with Quiltcam and Bonnie with her tonight.

Andee said...

AWESOME! So happy for you....good friends are worth their weight in gold!

Rina Mason said...

Isn't it amazing how fate steps in and brings us something wonderful when we need it most. So sorry to hear about your brother will say a special prayer for him that his treatments aren't to bad and totally eradicate the cancer. You have a friend that cares about you and I'm sure she knows you feel the same way about her. Enjoy your new treasure.

Karen said...

A gift to be treasured. My husband spotted one like yours (celery colored) in an antique mall and we purchased it. He had an eagle eye that day because I walked right by the cabinet display. It was right by the entry door and usually things in a glass cabinet right at the front are priced kind of high. This one was reasonably priced and I had wanted one for a good while Would love to have a tan one also to go along with the celery one and two black ones that I have.

Deb A said...

Lucky you! It sounds like just what you needed when you got home. True friends are keepers and it sounds like you have a wonderful one. Sending some prayers to you and your family right now.

Vicki W said...

you give her a huge hug! What a thoughtful friend.

Deanna W said...

She is a keeper that is for sure...the friend and the machine. Enjoy it and treasure it!Just when it is darkest, there is always a little light. Hang in there friend! Hugs

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Not only is that a machine to treasure, but, that is a friend to treasure, too. Congrats! You deserve it! Still praying for your brother.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

So sorry to hear the bad news about your brother, I will continue to keep him in my prayers. I inherited my husband's grandmother's white featherweight with the same case. I gifted it to my daughter because I know it would make great grandma happy. They are such great little machines.

Doniene said...

I'm so very glad for you - and I know you will treasure it!!! Baby Jayne is a great name!!! Happy stitching and prayers and blessings for your brother!

Cathy said...

How perfectly delightful! Mi bought myself a featherweight this year ( daisy marie)!and i just love her!

Mary said...

The heat of the bulb is why most featherweighters use external lights when sewing. I had a couple of burns before I realized that.

Sheila said...

Awesome. What a sweet little machine. What a good friend.
Your brother and your family will be in my thoughts.

Danielle said...

That is a beautiful thing indeed! I'm glad you had a smile.

I will pray for your brother. I have been fighting a brain tumor for the past year and a half and I can tell you they have gone a long way in making radiation as bearable as possible compared to what my mother went through back in the early 80's.

I'd be glad to encourage you personally if you ever need it, and I can share with you the wonderful story of how my sisters has encouraged me these past 18 months.

Ellen said...

Your friend gave this wonderful gift to you at a time when you probably needed it the most. I am sure she got as much joy from giving as you have from receiving!

Keeping you and your brother in my thoughts. Hopefully the radiation will stop the cancer from progressing.

Teresa Rawson said...

OMG! I have this same machine!! (Funny, I think of mine as pale, pale green...maybe the lovely green case bled on my machine...) It was my Mom's. I should get the number off mine and see if our machines are sisters!! Yours is the only other one like mine that I have seen. It DOES sew like a dream, doesn't it? How nice to come home to it while dealing with something so close to your heart.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Barb said...

what an incredible gift and she's sooo cute!
I'ms so sorry to hear about your brother - sending prayers..
enjoy your new machine - happy sewing!

Barbara said...

Oh Kathy I am so sorry to hear about your brother. I don't think I knew about that. As for the gift, sometimes the best thanks is in the delight of the receiver. Just enjoy it!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

what a great friend that you have!

AnnieO said...

Now that is a lovely, lovely and wonderful thing to come home to, any day of the year!

So sorry your dear brother is suffering so and all of you who love him are hurting too, watching him. Hugs and healing thoughts!

Valerie the Pumpkin Patch Quilter said...

I am so sorry to hear about your brother...my prayers and thoughts go out to him and you and your family.

This is such a a treasure - these are becoming very very hard to find now that quilters are snatching them up. Beautiful!

loulee said...

What a thoughtful friend, to bring you such a lovely gift during this awful time.
My best wishes for your brother. Perhaps a suitable reward for your friend would be a quilt?

Bonnie said...

Such a beautiful machine. I love my featherweight and use it frequently. Prayers for your brother along with positive thoughts of a good outcome. Hugs.

Patti said...

I can only imagine what your family must be going through - sending prayers for your brother's health. Treatments have improved drastically since my sister had brain cancer 18 years ago. I wish you all well in this trying time.

How nice to have such a good friend. The macine looks great! Actually it is a very pale green instead of white - I learned this when I took a class on featherweights several years ago. They really do look white - until you compare them to a true white. You will so love having this. I do all my piecing on my featherweight. This looks to be in top condition with all the accessories present. Lucky you!

Pat said...

The gift of friendship is priceless - what a dear person to think of you. Have been visiting your blog by way of Aunt 'Reen's. while I began the first mystery quilt about the same time as everyone else, we had our son's wedding at the house to start off the summer. Have finally returned to putting the rows together and just discovered we used the same Independence Trail layer cake. It was the only layer cake I have! Even more of a coincidence is that this quilt is also for a wedding gift (our nephew and his wife).

Love your current projects and know they bring a sense of comfort to you.

Kate said...

What a wonderful gift, you have very thoughtful friends.

Your brother is in my prayers.

Sew Create It - Jane said...

What a wonderful gift! I'm sure you will think of your friend every time you use it :o)

SandraC said...

I've been looking through your blog posts about your "herd". I've decided that this will be my year to find a nice featherweight and see what all the fuss is about! Wish me luck!....although I may have already found a possible candidate!