Friday, October 20, 2023

Singers and Guinea Pigs

I once heard that guinea pigs are like potato chips - you can't have just one.  It appears that old Singer sewing machines are the same.  I had a single one for years and years.  And today?  I'm embarrassed to say there are six currently residing in the house.  Sewing machines, that is.  Not a guinea pig to be seen.  I need to start reducing the Singers and fostering guinea pigs again.

My experience in buying a Singer feels similar to adopting a guinea pig.  It doesn't matter if it's in bad shape (like Mabel) or has a bad attitude (like Willow and the Newbies).  Once I see it and have introductions, it needs to come home with me.  I'll give it love and affection while it's here.  (Including when it causes me to pull my hair out.  <sigh>)

My most recent machine is a 201 I picked up from nextdoor.  It looked in better shape from the online photos.  I tried testing it out before bringing it home, but the bobbin and feed dogs were packed with lint.  I couldn't tell if it would work or not.  The mechanism to lower the feed dogs was also too gunky to test.  I negotiated with the woman and brought it home in spite of promising myself to only take a fully working machine (just like Mabel).

Rob snapped the above photo as I disassembled the entire bobbin and feed dog mechanism to clean it out.  The little instruction booklets have step-by-step directions which are terrific at explaining just about everything.  However, I required a video to put it back together.  The machine is nearly silent as it hums along and stitches a terrific straight stitch.  My first test with free motion quilting  wasn't so promising (which is the main reason I wanted the machine).  I'll tinker with it a bit more on the weekend.  Will it be like Mabel?  Or is it destined for the stew pot for bad attitude?

To top this off, I have two machines in the living room right now.  My very first sewing machine is about to be dissected.  The machine is unusable in the summer - humidity causes the timing belt to jump and causes the needle to strike the hook mechanism.  No one wants to repair it because it's a time consuming (therefore very expensive) task.  Rob and I will attempt to replace the belt ourselves.  Either we'll fix the sewing machine or give it away for parts.  I sincerely hope it's not a long term resident here either way. 

Both of these are distractions from actual sewing!  Those sewing machines are crowding my living room and need to vacate before I add in guinea pigs.



4 comments :

  1. I'm so impressed that you are able to figure out what's going on with different sewing machines and fix them! I have three sewing machines - kind of surprising to realize that! My first sewing machine looks much like the one sitting on the table in the second photo. I know it still works, but not sure if I have bobbins for it anymore.

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  2. I have the Singer Quantum now and like it though I'm not doing free motion quilting on it which is why I chose this one. Not the machine's fault for sure. I'm hard on machines and have to get Tony's help from time to time. So far I've practised serial monogamy with my sewing machines, LOL.

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  3. I was very tempted by a Willcox and Gibbs at a huge tag sale, but 1) it was a grubby mess, and 2) it was way overpriced, especially considering no one even knew what it was. I was SO grateful there were two valid reasons not to bring home a project machine! And I did buy a big box of patterns, in case I ever decide to actually, you know, sew something.

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  4. I have a few older machines too. My dad was great at fixing them. He would take them apart and have them working in no time. I guess it's one of the things I miss about him!

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