Sewing machines?????????

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I was watching one of those 70s game shows. One of the prizes was a brand new sewing machine. When was the last time you noticed a sewing machine in someone's home? When I was a kid, my mom had a sewing machine. Back then, a sewing machine was the symbol of a good home. It was something you had to have. My mom rarely used it. In the 70s, she got a brand new one, which she rarely used. She got rid of it after I left home. I'm sure some have a sewing machine, but most of the rest of the nation doesn't. A symbol of domesticity bites the dust!!!!
 

We have always had a sewing machine. My wife doesn't make things with it any more, but it comes in handy once in a while. Ours is a portable. My Mom's folded down into its own little table.

Don
 
I have my Grandmother's old Singer treadle machine and a portable electric one of my own. I don't sew much anymore but it's handy to have one "just in case."
 

We had a treadle Singer and a portable when I was growing up.

They are both long gone.

I keep a few needles and a spool of clear/invisible thread for making minor repairs or sewing on a button but that's about it.
 
I learned to sew on a Treadle machine... or rather I didn't, because it was such a horrendous thing , it put me off sewing machines for life!!

...but yes in truth, it's been a long time since I've seen a sewing machine in anyone's home...
 
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I have a large sewing basket with different colored thread, needles, seam ripper, buttons, elastic, bias binding and a host of other bits and pieces. Mostly I do minor repairs..ripped seams and tears, missing button, and also take up hems and the like. I do have a sewing machine I haul out every once in a while. My daughter recently found some wonderful curtains that were too long for her windows, so I sewed the hems to make them the right length. I made a kitchen window valance out of a table cloth, and some matching napkins from the same fabric. I used to know how to make my own patterns for clothes, but I've long since lost that particular art.

Nonetheless I find a sewing machine a handy and helpful piece of equipment and a money saver too. That valance would have cost in the teens or twenties of dollars, yet I got it, AND 8 napkins, for $3.00 (Garage sale find) and a bit of my time!
 
Mama said she wanted sewing machine so she could hem and fix stuff (not for making clothes) so I bought her a 'White' many, many moons ago and she even took a night class at the local high school two evenings a week to learn how to sew.

She used it every once in awhile till a few years ago and it developed a problem of some sort and when I called around to have it fixed they said it was an older model and finding parts and the labor to fix it would cost more, or almost as much, than purchasing a current model.

It sat in the bottom of the closet broken for several years till I finally threw it away two years ago.....if she wanted another one I'd get it for her but she hasn't mentioned wanting another one.

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My wife is into sewing...big time. She has a Bernina sewing machine, and a Bernina Serger, and has set up one of our spare bedrooms as her Hobby room. She is constantly making clothes, purses, and all sorts of stuff for the kids and grandkids, etc.
 
I have a sewing machine. It bought it at a yard sale.

It is so very handy.

I can shorten my pants without having to go to a tailor. Go get measured. Then have to go back to get the pants. Try them on. And there's a charge.

I did all the drapes in my new apartment. Selected the materials. Added sheers. Drapery material over the sheers.



Working now on a Ceill Phone Holder.

They are great.
 
Keesha said:
I have 3 of them and a serger
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I have exactly the same thing, 3 sewing machines and a serger. I'm getting ready to give the 1980s machine to Goodwill, maybe sell the serger and keep the two older machines. They work better. One old Necchi and a very old Kenmore in a nice case with many , many attachments.
 
IKE said:
Mama said she wanted sewing machine so she could hem and fix stuff (not for making clothes) so I bought her a 'White' many, many moons ago and she even took a night class at the local high school two evenings a week to learn how to sew.

She used it every once in awhile till a few years ago and it developed a problem of some sort and when I called around to have it fixed they said it was an older model and finding parts and the labor to fix it would cost more, or almost as much, than purchasing a current model.

It sat in the bottom of the closet broken for several years till I finally threw it away two years ago.....if she wanted another one I'd get it for her but she hasn't mentioned wanting another one.

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Have you looked online for parts? My husband took my Singer apart and made a part out of ducktape. It worked fine.
 
i learned to sew on a singer treadle machine when i was a kid when i got married i got a singer electric machine ---i us to make my clothes plus the kids clothes---made all my own curtains plus a few quilts--i burned the motor out sewing so much ---several years ago i bought a new singer i used it for several years but now i have no place to set it up
 
I have a sewing machine that I use about ten times a year for various projects. I used to make our sheep holiday outfits, but I ran out of holidays. They looked great in their Pilgrim and Native American outfits during our stay at The Broadmoor, last week.
 
hearlady said:
I have exactly the same thing, 3 sewing machines and a serger. I'm getting ready to give the 1980s machine to Goodwill, maybe sell the serger and keep the two older machines. They work better. One old Necchi and a very old Kenmore in a nice case with many , many attachments.
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I really need to get rid of some of mine also. My Kenmore is the cats meow. It does all these really cool fancy stitches and makes me look better than I really am :laugh: Most of the things I made with my machine were coats and things for my dogs.
I guess they are ultra spoiled but it’s not hurting anyone so no biggie.
 
I think the sewing machine is going the way of baking your daily bread. I happened to be present when my grandmother's five daughters had to admit that they fed their families "store bought" bread, instead of baking it. My grandmother was appalled. She said, "What the hell do you do all day?". I doubt the "home of tomorrow" is going to have a sewing machine.
 
My wife uses her sewing machine regularly, although these days it's usually just for alterations or small incidental items. (She also bakes bread at least weekly, some of which gets given to friends).
 
Fresh bread weekly?! I'm impressed.

Here's my sewing machine at my kitchen table. I inherited from my mother. She bought it in an antique store years ago and we both used it. Works like a charm but changing the bobbin is tricky. My sisters have modern machines and didn't want it. I once sewed my own wedding dress but nowadays I just do little touch ups and repairs.

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When I was young, my mother had an old singer treadle machine that had been converted to electric. It had only one stitch and one speed. If you wanted "reverse", you could darn well turn the material around and sew. She turned some beautiful outfits out with that machine.

I got a simple Singer machine when I was first pregnant to make maternity dresses. I got so good at it that I could turn a dress out from uncut material to wearing it out the door in less than two hours. Then, later, I found out that the dresses have to actually FIT, so lost any interest in making clothes for myself. I made some kids' clothes, curtains, and years and year of Halloween costumes for everyone.

Then about 20 years ago, I got a "fancy" machine and hated it. It's been in the closet since then. Every now and then I drag it out and plan to donate it to the charity shop but then I think "Oh, maybe I'll start sewing again" and other delusions....LOL.

I had my grandma's ornate 1923 Singer treadle machine for years and years and finally sold it to an elderly lady who actually planned to use it, since it was in excellent condition. I was glad that someone was going to do something with it other than just have it sit around as a piece of furniture.
 
I'm new here, my name is Lynn and I enjoy reading the posts on all the topics.

As far as sewing machines, I have several that I used regularly until a new hobby took over. I had an embroidery business a few years back and these are the machines I still have:
Bernina sewing machine, 20 years old, one of the best machines ever
Juki straight stitch sewing machine, has the best straight stitch ever and I used it to wind all the bobbins
Brother combo sewing and home embroidery machine, came with Disney character designs on it
Brother 6 needle embroidery machine
Tajima 15 needle commercial embroidery machine
Tacony blindstitch hemmer, never used....and
1973 Singer sewing machine, the first one that I purchased and made many outfits back in the day.

I need to sell some of these as I rarely touch them now. I decorate a historic house for Christmas teas and that is more interesting than sitting alone in a room sewing or embroidering. I also have been kayaking for more than 20 years. I love lakes and shallow rivers, not a whitewater kayaker.

I used to make small lap quilts as gifts and made one for my childhood best friend's mother's 90th birthday. She was a war bride from Engand so her quilt had squares with embroidered English landmarks, teacups, knitting, Iowa, Bermuda and more to illustrate her life. She loved it and showed it to everyone. I'm so glad I made it for her because she died a few months later. I tried to post a picture but was unable to make it work.

Thanks for all the memories.
 
I have two. The old one, a Brother, needs a service and that usually costs me around $110 to $120. Late last year I saw new Elna machines on sale for $99, so I bought one. I kept using the old one until last week when I decided to unpack the Elna and set it up. Followed all of the instructions and it is faulty. The motor whirrs but the mechanism doesn't engage. I now have to take it back to the store and wait while they send it back to the manufacturer. Meanwhile, the old Brother is back in place in the spare room.
 

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