The Little Sewing MachineThat was and Still Is !!!

Just as well we're not all alike, we would lose so much of our heritage. As the saying goes, "One man/woman's trash is another man/woman's treasure"

This article is typical of this statement.

I'm not a collector but I do have an interest in the "older world things", mostly because of the quality and workmanship and way back then, even if you didn't have much money, you would have these treasures as your everyday items because that's how things were made, it's just now years later that the value is placed on them.

And so we have this story about a little sewing machine. The mere fact that it is functional, tells us about the quality and workmanship back then. But someone wanted rid of it and couldn't see any value in it and luckily for the little sewing machine, someone else could. So it can go on now to fascinate.

So I for one am happy we're not all alike and that goes for our sewing too. The beauty of sewing for yourself and making your own clothes and things for your home is you can choose exactly what you want, you don't have to rely on what someone else thinks will suit.

So have a read about the little sewing machine and I hope you enjoy it.

All the best

Carmel
Sew More For U







Trash or treasure?

Miniature sewing machine dates back to late 1800s

Khristi Zimmeth / Special to The Detroit News
May 13, 2006

C hildren's toy or salesman's sample? That was the question on Earl Eiben's mind when he wrote Trash or Treasure to try and learn more about his potential treasure.

Eiben, of Novi, picked up the intriguing item at a garage/moving sale last spring.

"It was part of a large box filled with miscellaneous goodies that was marked 'Your Choice, 50 Cents Each,' " he says.

An avid garage and estate sale fan, he was happy to dig through the box before coming up with the little sewing machine. When he went to pay for it, however, he found out that he didn't have the money.

"I was really disappointed," he remembers. "The woman who was running the sale saw that and gave it to me anyway. They were moving and she just wanted to get rid of it."

He's been curious about it ever since.

"I have never been able to tell if it was a toy or a salesman's sample," he says. "It has interesting painting on it that looks a little Russian. I haven't been able to find any name on it, but the plate is numbered on top and says No. 480854 with numbers that are a little hard to read. I really just don't know what it is."

Luckily, Robert DuMouchelle, who appraised Eiben's piece, did.

"What you have here is a child's toy," he says. "We just had a series of these in our sale last September. They're very collectible."

DuMouchelle dated the piece to the late 1800s or early 1900s.

"Children would play with them, and they were made to look like the larger versions," he says. "This one, which is cast iron, is nicely painted and actually functional. Some are more elaborate, but this one is quite charming."

Because of that charm, he put a price tag on it of about $100-$400, saying what it would bring at auction would depend on who was there and what was hot at the time.

"We sold one of these a few years back for $650, believe it or not," he says. "It hasn't happened since."

No matter, Eiben says.

"I love antiques and I think I'll keep it. After all, it was a gift."

DuMouchelle had other good news for Eiben about a Staffordshire pitcher and bowl he also brought with him. He picked them up for $10 at an estate sale.

"This is ironstone, and not the earliest production, but it's a really nice color and it would easily bring $150-$250 at auction," he says. "If it were the chintz pattern, which everyone loves, it would be worth even more, about $300-$400."

Eiben went home happy.

"I paid $10 for both pieces and they're worth up to $800, not a bad day overall," he says.

Do you have an object that you'd like to know more about? Send a photo and a description that includes how you acquired the object, what you know of its history, any marks or hallmarks and what you paid for it to: The Detroit News, Trash or Treasure/Homestyle, 615 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226. Include your name and a daytime phone number. If chosen, you'll need to bring the item in for appraisal. Photos cannot be returned.