99 year old Singer Sewing Machine

[Lee Barner]

my wife and I bought this at an estate sale a year or so ago for $40.00. her "modern" machine is having problems so she got this out of the closet and set it up. only does straight stitches but that does 95% of what she needs. she has made two dresses for the youngest granddaughter on it in two days. Amazing how simple old machines are the best. just thought I would share. Lee

 

[Onomea]

Nice! Looks like the one my mom used when I was a kid. Had a curved wooden top which fit over the whole thing. I recall her trading it in for a newer model in the early '60s.

 

[DWalt]

Is it electric? My wife has a very similar appearing portable Singer electric sewing machine from 1950. She still uses it occasionally, but only for simpler sewing use. It has several attachments that she has never used.

She is an avid quilter and has two sewing machines which are essentially computers attached to sewing needles.

 

[tinkerer]

Wife has one very similar. Was her mother's. Mounted in a bench with drawers, etc.
Still uses it.

 

[peyton]

My sister in law's Mom worked as professional seamstress for 50 years in San Antonio. Mom passed away 20 years ago leaving her singer for using. Years passed and the sewing machine, mounted in the cabinet ended up in her garage.
He called and asked if my wife could use it. I was told to go pick it up. It is a 1950's model. I had it cleaned, the cabinet went to my furniture fixer.
It sits in my wife's sewing room and she hasn't taken it for a spin yet.

On another occasion, I attended a high school/college graduation party. Great grandma was there (a young 102 years old). There was a foot pedal Singer machine sitting in the dining room and I asked if she had used it?
She told the whole room that is what she started sewing on when 10 years old under her Mom's watchful eye!! She said walking to school was no problem because of all the leg exercise she got pedaling it!

 

[pasound]

Nice. My mother had one, which she bought used just after WWll. Used it while I was growing up, replaced it by trading it in at the Singer Dealer for a "modern" model with drop-in cartridges that let it make decorative stitches. The old one is probably still going strong somewhere.

(From the title I was thinking you found a Singer-made 1911.)

 

[Dave.357]

I have the heavy duty version .it was given to me, had not
been used in a long time.
It was locked up tight . I have it freed up and believe it
Will work . Hope to try it out soon.

 

[Tom S.]

My mom had a similar one. She tried, successfully, not to use it.

 

[lihpster]

I've got a treadle Singer that was my grandmother's. I also have a couple of modern machines that were my mother's. Maybe I should learn how to sew?

 

[Birdgun]

I too remember my grandmother and mother using old Singer sowing machines. The wood cabinets that held the machines were very pleasing to the eye. I've even seen friends who have bought old sewing machines for the cabinet it came in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for some sewing machine non-sense:

If your father was a lawn mower,
And your mother was a sewing machine,
How many pancakes would it take to cover a dog house?

13. Because baseballs don't have feathers.

;-0

God bless,
John T.

 

[WCCPHD]

Both my grandmothers had one. The ones they had were not electric. They operated by a foot pedal.

 

[Rustyt1953]

This was me mum's. Made in 1923. Mum put a lot of miles on it. The only thing she had to replace was a belt.

 

[robvious]

I too have my grandmother's treadle sewing machine... she taught me how to use it when I was 12... have forgotten how now... I inherited it from my aunt, that actually had a spare too... I gave the spare to my lil brother...

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

WE were going to get married right after Diane graduated from College. Her parents gave her a Kenmore Sewing Machine (made by Singer) as a graduation present. (I thought that was lame, but kept my mouth shut!)

AS a stay-at-home mom my wife sewed and mended for a shop in the nearby town. They ask to see something she made to prove she knew what she was doing. She showed them my backpacking rain suite. She was sent home with a large pile of things nobody knew how to repair! When things were tough, they made sure that Diane always got plenty of work, so they didn't lose her to another sewing service!

That shop sold and promptly went out of business. A lady from a sister church, heard Diane was looking for sewing to do and came by to talk. She had maybe 20 housewives making block letters and sewing them on sweatshirts for all manner of Colleges, Fraternities, and some High Schools. After a several month period one of the gift shops bounced payment to the boss lady! All the other seamstresses held the product hostage until they got paid. (Being in the building and apartment business, we understood getting a customer shafting you) So, Diane helped get enough product done to fill other order and get money moving to everyone involved. That put Diane at the top of the list to get work when things slowed down!

She went to work for Bath and Body Work distribution warehouse part time and everyone sent stuff with her tto be fitted or mended.

Now days she gets a call: "Help, I'm getting married in three weeks and my dress needs altered" OR three Bride's maids dresses need altered. Now it's those same women: Hi, I'm going to the Inaugural Ball and need some alterations.

For our 20th Anniversary, I bought her a Singer 4 thread serger. (Boy do those eat thread by the mile!) I don't think good sewing machines are a lame gift anymore!

Over the years people left around 15 sewing machines in apartments. None of the old black Singers! But if they were repairable and usable, Diane would give them and lessons to the single moms at church. When they got enough experience, Diane would call around and find someone that needed a beginning seamstress!

A sewing machine and a gal that knows how to use it, That is a true Godsend!

Ivan

 

[jimmyj]

I grew up in a rural area that electricity, running water, and telephones had not entered the area. Petal type sewing machine were what was used. Singer and White were the brands I recall. Flour sacks were colored designs and clothes were made from these sacks.

 

[Auburn4]

Long story short. just out of A. F. a city boy, 50/50 John Bull/Polock. Meet a Italian farm girl, started dating, got kicked out of house 3 times by dad. The women in family made their own clothes. Working at Republic Steel making GOOD money. Went to Singer store and bought the top of the line sewing machine and had it delivered. Next Sunday invited to dinner by MOM. Been married 60 years next July.

 

[Harrison]

My wife has a 75 yo Singer electric portable, which she had cleaned and minor repairs done. She frequently uses in for straight stitching. She also has two computers attached to a needle mechanism that she uses for quilting and embroidery. The Singer is much more reliable than the computers.

 

[Bekeart]

Flour Sacks and Chicken Feed Sacks

I grew up in a rural area that electricity, running water, and telephones had not entered the area. Petal type sewing machine were what was used. Singer and White were the brands I recall. Flour sacks were colored designs and clothes were made from these sacks.

I remember my Grandmother ordering her chicken feed and describing which patterns of the bags she needed/wanted.

 

[GypsmJim]

Here's an interesting tidbit. We often talk about guns and when they were made and when they were shipped. We also talk about Singer guns made during the war years.

My wife wanted an antique treadle and I found one. I got it from an old old lady who said it was her Grandmothers. Doing the research I found it was more than 100 years old.

Turns out Singer has a database for EVERY machine they ever made. Looking up my gem's serial number revealed the exact DAY it was manufactured.

How cool is that?

 

[rwsmith]

I wish I knew what happened....

my wife and I bought this at an estate sale a year or so ago for $40.00. her "modern" machine is having problems so she got this out of the closet and set it up. only does straight stitches but that does 95% of what she needs. she has made two dresses for the youngest granddaughter on it in two days. Amazing how simple old machines are the best. just thought I would share. Lee

...to my grandmother's treadle Singer. About the only advantage to a new machine is attachments and programming like a computer. If you just want to sew stitches, old it just as good.