Monday, July 14, 2014

Machine No. 10

I don't really think of myself as Sewing Machine Collector, but there must be a threshold when casual accumulation becomes obsession.


For many years, I had just the one machine, my Bernina. Then I was gifted with not one, but two Singer Featherweights by my French friend. The first one proved a lifesaver when my Bernina was in the shop, making me see the wisdom of having at least 2 machines. I inherited my Mother's & Grandmother's cabinet machines -- Mom's, a Kenmore from 1949 or 1950, is the machine I learned to sew on; Grandma's is a treadle machine, a Ben Hur, that hasn't worked in decades because the belt is broken -- both are more sentimental than functional. I got the hand-crank Singer for power-outage sewing. The Brother machine has a deep throat-space & lots of power; I got him because I was quilting more & larger quilts. My Singer 66 Lotus is an Art Object -- I haven't sewn with her, she should be on display. I was casually looking at machines on eBay & saw the pale green White. I liked her because she was pretty & after a tune-up, she's a joy to sew with.
So:
  • 1 machine, a deliberate & considered purchase that I've never regretted
  • 4 machines, gifted or inherited, I think of them as passive acquisitions
  • 2 machines, acquired to fill a need,
  • 2 machines, acquired merely because they are pretty
  • Total: 9 machines
I had been seeing old Kenmores & Whites on Flickr that had the same rough texture & dark colors as Mom's & was just, well, curious, about what I might see on eBay. I saw one like hers only in a reddish-brown color & a portable -- though at 30 pounds it's not really all that "portable". Offered at a good price & with free shipping -- a few days later Machine Number Ten arrived at my house.


I'm officially in the "like another hole in the head" zone with my sewing machines. For no good reason, I still hanker for a blue & white Morse -- they look like a 57 Chevy, 2-toned & chrome-y -- & a pink International. I had thought I should stop at 9, a perfect square. Now I have 10, a nice base number. But maybe I should try for 11, a prime number? A friend suggested 13, a baker's dozen -- & another prime number!

Mathematicians? Numerologists? Financial counselors? Suggestions?

4 comments:

Rachaeldaisy said...

Yay! Welcome to your new very stylish and wonderful sewing machine!! Oh the fun you'll have together, and the fabulous things you create in collaboration!

O'Quilts said...

Awesome...welcome to more addiction..yeah!!

Barb said...

great collection - i say shoot for a bakers dozen!
I'll have to google the blue & white machine, never heard of it.

cauchy09 said...

So...I have three. One is my first which I have officially used into oblivion. The two that work are used as spares for each other. I'm ready to be rid of one of them---it's too much of a diva---and I'm worried about not having a spare. We'll see.

But 10? I'm impressed. How do you store them all?