The Singer Rides Again!

[errantember]

Due both to a huge amount of recent costumery inspiration and the fact that if I get injured in my jujutsu class, I'd prefer it not be from tripping over my own pants, I once again dug out the manual for my 1968 Singer sewing machine and fired up the ancient monster. I got it at Goodwill some years ago for $30, and it has just about every foot, wobble-wheel, and do-dad it originally came with, including the big plastic case, and is in perfect working order over 40 years after it was manufactured.

They do *not*, BTW, make 'em like they used to. At all.

Besides being something with which one could comfortably beat up a beefy marine, it also has all the buzzes and whistles vis-a-vis stitch length and width control, feed control, and tons of pattern wheels and other gizmos to make my 50s house wife life easier! Add to that the $20 table I got that was *clearly* custom made for this series of sewing machines (the kind where the machine magically folds away) and I've got a pretty impressive stitchery setup for a tech yuppie male.

Thirty minutes and three attempts later, my pants are hemmed.

*take a bow*

Time to hit the thrift stores...

Comments

[terriblelynne.livejournal.com]

I think my Auntie Sis' Singer is from 1952. I refer to it as "Sewzilla" and it currently lives in the back of my closet until I live somewhere with enough space to have a space for it so that I never have to move it ever again...thing weighs more than I do...

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Mine has the black cogs for the stick pattern.

[terriblelynne.livejournal.com]

Y'know, she's in storage and I honestly can't remember...

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it would fit the kind of sewing desk I have. It might be perfect for you, because the whole machine just sort-of magically disappears, and you're left with a small end-table with fake drawers. To deploy it, you just unfold the cover (which double your work area) and then pull up on the machine, which locks into place. It's definitely a huge space saver, and prevents you from having to move the machine.

If you want to send your machine with Gail tomorrow, I can at least take a look and see if will fit this style of table.

[terriblelynne.livejournal.com]

Sewzilla is packed away in a box in the very back of my closet...it'd take major excavation to remove her. I'm seriously not unpacking her and sending her for a Singer-store-tuneup until I own a home and she has her own room. Plus, have you been to my place? I have a tiiiiiny efficiency and there's honestly nowhere to put a small end table as it is...

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Ok, I just figured it would be useful to know. Based on this:

http://www.singerco.com/support/model_number.html

It's probably a different table for yours. However, at the thrift places I went today, I saw no fewer than 3 such tables, so it's likely possible to find one if you had a place to put it.

[dj-warhammer.livejournal.com]

I know so many guys who are more adept than I at sewing. It's OK, though, because I'm good at grilling large pieces of meat over open flame. It all works out.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Way to fuck with gender stereotypes!

[double00range.livejournal.com]

They do *not*, BTW, make 'em like they used to. At all.

I just recently saw the metal machine light myself and am the proud new owner of a '57 Elna Supermatic. I love that the parts are easily replaceable and the machine hums just as well as it most likely did over 50 years ago! The newer plasticky machines are just not this solid. I've started her up, but haven't created anything with her yet. Wednesday I'll start my first project. I think I should name her... I never had that compulsion with my 2003 Kenmore.

[errantember.livejournal.com]

Congrats!