I've become known in one of my craft groups as a collector of old sewing machines and so have found that I've been given a few. These are always machines to which the previous owners have been very attached and so they wanted them to go to a 'good home'.
Today I had to put a hem on a duvet cover that I'm repurposing as a cover to go over and antique car. I'd slit it up 2 sides and across the entry hole and opened it out so it was just one big piece with a seam across the middle. Basically it was a job of boring domestic hemming but I thought I'd use one of my old poppets to do the hem.
I pulled out a Singer 201 called Phyllis and used her. She has a knee lever and was called that name after her previous owner as are all my machines given to me. It was a superb experience. Dear old Phyllis just purred and was so quiet that I could still conduct a conversation with my SO in the next room but became even quieter once I replaced the needle halfway through. I've nto been able to do that whilst using my new Bernina. The stitch quality was probably as good as the day Phyllis was made. Stunning bit of engineering.
I think I've just made an early new year's resolution to use my old poppets more often.