October 18, 2010

the nicest place to sew at stan hywet


I'm not sure this space ever really served as a sewing room, I have a feeling it may have been a giant linen closet and the machine has been put there as a prop. No matter. I'd sew here.


This pretty little nook was upstairs at the Stan Hywet House in Akron, Ohio. Stan Hywet is the estate built by F.A. Seiberling, the founder of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Akron. I'm going to have to make a trip back to take the tour of the domestic and service areas because my guess is any servant treadling away on a Singer would not have had such a nice window with a a pretty view nearby. But I could be wrong. It is a perfect space to sew though and it's inspiring me to move my machine away from the wall it now faces and tuck it in front of a window. I just need to find the right window.

6 comments:

  1. My great grandmother had a sewing machine like that. I remember playing with the treadle when I was little.

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  2. Stan Hywet is a castle built to look much older than it really is. I enjoyed my visit a few years back. Especially interesting to me were the stone floors intentionally made uneven to look old and worn. P38

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  3. Mara, I would have played with the treadle too. Then probably shunned it's old fashioned-ness, then wish I could have held on to it.

    I think the architects did a great job at Stan Hywet. I was surprised by how much later it was built than I thought. Plus, it's the most informal, homeiest castle I've ever visited.

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  4. I just found and read your entire blog, and I enjoy it greatly! I'm also from the Columbus area, and I was wondering if you have yet discovered a place to purchase busks and things nearby, or if you have to order all your stuff. I'm hoping to try my hand at this in the next couple of months.

    Thanks!

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  5. Hello Jessica and thanks for reading!

    Unfortunately, I don't know of a place in Ohio where you can find corset making supplies. I still have plenty of busks in my tool box so I haven't needed to find a midwest source yet. If I find one I'll be sure to pass that information on to you. In the meantime Corsetmaking.com is a good online source. Good luck and have fun sewing!

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  6. Linen closets could be big. About 10 years ago a friend of mine lived in a converted 1700s in London. Her bedsitter was a converted linen closet, and it was bigger than where I live (which is a 1950s studio apartment).

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