Downton Abbey White Wedding Bunting

Downton Abbey has many of us at the edge of our seats in the US. Unfortunately we're already halfway through the last season. What will we do without the elegant clothes and drama? Well, sip a cup of tea and leaf through the official companion to all six seasons. I've been so good, only went through the first few pages when I saw a photo of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes wedding. Oh, no, I don't want to know what happens before it airs on TV! See that diagonal band in the lower right corner? It says "Includes Season 6 Spoilers." I will not look.

So my book sits waiting on my Jones parlor cabinet treadle sewing machine until the season ends.

I nicknamed the machine Downton Abbey because it reminded me of the castle. The cabinet finish was in such bad shape I painted the exterior.

Downton Abbey's third season premier in 2013 featured the wedding of Matthew and Lady Mary. The 1920 era town was decorated with white flag bunting and that inspired me to stitch some on my Jones English treadle sewing machines of the same era. Within a day I listed white cotton bunting in my Treadle Lady shop and sold many during the wedding season.

When Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes were married the hall was decorated with white bunting. In celebration I made one for my castle shed. It adds a little to the shed since the tree behind is bare in January.

When the front cabinet doors are open you can see the English manufactured Jones sewing machine. When the top is lifted up and over to the left the machine comes up.

The decal emblem says "As Supplied to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra." The Jones Sewing Machine Company put that on the decal after Queen Alexandra used the model when she was in school as Princess of Wales. This lovely machine is a dream to use to make all my Downton Abbey inspired white bunting.

White bunting are listed on my Etsy shop here.

Jones Serpentine Hand Crank Machine Base and Labor Day Weekend

What a gorgeous labor day weekend already. Last night we had a TGIF taco night for five neighbors that came over. There is nothing like a good soft taco, a little beer or wine, music in the background and friends you enjoy.

This afternoon we took a bike ride and now I'm sitting at the medieval table in my castle shed with the doors open and the sun setting. It's 84 degrees with only 20% humidity, very nice.

A few years ago I purchased a Jones Serpentine hand crank sewing machine, from about the year 1890. Some people call it the cat back. The feet have holes in the bottom and hubby made me a base with dowels to hold it in place. It's been unfinished wood for too long so I primed it a couple of days ago and will be adding a little teal color to the base so it won't be such a harsh contrast from the black sewing machine to white.

I grabbed a couple of containers with some mixed paint, one was green, the other blue. With a stir stick I pulled out a little of each into a small pie pan I use for mixing small amounts of paint. 

Since the paint has a little carpenter's chalk in it the drying time is about 10 minutes in the nice low humidity weather. The south turret where my painting station is at is perfect for afternoon projects with a little sun still coming in through the screens.

Quick as a snap it dried and I put the machine back in place, each foot over the protruding dowels.

Here it sits on my new medieval table before taking it back into the house.

The shadows are getting deeper.

Soon the solar lights inside the castle shed will come on and a little later the torch lights. Haven't made the light fixtures yet, sigh. Still lots to do but it has come a long way and has been a very enjoyable process.