Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Singer

Carolyn-watson-quilting 

Art by Carolyn Watson.  Print available at www.art.com

I have to apologize about something.  Usually, I am so careful to give credit when I use an image that isn't mine.  I really slipped up last week when I posted "Quilting, Then and Now".  I used an image I found when I Googled "quilting bee" or "women around a quilt frame" or "image of women quilting".  For the life of me I can't remember the site where I found the image, and naturally many of you have asked about it.  I have gone back to Google and tried all sorts of searches, but I can't find it again! So sorry about that!  Guess I was just in a big hurry to post and make my point and didn't give credit where it was due.  In the future I will do better.

The picture above is very cool, don't you think?  Both my grandmas (Shyne and Savage) had Singers like that, and they were set into beautiful wooden treadle tables.  In my childhood, I was always so regretful that my feet wouldn't reach the treadle of my Nonnie's machine.  I wanted to sew like she did so badly!  And no one would put blocks on the treadle like they did on the peddles of my trike.  I just didn't get it.   One year Nonnie made every grandchild ( I think there were five of us at the time) a pair of flannel pajamas.  That was a labor of love.  I recall she also tried to reupholster a couch down in the basement.  It was not one of her more successful projects, as I remember that it was up on cement blocks for months down in the damp recesses of the basement and was never completed.  I admire her courage in tackling the project however.

My Nonnie's and my Grandma Agnes's Singers are long gone, but my husband's family has taken more care to preserve his grandmothers' Singers.  From what I understand, Grandma Clark was a refined lady who could afford the best, but probably didn't need to make most of her own and her children's garments.  Her machine is beautifully preserved.

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The case is a bit banged up, but the machine itself looks pristine.

Grandma Higgins machine tells a different story.  She only had one child, but used her machine for home decorating projects and for constructing garments for both herself and her daughter.  Her machine looks better used and is not such an expensive model, which goes along with her status as a single mother.

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I found the coolest thing when I opened up her machine case.  Look at the little change purse in the foreground.  It is where she stored her little sewing accessories.

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I bought myself a Singer Featherweight a few years back.  Here in California where I live, they are a real prestige item.  Anyone who totes around a fifty or sixty year old Featherweight has earned her stripes as a quilter, that is for sure.  Or at least that is what the image hints at!  All my friends have them, and I have to admit, the machines never fail to stitch just right, are very low tech, inexpensive to repair, and are easy to lug around.   They really are light weight too!  The two machines I photographed above both weighed so much I thought my arm would pull out of it socket when I dragged them into the back hall to take their pictures!

This weekend I will have an opportunity to use my little Singer Featherweight, because I am going on a Quilting Retreat!  While I am there, I will be sure and take a photo or two of my trusty friend and share with you when I get back!

38 responses to “Singer”

  1. Enjoyed your blog,loved the pics of the different sewing machines. And as a newer longarmer….can’t imagine leaving the threads on the quilt. I was shown to do tiny stitches… then clip close..or backtrack.

  2. Enjoyed your blog,loved the pics of the different sewing machines. And as a newer longarmer….can’t imagine leaving the threads on the quilt. I was shown to do tiny stitches… then clip close..or backtrack.

  3. I luv Ina too! I don’t have any of her cookbooks, but after reading your post, I’m definitely going to ask Santa for her “Back to Basics” cookbook, if I can wait until Christmas!
    Two of my quilting friends and I are flying from Las Vegas (which is where we live) to Oakland in another week and we’re going to Alex Anderson’s retreat. She does her retreat in two sessions. We’re going to her second session. Are you going to the first session of her retreat? I plan to bring my antique Singer Featherweight with me as carry-on on the plane to use at the retreat. I’ve never flown with a sewing machine before, so, hopefully I won’t have any problems.
    Pam

  4. I luv Ina too! I don’t have any of her cookbooks, but after reading your post, I’m definitely going to ask Santa for her “Back to Basics” cookbook, if I can wait until Christmas!
    Two of my quilting friends and I are flying from Las Vegas (which is where we live) to Oakland in another week and we’re going to Alex Anderson’s retreat. She does her retreat in two sessions. We’re going to her second session. Are you going to the first session of her retreat? I plan to bring my antique Singer Featherweight with me as carry-on on the plane to use at the retreat. I’ve never flown with a sewing machine before, so, hopefully I won’t have any problems.
    Pam

  9. I have the Singer Featherweight that belonged to my Grandmother, Gigi. Every time I use it I think of her (actually – every time I sew I think of her!) It’s the machine I learned to sew on. Did you know you can find the “born on” date for your machine on the Singer website by entering your serial #?

  10. I have the Singer Featherweight that belonged to my Grandmother, Gigi. Every time I use it I think of her (actually – every time I sew I think of her!) It’s the machine I learned to sew on. Did you know you can find the “born on” date for your machine on the Singer website by entering your serial #?

  11. Now those are some treasures . . . particularly that little coin purse. I’m always keeping an eye out for a Featherweight that may want to come home with me. You never know where one may pop up *s*

  12. Now those are some treasures . . . particularly that little coin purse. I’m always keeping an eye out for a Featherweight that may want to come home with me. You never know where one may pop up *s*

  15. Nicole, thanks for this – it brings back wonderful memories of my Lithuanian grandmother who was a tailor in the Pike Place Market in Seattle beginning around 1915. She had a Singer treadle machine, but did a lot of sewing by hand. From her I learned to sew and darn and later found my love of quilting. I agree with Carol – what stories the machines and their owners could tell! Cheers!

  16. Nicole, thanks for this – it brings back wonderful memories of my Lithuanian grandmother who was a tailor in the Pike Place Market in Seattle beginning around 1915. She had a Singer treadle machine, but did a lot of sewing by hand. From her I learned to sew and darn and later found my love of quilting. I agree with Carol – what stories the machines and their owners could tell! Cheers!

  21. I have my mothers Singer 301a that my Grandmother bought for her in the 50s. It is such a great machine. Thanks for sharing your story and photos.

  22. I have my mothers Singer 301a that my Grandmother bought for her in the 50s. It is such a great machine. Thanks for sharing your story and photos.

  23. I had a machine just like Grandma Higgins. It’s a 99K right? First it was my Mom’s who then passed it on to me. That was my favorite machine-even better that my very expensive Bernina. It sewed the straightest seam and never had a problem with tension or the bobbin thread going crazy. I made the mistake of passing that machine on to my daughter who now loves it as much as I did. I won’t be getting that machine back. I keep looking for them in consignment stores and yartd sales but have yet to find one. That’s a great machine. You can plug the serial number in at Singer.com and it’ll tell you what year it was made.

  24. I had a machine just like Grandma Higgins. It’s a 99K right? First it was my Mom’s who then passed it on to me. That was my favorite machine-even better that my very expensive Bernina. It sewed the straightest seam and never had a problem with tension or the bobbin thread going crazy. I made the mistake of passing that machine on to my daughter who now loves it as much as I did. I won’t be getting that machine back. I keep looking for them in consignment stores and yartd sales but have yet to find one. That’s a great machine. You can plug the serial number in at Singer.com and it’ll tell you what year it was made.

  25. I love my Featherweight. Vann got it for me several years ago. I always take it to retreats. I learned to sew on a treadle machine, but after I got married (the first time) Mama gave it to my aunt and I don’t know what happened to it after that. Wish I still had it.

  26. I love my Featherweight. Vann got it for me several years ago. I always take it to retreats. I learned to sew on a treadle machine, but after I got married (the first time) Mama gave it to my aunt and I don’t know what happened to it after that. Wish I still had it.

  29. Hey Ozzie and Sophie: You are sooooo tagged. When your mommy gets back from retreat, tell her to go to SuSu’s blog and read the meme. Then consider yourself tagged. –Sophie Belle Patterpaw

  30. Hey Ozzie and Sophie: You are sooooo tagged. When your mommy gets back from retreat, tell her to go to SuSu’s blog and read the meme. Then consider yourself tagged. –Sophie Belle Patterpaw

  31. I want a Featherweight probably just because everyone else has them and they’re so cute! I do have a *vintage* hand crank machine that I displayed in GA but no room to set it out here in MN – I can’t imagine sewing with one hand and cranking with the other one but I’d love a treadle machine too.

  32. I want a Featherweight probably just because everyone else has them and they’re so cute! I do have a *vintage* hand crank machine that I displayed in GA but no room to set it out here in MN – I can’t imagine sewing with one hand and cranking with the other one but I’d love a treadle machine too.

  33. I learned to sew on a Singer (not a treadle). The older ones sewed well and seldom needed repaired. Real work horses. I did have two of the Singer featherweights but sold them when we downsized. Now I sort of regret that I didn’t keep one.

  34. I learned to sew on a Singer (not a treadle). The older ones sewed well and seldom needed repaired. Real work horses. I did have two of the Singer featherweights but sold them when we downsized. Now I sort of regret that I didn’t keep one.

  35. Love my featherweight!! Hunka’s cousin has a white one. Only been used a few times. Even still has the oil bottle with the original oil in it. I told her do not ever get rid of it before letting me know.

  36. Love my featherweight!! Hunka’s cousin has a white one. Only been used a few times. Even still has the oil bottle with the original oil in it. I told her do not ever get rid of it before letting me know.

  37. How fun was this post??? I just love seeing the old Singers and hearing about the users of them. Delightful little sewing kit you discovered…historian that I am, discoveries like that always just thrill me to no end. Very fun to see yours.

  38. How fun was this post??? I just love seeing the old Singers and hearing about the users of them. Delightful little sewing kit you discovered…historian that I am, discoveries like that always just thrill me to no end. Very fun to see yours.