Sunday, December 5, 2010

Santa drives a Geo Metro this year

Part of the adventuring that has kept me from blogging has been the insane amount of time I've been spending in the car.

In my opinion, gifts that take arrangement and planning are usually the best ones. This year, I got my mom the Best Gift Ever. If you listen to the podcast, you know that she has wanted a vintage treadle Singer sewing machine for YEARS. As in, ever since they left the one they had in Germany. Every time a vintage machine is mentioned, or at a yard/estate sale, we stop, and for some reason or another, the machines fail to impress.

Fast forward to Oregon Flock and Fiber 2010. I was chatting with a listener (Elaine, who is AWESOME), who collects and repairs vintage sewing machines. She mentioned that she was looking to unload a few of them (to good homes) and I may have mentioned that Mom has always wanted a vintage treadle Singer. Elaine said she had just the one, and let me know that she would get back to me with pictures.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Elaine sent pictures, stats, and a price, and I was a little lost. It looked really, really good, but I wasn't sure if it was exactly right. So, I blew the surprise and let Mom know that I was going to make this sewing machine happen for her, if it's the right one. I just didn't know enough about a) sewing machines and b) what she was looking for, specifically, to make this decision with confidence. Mom loved it, so I set things in motion.

Here's the tough part. The machine was north of Seattle, and for those of you playing the home game, I live in Silicon Valley. 13 1/2 hours each direction, by car (according to Mapquest). You betcha that this puppy can't be shipped.

"It's ok, Mom," I said, "It's totally worth it. Merry Christmas!"

In a fit of shock, enthusiasm, and perhaps a little self-pity, I posted to Facebook that I might be taking an impromtu road trip Seattle-ward to see a lady about a vintage Singer. A friend of mine (through my BFF Miss Kalendar) generously offered to do the pickup for me. It turns out that she was *already* going to be driving up and back to Seattle, and she didn't mind being one of Santa's non-Unionized elves.

She arranged the pickup details with Elaine, and we made plans for me to pick up the machine from her place (in Santa Rosa) on Wednesday. Joined by my partner in adventuring (Laura), we ran errands all the way up to Santa Rosa and picked up this beauty from Delightful Lila:

Singer3
I should have told you to brace yourself. Sorry. (Picture courtesy of Elaine, the Singer fairy)
What? You need a better look at the machine itself? I understand.

Singer4
Have you ever seen anything more perfect? (Picture courtesy of Elaine, the Singer fairy)
Laura and I had a long, traffic-riddled drive home after the machine pickup, so we decided to stop for dinner. Fortunately, I had a recommendation from the incredible Rosemary Hill. Other than being a brilliant knitwear designer and creator of AMAZING jewelry, she also has phenomenal taste in food. She recommended Syrah Bistro in Santa Rosa.

I love a good Syrah, and along with having a staggeringly awesome wine selection, the food was incredible! We had the world's best waitress (sever? Is "waitress" still PC?), and enjoyed a leisurely meal while we waited out traffic. We got home just after 10 PM, and the guys cheerfully unloaded it into Mom's house.

Mom had seen the pictures, and it's even more beautiful in person. The gasp of delight as we walked through the door with the cabinet and the machine was amazing. (For the record, historically when Mom has gasped, it's Not a Good Thing.) Andrew still has to mount the machine on the cabinet, but it's on the docket for today so that Mom can start enjoying the machine now.

Thanks to Elaine the Singer Fairy and Delightful Lila, Andrew and I have managed to make this the best Christmas ever for Mom. The best gifts are the ones that require Ocean's 11 type planning and precision, don't you think?

24 comments:

  1. What a BEAUTIFUL machine. I remember I used to play on the one my grandmother has when I was little. It's sadly not in that kind of condition though. How exciting for Gigi! :)

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  2. Wow, that's beautiful! Brings back memories of the fabric store Mom took us to when we were little. They had all their tables mounted atop vintage treadles, which we loved to pump as fast as possible. What a fabulous gift - in part, the gift of time to find the perfect thing.

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  3. You are an awesome daughter!! And I'm so happy for Gigi about the machine - it looks perfect! :-)

    Greetings from Germany,
    Eva

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  4. You couldn't have gotten a better gift for your mom. Many an afternoon we have chatted about that sewing machine. Gigi with a wishful eye.
    My mother had that same machine when I was a young child and was heartbroken to have to give it away to make room for our growing family. It has been a special machine to me also.
    It is a beautiful machine! And you are a wonderful daughter to make your mom's wish come true. At Christmas no less!

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  5. That was me in the last comment, Jasmin. Hit the wrong button...

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  6. Stunning and perfect!! Gigi, you deserve it, and Jasmine, you are the best daughter in the world. Love you both!

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  7. a very good looking machine. I have one too, it is not a nice looking but I was my GGmas so I love! and one day want to make it work again

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  8. Gorgeous It looks like my my flea marekt find Singer!(but yours is in better shape) BTW don't know if you knew this or not..but if you put the serial number in on Singers website it will tell you the date it was made! Kind of cool.

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  9. Absolutely gorgeous. I was admiring it in your flickr stream yesterday and thinking that if it was going home with someone, it was a very lucky Singer indeed.
    (apparently I have a "sewing machine in its own case" coming to me from my MiL, but have yet to see just what it is. Apparently it's "vintage". I think Gigi probably has me beat for beauty!)

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  10. AH. MA. ZING! That is a beautiful machine. Merry Christmas indeed!

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  11. Beautiful! What a wonderful present!

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  12. Consider yourself showered with praise! That is just the best gift ever for your mom.

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  13. It's beautiful! My grandma has one just like it in the room my sister and I slept in when we were kids. I didn't realize what a hot item it was. :D

    Good job!

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  14. I learned to sew on one of these machines that my grandma had. What great memories of it too!
    Such an awesome gift to give your mom!!! My word verification is devine, and Gigi's new machine truly is that!!!

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  15. I am tremendously moved by your gift for your Mom! I feel like the true meaning of the season has been soooo lost in our fast paced, buy-it-when-I-want-it world. Thank you for keeping Christmas alive!!

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  16. You're such a good daughter, and that Singer treadle is absolutely gorgeous.

    DH bought ours two years ago, and it's still a delight. I know Gigi will get much use out of it.

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  17. Oh, Jasmin, it was such a pleasure to play Singer fairy for you, and the bonus for me was that I got to meet Lila! I have enjoyed the machines, and will keep one; it is easier to let them go to new homes, when I know that each one will be loved and appreciated, and most of all, USED, as the special tools they are. Gigi gets the pleasure of using it, and while I know that she already knows she did a great job raising a lovely daughter, you have shown the world just what a wonderful woman you became, with such a mother. It is a joy to know you!

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  18. Yes, gasp! It's a beauty. Enjoy it Gigi. And well done planning on your part Jasmin.

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  19. WOW! That thing is gorgeous, and everything that went into it--just, wow! Makes your mom's long wait all worthwhile to get such a thing in such a way, don'tcha think?

    I think my friend Karen of the Water Turtles is the only other person I know who grew up with one of those; her mom treasured it and I'm very sure Karen still has it. But yours is just exquisite.

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  20. That machine is so lovely it hurts. Great gift, Jasmin!

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  21. Good for you - love it when serendipity and good planning combine successfully! Good girl, Jasmine!
    I have a small Singer that I've used for for than 50 years - electric, and still ticks away and makes exquisite stitches. But I still mourn the loss of my grandmother's treadle Singer.

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  22. Gobsmacked! That machine is so lovely!

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  23. My mom and aunt still have this in our attic. They are using electric sewing machines now. As for the Geo Metro, I would love to take a look t it. Do you have posts of it in your blog?

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  24. I posted to Facebook that I might be taking an impromtu road trip Seattle-ward to see a lady about a vintage Singer. http://www.mundocosturas.es/maquinas-de-coser/maquinas-de-coser-guia-definitiva/

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