Vintage Sewing Machines

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Just realised we're taking over the other thread with chat so anyone up for a separate thread dedicated to the beautiful vintage sewing machine, and all its glories?

Woukld love to see pics of and hear about everyone's vintage machines; where you got it, why you love your machine, and what you're making on it? Also tips for restoration/fettling/cleaning and oiling.... And anything else people who sew on vintage machines might like...

Thank you lavendersun :) they are actually a set of feet then.

OMG ..... I have just bought a featherweight . This one, the man is lovely, it was his mother's, he even has the receipt.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262126297015?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

DH will think I have lost the plot!!

There's a website somewhere that lists all the Singer numbers and you can work out when and where yours was made.

Re the feet, who can actually USE the various feet? I have used my bias binding foot and when I can make it work it is like a miracle - so clever! The rolled hemming foot has defeated me, though.

Most of my feet do seem to be interchangeable between my old Singer and my new Juki, which delighted me greatly when I realised

You just need to look up the number here polter. Looks like a 99K from 1936.

ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-ea-series-serial-numbers.html

Manual here

www.singerco.com/support/instruction-manuals/search

I use my feet Countess, highest count was 7 on one project I think .

I can only do a perfect rolled hem on a straight piece of fabric though so I roll the hem and then do a french seam to hide the fact that I rolled the hem first generally.

Do you have any tips, Lavendersun?

I sew a few stitches - 7 or so and leave the thread attached. Then feed the fabric through the roll of the foot using the thread to guide it through, it can be a bit fiddly. Lower the presser foot and start sewing, feeding the fabric through the roll. Sewing about 1cm in seems to be the right width for my rolled hem feet.

I like the Bernina videos on feet.

www.bernina.com/en-GB/Products-GB/BERNINA-products/Accessories/Presser-feet/Roll-and-shell-hemmer-foot---69--4mm-

I am going to step away from eBay Polter. I sent the guy a message and included my phone number because I wanted him to ship it and he phoned me up . Really genuine chap.

I am working from home today - so very unproductive!!

Because of this thread, I wandered off to my favourite house clearance shop...

This thread should be renamed - 'Encouraging Vintage Sewing Machine thneads' , still not working here.

I now have four vintage machines - up from two last week - probably my greatest achievement in the last seven days to be honest .... and I still don't have a treadle.

I know nothing about them. That one is Frister and Rossmann on a wooden unit with treadle. £45. With a key.

I don't have the room for it though. :)

DD would like a child hand machine - she has little space but it would sew on pointe shoe ribbons so much better than her by hand

I've had a lovely half hour on Helen's site - planning what I want need - which is apparently just a zigzagger!!

Ooh lovely thread. I have my great Aunt's Singer hand cranked machine from the 1920s and my gran's 1950s electric Singer. I love the feel of the wooden handle against my palm.

SoupDragon, I think there are some fantastic bargains to be had if you can buy locally.

I am not a great shopper (honest!). I quite like being able to see all the photos posted on somewhere like eBay. I like to be able to source a near pristine thing from my desk .

I doubt I would have the patience to restore something and it might be shallow but I like shiny things!

That table looks like it is a lovely one. I don't know anything about the machine.

Dear me Polter - I though I was quick from having a slight inclination to following through to an actual purchase - we could be friends .

It appears to be German, 1930s sometime.

I still have no room, no matter how lovely it is :)

Hers my baby. She's a 1951 201k and came fully PAT tested and serviced from a local charity shop. She cost dh 65 quid. I got rather excited about it so he bought it. I love her. All my dressmaking is now done with her and I'm seriously thinking about sticking my modern machine in ebay to fund a featherweight! The 201 is great but weighs a tonne and I have nowhere to leave her up. I have a few buttonholers and zigzaggers plus assorted rufflers and feet. I probably went a bit mad at Helen Howes when I first got her

There's also a couple of 1890s hand cranks around somewhere they are beautiful but I can't leave them out at the moment. I would still love a treadle as I learnt on my mums but I'll need to move house first!

That looks lovely Raven. I seem to have bought a buttonholer with the featherweight, can't wait to have a go.

DH called and asked me how my day was. I said that I hadn't been terribly productive so would be working into the evening.

He said that he could see that and did vintage sewing machines have anything to do with it??

Raven re. the Featherweight - do it! I only got mine this summer and have barely put her away since the day I got her. They are fun to sew with. I got my baby on eBay, partly because I was desperate for a Featherweight and had just sold something for a similar amount so had the money - but also because of her case...

She came fully serviced and re-wired and hasn't given me a moment's problem. Is only about 11lb I think - so very portable. Mine is a 1956 model with the striated face plate - the earlier face plates are more ornate but this happens to be my favourite! My object of lust now is a 'white' FW but that's hardly likely to turn up at a car boot for a tenner now everyone knows how great they are!