Since I decided to do one of the swaps under Hobbies, and I also wanted to try making shopping bags out of my dog food bags, I got out my Grandma's sewing machine. It's an early 1900's Singer, she was born in 1911 and received this machine as a gift when she was a girl. Later in life she had an electric light put on the back, one of those "Improve your machine!" specials Singer had to update and get your machine up with the times. I very seldom saw her use it, unless my Grandpa's uniforms needing mending quickly or something super heavy like a tarp needed fixing. It will sew through 3 layers of tarp like butter, I would know this because I repaired my shelter-halves with it! My mom used to use it, and taught me how but I don't remember so she'll be coming over tonight to help with it. I know we are going to sit around and talk about Grandma, because she was my mom's mom. The wife of a career Army officer who put over 30 years in, this machine has been in more countries than most humans will ever visit. On a trip to Panama it was dropped over the side of the ship as it was being unloaded in a large cargo box. The box also had their car in it which is the only reason it was salvaged! They went after the box to get the car back, it was 1938. It was accidently sold in a yard sale at Ft. Hood in the 1940's and my Grandma made my Grandpa go get it back for her because her Grandma gave it to her. In 1941 at Ft. Bliss TX it mended General I.P. (Innis Palmer) Swift's uniform before they shipped to the Admiralty Islands because he caught his cuff on the door of the Officer's Club and my grandparents lived just a few doors down and Mrs. Swift ran down to their house to get my Grandma's help. I have so many stories that go with this machine, every time I use it I get so caught up in it's history I don't get much done for awhile.
