Prep Work

I'm a pretty upbeat person and you have probably read about my excitement in regards to anything sewing machine related but I'm so very, very excited about the River Rat TOGA that I'm going to tomorrow. Of course, I'm not ready but I'm heading in the right direction. I have items I'm going to sell, sewing machines that might be of interest to other onions (that's the term they use in referring to each other) that could be for sale, and I'm thinking about which sewing machines to bring for advice. There are so many! But for now, here's what I'm bringing:

Original handcrank

Minnesota

Free Westinghouse in custom made base

Wizard (like the Brother Selectomatic)

Western Electric

Singer 66 with Lotus Decals

There is also a raffle on Saturday night that helps pay for our rental of the VFW hall in Lake City and other expenses as there are no registration fees for this convention. I'm bringing my Singer 75-1, a small but extremely heavy, serger. It is so unique but needs a treadle for successful use and I'm hoping someone will know exactly what to do with it. I'm hoping it's a hit due to its rarity.

Singer 75-1

One of my biggest sellers in my Etsy shop are the bentwood case carriers made out of web strapping and a set of snap buckles. I made some up and have an additional three as kits for other model as they don't have to be used only on bentwood cases but other older carrying cases, too. It's always a fine line between creator and buyer, wanting to keep my original idea to only be available through my shop. But can't anyone else take my idea and just make their own set of carrying straps? Maybe they could buy a set from me and then make up their own. Or make them up and sell them. Wait a minute: isn't that what I do? Well, yes, but if the idea originated with me don't I have the right to keep the product available only through my shop? That's a bit of yes and no but I need to place a statement on my Etsy listing for the carrying straps saying if the consumer uses my design to make their own, it can only be for personal use and they cannot profit by the sale of such items. It's  not copyright or patent law, just an intellectual property issue.

Singer 99 in bentwood case: all strapped in!

So wish me luck as I travel a couple hours south and spend two days steeped in antiques and sewing! I'm excited to stay with Sally and her husband and to meet Phyllis, too. TOGA, TOGA, TOGA!