Tailor Made

I keep learning about different models and their variations and today's post is about the Singer 201-2/1200 sewing machine. I love, love, love the Singer 201-2 and have bought and sold many of this model. How do I love thee, o' Singer 201? Let me count the ways: potted motor, all metal gears, no belt, front light, large harp, drop-in bobbin, stands on a table without a case, beautiful stitch, strong and powerful, and just a classic sewing machine. I found another one in an industrial type table for an excellent price so my husband and I dashed over to buy it. The owner, a young man, told the story of it being in the family for decades and how it was even brought over from the east coast because they just had to have it here in Minnesota. Now it was being sold because it was just too big and didn't fit their needs so I was happy to take it off their hands. It was large but the head came out easily even if I did have to disconnect a couple wires.

Once in my garage I checked it over, decided it was safe to run, just very dirty, and she was great. There were no decals left on the bed of the machine but a strip of white tape that left a nasty mark. What was the goofy industrial table about and the treadle peddle as a foot control?

It's not a treadle peddle misplaced: it's a foot control

While cleaning up I noticed the model number: 1200. This was not a Singer 201-2 even though it looked identical to one except for the mechanism on the back that I recognized as a presser foot lifter.

If you see this, you have the capability to raise
the presser foot with a knee lever.

Out to the internet for research, I found out the Singer 1200 was indeed just like the 201-2 but it was made for tailor shops. It is not an industrial, meant to run all day, but had the large table, wide foot control, and presser foot lift as a professional shop would certainly appreciate. Even the lack of decals was intentional since they would be worn off with use anyway. I realized I had found a gem so now I needed to bring her back to her former glory.

Singer 1200 in original table, restored

Cleaning first with sewing machine oil and lots of wiping, I followed up with Go-Jo, non-pumice formula, and then some buffing. There were so many small places with the bobbin winder and around the potted motor sticking off the back but she was finally declared clean enough.

All gussied up and no where to go

How about that table? I'm sorry I didn't take a photo of it before refinishing but it was the usual butcher block slab of wood that had seen better days with letters scratched into it and most of the finish rubbed off anyway. I wanted to preserve the ruler decal but the wood color around it was not the light tone of the rest of the table top but brown so brown it was going to be. Sanding like crazy took the finish off as well as the initials so just a coat of stain and three coats of sealer and she's ready to be used. The presser foot knee lifter was missing some parts so I found a long bolt that could double as a paddle to push against; it's not beautiful just functional.

Presser foot lift knee bar substitute

While I was cleaning I noticed the thumb screw that would drop the feed dogs so I could use it for free motion quilting. I have only had success with a sewing machine that I could use the automatic start/stop feature so it would keep a steady pace and I could concentrate on moving my hands with the quilt. Maybe the 1200 would work better for me so I found a free motion/darning foot, a quilt sandwich for practice, and gave it a go:

Free motion on the Singer 1200

It worked! Maybe it was because of the larger foot control and steady pace, maybe it was my hours of free motion quilting I already had, but it worked for me now. I am thrilled! But (there's always a but, isn't there?) this machine is out in the garage and is not coming in the house so that leaves me with the dilemma of how I will keep a quilt clean if I bring it out to the garage for quilting. I could lay a sheet down on the floor and I have plenty of them in a rag pile in the garage (neatly folded as future drop cloths, mind you), or I could wash the floor. That's the better idea but so much work to get things moved over to one side, power wash, scrub with mild detergent, power wash again, dry for several days, move things back, do the second half, and then I could consider the floor clean (I still might lay down a sheet). I get tired just reading that set of steps let alone doing them but now that I'm retired I have all the time in the world to do it. Not this week since I'm having cataract surgery and have to lay low, but in another ten days - maybe. I'll post photos of the very clean garage when it gets done (see, this is motivation since I put it in print).

All of this is in celebration of finding a Singer 1200 in her fantastic table that just invites a larger quilt for free motion quilting. I can almost hear it calling me from the garage...