fabric measuring machine (good ol' days)

I have never seen one at Spotlight Cheryl, obviously Mt Gambier and
Warrnambool aren't big enough stores LOL

Dee in Oz


Cheryl in Oz wrote:
Antique!

Our Spotlight stores still have these in use, mostly attached to rollers for
measuring curtain/furnishing fabrics onto rolls.

Try asking a curtain manfacturer how they measure out 35 yards of fabric and
see what they use.

--

Cheryl in Oz
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"Andrea Miller" wrote in message
news:EQ9Df.519723$084.7868@attbi_s22...
Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady
would measure it out by running it through a device attached to the table
and a little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much
fabric you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount measured
out, she push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she
could then tear the fabric on grain. Whatever
happened to those, and wouldn't they be cool today with a digital readout?
Has anyone seen one of these in an antique store or somewhere? I'd love
to use it at the quilt shop I work at. It's got that country antique
decor, it would look perfect!
Andrea

Many stores also leased/rented them. That was expensive. So they were
an early "casualty" of cost cutting to keep fabric stores in business.
I didn't really like them. They were not always accurate, and there
could be other problems when using them. If you didn't hold the fabric
straight all the way through, you got shorted. (Essentially the fabric
would be measured on a diagonal which is longer, than along a straight.)

And they could damage knit fabrics.

Pati, in Phx

Nancy wrote:
I used to work at House Of Fabrics, and we had several of them. They did go
out of popularity because they were not always accurate. They sure were a
lot of fun to use. I would fold over a bit at the start to allow for uneven
cutting, and then pull the fabric through, pull down a little cutting
device, and then pull the fabric out, and cut it as straight as I could. I
used to love measuring the fabric that way! Nancy
"Julia in MN" wrote in message
...

I remember those When knits became popular, they were not so useful,
because the knit fabrics would stretch more than a nice woven one and the
measurements were not as accurate.

Julia in MN
--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

My Grandpa had one in his drapers shop in the 1950s. Think it must
have been a 9 days wonder, as I remember people measureing with the
rule screwed to the counter more than using the machine. It was long
before everything had to be inspected.
--
Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)
http://community.webshots.com/user/sallyswin


On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 20:46:28 GMT, "Andrea Miller"
wrote:

Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady would
measure it out by running it through a device attached to the table and a
little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much fabric
you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount measured out, she
push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she could then tear
the fabric on grain. Whatever
happened to those, and wouldn't they be cool today with a digital readout?
Has anyone seen one of these in an antique store or somewhere? I'd love to
use it at the quilt shop I work at. It's got that country antique decor, it
would look perfect!
Andrea

You might see a version of them on the side of the rollers they use for
rolling curtain fabrics onto tubes. Check next time you are in the store.

--

Cheryl in Oz
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau

"Dee in Oz" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have never seen one at Spotlight Cheryl, obviously Mt Gambier and
Warrnambool aren't big enough stores LOL

Dee in Oz


Cheryl in Oz wrote:
Antique!

Our Spotlight stores still have these in use, mostly attached to rollers
for
measuring curtain/furnishing fabrics onto rolls.

Try asking a curtain manfacturer how they measure out 35 yards of fabric
and
see what they use.

--

Cheryl in Oz
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"Andrea Miller" wrote in message
news:EQ9Df.519723$084.7868@attbi_s22...
Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady
would measure it out by running it through a device attached to the
table
and a little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much
fabric you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount
measured
out, she push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she
could then tear the fabric on grain. Whatever
happened to those, and wouldn't they be cool today with a digital
readout?
Has anyone seen one of these in an antique store or somewhere? I'd
love
to use it at the quilt shop I work at. It's got that country antique
decor, it would look perfect!
Andrea

I remember but haven't seen one in awhile. You might try ebay - they have
everything.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Andrea Miller" wrote in message
news:EQ9Df.519723$084.7868@attbi_s22...
Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady
would measure it out by running it through a device attached to the table
and a little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much
fabric you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount measured
out, she push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she
could then tear the fabric on grain. Whatever
happened to those, and wouldn't they be cool today with a digital readout?
Has anyone seen one of these in an antique store or somewhere? I'd love
to use it at the quilt shop I work at. It's got that country antique
decor, it would look perfect!
Andrea

They still use this machine at TSWLTH for Home Dec fabrics. Linda in Tx

There's one on the counter at Jackman's Fabrics on Watson in St. Louis.
I've never seen them use it, but I see it there.

Anastasia

--who came down with a nasty head cold and hasn't been able to finish her
HUG for Johnny yet. *sniff*

I think there are a few stores in the UK, particularly curtain fabric
shops (the discount ones and the old stores) which still use them. I
know a place in Wrexham that was using one last year.

I think they're great, except you forget how much you're really buying!



In message EQ9Df.519723$084.7868@attbi_s22, Andrea Miller
writes
Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady would
measure it out by running it through a device attached to the table and a
little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much fabric
you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount measured out, she
push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she could then tear
the fabric on grain. Whatever
happened to those, and wouldn't they be cool today with a digital readout?
Has anyone seen one of these in an antique store or somewhere? I'd love to
use it at the quilt shop I work at. It's got that country antique decor, it
would look perfect!
Andrea



--
Jo P
Malvern UK
"I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work"
~Thomas Edison

Kathy A is right. Back in the day, when I was younger, I worked
in Fabric Store part time, and went to college part time. We sold
LOTS of Polyester Double Knit, using that machine and scissors.
We cut as Kathy A describes.
The store was closed on Sunday of course, and the newspaper ran
the ad for the sales. On Monday morning, when we returned to
work, we had to push through a crowd of women waiting for the
doors to open. People just don't get that excited about sales
anymore.
PAT, former fabric store lady, in VA/USA

Bonnie Patterson wrote:
I think that they may have gone out of favor when polyester came in,
it won't tear.

I love shops that tear my quilting cotton, stays on grain.

Bonnie, in Middletown, VA

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 20:46:28 GMT, "Andrea Miller"
wrote:
Does anyone here remember when you would go to buy fabric and the lady would
measure it out by running it through a device attached to the table and a
little meter on the top would spin around and tell you how much fabric
you've run through. Then when you've got correct amount measured out, she
push down on a lever that would snip the fabrice end and she could then tear
the fabric on grain.

really? at my joann's they print a receit like that after scanning the
edge of the bolt but they enter the amount of fabric manually, it does
not measure...

Betty in Wi wrote:

I remember them! JoAnn's has something similar to that now except it is
electronic and prints out a slip for you to take to cash register. Have not
seen any of the old ones around though.



--
Dr. Quilter
http://community.webshots.com/user/mvignali
(take the dog out for a walk)