4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Olly]

I am very proud of this and couldn't resist posting some pictures!

 

I thought about buying a sewing machine last month, but I don't often need to use one. At the same time my mother's machine, which I could never part with because it holds so many memories, was languishing in a corner. She made all our clothes on it, and as a teenager I made most of my own clothes (I've never used an electric machine, in fact).

 

I found a man who fixes machines, and he was delighted to take this on - he prefers old machines ("no plastic!"). He said it's now working as well as on the day it was first bought.

 

I know this was used by my grandmother to make my mother's baby clothes. Mum was born in 1916, so at a conservative estimate this is about 100 years old. Can anyone beat this?

 

 

[WitchHazel]

Olly, how lovely!

 

I'm so impressed that you are able to make your own clothes, I'm not very deft with my fingers at all.

 

Now that your lovely machine has been restored, perhaps you should treat yourself with the money you saved by not buying a new one.

 

Hazel

[Cooks]

that's a really nice machine, my mum had a singer a bit similar to that that she made clothes for us on.

[emily95]

What a beautiful machine!

I cant compete. My machine's made of the dreaded plastic

Emily

xxx

Edited for Typo.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a thing of beauty .

 

My brother bought me an old Singer machine at an auction for my birthday (over 30 years ago ). It looks just like yours but it's electric so is obviously just a baby!

 

It's in the attic .

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I have a Singer Sewing Machine at my Dad's that my Gran gave me............apparently it was made in 1905. It doesn't work at the moment but we didn't have anywhere that restored machines where I used to live and my Dad took it into safe custody when the OH threatened to throw it out.

[Snowy]

Oh Olly that is indeed a thing of beauty! And a Frister and Rossman! You don't see many of those! I bet it still sews like a dream - it may not have fancy stitches, but I bet it copes far better with thick fabrics than the modern machines. Even my 23 year old copes better than the modern ones

[ubereglu]

What a lovely machine. I think my Mum's friend has one like this, but it doesn't work as the foot pedal doesn't work and needs fixing.

[Jules.]

My mum had a machine that was in a cabinet with double doors. She lifted up the top & the machine was upside down in it, & you just flipped it to get the machine on top. The whole base of the cupboard was the foot pedal.

She got rid of it not long ago, I don't know where to

[SAB]

Ooooohhh how beautiful!

[WitchHazel]

Thanks for posting this Olly.

 

I have an old (electric) Singer machine, and I've been thinking for a while about getting some dressmaking tuition (spookily enough, I was searching for college courses only yesterday.

 

I had thought that if I did manage to get some tutoring, I'd buy a new machine.... but you've made me rethink that. Maybe I'll stick with the singer.

 

H

[Lesley]

How beautiful

I have an old Singer - but not as old as that!

[Cooks]

my mums singer was basically the same as that one, I dont think she still has it I will have to check.

 

even the same little handle.. which fold in and tucks away if I remember rightly.

 

I have an electric machine a brother one, which I have had a few years, with all good intentions... ahem... but the singer was SO easy to use that it made it a pleasure to use.

[bekibutton]

Wow, that machine is amazing! And looks great considering how much use it's had over the years

 

I have a Frister and Rossman machine too, although it's probably only from the 60s or 70s I guess. The man who serviced it for me said it would go for years too, like yours!

[Egzandra]

That's a beautiful machine. My mother has an old Singer treadle machine that her mother had. When I looked up the serial number on an internet site, I found it was built in 1913. It is built into a table which flips open, making a sewing table and the machine is upside down under that, a bit like Jules' but not in a cabinet with two doors. My mum used it a bit, but I used it to make all my dresses on when I was around 15, with varying results, I might add, but all of which I wore.

 

It only does straight stitch but that is perfectly adequate, I used to turn the inside of the seams over and stitch them to neaten them.

 

My mum has still got it. I would like to have it restored one day if my mum will let me have it.

 

My electric Husqvarna is lovely, but even though it does fancy stitches I don't love it more than the old treadle.

[Plum]

Keep it!!! I love my new machine but you'll never get a machine that sews a better straight line than the old ones.

[Olly]

Well thanks for all the positive replies, I am very proud of it but I did wonder if I was the only person who thinks it's lovely.

 

I wonder what happened to all those treadle machines, upside-down cupboard ones and so on? For anyone else out there who's got an older machine, it's definitely worth getting it serviced. This was part of my 'spending mindfully' - why buy a new one if the old one will still do - and I am very glad I did.

 

Whether I'll ever get round to making anything on it, is another question ...

[Charlottechicken]

It's a lovely machine Olly, well done for spending a bit of money and tlc on it

 

I have my mother's old Singer, it's about 50 now (I think). I sewed my finger into it when I was 10, and making some dolls clothes It's a hand machine but I turn the handle fast The needle had to be pulled out with pliers after my finger was frozen with an icepop

 

I also have an old treadle machine in the summerhouse (left behind in the house I bought) , it's a bit of a wreck, but I kept it as a project.

[bronze]

I can't beat it though mine is beautiful. I inherited my mothers when she got my Grandmothers

[bronze]

Do singers have a date on them?

I don't want to risk my back getting it out but I might if I knew it was worth looking

[Snowy]

Do singers have a date on them?

I don't want to risk my back getting it out but I might if I knew it was worth looking

It should have a serial number Bron, and from that it can be dated. Is it a treadle or a hand wheel?

[Snowy]

Olly, I found this page about Fristers. there is a pic of one pretty much identical to yours if you scroll far enough down. Interesting comment about it's value today!

Frister + Rossman

[Olly]

ooh Snowy that's brilliant, thanks! I'd done a bit of Googling about them but hadn't found that page (and mine does look pretty similar to the one shown). I will have a look tomorrow to see if it's got a place of manufacture or anything.

 

My grandmother, who was the original owner, was a cook in a private house and she wouldn't have had a lot of money, but perhaps it was a wedding present or something like that. I wish I knew! "Ooops, word censored!"ody left who can tell me, sadly.

[bronze]

Its hand wheel. My guess would put it about 1950s in style of the case but I'm not sure. I think my mums one now would be older.

 

thats reminded me I have a sewing question

 

oh the number is F2607149

[Snowy]

Its hand wheel. My guess would put it about 1950s in style of the case but I'm not sure. I think my mums one now would be older.

 

thats reminded me I have a sewing question

 

oh the number is F2607149

 

Wow, according to this site it was made in Clydebank, Scotland in 1912!