Now, I haven't touched a sewing machine for over 10 years, but for the past few years I have had the desire to get back into it. I asked around the family for any old machines, and my Aunt Janet was in possession of my mother's Singer. When she moved to Ashland last year, my uncle delivered the sewing machine to my house. And there it sat, in the closet for almost a whole year, mostly because I didn't know how to begin...the machine needed a tune up, and I was scared to sew again! Finally, last week I took it into a sewing shop for a check-up. There was a broken gear, broken needle, and it needed oil. The man at the shop looked up the model number (#857) and said it was made sometime between 1968-1972, so I lovingly call it a "vintage" machine now. He said that it should run another 40 years now that it is all fixed up (I hope so, since I could have bought a cheapo machine for the price it took to repair it!)The day I took it home, I promptly tried to thread it and test out a few stitches. Pretty easy! That's why I opted for an old machine, none of those modern bells and whistles that will confuse me (zig-zag was a new feature when my machine was made). I don't have a manual or anything, but thank goodness for the age of the Internet, where I went to find pages of the manual reminding me how to wind the bobbin. With my machine threaded, I made a quick green scarf for my Halloween costume.
Hmmm, what am I going to be for Halloween? 
10 comments:
what a fun turn of events! can't wait to see the whole costume.
I bet it was worth fixing that old machine. My old Featherweight is priceless. All seamstresses have to have one I hear . Can't wait to see the costume!
I'm glad that you weren't scarred for life by the sewing classes! It really is a great skill to have. It came in so handy for me over all the years of Halloween costumes and home decorating.
lovely scarf ... wow, halloween is right around the corner!
what are you going to be? i don't really know?
are you going to be joan from mad men? she's the only person i can think of who would wear a green scarf. but i can't find any online images of her wearing a green scarf, so, i guess that's not who you're going to be after all.
very cute scarf! i can't wait to see the whole costume!! i'm having costume stress... dunno what the heck to be!
i am so so not a sewer. one time my mom made a wrap skirt for me in like the 6th grade. and a purple dress up skirt in elementary school with velcro to hold it together! she's def not a chef or seemstress (sp?) and i def inherited her deficiencies... so much for home ec!! we may have also may a rainbow bright doll with a pattern... i think it was rather lumpy tho...
i love that you refurbished your 'vintage' machine. how fun!
dev,
So my costume is not necessarily a person! Leslie knows what it is, since she gave me advice on how to make it =)
Good for you! And I second what your sewing machine repairman said. Those old machines will last forever if well-cared-for. Getting it serviced was a very wise investment!
Just saw your comment at the bottom there - so I'm trying to guess your costume. If you're not necessarily a person, but there's some green on your neck, you could be... Broccoli? A flower? A grasshopper? A bird? Dang, now I'm going to be thinking about this all day... Maybe you could give us a new clue each day this week!
master chef and now master seamstress? i can't even sew a button on! the scarf is beautiful. i have no idea what you'll be (poison ivy from batman??). can't wait to see the hobo bag!
a jalapeno?
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