Old but beautiful

About 10 years ago, my mother who was a feisty, independent old lady, became bed bound and we had to clear her flat in South Africa; rather than sell precious things, I shipped many over to the UK. One was her sewing machine that my father had maintained in perfect condition for over 50 years. As far as I know it still works as well as it ever did!  It has its own cabinet which has survived three international moves without mishap; over the years it has been sanded down and revarnished by Dad to smarten it up and it still looks great, if venerable!

Mum taught me to sew on this machine, I used it to make my first, (truly awful), blouse, and my wedding dress, with many dresses, blouses, curtains and other projects in between.  Mum continued to sew well into her late 80s.  I have my own Brother machine, bought as part of my trousseau when I was 22, and I still use it 40 years on - although it is in dire need of my dear old dad's ministrations.

Neither Karen (who has her own sewing machine) nor I can keep this old machine any longer and I will try to sell it.  I have an image of it standing in a large sewing room, with a swatch of gorgeous fabric under the pressure foot, looking like the sewing machine version of the dowager countess from Downton Abbey!