Sewing days

How cool is this?
Saturday night we headed out to find some food after watching a fashion parade for an organisation a friend has been participating in - the Social Studio.
Seamstress was on our list of new places to try, though we didn't fancy our chances of a seat on a weekend during social season.  Alas, our wish was granted and we were seated.
After beginning our tasty meal with Tempura style green prawns (with rhubarb of all things), the waiter asked to move us to use the table.  We were sat down to the side next to one of the interesting items scattered around the restaurant, reflecting it's theme.

This was not just any Sewing Machine, it is a Pinnock.  The relevance you ask? Well, my dear grandfather was a Mechanical Engineer, and when he brought the family to South Australia, begun work with Pinnock Sewing Machines!  

The waiter was not very interested in this coincidence, I mean there are many people who have family links to sewing machine manufacturers, but I was chuffed.


Although this machine looks like it was designed somewhere between 1910 - 1940, sometime before my Grandfather worked at the company, I'm still in awe. These machines are fascinating, and my interest grows.


Oh, and what else did we eat?  Straw mushroom, truffle oil & bitter melon risotto (ok but flavours need longer to develop); gai larn with oyster sauce (average); braised duck with rice & preserved lemon (best duck ever?); and SB had the pork belly.


Several weeks ago when visiting Adelaide, at a the house of an acquaintance, I studied the antique sewing machine and overlooker that they had set up and used.    I could have studied these creatures all night...