Michelle, sewing machines, & S*ing*er Certif*icates

For a long time, I thought I was the only one who was "silly" enough to have a whole "herd" of sewing machines.  (People would just give me their unwanted machines.)  Then one day while reading a blog, I noticed a profile picture that was of a sewing machine instead of a person.  Not only that,  it was a machine very similar to one I had just purchased at a thrift shop.  (No pictures yet.)  I just had to see who this person was.  It was dear Michelle.  She has more sewing machines than I do, and her collection is growing all the time.

With help (and enabling) from her husband, Michelle "rescues" homeless sewing machines.  She cleans and fixes up the machines, and her husband works his magic on the cases or cabinets.  (Michelle, correct me if I'm wrong.)  These wonderful machines are then displayed in her home instead of being hidden away.

Michelle has many really nice machines, but recently, she picked up a real beauty (for a picture of a similar one scroll toward the bottom of the article).  Then, she found out that Sin*ger is providing certificates for machines made pre-1970.  Seems like a good thing to have some history to go with these older machines, right?

So, here is the Sin*ger that I bought at a yard sale approximately 33 years ago.  At the time, I thought the price was steep (twenty dollars), but I knew the woman selling the machine. It had just been serviced (receipt showing she had just paid $35 for the cleaning and oiling!) and the owner assured me it worked.  It did, and still does.  Sews perfectly.

(click on photos for larger views)

The beautiful decals are worn, but this to me means that the machine was used rather than just stored away someplace.  That is the original plate with the patent dates stamped in it leaning against the case.  (One end of the clip is broken off, so I had a new one put on the machine.)  The rubber bobbin winder ring is "new", and the bobbin winder gear may have been replaced with a newer (not new) one.  (I can't remember if it was this machine or another one...)  Because of the age of the machine the electric motor was probably added later and maybe even "fairly recently".  The cords are "rubber" coated rather than cloth covered, and they are in excellent condition.
Oh,  the machine is so old that there is no reverse.

The underside of the machine.

The part of the wooden case has almost a woven grass/cloth fiber type covering.  The covering is fraying along the edges, but the rest of the case is in excellent condition.

(Sorry about the name being wiped out.  I had issues with photo*shop.)

I didn't need another sewing machine, but I fell in love.

What I Did. Bad Packrat (continued)

Back in June, I wrote about some odds and ends and the community yard sale.  I really planned on continuing the story within the next day or two.  Well, life got in the way in a really big way.  We had to make an unplanned trip to California.  It seems we've been playing catch-up ever since.

First to finish off What I Did:

New Home Sewing Machine
 Yep, I bought another sewing machine. It is a New Home and very similar to this one.  Old enough to have been made in the USA.

It came with attachments (in the original box), the instruction book, and in a nice wooden cabinet.

(The bottom picture was taken with my cell phone.  It doesn't take good pictures at all.  I need help getting the software for the better camera loaded.  It is conflicting with the software from the old camera or something.)

***

At least once a week, two or three of us have been trying to go to the local thrift stores.  This is a very bad habit, but it is so much fun.  I've picked up several pieces to add to various dinnerware sets - my china, my everyday dishes, the dishes that my grandmother and mom used when we had a huge crowd, and what were my mom's everyday dishes!  I bought a Lo*ndon  F*og coat for $5.00 and a mid-weight coat for my daughter.  I've brought home old cookbooks, old magazines, sewing and craft books.  So bad...

My friend has found some of the neatest things, too:  a complete toy (real stoneware!) dish set, a big red barn that her grandchildren just love, some fantastic clothes, a typewriter, all kinds of dishes and glassware.

The best part?  One day we filled the whole backseat of the car, and the combined total of what we spent was $10.62 (including sales tax)! 

Really Bad Packrat:   I also purchased a 1970's vintage Kenmore sewing machine for $5.00.  (I think this makes the tenth or eleventh machine.)  It probably doesn't work, but maybe I can use parts from another machine that is just like it.  Or, I can play with it to see if I can learn to fix sewing machines.  Just what I need - another job.  LOL

The other day, for a song, I found some more sewing machine attachments.  Of course, I've been buying fabric and patterns.

 I love this one.  I doubt I'll ever make it, because my daughter and I are too short-waisted to pull off this style.  sighhh.

Wish this was larger size. I'd make it for my husband.  Maybe I can alter it?

***

Crazy me.  Last spring I bought a set of dishes with a bright floral design.  Perfect for summer!  Then I promptly lost them in all this mess.  I found them a couple of days ago; I'd been staring at the box everyday.  I thought the box had magazines in it.  It had just one on top - protecting the dishes underneath.  Thank goodness nothing heavy was set on top of it.

***

One good thing that has happened is that we finally rented shop space. We thought we'd get moved before the fall rush began.  Laugh.  Since the day we paid the rent, we've been so busy that we haven't had time to get shelves built, get things put away, and move the rest of the business stuff out of the house.  But, we've been busy.  Let's hope it stays that way. ( No way do I want to move the business back into the house!  I hope that the old office is going to be my sewing room.)

Happy Autumn!

Answers for Penelope

I have been trying to upload two more pictures and am just not able to get them to work. I'll do those later when I have some help.

Treadle sewing machines were used before people had electricity and are still used where people don't have or don't use electricity. The person sewing used his or her feet to "pump" the treadle. This turned the wheel that made the needle go up and down - much faster and often with neater and stronger stitches than sewing by hand. (My sister-in-law still uses an antique treadle machine just because she enjoys using it. She made her daughters' clothes and even some bridesmaid dresses on it.) Treadle machines are "work horses" and need little maintenance.

Sewing machines now (for the past eighty-plus? years) use electricity to run the machine. (There are battery operated ones, but I don't know anything about how much power they have or how good they are.) Most machines use a foot pedal that is attached to an electical cord to the wall and to the sewing machine. A foot pedal takes very little effort to use. Pressure on the foot pedal is what starts the sewing machine and controls the speed. (Some machines that are permantently mounted in sewing cabinets use knee pressure against a lever instead of a foot pedal, but the result is the same.) A basic sewing machine has a motor that turns a wheel that turns gears that makes the needle go up and down.

There are computerized sewing machines with memory. I have an older one that I inherited from an aunt. Frankly, I don't like it. It memorizes what I'm doing and then I have to argue with it when I change what I'm doing. Maybe it is just that particular machine and/or the newer ones are better. But, for the everyday mending and sewing I do (jackets, knit tops, pants, skirts, even evening and concert gowns), I prefer my plain old sewing machine. Personally, until you know you are going to do embroidery and/or add lots of fancy stitching, I'd wouldn't purchase a computerized machine.

Remember: The fancier the machine, the harder it will be to learn to use, the more maintenance it will require; the harder it will be to find someone to fix it; the longer it will be out of commission; and the more it will cost to fix it.

I haven't checked out Consumer Guide or even thought or talked to anyone about buying a machine for the last 15 years, so I don't know what brand is considered best now. I'm old fashioned and think that machines with metal gears are better than ones with plastic. This might not be a true statement anymore.

The machine I use the most is a Pfaff which is about 15 years old. It was the next to the cheapest model, and I have not had any trouble with it (knock on wood). It has a straight stitch (of course), adjustable zigzag, a hemming stitch, makes buttonholes, and has some stretch stitches - some of which I've never used. My favorite machine? A 1972 mid-range model Kenmore from Sears. Unfortunately, it got dropped in one of our moves and never worked right afterwards.

I recommend buying lower-mid-range down to the next-to-the-lowest model. You can upgrade later. I personally would even consider purchasing a used sewing machine as long as I knew that the tension would hold and that the gears weren't stripped.

This is a lot of information, but I hope it helps. Please check Consumer Guide for the top rated sewing machines.