Ode to an Old Sewing Machine

CONFESSIONS OF A LAZY CRAFTER
Elizabeth F. Purinton-Johnson
Ode to an Old Sewing Machine

Two houses means two sewing machines, right? That’s not what I originally intended when we bought our Florida house but…. My original plan was to bring my trusty ol’ Kenmore with me when we drove down (and bring it back, and take it back down). But, during my many trips to the local thrift shops for the oddments that didn’t come with a furnished house, it occurred to me to keep an eye out for a sewing machine. Sure enough, 57 trips to the store later, there was a plain Jane Kenmore machine. Price tag: $15. Ken was coming home with me.
During the cleaning, oiling, and researching the machine to try to get the cams to work for fancy stitches (which never did), I was able to date the machine to 1970. Prowling through the guts of the machine and poking into its nether regions, I developed an appreciation for how some of the mechanics worked (or, in the case of the cams, didn’t work). There was life in the old boy yet. When it was new was just about the time my mother was using her old faithful (later to be replaced with a brand spanking new 1978 model) to sew my school clothes, play clothes, curtains, aprons, my father’s coveralls, all sorts of things. The styles of the clothes may have changed but the concept of saving some money by sewing your own hasn’t. Neither has the enjoyment in creating something pretty, or original, or betting fitting than anything in a store.
The sewing machine was one of those things that was developed over decades and no one knows quite whom to credit with the “invention”. In 1755, Charles Weisenthal patented a needle for use in a machine (which did not yet exist). There were plenty of patents for machines in the late 18th early 19th century. Most of these were never built and would never work. America’s first semi-successful machine, was built by Walter Hunt in 1834. The machine as we know it, with two threads, one on top and a bobbin beneath was patented by Elias Howe in 1846. A similar machine was mass produced by Isaac Singer in the 1850s. Amid all of this inventing was an outcry from the tailors that machines would ruin their industry and from others that women’s work was being taken away from them.
Early machines did a straight stitch, in one length, and came with a crank to be turned with the right hand. Soon, treadles, designed by Isaac Singer, allowed the sewer to use both hands while she pumped the treadle to run the machine. Some of these treadle machines were later electrified. If you have one of these converted machines, you have my sympathy. They didn’t work well and it greatly lowered the antique value.
Today’s machines come in a wide range of prices and abilities. A home sewer would probably pay about $400 for a good quality electronic machine with dozens of built in fancy stitches. Lower priced machines are certainly available but beware the “discount store machine”. Makers of good quality, reliable machines will often make a style for discount stores that has neither the abilities nor the reliability that the brand name would imply. If price is a factor (or if you’re cheap like me), consider a higher quality used machine. Research is done fairly easily on the internet to identify which models are right for you and eBay and other auction houses are full of offerings.
I visited Sew ‘N’. Vac in the Poughkeepsie Plaza to get a feel for what was available in newer machines (not having shopped for a machine since I helped my feather pick out my mother’s new machine in the late 1970s). Bob Frisenda was generous with his time showing me some of the amazing capabilities of newer models (generous especially since he knew I wasn’t in the market for a new one). One of the most astounding features is a USB port whereby one downloads designs from the internet, a digital photograph, or other software, uploads them to the machine, and creates new embroidery designs. Who knew? Note: If you go to Sew ‘N’ Vac, take a few minutes to look over Bob’s collection of vintage machines on display. One of them is dated to 1877-1883. The contrast between his sparkling new machines and the “experienced” antiques is startling.
And, if you have an old faithful, count yourself lucky. With proper maintenance (repeat after me: “cleaning and oiling”), your machine will continue to give its all for your creative endeavors, sometimes plodding along, but always keeping you good company throughout.
Modernizing an Old Sewing Machine
1. As with all machines, clean and oil it on a regular basis. It’ll make a huge difference in the machine’s life expectancy.
2. Bobbin indicator – Some new machines have a light that blinks when the bobbin is getting low on thread. Make your own. Fill 2 bobbins with your sewing thread. Use one of them as the top thread. When it gets low, the bobbin will also be low.
3. Quiet function – Impressed with how quiet new machines are? Improve your own by placing it on a piece of carpeting or a rubber mat. You can also paste felt to the undersides and inside surfaces. Just make sure it’s well secured.
4. Horizontal thread feed – All the new machines have ‘em. You can, too. Buy a thread stand. Buy a cheap plastic one and make a stand for it out of modeling clay (to weigh it down).
5. Good lighting – This is easy. Open the light housing and clean the light bulb. You can also line the housing with aluminum foil to increase reflective light.
6. Automatic needle threader – It’s not like these work anyway but if you can’t stand threading the needle, try this. Never unthread the machine. When it’s time to change colors, tie on the new thread and gently ease the knot through the needle’s eye. Cut the old thread.
7. Shiny new exterior – Clean your machine with an old T-shirt and ordinary spray cleaner. Dry. Put a drop of oil and a spritz of perfume on a clean cloth and shine up the machine.
8. Ergonomics – I don’t think even the new machines have this feature. Tilt your machine toward you and tuck a gum eraser under each of the back corners. This will give you a 1” tilt that improves visibility and maneuvering.