Friday, March 4, 2016

The Early Workbasket ~ Tracing Wheels

Welcome dear friends, hope your Friday 
will be filled with lots of fun!

After spending most of my week shipping out
Humble Hare Kits, and getting caught up on Etsy orders,
yesterday was spent getting started on Little Sparrow
 Pinkeep's next release...scheduled to ship on or 
before March 31st.

I still can't believe it's Friday already!

Which means it's time for this week's Early Workbasket...
My favorites classes in High School were;
Home Ec, Art, History and Typing...all of which I still love!

I carry with me such fond memories of Home Ec Class,
and still remember the pair of bell bottomed pants I made!

I remember being so intrigued with leaning about the tools 
used in sewing clothes from paper patterns.

Loved paging through the big pattern books at the local dime store; 
Butterick, McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue!

It amazes me that they have survived our 
changing times...hopefully they'll never go out of business!


I still have the tracing wheel from my High School
Home Ec sewing box...
Purchased back in the 70's...still made with a nice wooden handle!

Serrated tracing wheels are used in conjunction with tracing
paper to transfer marks from patterns onto fabric.

It makes dotted marks on your fabric.  
This is nice because the dotted marks are easy to remove.  
They can also be used to distinguish cutting lines from
sewing lines.

Earlier tracing wheels had nice heavy wood handles...
This one was my Grandmother's and not too much
really changed over the years!


All the handles are similar to hug hooking handles...
A tracing wheel, also know as a pattern wheel, 
pounce wheel, or dart wheel, all have multiple serrated
teeth on a metal wheel.


A tracing wheel is great for markings such as; 
pleats, darts and buttonholes.
This one belonged to my Mom, who loved to sew clothes!


Bidding on sewing boxes at country farm auctions is 
so fun because they are usually packed full of endless goodies...
Looks like this one was well used over the years!



This is the only curved tracing wheel I've ever seen...
It was also a farm auction find!



Used very little these days, maybe they might
be useful for something other than the tradition use!
Do you have an old tracing wheel in YOUR sewing box?

~**~

Do you remember this photo I shared this past fall...
Our Pine trees here on the farm loaded with immature cones?


Fast forward several months...
Ta~dah...look at them now!


Fully matured and ready to start dropping to the ground...
My family and I planted these little seedling trees 
17 years ago when we purchased our farm!


It's so exciting that after all these years I can gather 
such lovely pine cones!
Perhaps, some of these cones will make a nice photo
prop for a future holiday pattern cover!


~**~

Weekend Soul Food...

A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Ecclesiastes 3:7...KJV

~**~

My yearly search is STILL on...to spy my 1st Spring Robin!
Maybe this weekend I see one!

It's a great feeling knowing that Spring is hopefully
just around the corner.

Plus, Daylight Savings Time begins next 
Sunday, March 13th...DOUBLE YAY!!

Live Simple...Love Always,
Kindly, Tammy




6 comments:

  1. Yes, I still have mine....sure didn't feel like Spring was close as we had 3 inches of snow but suppose to 50 in the coming days😎 So looking forward to receiving club kits! Blessings for a wonderful weekend.....

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  2. Great collection.
    I also have one from the 70's, but mine is plastic and aqua color. :)
    I have yet to see a Robin also.
    Marilyn

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  3. I also am waiting to spy the first robin!

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  4. Happily received my humble hare kits! Opened up the needlebook to begin as a birthday present for my sister & was oh so happy to see it's to be done on 36 ct linen! It will be my first try on anything smaller than 32. I love a challenge! Thank you! And ALL the fabrics in the kits are to die for and I especially love the terra cotta!!

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  6. Tammy: I love your marking wheels, I still have mine and still use it, so many choices back in the day now they are plastic not wood, I loved the five and dime they are now big stores.
    Heading to Sears was a treat that is where we bought fabric for school and for sewing at home, I started to sew at age 6 my Mother and I made matching outfits.
    Oh my your pinecones are amazing.
    I am looking forward to the New Sparrow Kit.
    I did see my first Robin today, I know spring is here now, it is a balmy 65.
    YAHOO

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