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Crafts

politicat

(9,810 posts)

11. Honestly? Find a maker space, if there's one near you.

Reply to Baitball Blogger (Reply #7)

Fri May 19, 2017, 10:30 AM

May 2017

A lot of make spaces have sewing machines on a borrow per use basis.

Burlap is not a difficult material - it doesn't mess with feeds and you can use standard thread - it's just itchy and if you don't have a regular machine, it may not be worth finding or restoring one for one small project.

Otherwise -- take the one you have to the closest shop, have them assess it, and tell them what you're planning on doing. A good shop should charge $50-75 to clean and tune an old machine, or they will tell you the machine is not worth repairing (which is true for a lot of late 20th century machines). If it's not worth repairing, they'll probably have a few oldies for sale. Grab one that has a good straight stitch.

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A blanket apology to the Singer owners and their machines... [View all] politicat May 2017 OP

My wife has started into antique machines. gordianot May 2017 #1

You know that there are after market parts to make a blown machine into a hand-crank? politicat May 2017 #9

I have an ancient Singer Featherweight Warpy May 2017 #2

That's what I've discovered. politicat May 2017 #10

It says "Featherweight" right on it. Warpy May 2017 #17

Yep Me. Apr 2018 #26

ME Too!! mitch96 Apr 2018 #27

I inherited my my grandmother's treadle Singer. Staph May 2017 #3

I'm glad your family over-ruled that planter idea. politicat May 2017 #13

I always figured Staph May 2017 #15

This is exactly my survival plan. politicat May 2017 #16

My mom had a vintage Singer that folded down into the cabinet. Many nights I fell asleep with the NBachers May 2017 #4

Not All Singers are Bad dem in texas May 2017 #5

I've heard great things about that Rocketeer, and it's beautiful. politicat May 2017 #12

not sure if it was a singer, but i used my grandma's old hmm, hard to say. pansypoo53219 May 2017 #6

Very timely post. Baitball Blogger May 2017 #7

Honestly? Find a maker space, if there's one near you. politicat May 2017 #11

Thank you! Baitball Blogger May 2017 #14

I have an old Singer, (electric) my grandmother's, probably from pre-WWII. northoftheborder May 2017 #8

This is an old thread but I can't help but jump in eleny Mar 2018 #18

I bought a Singer 4411 back in February... Phentex Apr 2018 #19

That line get very high marks eleny Apr 2018 #20

The only trouble I'm having is with the bobbin Phentex Apr 2018 #21

So the thread loosens as the bobbin becomes more empty? eleny Apr 2018 #22

The worst was with a pretty full bobbin... Phentex Apr 2018 #23

Hey, don't feel bad eleny Apr 2018 #24

that's a great idea... Phentex Apr 2018 #25

Singer Featherweight 221K planetc Apr 2018 #28

That's really cool! Phentex Apr 2018 #29

I used Singers in school and my mother had one, but I have only owned Janomes since the 1960s. demigoddess May 2022 #30

Singer 503 Rockateer is the best, has heavy meatal gears. dem in texas May 2022 #31

skipped part of my story dem in texas May 2022 #32

A complicated set of events that lost me (having stored with a friend no fault of his) a lovely... electric_blue68 Nov 2022 #33