Yesterday I picked up an old Pfaff machine, purchased in the 1960's. I friend of mine's mother had bought a new machine and was throwing this one away because it no longer worked, or at least not very well. So I said I could look at it and throw it out for her if I couldn't get it to work. Well, I changed the needle (which was really chewed up), looked it over, plugged it in and it sews like a finely tuned machine. My youngest daughter wanted to try it out (since it was just sitting on the table there) and made a nice pencil case out of some fabric I just bought.
I just had to share my good news, gotta love those old machines.
Happy you got the older Pfaff. They are really good machines! Seems like a lot of people just don't take the time to care for them properly! Barbara in SC
Wonderful how those old workhorses perform, isn't it. What do you bet the dear lady just wanted a smart new machine?? Her loss is your gain! Except that, of course, she has no idea what she did lose. I am still greatly enjoying the 60s Elna Supermatic I scored about a month ago. The only problem I am having is that it has a knee control, which I have never before used. Anyone have any tips about keeping my knee out of the way when I stop the machine for one thing or another? Every so often, I seem to manage to start it up inadvertently, which can mess things up if either (a) the fabric is still under the needle or (b) if the fabric is not there and I do not catch it immediately if forms a nice birds nest.
To paraphrase: What is one woman's trash, is another's treasure. What a pity it would have been to have the machine relegated to a landfill (tip, to the Brits).
I laud you for saving a SM that, by all accounts, probably has about
Congratulations! I know you and your daughter will get lots of enjoyment from the machine. I've known many people who just want a new one, instead of cleaning up and using the old one. Like Beverly, I thoroughly enjoy my 1961 Singer slant-needle, but I also love my embroidery machine, tas well.
My old Singer has a knee-control, but the cord is long enough, I can remove it from the holder and use it as a foot control. I did that for a while till I became familiar with using it as a knee-control. Since the machine was given to me, I don't know if the cord is is original or if it was fixed with the longer one. I seem to remember it was like this when new. Check the owners manuel and see if it is mentioned.
The Singer foot controller with the "button" on it fits into a bracket in their cabinets for a knee control, but slips right out to become a portable controller. The 301 machines go one step further and have a cradle that fits into the cabinet so that you can release the machine with one finger, pick up the machine by the built in handle, and with the foot controller removed from the bracket, you're good to go. All in a light-weight, though full-sized machine, with the same stitch as the famous Featherweight. In fact, if you own a 301 and take it to classes or other public areas, watch your bobbin case or take it with you when you leave the machine. It's the same as the FW bobbin case.
My daughter's MIL was telling me about her 70s Kenmore not working and when I asked her about it she told me she had NEVER changed the needle. She got it new and used it off and on for years...and then it just stopped "working right". I didn't even ask if it had ever been cleaned or oiled.
There is a special kind of joy in rescuing an old machine. I'm on my third rescue. 2 have found homes with DD"S and the third, as I posted, is mine, all mine. They work so well and will probably never ask more of you than a good oiling once in awhile and new needles for each project. I do wish new to sewing folks would see the wisdom of that. They really should be saved, used and treasured. Then when you want a new one, you will know what a good machine is. Enjoy your rescue. Juno
I completely agree, Juno (says Irene who has 75 or so vintage machines...). Old machines were made to last several lifetimes with proper care....they deserve to be saved IMHO! very unlike the computerized machines and plastic wonders of today which are considered 'out to pasture' after only a few years.
I'm down to 25 to 30 (not counting, nope, not gonna do it) and I don't understand anyone who gets rid of a solid, old, reliable, all-metal machine just because they got a new machine. The new plastic-fantastic machine will be in the shop from time to time, for repairs and replacement of parts. The old reliable can fill in, perhaps even capture your heart. For a while, I had each machine out and accessible, with a different color thread on each machine. Mending, patching, repairs were a snap -- just go to the machine with that color thread. It was a good plan.
Would you try to cook with one pan? Why try to sew with one machine?
Yup! When I got the Singer Quantum XL5000 embroidery/sewing machine, I knew I would not be using it for garment sewing, it's permanently set up in its own room (with a dedicated computer) for embroidery only.
I have three trusty 401As for real sewing and I often have them threaded with different colors for a project. Like periwinkle for DGD's flower girl dress, white for the multi layer petticoat under it plus the DD's bridal gown, and purple for the adult attendants gowns. I also have two sergers (three if you count the one on permanent loan to DD), and a coverstitch. I thought the Huskylock 936 serger would save having to thread up my overstitch machine, and save having to buy 6-8 cones of thread, but I find the conversion so cumbersome, I just try to keep all coverstitch jobs for the end of a project, whip the cones off the serger and thread up the coverstitch. I keep my DMIL's Singer 500A "Rocketeer" for sentimental reasons.
I also have four irons (including two "travel irons" I use in the embroidery room), a Simplicity Press, and a Jiffy Steamer...
And at least 5 pairs of 8" shears, 6 or 7 four inch scissors, and three sets of pinking shears.
Five Littauer scissors (for clipping embroidery threads and unpicking seams), and several forcep clamps for gripping the threads.
Several hundred patterns, yards and yards of fabric, several bolts of interfacing, and a partridge in a pear tree...
At the moment I have one sewing machine out on loan, three 'permanently' set up on the benches, two sergers set up, and Lily waiting for her service...
Yesterday I had one machine set up for sewing the silk with silk thread, and one with the poly for the lining... The lining machine did not want to sew he poly fabric! It would sew the SILK fabric with the poly or the silk thread, biut not the poly fabric. It was great to have a few spares to swap oiut with to get the combination I needed! :D
Later today I shall have one set of machines set up in red silk, red poly and a serger in red for rolling hems on organza for the bride, and another set up the same in brown for the bridesmaids. I'll look a bit like a factory! Never mind, it's only for another week or so.
I just tried-out my newest $ 20. Elna SU. After clearing a minor thread-clog around the bobbin it sewed like a dream. The 6 built-in stiches all work fine; I haven't tried the cams or buttonhole. ps : on the cams - what does the number under the cam number mean ? I have another SU - many duplicate cams - but they might have a different number under the cam number eg. 1 or 2. ... factory batch number .. when they were made ? John T.
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.