My First Sewing Memory: The Singer Sewing Machine Makes Its Unwelcome Entrance
It must have been 1957 or 1958. My father bought a brand-new Singer sewing machine for my mother. My mother never asked for one. The idea of sewing or owning a sewing machine never entered my mother’s head. There was an antique Singer sewing machine complete with working treadle in the cellar, that no one used. This new one was my father’s folly. A door-to-door Singer sewing machine salesman had come calling. A few months earlier it had been the door-to-door encyclopedia salesman.
He showed my father all of the wonderful things this newest of the Singer sewing machines in the line could do. It had attachments to make beautiful buttonholes. Round buttonholes, keyhole buttonholes and the standard rectangular buttonholes. It had a zig-zag attachment that allowed the machine to make simple,embroidered designs. It had gadgets to make ruffles, and blind hems and of course a zipper foot.
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| The Beautiful Black Singer 301 |
This machine was beautiful, it was shiny black with gold lettering and the Singer logo in gold. It had a carrying case that looked like a piece of luggage, tan with brown leather trim and and cream top stitching.The buttonholer and zig-zag attachment came in their separate, burgundy, plastic cases and there were felt-lined spaces for each of the cams that went into the attachments. It was like handling fine jewels to remove these attachments from their cases. And the smaller attachments came in a forest green box adorned with the Singer logo.
It was fast, powerful and quiet. I was mesmerized. My mother, not so much.
In fact I have a mental picture of her standing with her arms crossed and scowling…if it were possible smoke would have been streaming from her ears.
My father was showing off a little, sample dress he had made for my Ginnie doll with embroidered designs and little round buttonholes. He was telling assembled aunts and uncles that once she learned to use the machine, my mother would be making all of our clothing, and would re-upholster the furniture. He justified the expense by telling everyone how much money my mother would save by doing all of this sewing.
My mother was a baker, she loved to bake and made many wonderful treats from scratch. We would come home from school to a kitchen fragrant with the smells of fresh baked date-nut loaf.
Sewing was not for her, never! She refused to ever even try it.
But that machine got used for decades. All three of us sisters learned to sew on it. We shared it. I don’t remember fighting over sewing time, even though we fought about almost everything else.
Mini-skirts and Nehru jackets, bell-bottoms and bikinis all came to life with that old Singer sewing machine. My brother’s girlfriend even came to the house to use the machine.
In 1968 I sewed my entire portfolio for my acceptance to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York on that old black Singer. I left it behind when I went off to college. In it’s place I had a basic Singer Touch and Sew. It did not do nearly what the old Singer sewing machine did.
Years later, I used the old Singer sewing machine to make all kinds of crafts for a craft store I owned in a ski town in Colorado. In fact I used that machine well into the 1980s. Over the years, from time to time, my mother would ask about the old Singer.
“Don’t ever sell it or give it away,” she said. “It was a nice machine it would be a shame to let it go.”This from a woman, who on that day back in the 1950s would have bludgeoned my father with it, or at the very least baked it into a pound cake for him to bite into.
It was a workhorse. And I am sure somewhere, someone is using it right now. I never told either of my parents that in the 1990’s I sold it, and bought a machine that was not a Singer.
And now in 2013, I have decided that my mother was right. I should never have sold he Old, Black, Singer. Nothing makes buttonholes as reliably as the singer with it’s buttonhole attachment and templates.
So I went to eBay and bought… wait for my next blog post to see what I did.
8 Comments
Melissa
May 1, 2013That machine sounds wonderful! If the machine could tell a story about the garments and items that it made over the years! In 1958, my Mother bought a tan Singer 401 – Rocketeer in a blonde wood cabinet with a knee lever rather than a foot pedal. It had a container filled with the "top hot" cams and so many other accessories and feet – all included! She had it until about 1980 when she gave it to my brother's first wife…who did not sew…she traded it to a friend in exchange for a food processor. (She did not cook either!) Fast forward to 2010, my Mother had been gone for 8 years. My brother had just died – I saw a similar machine with all the goodies but in a French Provincial maple cabinet. I bought it for $75, had it serviced for $125 and it is perfect!! It is in Santa Clara as the freight to bring it to Kauai would be outrageous. Everytime I am there, I open it up and use it. Brings back wonderful memories. Enjoy your "new" machine!!!
Susan Fogel
May 2, 2013Melissa,
What a lovely story. I really wanted to get a black 301, but they were either too expensive or very beat up. I do feel like an old friend came home.
the repairman here in La Paz said he would buy it from me any time.
We have a great shipping service. I buy things and have them sent to San Diego, I pay an additional 30% fee and it is delivered to my door.
I can imagine what it must cost to have anything shipped to Hawaii. My sister was stationed there in the 60's. We could use the APO for military so we could send anything. I actually sent the kids a pup tent one year!
Maybe one day you and I will meet!
I only go as far as Los Angeles now. My daughter has moved from San Jose to Dallas.
Thanks for stopping.
Anonymous
May 2, 2013Oh Susan, what a terrific story about your wonderful old 301. I'm so glad you were able to buy another one. I know you and your new machine will have many happy sewing adventures together. These old machines are classics to be treasured and used. nancy2001
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