Composition

I'm no writer even if I was editor of my high school newspaper. As it turns out, I work with a whole group of people who have literature and journalism backgrounds so most of the serious writing tasks go to them. In my private life I find I'm writing all the time when I post ads for my sewing machines and for my sewn items on Etsy. Yet it's always nice to sell a sewing machine without having to take photos, write it all up and keep it posted. Last night was a winner in the let's-keep-it-easy department.

I posted an ad for a copper colored Carlton and got a response by dinner time. She was coming right after work so I set it up and tested it out while making dinner of BLT's and last summer's green beans. This lovely Japanese woman brought her husband along and they both looked closely at the Carlton but were not so happy that it was only straight stitch. Oops. I didn't write that in the ad but it always looks so evident to me when there's no lever for stitch width control. Did I have a zigzag machine? You bet! I brought up, amidst their offers to help me carry it, the Hamilton:

Hamilton in blue

The Hamilton sounds so nice, with a bit of a zit zit zit sound and makes a very nice stitch, plus it has the 4-step buttonhole with one of the best end products I've ever seen: perfect buttonholes! She was sold but then asked if I had others because she had a friend... so we looked at what I had in my showroom living room. The two Kenmore's, fully loaded, were too intimidating, so we went over to the Dressmaker in the Straovarious cabinet I refinished last fall:

Dressmaker SAMB

Straovarious cabinet refinished

She liked it, so much in fact, that this one was going to be hers and the Hamilton was going to her friend who had small children and would be more difficult for her to come and look for herself. The Dressmaker was in an ad that had expired and I knew I was going to have to start all over again so imagine my relief knowing it had now found a new home. She like that it had a manual and a box of specialty feet that the Carlton did not have so after they left I remedied the situation. I dug around in my collection of feet and found a wonderful set of Singer attachments that fit the Carlton:

Extra feet plus needles and bobbins!

I have another post about how to use many of the special feet and it is are fun for the straight stitch models to have extra features like the ruffler and bias binder. I corrected the Carlton ad to say straight stitch but also added the extra feet as a bonus. Whew! One hour after dinner and two sewing machines walked out the door and another got an upgrade. Not bad for an evening at home with my hubby and collection of sewing machines. Here's the Carlton in all her copper colored glory:

Carlton before she took residence in a new case

Isn't she pretty? There's a new home for her yet, just waiting patiently.

It's Raining Men

The Weather Girls song about the availability of men always makes me laugh but it's true that I do sell a lot of sewing machines to men and this past weekend was proof. I had a nice call on Wednesday from Greg who wanted to take a look at my Singer 306W in the art deco desk and I couldn't have been happier. We were going to get it in from the garage anyway and this just hastened the day. Our neighbor Steve came over to help me and we got it all set up in the living room, right inside the door so it would be so easy to take out to his car.

Art Deco Cabinet with Singer 306W

Then an email from Ken came a few days later and we wanted to see the Dressmaker sewing machine in the refinished cabinet and I could hardly believe it. Two cabinets in one weekend? I started to count down how many cabinets we would have left in the house and I was so hopeful.

Sunday afternoon Greg came over and he sure did like the cabinet but wasn't so sure about the Singer 306W. His wife already has a Singer 401A and what he really wanted was the Dressmaker sitting right next to the Singer but it was promised to Ken.

Dressmaker

Singer 306W

 Once he explained what he was trying to do and the other sewing machines he owned, including his wife's and daughter's, all he really wanted was a good solid straight stitch and a zigzag for bar tacking. I started to bring machines up from the basement but finally had to give in and invite Greg down into the warehouse. At his quiet gasp I wasn't sure if it was admiration or horrified shock at how many sewing machines I really did have. We looked at about five or six, listening to each and then I spied the Necchi BU, a real nice sewing machine but in need of a cabinet... Greg loved it, had plans to maybe replace the motor and  rewire the set-up that was in the art deco cabinet, and couldn't wait to get it out the door. I think he was afraid I would change my mind but I was happy to match the right machine to the right person for the job they were trying to do.

Necchi BU

Ken came about an hour later after I managed to tidy up the showroom and basement. He watched me sew on the Dressmaker and tried it out for himself but wasn't totally sure this was the model he wanted. You guessed it, I took him into the basement where he also gasped quietly (Minnesotans are polite but not shock proof) and I showed him a Singer 15-91 and a 201. Both had wonderful potted motors, sewed great, had the piercing power he was looking for, but neither was exactly ready for sale. He asked the million dollar question "Which one would you buy?" but that's silly because I had already bought both of them. But for him I recommended the Singer 201. It really is an excellent sewing machine and he didn't care that the bed of the sewing machine was pretty well worn didn't have all of the decals anymore. It needed a new needle plate and slide so I wasn't ready to sell it just yet but Ken said he could wait. I quoted a fair price, considering condition and value, so we were both happy.

Singer 201

Did I clear my living room of those three cabinets? No, that was just a dream because I still have three having only made room for the art deco cabinet for the weekend. I could have sold the Dressmaker to Greg had I known Ken wasn't going to buy it but I would still have had the cabinet. Now I have a Singer 306 without a cabinet and the Dressmaker is still waiting to be sold along with the White 31 Embossed that is getting a new hand wheel. Then there is the Elgin that I so dearly love but need to sell. The next day what do I find at my local Good Will? That's right, another cabinet but this time it has an Elna Plana Supermatic. It just had to come home with me in it's blond wood cabinet that's in good shape.So I might sell almost as many sewing machines to men as to women and it might seem like it's raining men, but it's definitely raining cabinets.

Julia

It's been a very busy week showing and selling vintage sewing machines with visiting friends. Knowing I had a wide variety of sewing machines to try out all in one place, we tried them all! Well, there wouldn't be enough time for that, but here's the list of sewing machines that we plugged in and had fabric between the presser foot and feed dogs: Singer 401A, Singer 403, Singer 221 (Featherweight), Dressmaker, Elgin-Free Westinghouse, Minnesota S treadle, Bernina 730, and Necchi Supernova Julia, plus Singer 99 and 201 were just listened to. Why so many? Why so few!

Each machine has a feel, sound, and stitch quality to consider. I know some people consider the stitch quality to be their top priority and I almost agree with that but I need to have an experience that I can enjoy. My all-time favorite, the Singer 401A, was not her favorite by any means. The Dressmaker was second place:

Dressmaker

She's a lovely blue, this one is in excellent cosmetic shape, great stitch quality, sound is soothing and quiet, but there was one big hitch: the needle was a left position type:

Dressmaker needleplate

This model is stamped JA-8 so I know it's one that was made in Japan in the '60's when they made the needle position left for a lower manufacturing cost. That means you need to adjust your thinking every time you sit down to sew. This would be no problem if you only had one sewing machine but when you sew on two or more you have to adjust. So it was love for so many features but she went back on the shelf in favor of a Necchi.

Just as an afterthought I said "You have to try the Julia just to see how different it is" so I cleared off the cabinet and plugged her in, thinking why not? Indeed, this was love at first stitch. I could not have predicted this but glad Julia was so loved:

Necchi Supernova Julia

She is beautiful, came with a cabinet and chair plus all of the accessories you could want: set of feet, cams, tools in original case with the Wonderwheel for special stitch configurations, plus two manuals. The cabinet top needs refinishing but that's not too much to do or too difficult so it was loaded into the SUV and we said our good-byes. It was fitting that I had bought Julia, my first Necchi, when it was -5 degrees and it was sold on a warm summer day. Many happy sewing hours are ahead and Julia has found a wonderful new home but it was a bit more difficult to let her go than I thought. Knowing she is going to be used and appreciated and that I share this bond with an old friend makes me glad. I'll have to sing the Beatles song "Julia" and remember my pink Supernova:

Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you, Julia

Julia, Julia, oceanchild, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering
In the sun

Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia

Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Hum hum hum hum... calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia, Julia, Julia