So Victorian Sewing Tech is Really Cool?

I've been meaning to figure out how to use these feet for a while, and I'm so glad I did! I'm so impressed by this bit of Victorian technology.

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📪 Abby Cox
642 N. Madison Street
Bloomington, IN 47404

[teacheraprilrogers]

My elderly neighbor had what I thought was just a 1960s blond wood sewing machine cabinet in the driveway with a sale sign on it. They wanted $15 for it. I went up did a quick once over and said I wanted it. I only a $20 but it was in perfect condition so I just knocked on the door gave them the money and said thank you. When I went to pick up the cabinet and haul it down the street to my house I realized it was very heavy. Inside was a beauitful ejaculated 1940 Singer sewing machine. I mean in perfect condition with all the accessories. I was stunned. I thought it was just the cabinet. The sewing machine works beautifully. It is a simple straight stitch machine. It has its serial number and I was able to look it up and as you may very well have guessed by now I got a fantastic deal. I now have the machine. My grandmother's 1950s era singer, and my mother's 1960s era singer, which she bought used as a teen in the 1970s. I feel very lucky to have all these great machines.

[librasgirl]

Have to think about Bernadette's dress with the lace, with your feet it would have been much faster.
Fascinating to watch.

[lorricarney]

I also have a "feet problem" I call it "attachment issues" I love-love mine and use them all the time.

[MossyMozart]

Being "stuck" with only a modern machine, this was much more interesting than I thought it would be. Deep respect for the product engineers who invented all the various feet in order to expand sewing machine capabilities so far. Many modern feet are still very similar to their ancestors.

[eliza-uonk]

I don’t know what it sounds like in person vs on camera but I find the little cruncha-cruncha-cruncha noise of this singer quite satisfying

[krysab]

What I love about these old machines is how tangiable the technology is, if you get me - you can see and feel how everything works (unlike ekectronic machines), it's delightful 😊
My mum has a vintage Singer (hand-cranked) with a box of Mystery Bits, I'll be investigating them next tme I visit for sure!

[fullmetalsewist]

To everyone in the comments who has these vintage machines in their possession and hasn't started using it yet: they are INCREDIBLE. With a little bit of care they will work so hard for you, and I feel such joy even just looking at my vintage machines, not to mention using them. Abby, I'd love to see you try the binding foot-- I struggle with that one and haven't been able to get it to work for me.

[SibylleLeon]

I, a beginner, haven't even arrived at things like different feet yet xD I just got a functioning 1910 Singer, but without a belt, so I need to get that and then teach myself how to use a sewing machine for the first time in my life. Looking forward to it! Good to know there are whole other levels to reach after those first steps though xD

[a-]

Gosh i haven't heard the sound of a sewing machine for decades - such a lovely soothing sound. My grandma had a machine like yours. such good memories!

[DaphneAbernathy]

I recently became the new owner of a 1905 Singer 27k hand crank (The Sphinx design). After a good cleaning it works beautifully. I have most of these feet and haven’t tried them yet. You have inspired me to get out some scraps and play with the feet.

[MichelleH]

I love feets!! This was great Abby. My former father-in-law worked at a Singer shop in the mid 60's doing repairs. He got to work on vintage machines often and even restored some.

[Chibihugs]

Ohhh the underbraider is so cool!!! But also that edge stitcher 😲 This would make making a lingerie dress so much easier.

[PiskeyFaeri]

Heck yes. I have a Singer 127K from 1929 and I've found modern professional machine feet fit on the old ones. Which is fascinating to me, and makes life easier because it only came with one foot.

[kristinamanion]

I personally liked the edge stitcher. Thank you for the video. May the next month be kinder to you and your spouse.

[lindean]

I recently learned about under-braiders and it’s my favorite antique foot now. It’s so specific and so telling of the type of sewing that machine owners were doing. I was actually organizing my feet while watching this and I had gotten them in a pre-owned bundle. It’s a very similar feeling to opening up a vintage foot box. The previous owner had a couple embroidery feet, some pintucks, lots of hemming feet- but no cording or quilting feet even though those feet are made for this machine. My favorite foot in this collection is the zipper foot with a sliding guide on it- to help keep zipper distances even. I imagine the previous owner sewed a lot of garments and zippers and decided to save themselves some work and got a foot with a guide. The under-braider tells a story too- an era where cording and reinforcements needed to be sewn invisibly but sturdy.

[peaches]

I love how Abby talks to her machines as though they're people. I do that to, especially since sometimes they do seem to have a mind of their own.

[bunhelsingslegacy]

<pauses the video to go grab all the feet that came with my 1914 Jones family vibrating shuttle hand crank machine>
<goes back and grabs the box of Universal feet just in case, contemplates the Kenmore feet but ultimately decides it's not worth climbing over the Universal to get to them>

THANK YOU! Now I see how my rolled hem extensions are supposed to go, they go with that OTHER foot I didn't know what to do with! It seems the Singer manual's ability to explain how it works far exceeds the Jones manual I found online.

Now I just need to figure out feet for my 1960's Universal and my 1970's Kenmore.

[VampFaye]

I've always thought the ruffler foot was just a cruel joke. Thank you for showing how it really works! 💜💜💜

[jeananpaul]

I learned to sew on, and then inherited, my grandmother's machine exactly like this. Back in the 80's I made a big set of "country curtains" for my daughter's room, using the hemmer and ruffler. Miles of ruffles! 😂 Thanks for this trip down memory lane. These were fantastic machines!

[erinhawkins]

I think Bernadette is going to come steal your box 'o feet LOL