Friday, June 13

the mystery of a machine

I've noticed recently that a number of regular knitters are writing about sewing on their blogs. I wonder if this is because temperatures have risen, and wool just seems less appealing.

I have not been exempt from this interest in sewing, though in my case it was inspired less by creative impulse and more from necessity. I recently had to make a faux baby for a play I was working on, something that the actors could hold and that would force them to handle it as they would a real baby. I whipped that up in a few hours, and felt a pang of regret when I had to put the sewing machine away. (There's really not enough time for everything I'd like to do!)

As I often do when I pull out the sewing machine, I looked on ebay for the parts for my machine. Perhaps I should backtrack.

My sewing machine belonged to my grandmother. I think it's from the 70s, not quite as ancient as my mother's old Singer. Anyway, many years ago when I got my machine (brought to New York by my parents, no doubt)it had attachments. Lots of them. My machine is designed for little cams to fit in and then it sews different patterns of stitches. Anyway, my roommate got confused and in a fit of cleaning threw away the attachments. Gone. No stitch designs for me, just straight and zig zag (that's the cam that was in the machine, luckily!)

So when I made my baby prop, I went on ebay and found the attachments. And I won them. And this week, they arrived!All those designs are the stitches the machine does!
In the box, along with needles, bobbins and a few stray buttons were these sewing machine feet. As I have no instruction manual (my roommate threw that away too), and no formal sewing training, I have no idea what they are for. I feel like I'm looking at some medieval machine, though perhaps someone out there knows exactly what I'd use these feet for.This one might turn the fabric under as you sew??Anyone?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the top one is for hemming and the bottom one for making ruffles.
Wilster

Anonymous said...

Here is a site that will tell you what those attachments are for with instructions on how to use them.
http://www.singerco.com/support/presser_help.html

Wilster

Anonymous said...

When you figure out what that big contraption in the last photo is, I hope you'll tell us!

- Embell

Miss Mildred said...

I believe the last one is for making button holes but I am not positive.

Ami said...

I have the same feet for my equally ancient machine- I have the direction book and would be happy to take and post photos if you can't find what you are looking for online :)

Anonymous said...

How'd that cute baby turn out?!

Embell

=Tamar said...

Hmm, this is a year ago or more.
Well, the top one is a binder, for sewing on seam binding. The middle one is for sewing a narrow turned edge type of hem. The last one is a ruffler.