I was in college before I developed an interest in sewing. Well, not exactly developed. I was forced to learn after a friend messed around and failed to make an outfit for me that I desperately wanted. So, I taught myself on a Singer and made some of my own clothes for years afterward.

When I started going to auctions a couple years ago, I would spot vintage Singer sewing machines. Not the plastic ones in cases that I used. These machines looked like works of art. They were shiny black metal with gold filigree and the Singer gold medallion. I also came across one once that had red and gold filigree.

Some were in good shape; the owners had obviously kept them well-oiled and dustless. Others needed work. There were also other manufacturers I had never heard of before. Some of those were antiques from the late 19^th century.

The first patents for sewing machines were issued in the 1700s, but they were not mass-produced until the 1850s with the Singer machine. As with most antiques, sewing machines do have their collectors, with websites brimming with photos of their collections and information on sewing machines in general. Read this collector’s story and view a few of his 500 machines, all from the 19^th century and before World War II.

Here are some of my finds:

 
Singer child’s toy sewing machine (above) from the late 1940s or 1950s. It is 7” tall and 6” long.

Singer 15-91 Centennial heavy duty sewing machine. The medallion on the side has this inscription: “A Century of Sewing Service. 1851-1951.” This workhorse sews through double, triple and more folds of leather and jeans fabric. A similar model I came across was the Singer 66, another workhorse, manufactured in 1954.

Singer 128. It has red and gold filigree designs and a pear-shaped side plate. The front plate is embellished with grapes and leaves. It was manufactured between 1926 and 1928.

Singer 221 Featherweight. This most popular of the Singers is still greatly sought after and used. This lightweight machine has a nicely embellished faceplate. It was manufactured in 1935.

Cash Buyers Union. It is black, cast iron with silver filigree designs. I had never heard of this manufacturer before, and only found a little information in my Google research. One website said the Cash Buyers Union was a national cooperative society. Another had a catalog that listed the company’s products, including sewing machines, musical instruments, dinner sets, bicycles, clocks and buggies. This machine was circa 1895.

Others I’ve come across:

General Electric Sewhandy. This machine was said to be a precursor to the Singer Featherweight. Besides GE, the Sew Handy was made by a series of companies, including Standard Sewing Machine Co. The machine I found at auction was made between 1931 and 1936.

Willcox and Gibbs. This 1897 machine had a very strange look: Its spine reminded me of the image of a black Halloween cat about to pounce. It was the first chain-stitch machine and was very popular.

 If you’d like to see some nice antique machines, check out these sites: Sewing Machine Collectors  and Sewalot.

Related posts:

1. A mystery sewing item
2. A slew of antique sewing boxes
3. Simplicity posters & memories of sewing

This one, however, was neither of the three. I wasn’t even sure it was a sewing machine. I had seen it in the back of a glass case at the auction house – a large spool of thread on top – and had meant to look it over. Now, it was being auctioned.

Curious, I bidded on it. Primarily because I wanted to figure out what it actually was. The machine looked old, vintage, maybe because it was dusty. There were no markings on it.

I’m still not sure what it is but I don’t believe it’s a sewing machine. It has a neat old long wooden spool (which has green paint on the top) of coarse thread. The spool has notches on the bottom that trip over a metal lever when turned. 

Like a sewing machine, it has loops and a hook for thread, but there is no place for a needle. When I turn the spool to the right (it won’t turn left), the metal rods on the front move up and down with the rhythmic pattern and sound of a sewing machine.

Could it be one? Or is it a yarn threader or winder?  Or a knitter?

I tried looking it up on Google and Ebay, but how do you search for something that you don’t know the name of? Understandably, I couldn’t find anything like it. Do you recognize it?

Related posts:

1. A slew of antique sewing boxes
2. Vintage sewing machines at auction
3. Needle packs: Too classy for sewing

I can do that sometimes. But a talented person with an artist’s eye can do it effortlessly.

I was at a fall arts and crafts show a week or so ago and came across what I consider a wonderful use of vintage items. An artist had taken the items – among them a Kodak folding camera, a Crayola tin box and a miniature sewing machine – and fashioned them into art pieces.

Perched on top of each was a metal bird made from found objects. I was impressed. I love old cameras and this one was similar to several Kodak folding cameras I had gotten at auction. Never would I have thought to use them as the perch for birds (or anything else). But here they were, as lovely as they could be.

I have to admit that when I saw that Crayola tin, I thought to myself, “I’d love to have that.” It looked to be in great shape, with clean bright graphics and no dents that I could see.

The artists are a husband and wife team from Pompano Beach, Fla., with a business called Mullanium Jewelry & Other Fun Stuff.  “Our fascination with birds and antique found objects is what inspired us for this collection” of songbirds, according to their website. Their other collections include mirrors, jewelry and wish boxes. They say their works are in galleries, museums and specialty stores around the world.

Related posts:

1. A stuffed bird
2. A sexy red Ford T-bird convertible
3. Don’t tear apart old books for the bird prints