Saturday, July 30, 2011

A small collection of sewing machines

Way back in 2008, I wrote a little about my 319K Singer sewing machine. I don't sew a lot, but it did everything I asked of it.. until it stopped. I am embarrassed to admit, despite knowing the machine took special needles, I didn't check that the needle IN the machine was the right one! So eventually the lovely machine seized-up and I took her in for a service. It cost over $100 to find out that yes, the needle was wrong, so I got a few of the correct ones and a new bobbin case. Checking the ones I knew to be right with the spare ones that came with the machine, can you believe that ALL of the spare ones were the right size? It was just the one needle that was in the machine that was wrong!! Perhaps that's why it was given to the opportunity shop in the first place? Sewing with the correct needle is so smooth in comparison, and I'm very glad to have the machine back and working so beautifully.

Fast forward to two weeks ago, I won an old Singer sewing machine on eBay for a very cheap $30. The reason I wanted it was to use the treadle for my beloved 319K. I picked it up on Tuesday and Marty and I rearranged the loungeroom to fit it. I didn't really look at it again until today, when I researched the model number. It's a 201P, made in Penrith, NSW here in Australia and it's said to be one of the best sewing machines of it's day. Although I wasn't planning on keeping it - I've found myself too fond of it to throw it away!

One more! Yesterday Marty and I went to a clearing auction. It was a funny day because we had decided the day before not to go. I was starting to feel ill, and we thought we'd give it a miss. Well, that morning I woke bright and early feeling fine, so we got in the car and took a drive up to Warracknabeal. We looked through everything on offer, and bid on a few items. There were 3 sewing machines available. One was very fancy, lovely treadle table, old machine.. it sold for over $100. Another had a lovely old machine, but a rather dull treadle table. I think it sold for $60-ish because of the decoration on the machine itself. The final one I saw was just perfect! A lovely 328P "Style-O-Matic" - it had a funky cabinet (not a treadle) with a matching chair. It called out to me! Clearly (and thankfully) it didn't call out to anyone else, because I won it for a meagre $25! When we went to put it in the car (along with far too many other items) we found that it came with a full set of fashion disks and just about everything else you could imagine. I think I have a lifetime supply of needles, pins and thread. :)

So, I've become a minor collector of vintage Singer sewing machines. I seem to be drawn to machines from the late 50's to the late 60's. Perhaps I owned some in a former life!

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