h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been wanting a sewing machine for a while now, partly but not just because I have a pile of mending to do. Well, after a lively chat with my uncle last weekend, I became the proud owner of a 1926 singer model. It's one of those gorgeous black steel ones, in a wood table with wrought iron legs and a foot treadle.

Can't wait to get back over there, take the legs off, load it in the car, and bring it home.

Cor! I have my mum's old electric Singer. Plus I have my Grandpop's Jones, which he used to make a dress for my Grandma. Comme ca:
http://tinyurl.com/c3ochw

Unfortunately I've never got past first base with either, 'cos I don't know how to thyead them.

My Nana (dad's mum) used to have a treadle-operated Singer.

I'm not entirely sure I remember how to thread one, either. But a free antique model- complete with original owner's manual, bobbins, spindle and oil cans- is one helluva way to learn, eh?

That Jones model is gorgeous!

I'll have to upload a photo or two once we get it home.

Usually my experiments with fabric involve staples:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/1602/3196/1600/Dragon.jpg

I have a rather good machine myself - it can only do straight and zigzag stitches, nothing fancy, but it's an industrial one with a strong motor that will handle leather and thick wool.

Mine is one of these:

http://www.ismacs.net/singer/p66.html

Only it's not as elaborately embellished as the one in the photos that follow all the diagrams and stuff. Mine's just got some gold swirly stuff.

We may pick it up this Saturday. As soon as we do, I'll dust it off really good, park it in its new (albeit relatively temporary) spot, and get a few photos.

Got the machine home yesterday. Of course when I opened the top and lifted the machine out, the belt broke right away.

Here are a few photos.

http://tinyurl.com/de62gh

Yes, that's just like my Nana's. We used to enjoy treadling it when we visited.

hehe, I saw this hot off my very own (modern) singer. Basic model while I get the dosh together to get my super duper one fixed.

But at school, in the 6th form, I used to go to fabric shops or the antiques market in Clifton on a Saturday morning (instead of doing my prep/revision) and on Saturday afternoon cobble together an outfit for pubbing/clubbing on Saturday night. All done on a treadle machine. Great character building stuff

Time to make a cloak

Both set of grandparents had such machinery, but of course theirs were Husqvarna . Nan's is still working, while Grandma's is long dead and gone.

making your's fit and ready for use again.

I've got several pairs of pajama pants, a dress shirt and a sheet that need seams re-hemmed. At last I'll be able to get around to them!

(Once I find a replacement belt...)

can't you use an old pair of tights... oh wait, that's fan-belts, isn't it?

Yes, that's fan belts. Though the principle might work... but the wheel and the holes the belt goes through are pretty narrow and it'd take some tricky trimming work to get tights in there.

I suppose for a model this old there aren't dozens of different belts to select from, and Singer does apparently still sell bits for these old workhorses, since they don't die.

This is what's known as 'Appropriate Technology'. I bet the backstreets of Dhaka/Dakar/wherever are full of folk running up bespoke tailoring on ancient Singers.

They certainly last longer than computers!

That's for sure!

I've found several listings for treadle belts on eBay for $5 or so, so it won't be difficult if the local shop doesn't have any. I'll still need to get some oil and lubricate the heck out of it, and will need to figure out needles and bobbins, etc.

Ah...what did we do before eBay?

Come to think of it - what did we do before teh interwebs in general?* What other way do we have of, eg, finding out how to thread a Jones manually-operated sewing machine?















* Oh yeah! We did some work occasionally.

No joke. My boss is out of the office till Wednesday afternoon, I've got caught up on outstanding projects, and while I'm waiting for other stuff (once the mail trickles down), I've spent my morning investigating belt replacement and placed an order for a belt.

I'll swing by the local Singer supplier later this week or next weekend for oil and stuff.

Perhaps I'll be repairing all my flannel PJ pants next weekend?

(Before "teh interwebs" became avaialable to me, I spent a lot of time at the library...)