Done with the 12 Days of Christmas

It may be recalled that last year I worked on a set of ornaments depicting the twelve days of Christmas as set forth in the famous song from the 1780s. I was not able to get them all completed then so I took up the project again a few weeks ago.

They are all finished now. The last one to be sewn is the leaping lord, although in my book he's not the twelfth day figure, he's tenth. (The order of the gifts have undergone considerable re-ordering over the years and there are several different versions.) Also finished this year is the dancing lady (day nine).

These were really fun to sew and were an excellent exercise in patience and small stitching. The figures are only about 5 to 6 inches tall. As always, picking out colors was most fun.

The patterns were purchased from Larissa Holland of mmmcrafts. I deviated from the printed instructions by omitting the use of Stick n' Stitch stabilizer. Instead, I embroidered freehand. I also used the barest amount of glue only when absolutely necessary, opting to sew whenever possible.

Although most of these were posted last year, I'm going to show all twelve, now that they are a competed set.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Two Turle Doves

Three French Hens

Four Colly Birds

Five Golden Rings

Six Geese a Laying

Seven Swans a Swimming

Eight Maids a Milking

Nine Ladies Dancing

Ten Lords a Leaping

Eleven Pipers Piping

Twelve Drummers Drumming

The Curved Needle

Now that the 1870s Howe sewing machine is running well enough to be functional, albeit it needs more cosmetic restoration, I'm working on the Wheeler & Wilson No. 1 sewing machine from the 1870s. It is older than the Howe and probably dates to 1872. It is unusual in that it does not take a straight needle, it's needle is bent into a curve! Also setting this machine apart is the fact that it does not sew fabric from front to back but from left to right. That part takes a certain getting used to. It's a whole new ball game, but quite nice!

Wheeler & Wilson is the company that made my No. 8 which I've shown before:

There is still a lot of work to do on the No. 1. The bed is in rough shape and needs lots of TLC. I'll be working on it a little bit at a time. The bobbin is also in really bad shape, it was very badly rusted. I've managed to get rid of the rust but it is quite pitted. It works, though, and that's the important bit because they are not easy to obtain. The cabinet also needs some work.

In this very short video, I'm showing it sewing a short length. There is still some troubleshooting to be done for the bobbin and the way it sits in the bobbin case. It needs to float correctly or else the upper thread will not flow around it causing a failure to make a stitch. If it's seated too tightly the thread will get stuck between the bobbin and the clamp. But I'm heartened to be getting any stitches at all, so there's confidence it will end up running smoothly over time.

In this very short video, the 2 small drawers that reside in the cabinet are removed so I can clean them. The No. 1 getting it's feet again after who knows how many decades:

It's been a busy month! And it's going by quickly, but coming up will be a few posts about my Christmas decor and baking. Also on the docket will be updates on my projects.

Movie Night

 A short film (12 minutes) showcasing the Elias Howe sewing machine, circa 1870s. Best viewed full screen.