Family Affair

Sewing machines come to me by the strangest routes. I don't mean that the person was strange or the sewing machine, but it just would never have occurred to me that some people think of me when they see an old sewing machine. But that's not true when I see friends on Facebook post sewing machines to my wall and ask "Do you know what this is?" to one of the more esoteric models. Today's story comes via my dear sister-in-law and her husband. He was driving near home and found this out at the curb:

Singer 66 cabinet with stool

How he knew it was a sewing machine...I'm going to have to ask him about that. When he gets home he makes his wife get off the phone so they can hurry back and maybe get this old sewing machine. He didn't trust his own gut on this one and if like most husbands he has brought other things home that didn't get met with approval. They both look it over and she gives a thumbs up and it comes home. When I get an email about a Singer from 1941 and would I like it my first thought is always "well, yeah" but there not much else for information and I hope it's not one of the ones I get a sinking feeling about. I arranged to pick up after work and here's what I find:

Singer 66 with filigree decals

She's beautiful and almost the best decals I've seen yet! The bobbin cover is missing (of course) and it's cobwebby underneath. but oh who cares? That I can clean up so she's comin' home. I almost didn't go to yoga, giving myself the excuse that I'm running a little late...no, we better get to yoga. It's hard to relax and get refreshed from yoga when all I want to do is take a good look at my new friend.

Upon closer inspection I see that I'm not going to be plugging it in yet because the foot control has exposed wires. I take the motor and light off, inspecting and deciding I need to tape and put back since they are all quite good. I find another foot control and when I get the wiring done and look for the plug to connect to the outlet...wait a minute, I'm missing an essential part. There's no plug! No connection to the power source and that motor isn't going to run. Along with a new foot control set-up I have the plug end and I find a Singer 3-prong plug to go into the machine itself. I secretly love wiring these old gals so I'm pretty happy to make the wiring safer. Here she is, clean and safe:

Singer 66 still looking good!

Singer 66 all shined up

Isn't she beautiful? The needle plate is one of the black ones and wish I could get a black bobbin slide but that's asking too much. First stitches are perfect but I clean, oil, and putts around with it for awhile just to feel the joy. Sigh.

That cabinet is going to get a treatment with Howard's Restore-a-Finish so I, hopefully, won't have to strip it down to get it looking nice again. And did you see it even has the bench/stool? Wow, I'm excited all over again. It just goes to show you that sewing machines will come to you like a magnet to the refrigerator, even from family members who become more dear as the years go by. Thanks, David and Marie!