A Bunch of of Vintage Sewing Machines

When you see a sewer’s completed projects, do you wonder sometimes what kind of machine was used? Is it a relatively new Bernina; an older Husqvarna that works really well, or an old Singer inherited from a relative? I know I am always curious about what sewers have and what they like about their machines. I guess that is because I have a few.

I bought my first machine after college and have been using it ever since. This every day, go-to machine is an old Kenmore portable 158-10501 that I see has recently grown quite a following. The prices they fetch on Ebay are a lot more than I paid for mine. I have had such good results with it over the years, I never saw the need to replace it. I have been able to make just about anything I want on it and although it’s a mechanical machine, I have all the stiches I need. This, however, has not stopped me from wanting special features found on other machines and this is the main reason I started my collection.

The first addition was another machine just like the one I have. My husband bought it for me at a yard sale for $5, thinking I could use it while my original machine was in the shop for service. Bless his heart; that is exactly what I use it for. About 5 years later though, temptation struck when I was in a bring-your-own-machine sewing class. One of the other attendees had the cutest little machine that looked like an early model Singer that had been miniaturized and I loved it instantly. Of course, it was a Featherweight. I was so taken with it, I had to get one, and so I spent some time looking around on eBay.

It didn’t take very long and I found one in good working order from someone local. When I brought it home, I called my maintenance guy to ask him to have a look at it and clean it up since it hadn’t been used in 20+ years. I am not a quilter, and I understand they are the biggest group of Featherweight owners, but I use it occasionally and it has done some nice things. In addition to being very handy to tote, it has also been a good investment. Since I bought mine they have significantly gone up in value. For all of you aficionados, my machine is a 221K and was made in 1950, info I obtained using the serial number.

I may have mentioned in previous posts that my husband likes to sail, a lot. He has boat covers, cushions, curtains, etc. that need repair periodically and my Kenmore portable machine is just too small to handle duck cloth and marine vinyl, easily. What I needed was a heavy duty machine and boy, did I find one. Again, I started looking through Ebay and doing a little research on the Web. I ended up buying one on Ebay and it’s a real doozy that weighs a ton. It’s a Singer 201 from 1938. I had it all cleaned and oiled and it runs like a champ. It also came with a several attachments which allows me to do almost as much as I do with my regular machine. I really do like this one. It’s heavy, powerful and just what I need to take on heavier projects, like sail boat covers and someday, a slipcover or 2. The previous owner said he made lots of outdoor furniture cushions and umbrellas and such. He lives in the Florida Keys and wanted to retire. I assured him his work horse was coming to a good home.

I do not use the machine that often, but it’s cleaned, oiled and ready to go. Since it is the biggest machine I have, it takes on my bigger projects, like my daughters T-Shirt quilt. She had all these old t-shirts that were really too gone to wear but she didn’t want to throw them out. There were a lot of memories in those rags! The 201, although not ideal for quilting because the arm isn’t long enough, was the biggest one I had. (It wasn’t until about 5 years later that I learned you can have your quilt assembled and quilted by people with quilting machines.) So I set up my sewing on my dining room table and started my first ever (and my last!) quilt. The assembly was a little difficult and the stitching of layers in the middle had to be done by hand, but all in all it worked out OK. It won’t win any prizes, but my daughter loves it.

If you can’t tell, I love eBay. I am pretty judicious about my purchases, but I love to look. While searching for a heavy duty, I saw a lot of old machines with these neat wood carrying cases. They have rounded tops and “Singer” in gold letters on the side. Most of the machines that go with these boxes are older ones from the early 50’s on back. I didn’t need any more old machines, but I did want one of those cases. I found one that was in reasonably good shape that had a very old machine in it from 1910 and it cost me $45.

The case is pretty neat. Even my husband likes it and he’s an artisan, so his opinion matters to me. He told me a little how it was made and said it would look nice all fixed up. I haven’t checked to see if the machine works, but eventually I will have it cleaned and oiled and the electric cord replaced. It might cause an electrical fire if I use it now.

The machine itself is lovelier than the box it came in. It’s covered in bright red and gold swirls. The people who owned these #16 machines must have really purchased the top of the line and been very proud of them. I wonder what was made using this one  and I hope that if I take care of it, the machine and case will be around for years to come.

Throughout this time I have been collecting miscellaneous attachments, because the Featherweight and the 201 do not have zig zag capabilities. Of course most of these machines came with a buttonholer, but since none of them came with zig zag attachments, I bought one, along with a few cams to get a range of special stitches. I use both of these frequently, especially the buttonholer since it makes perfect ones every time. I even attach it to my every day machine that has a buttonhole stitch built in. The neat thing to watch on these old attachments is the way they move the fabric back and forth to create the stitch rather than moving the needle the way modern machines work. I have also purchased several other attachments that I won’t list here because they deserve a post of their own.

In addition to attachments, I also needed a case for my heavy duty machine to protect it from dust and whatever. It does not have a cover of its own so when I am not using it, it is stashed under my sewing table. I purchased an older carrier in excellent condition and then bought a sewing box that matches it.  My collecting did not end here, however. Oh no. I was just getting started and beginning to look like one of the hoarders you see on TV.

When my millennial daughter moved out of a rented house in the city, we found that a previous tenant had left behind a new computerized machine. From discussions with my daughter’s landlord, he knew that I sewed, so he told me to take it. He was just going to heave it into the dumpster when he fixed up the house to sell it. That’s sacrilege in my mind! I played around with it a little bit and found it to be a very nice machine and so of course I was delighted to get a relatively new one for my collection. It’s a Singer 7466 with 60+ stitches, most of which I will never use. I had this one cleaned and oiled and it works very well. I also found out from my mechanic that you should always use plastic bobbins when that’s what came with the machine. Using the metal ones puts burrs on the casing and makes it difficult for the bobbin to work properly. There are also several different size bobbins. Did you know that? I didn’t. In addition to the machine, I also got a wheeled carrying case, several nice sewing books (I sold one) and a bunch of patterns (sold 4). I have no idea why someone would leave such a nice machine behind, but I am glad to have it.

A very good friend of mine who lived about 5 minutes away, moved back home to Scotland following the death of her husband. The cleanout of her household furnishings included her sewing machine and guess who got it? This is nice basic Kenmore 385-1239 that would be good for a beginner or an intermediate sewer, so I will donate it to a school or organization that could use it.

 

Finally (thank goodness) I saw a machine cabinet that I have always admired on Everything But the House. I like Art Deco and this is definitely that style. It’s all rounded and disguised so that it does not look like a sewing cabinet at all. The problem is, it came with a machine, which I really didn’t want but what was I going to do with it. So I had this one cleaned, oiled and adjusted (the tension was broken) and it too came with a bunch of attachments. Trouble is, it’s exactly like my other 201, only newer. This one is from the 50’s. I think what I will do, eventually, is sell the earlier one that comes with the nice carrying case and a matching sewing box. It works well and is in good condition because past owners have taken care of it. Since it is portable, even though it weighs a ton, it is easier to sell than the one in the cabinet that I really want to keep

And that is my last and final machine acquisition. No more carrying cases, boxes, machines or attachments. I have too many already and I can’t imagine why I could possibly need, want or use another one. Being a packrat at heart though, I collect a lot more than sewing machines! But that’s another story.

What kind of machine do you use? Do you have more than 1 and what do you use each for? What are your favorite features of your machine? Let us know.

Cheers,