2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

CapricornLass

My great grandfather worked for the Singer Factory in Glasgow in the 1890s/1900s, Laura, so there is a chance he might have had a hand in building your machine!

Laura_Elsewhere

CapricornLass said:

My great grandfather worked for the Singer Factory in Glasgow in the 1890s/1900s, Laura, so there is a chance he might have had a hand in building your machine!

Good lord!!!! Well, he did a very very good job. I've used it ever since I acquired it when I was 12, and I'm 52 now, and it needed a new spring for the upper tension a couple of years ago and that's all. 

Brilliantly-built - thankyou Great-Grandad CapricornLad! 

CapricornLass

 I think Lakeland used to sell the Tala measuring cones but probably don't now.  They sometimes turn up in odd places -like garden centres which sell kitchen ware? A case of keeping your eyes, open, I suppose.  But they are great things - I wouldn't be without mine.

hazzie123

Finally I made my first purchase of the year, a 5 pack of knickers so 10 coupons spent. 

Cannot wait till the charity shops reopen.

PipneyJane

hazzie123 said:

Finally I made my first purchase of the year, a 5 pack of knickers so 10 coupons spent. 

Cannot wait till the charity shops reopen.

You aren't the only one, @hazzie123.  I will give them a couple of weeks, after Lockdown ends, to get themselves sorted out and then I think I'll take an afternoon off work and go on a charity shop trawl.  It's not that I need anything, I just want the thrill of the hunt.  Plus, you never know what you'll find.

- Pip

Baileys_Babe

Thank you for sharing that website @Laura_Elsewhere I can easily see myself spending many a happy hour on their exploring.
If I have done this correctly the machine is 1 of 15,000 Model 201k made in 1957. Also made in Scotland but alas not by @CapricornLass great grandfather.

Accompanying the machine is a box of attachments, I would describe them as feet some look very complex, I will need to find time to work out what each one is and how to attach it.

Thanks for the suggestion of a simple camisole top but I don't really think it ds' thing. I was planning on suggesting a simple drawstring bag as his very first thing (as we all feel our rummikub game would benefit) followed by a simple garment for his preschool-aged cousin as they adore each other and she won't even be aware of any slight flaws.

dolly84

Another Singer owner here, mine is from the 1930's and was converted to electric sometime in the 60's by the look of it, it does work but the cable looks terrifying so at the moment it is purely decorative although I do plan to get it re-wired, it has a box of attachments with it but is missing the metal plate that goes over the hidey hole for them.

I have a Brother machine I bought about 20 years ago and oiled for about the third time a couple of months ago, I will be oiling it more often going forward although I don't plan to change my needles for every project, I've not done that before and things seem to turn out ok.  I was going to get it serviced but it was £45 plus parts and I didn't thiink there was a lot wrong with it so I thoroughly cleaned it and oiled it and then fiddled with the tension.

The jacket that arrived the other day has been returned, it was just too small and I didn't see it being much better if I lose weight.

PipneyJane

dolly84 said:

Another Singer owner here, mine is from the 1930's and was converted to electric sometime in the 60's by the look of it, it does work but the cable looks terrifying so at the moment it is purely decorative although I do plan to get it re-wired, it has a box of attachments with it but is missing the metal plate that goes over the hidey hole for them.

I have a Brother machine I bought about 20 years ago and oiled for about the third time a couple of months ago, I will be oiling it more often going forward although I don't plan to change my needles for every project, I've not done that before and things seem to turn out ok.  I was going to get it serviced but it was £45 plus parts and I didn't thiink there was a lot wrong with it so I thoroughly cleaned it and oiled it and then fiddled with the tension.

The jacket that arrived the other day has been returned, it was just too small and I didn't see it being much better if I lose weight.

£45 is an excellent price for a full service.  My Brother machine is 30 years old this year.  Last February, I took it in to be serviced.  It had been sitting gathering dust for several years and, for some reason, the tension was off, so I thought it could do with some expert TLC.  It needed a part replaced in the bobbin area and, after all these years, I finally bought a case for it.  I think I paid £110 all in, including the case.   I collected it just before Lockdown.  (My brain has blanked out what the part is called.  ?Shuttle housing?)

- Pip

Baileys_Babe

The chocolate cake has just come out of the oven and smells great. Thank you, everyone, for your help. We will be having a slice once it has cooled.

TwibbleDee

PipneyJane said:

Ooohhhhhh...... I want one of those!  I remember them.  (I also want one of those hand-held, pint jug sized flour sifters, the ones where you squeeze the handle to release your sifted.  I've not seen one since the late 1970's...)

- Pip

...what type of sifters do they sell over there?  Those are the ones I see all the time here.