Adventures in sewing.

[bigegg]

I bought a sewing machine.
Singer model 201 from about 1937.
It has no zig zags or other elaborate settings, it simply very good at putting down a straight row of stitches - even through multiple layers of webbing and upholstery leather.

Someone dumped/lost a BBQ cover in my street, so I have material.

First two projects:


A smallish pouch for a set of small ratchet straps.




And a tool roll for my car spanners.



(Red dots are to mark 10, 13, 17 - makes them easier to spot)

 

[ajlelectronics]

I bought a sewing machine.
Singer model 201 from about 1937.
It has no zig zags or other elaborate settings, it simply very good at putting down a straight row of stitches - even through multiple layers of webbing and upholstery leather.

Someone dumped/lost a BBQ cover in my street, so I have material.

First two projects:


A smallish pouch for a set of small ratchet straps.

View attachment 461745


And a tool roll for my car spanners.

View attachment 461746

(Red dots are to mark 10, 13, 17 - makes them easier to spot)

Marvellous quality, skills like a duck to water.

 

[Parm]

Both have come out neat but i particularly like the bag

 

[Popcorn]

Isn't it just like welding or is it welding is sowing with fire.

 

[bigegg]

Isn't it just like welding or is it welding is sowing with fire.

ObWeld:
I used a flame to weld the ends of the webbing so it didn't fray.

 

[DAPPH]

I bought a sewing machine.
Singer model 201 from about 1937.
It has no zig zags or other elaborate settings, it simply very good at putting down a straight row of stitches - even through multiple layers of webbing and upholstery leather.

Someone dumped/lost a BBQ cover in my street, so I have material.

First two projects:


A smallish pouch for a set of small ratchet straps.

View attachment 461745


And a tool roll for my car spanners.

View attachment 461746

(Red dots are to mark 10, 13, 17 - makes them easier to spot)

You can get small old singer ( eBay ) steel boxes with all manner of attachments for piping , rufs , gathering , hemming , button holing , darning etc . As a kid ( 1950's I used to love the smell of the singer the oil and oil soaked fluff in the bottom of the stand . It was my delight to turn the handle for mum when she was turning well worn flannel sheets edges to the middle and running up new outer edges on the thinner materials .
You can also get leather & fur needles for it and transparent plastic shuttles that allow you to easily see what is left on the shuttle when it is in place .

Seeing as it's been motorised you can do some great things on it such as finding old tatty big sized smocks , dustcoats etc. taking them apart ironing them flat and making hard board or strong thick card patterns from them so you can make your own heavy duty sweatshirts and other clothing at a fraction of the shop prices that will also actually fit you every time.

 

[Beanwood]

Transparent shuttle cover- what a brilliant and simple idea. One of my biggest irritants on the bartack machine is running out of bobbin thread part way through an automated pattern.

 

[colnerov]

The 99,100 and 200 series machines are very capable, Mum used to do dressmaking and even upholstery with hers. Her sister had an industrial machine which was larger, but the main difference was that it could do it at speed.

 

[bigegg]

You can get small old singer ( eBay ) steel boxes with all manner of attachments for piping , rufs , gathering , hemming , button holing , darning etc .

I got a box full of attachments - most I doubt I'll ever use (1/16" hemming foot for instance).

I've made a list of attachments I want:
Zig zagger.
Walking foot
3/8" binder (I have a 1/2" one)

As a kid ( 1950's I used to love the smell of the singer the oil and oil soaked fluff in the bottom of the stand . It was my delight to turn the handle for mum when she was turning well worn flannel sheets edges to the middle and running up new outer edges on the thinner materials .

I used to sit and watch mum sew quite regularly as a child.
Wish I'd paid more attention.

You can also get leather & fur needles for it and transparent plastic shuttles that allow you to easily see what is left on the shuttle when it is in place .

Transparent shuttles put on shopping list.

Seeing as it's been motorised you can do some great things on it such as finding old tatty big sized smocks , dustcoats etc. taking them apart ironing them flat and making hard board or strong thick card patterns from them so you can make your own heavy duty sweatshirts and other clothing at a fraction of the shop prices that will also actually fit you every time.

That's one of my plans - I'm going to make some better fitting t-shirts.

 

[marlinspike]

Those old machines are good on heavy materials. A walking foot will be an asset. If you fancy trying it out on leather there are loads of cheap off cuts on Ebay and you can buy out of style leather/suede jackets very cheaply to cut up.

 

[bigegg]

Those old machines are good on heavy materials. A walking foot will be an asset. If you fancy trying it out on leather there are loads of cheap off cuts on Ebay and you can buy out of style leather/suede jackets very cheaply to cut up.

A few years ago - in the "before times" - I volunteered at a charity shop to clear a load of old donated, unsellable, sofas into a skip.
I "skinned" them all, so have a couple of tubs of upholstery leather to use.
Unfortunately, they are buried at the moment as I'm partway through building a new shed. (320 sq ft "playhouse")

 

[bigegg]

Sleeping mat foam (as used for camping) sews really easily and seems to be the ideal firmness for camera/instrument case padding.
It is _ridiculously_ cheap - I pay 50p or £1 a mat at the car boot, especially just after Leeds music festival.

 

[Smallfry]

You can get small old singer ( eBay ) steel boxes with all manner of attachments for piping , rufs , gathering , hemming , button holing , darning etc . As a kid ( 1950's I used to love the smell of the singer the oil and oil soaked fluff in the bottom of the stand . It was my delight to turn the handle for mum when she was turning well worn flannel sheets edges to the middle and running up new outer edges on the thinner materials .
You can also get leather & fur needles for it and transparent plastic shuttles that allow you to easily see what is left on the shuttle when it is in place .

Seeing as it's been motorised you can do some great things on it such as finding old tatty big sized smocks , dustcoats etc. taking them apart ironing them flat and making hard board or strong thick card patterns from them so you can make your own heavy duty sweatshirts and other clothing at a fraction of the shop prices that will also actually fit you every time.

My mum used to do that with sheets too ! I ******** her Singer up doing some car upholstery

 

[DAPPH]

I got a box full of attachments - most I doubt I'll ever use (1/16" hemming foot for instance).

I've made a list of attachments I want:
Zig zagger.
Walking foot
3/8" binder (I have a 1/2" one)





I used to sit and watch mum sew quite regularly as a child.
Wish I'd paid more attention.


Transparent shuttles put on shopping list.


That's one of my plans - I'm going to make some better fitting t-shirts.

Watch out for Lidl & Aldi having £99 ish Overlockers aka Sergers for doing over stitched locked seams that are cut precisely by the machine the correct distance from the stitched edge they can have up to four bobins
and are an excellent addition to any home that makes clothes , we have one ,& I use it quite a lot . They are essential for the seams on Kiddies clothes , Sweat & T shirts if you are using stretch jersey cotton

Look online for people using them it's a big thing in the USA.

 

[frank horton]

I was just explaining to my younger wife the same thing about sheet repairs just the other day......
this discussion started after she read how long the Brits had to put up with rationing after WW2......
also, my mum used to unpick our shirt collars and reverse them to get more mileage outta the shirts....
ah, the good old days...hahaha....

 

[Robotstar5]

I was just explaining to my younger wife the same thing about sheet repairs just the other day......
this discussion started after she read how long the Brits had to put up with rationing after WW2......
also, my mum used to unpick our shirt collars and reverse them to get more mileage outta the shirts....
ah, the good old days...hahaha....

I remember when clothes were repaired/patched not just replaced, my mum had a wood "mushroom" she stretched socks over to darn holes in them.

 

[Morris]

Wifey has a Newhome that she got 40+ years ago. It's built like a battleship and weighs about the same. After it's last service it sews like a new one, very smooth running.
We've three others of various makes and vintage.
A good sewing machine is indeed a useful thing.
Nice work @bigegg

 

[DAPPH]

I remember when clothes were repaired/patched not just replaced, my mum had a wood "mushroom" she stretched socks over to darn holes in them.

In the 1950's I was called " Patch " at school , as I was the youngest in a clutch of four , I got the repaired hand me downs . Thankfully unlike some my Mum refused to send me to school in my sisters ankle socks, knickers & dresses etc.
I didn't get my first long trousers till I was turned 11 yrs old in 1962

 

[DAPPH]

I remember when clothes were repaired/patched not just replaced, my mum had a wood "mushroom" she stretched socks over to darn holes in them.

You wuz posh , we used a washed out jam jar or the Rowntree's cacao tin with the contents still inside

 

[marlinspike]

Mum's used to take the rear pockets off jeans to sew on as knee patches when you wore them through. Cheap, disposable fashion is why we send tonnes of the stuff to the developing world to deal with, ie leave in mountains to rot.