Sewing

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Share your memories of Singer sewing machines

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Did you know that the patent for the very first Singer sewing machine was issued on August 12, 1851?  That’s 160 years ago!!  The folks at Singer are celebrating the 160th anniversary of their machine with a special website where people can post stories and memories of their Singer sewing machines. 

I’ve got a couple of my own out there, including one of the Singer 20-10 toy machine that I used to play with when I was a child.  It had been my mother’s, and we recently let my own daughter sew on it as well.

Go to www.mySINGERstory.com to read all of the stories out there already, and to enter your own.  Anyone who shares a Singer story gets entered to win one of the limited edition commemorative machines (available Jan. 2012).  According to Singer, these commemorative machines look like antiques on the outside, but their insides are modern and the features innovative.  (Can’t wait to see what one looks like!!)

Deadline is August 31, 2011.

Comments

  1. I got my first Singer sewing machine in 1972, I was twelve. I loved it, my mom and grandmother were both sewers and out of 5 children in our family I am the only one to wanted to learn. I made doll clothes, mini quilts, more like pot holders, after all the maching was only abot 8″ high and 12″ long. I learned a lot with it. I often wish I still had it, working or not.

  2. Great site!!!!!!!! I FINALLY found out how old my present machine is!!!! IT’S A KEEPER!!!!!! 🙂

  3. Here’s a question! If one DOESNT’ win this fabulous machine, can one BUY IT somewhere????? That would be REALLY GREAT!!!!! Thanks!~

  4. I’m sewing on my mom’s 1971 high school graduation present! She moved overseas and I get her wonder machine all to myself. We’re good friends 😉

  5. I designed my own wedding gown and made it on a Singer Featherweight. That was over 30 years ago! The first sewing machine I ever used was a Singer Featherweight, I love them, they’re so reliable and they sew beautifully.

  6. My mother had the Singer Featherweight on which I learned to sew and I loved it, neither of my daughters have had any interest in sewing but my granddaughters have the “bug” and it is a joy to teach them, I am 66 and still remember making my own skirts and slacks when I couldn’t afford to buy what was in style for JR and SR high school. Singer has been my sewing friend since 7th grade when I hade my first “home ec.” class of sewing

Have you read?

My Great Fabric Flea Market Experiment – Should You Sell Your Fabric Stash?

You know that moment when you open your fabric cupboard and it groans at you? Yeah. That was me last month. After years of cheerful hoarding (“Ooh, this linen will be perfect for… something!”), I’d reached critical mass. My stash had officially become a fire hazard and my husband said no more fabric. 

So I did something radical: I loaded up my car with unloved fabric and took it to the local flea market. No fancy booth, no display—just me, my boot (trunk for my US friends), and a handwritten sign that said “FABRIC – MAKE ME AN OFFER.”

What followed was equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and mildly chaotic.

The Good, The Bad & The “Wait, What?” Moments

The Bargain Hunters

Within minutes, a woman in a neon pink sunhat descended on my car like a fabric-hungry hawk.

Her: “Is this silk?” (Holding up very obviously cheap polyester)
Me: “Uh… no?”
Her: “I’ll give you 50p.”
Me: “Sold.”

Turns out she makes carnival costumes and needed “anything shiny.” Godspeed, glitter queen.

The Emotional Connection

One lady nearly teared up over a scrap of 90s Laura Ashley floral.

Her: “My mum made my wedding dress from this exact print!”
Me: “Take it. It’s yours.”
Her: “But I don’t even sew!”
Me: “Then frame it and yell at it occasionally like it’s your mother-in-law.”

She left cackling. Mission accomplished.

The Unexpected Haggler

A very serious 8-year-old approached with a £1 coin and the negotiating skills of a Wall Street broker.

Him: “I need fabric for my guinea pig’s birthday party.”
Me: “That’s… specific.”
Him: “He likes blue.”

Obviously I gave him ALL my blue scraps plus a ribbon for the guest of honor. Best sale of the day.

The Surprising Joy of Letting Go

Here’s what shocked me: I didn’t miss a single piece. Not the “I might use this” chiffon. Not the “too nice to cut” Japanese cotton. Watching people light up as they found their perfect project fabric? That was the real dopamine hit.

  • The quilting club ladies who squabbled over my batiks like seagulls over chips
  • The art student thrilled to find cheap muslin for her sculpture project
  • The retired tailor who tutted at my folding skills but bought 5m of wool “for teaching the grandkids”

Every piece went to someone who’d actually use it—no more guilt-tripping me from the depths of my stash cupboard.

 

What I Learned (So You Can Do It Too)

  1. Price Everything at “Please Just Take It” Levels
    • My pricing strategy: “Would I rather have £3 or closet space?”
  2. Embrace the Chaos
    • Let people rummage. Half the fun was watching two strangers bond over the same floral cotton.
  3. Bring Backup
    • Shoutout to my friend who brought a flask of tea and periodically hissed “That’s vintage, charge more!” like my fabric pimp.
  4. Take Pictures
    • For every sad “I never used this” moment, I got three “look how happy this makes someone” moments. Worth it.

The Aftermath

My car is lighter. My sewing room breathes easier. And somewhere out there, a guinea pig is living his best blue-fabric-life.

Will I stop buying fabric altogether? Don’t be ridiculous. But now I ask: “Will I love this enough to keep it forever, or is this a future flea market treasure for someone else?”

Your Turn:

  • Could you sell your stash, or does the thought make you hyperventilate?
  • What’s the weirdest fabric purchase you’ve ever made? (I once bought 10m of glow-in-the-dark satin. Why? No one knows.)
  • Should I make this a yearly tradition?

Spill your stash confessions below – and if you’re local, watch out for my boot sale sequel: “Notions I Bought For Hypothetical Projects” coming this autumn…

(P.S. For those asking – yes, the guinea pig’s party was a success. He wore the ribbon as a cape.)