Vintage Singer Machines

[Schneiderfrei]

They are very photogenic, for sure.

[Henry Hall]

Nice find. They look like modern versions of Dutch 'golden era' paintings. This one is excellent:



and this too (odd place for a rubber glove):

[Adriel]

Stumbled upon this thread and what a wonderful thread it is! 

First, this:

BTW, I may remember incorrectly, it's a very long time since I sat at one, but doesn't a hand operated machine also lack a reverse stitching facility, and you have to pull the layers toward you sharply to stitch over the seam again to lock it?

There is nothing about a hand crank that prevents such machines from sewing in reverse.  It is true that many older ones do not have the necessary cam.
I know of two ways to lock the ends of the seam down without reversing:

- Take a couple of stitches and stop.  Raise the presser foot and pull the work back to the beginning.  Stitch over the first stitches, and continue sewing.  This is usually done at the beginning of the seam.

- Stitch to the end of the seam, then raise the presser foot with the needle down.  Turn the work 180 degrees and lower the foot.  Take a few stitches over the seam.  This is usually done at the end of the seam, but can also be used at the beginning if you start a short distance from the edge.

Call me a Luddite if you wish, but I find either of these methods superior to using the reverse function to secure the ends of the seam, and less likely to ball up the bobbin thread.  I only use reverse on my electric machine to save time.  Not that that isn't a good reason for many people.

Last week learned can put in neutral (if has it), and do a few stitches. Not knowing any other method other than knotting the end of a dart, tried this on a couple and find a good alternative if in a hurry (like sewing a muslin).

My saga with vintage machines is long. In short, bought a Morse Fotomatic without trying (dog barking was overstimulating and felt a meltdown coming), turns out had a Singer tensioner and took over two years to find hopefully the right part number (by then had other irons in the fire). Later, bought a Singer 101 in a table for $20. Got started on rewiring and then packed it for the move, still haven't found it. Shortly after, bought a Kenmore 117 and Singer 66 electric conversion. About half hour after purchasing the latter, was rear ended by an older woman not noticing the traffic ahead, shortened my 1985 Mercedes 300TD-T half a meter. In addition, broke the motor bracket, lamp, and terminal on the Kenmore and broke the 66 take up arm.

After two years after the accident, started putting my life back together, and a friend realizing needed a working machine to get me back to sewing gave me a Singer 328K in a table. Best machine I have, as has the original box with the manual, warranty, few cams, and feet, plus a buttonholer. Love how can sew through just about anything, even sewed some light upholstery leather to make fountain pen sleeves.

A few months back, picked up for $20 a forlorn Singer 237. Put in a lot of work because was dropped (still have not replaced the lamp though see no need with a magnetic), got running great, then all of a sudden the top thread not catching the shuttle. Ugh. Fine, if she wants to be a brat, will go to the 328K. 

Hopefully can thin the herd down to two or three before the move, being the Singer 328K, Kenmore 117 because of the high lift to the foot (still need to find and purchase the bracket with the terminal), and the Singer 101 because heavy duty direct drive motor (no belt to slip). The Morse is an amazing machine, plethora of stitches and automatic tension, though if anything goes wrong, there is no one knows how to fix and no parts. The Singer 66 has such nice decals (got a couple scratches from the accident), feel bad owning as I don't pamper my machines. The Singer 237 has some plastic parts, though a bread clip fixed one of the broken plastic part.

[Tailleuse]

One method I learned for sewing a welt pocket seam involved leaving diet pills long threads, checking that the two lines were the same length, and if necessary adding one stitch manually pulling out one.Then the two threads were threaded into a needle and the seam was hand-tacked.

No question, this is the neatest way to finish the ends of a line of stitching.  Of course it's also the most time-consuming...

The best things comesto those who wait.

It's been a while, but the typo ("diet pills") was made by whoever quoted me, not by me.

[Schneiderfrei]

Hutch, is the "diet pills" quoted above a hack?

[Der Zuschneider]

I bought a lot of old singer machines and restored them. Also mostly all of the attachments, a few are missing because they are very expensive. They are all in restored cabinet #40 tables. Cost me a fortune. Also the singer Student and teachers manual books. The embroidery atttachments in mint conditions. I am going to take pictures later.