I saw a man sewing with a Singer like yours on "Skid Row"' a area where homeless people live. He just sets up on the sidewalk on Saturdays, has a curtain people can stand behind, and they can have him mend their clothes on the old non electric Singer. The man said that his wife uses this machine to make quilts and it has been in his family over one hundred years. What a nice way to give support to the people who suffer the most.
I have two antique machines and two modern ones. I love my antiques, one of which is a Singer treadle machine. While it can’t sew in reverse, a good alternative to backtacking is as follows. At the beginning or end of your seam where you would normally backtack to lock your stitches, sew forward a bit, lift the presser foot and move your fabric back a little, and then sew over that small section of seam a second time. Basically, you provide the “reverse” function by just backing the fabric up a tiny bit. It’s less annoying than actually turning the whole piece 180 degrees and works just as good. I hope this helps!
Hey, I don't know which machine you have but here in africa we use similar style sewing machines to the vintage ones because they are cheaper and stronger even for professional tailors and they do have a reverse stitch way
I must be having a mid life crisis as I just bought a load of treadle machines. 😂 I simply adore old sewing machines, they 're so beautiful. Your vintage machine is gorgeous, I'm glad you kept it. Nice work on the backpacks. 😊❤
@MarleyBu, Nope, you are just instinctively trying to save a long lasting iron tool for yourself. Great that you have spcae to store those machines. These cast iron, even domestic, are kinda real heavy duty machines.
What you call a French seam is actually a butterfly seam. A French seam is sewn twice. Once with the right sides out. Then it's turn and its sewn with wrong sides out. So that the edges are fully encased. This sort of seam is used in garments to reduce fabric from fraying. It also creates a much neater inside seam.
Beautiful work. I sooo regret selling my granny’s treadle machine-such a relaxing sound. Don’t know how old it was but I’m 77 so it was old but still working.
My mom had a Singer treadle machine that looked like the one in your video. It was awesome. She made clothing for me and my siblings from printed flour sacks back in the 40s-early 50s. What a blessing printed flour sacks were! Wish they were still around -- they would make awesome quilts! BTW, I am 82 y.o.! I have had a couple of low-end electric Singer portables and a more modern electronic machine. Would still prefer the old non-electric machine. Don't know what ever happened to it. Interesting side point, my great grandfather was a traveling salesman for Singer sewing machines in their early days. My great grandmother was a seamstress when she and my great grandfather met.
I own one of these vintage sewing machines, exactly like the one in the video. I would love to learn how to use it in my retirement, but don't know where to start. How can I learn to use it properly ?
I live in Australia and my Nana owned a Singer treadle sewing machine and she used it until she was 102 when her eye sight became difficult for her to do her projects 😊 … she would sew pot holders for her Grandchildren. My Nan past away when she was 106 and now l own her treadle machine … l don’t use it but l love it 🥰
I have a 1950's Singer and a brand new electronic one - the 1950's is a VASTLY superior machine. There is literally no comparison. I only use the modern one for button holes.
A tip for flatbed sewing machines: always sew on the inside of the circle. In that way your fabric folds away from the needle in an easy manner. And for backstitching: start a little early, cross over and finish a little late.
It's a bit easier to start going and you'll have a more control if you put the ball of one foot on the back edge of the treadle and ball of the other on the front edge of the treadle. I sew on a New Home Rotary treadle (my grandmother's from the late 1930s). If you ever decide to look for another vintage machine, there are a lot of post WW1 options with a back stitch and droppable feed dogs. Nice bag!
I just learned a new back-stitch method (I have a 113 year old Singer!) Take about 4 stitches. Lift the presser foot and pull your fabric forward 2 or 3 stitches, then continue sewing. There are many demonstrations of this technique on TH-cam. Thank you for the enjoyable comparison video! I had a plastic Kenmore 30 years ago. Threw it to the dump once I got my Singer treadle! lol
Thanks, that is a good method, but doesn't it leave a long stitch where you pull the fabric forward ? I guess If you are sewing anywhere where it wont be visible it is nice ! About the machine, yeah same with me I had an old neumann...
@@hefestodesign Yes, If you’re concerned about the visual probably not the best method but I love it. Saves time and isn’t terribly noticeable. But, give it a try if you haven’t already. I try and line up my stitches exactly. Lol
Try lifting the presser foot for just a few stitches while treadling; this will relieve tension to the feed dogs so that you’ll be stitching over your last stitches, effectively making a double lock
So glad that there are people like you in the world that are saving the vintage beauties👏🏻💐. I am looking to upgrade a basic generic sewing machine and know Singer has a good reputation, but I can’t bare how UGLY their modern sewing machines are- no way I’m looking at THAT in my house.
The only improvement I can suggest for future bags is to use a light color lining. It's much easier to find/see items inside the bag. Other than that you did a great job, you're bags are beautiful!!! I also have a 1911 Model 66 Singer machine as well as several modern electric machines. If I had to choose only one, it would be the vintage machine, hands down!
Absolutely! I have a Singer Model 12 Fiddle Base treadle, Singer Model 28K Handcrank, Singer Model 66 Treadle, a Singer 201-2 electric also all original, the Singer 4411 this young man is showing and several more modern Singer machines! Totally agree…Vintage Iron Lady wins every time!
Thanks for doing a comparison of old and new. I have several old machines and I call them old faithfuls. They never disappoint. The new ones are stacked up all needing new motherboards. Yuck
Well done young man. Love your enthusiasm and as for the bags you created , I would happily buy one as they look so beautiful. It just goes to show that old machines are still better in many ways than those cheap and nasty plastic things. Look at the amazing work produced by the (sweat) shops in Asia where they are using Singer machines that were made before the dawn of time. Never sell the vintage table machine even if you are tempted to. The money you receive will never pay for all the work you put into it and in years to come you will regret selling it. Good luck with your channel .
Hello from Georgia, USA. I was glad to subscribe as you requested. By the way, you speak English incredibly well. It was a pleasure watching and listening to your narration during this excellent video.
I learned to saw on the old singer and I can tell you that it’s much more forgiving. It’s an incredible tool for teaching kids, both how to saw, but also how mechanics work.
This is a perfect comparison of these two remarkable machines. Now my friends can veiw this and see why I prefer the vintage treadle machines; you demonstrate the features so well👍 I have three vintage sewing machines and one HD Singer just like yours. I'm amazed how efficient the first manufactured sewing machines were... And they last and last. One of my machines is at least a hundred years old and it works!
I appreciate your tenacity! Keep up the great work!!! I too am a seamstress of many varieties of projects. I have the old black iron Singer machines and love the turnout on denim fabrics. I too have a plastic one, a Brother; for which thousands of projects have been sewn up.
Wow! My grandma had a machine just like yours. Now I have a singer pro 4423 and love it, but i'm fascinated to see what her sewing machine could do! It's amazing!!!
I am not at all surprised by your results. Don't get me wrong, I like my sewing machine, but my antique treadle machine is much better in so many ways. The machine is rock solid sturdy, sounds wonderful when using and makes robust seams. If I had to make a choice and only keep one of them, I would keep the treadle to be honest. Great video.
Very good video! I love my older Treadle Singer machine, given to me by my grandmother. I started sewing on it when I was a very young girl. Wouldn't part with it for all the world! I have had a newer electric Singer now for several years and I'm still trying to learn how to operate it!! Currently in my 60s now,😂. Thank you!!
Found your video very interesting. My mom had a treadle operated Singer machine like the one in your video on which she made clothing for me and my siblings back in the 40s-50s. I learned to sew on that machine. Don't know what ever became of it but wish I had it. My great grandfather was one of the early traveling salesmen for Singer and met my great grandmother, who was a seamstress, in his work promoting the machines. Those treadle machines were real work horses!! You did an admirable job in the video. Your work is excellent!
I loved watching you sew on the vintage sewing machine. I collect them because they are so beautiful. I do have a treadle and have a Red Eye in it. I have many of the Singer sewing machines but my favorite is the 201 because it's the Rolls Royce of the Featherweights. Thank you for the video, I truly enjoyed it!
Great! Also for the vintage sewing machine, you can buy a handcrank or a motor to attach to it (your singer class 15 was very popular so many standard size/generic attachments are compatible ) if ever you want to try something different, it's very fun for me!
Hi! I recommend covering the leather strap of the old sewing machine with rosin. In this way, when sewing several layers of leather, the strap will not slip and the result will be noticeably better! It is still possible to tighten the belt, which would also give a result. I wish you success in your creativity!
Great comparison video! I have a couple of vintage singers, a 201-2 and a 15-91, both electric, and they sew through anything and have the most beautiful straight stitch. I also have the singer heavy duty, and I love it. It does a fabulous job on thick layers. I love your bags! Great design. A couple of tips for you: (1) google ‘sewing in the round.’ This is the method a couple people have suggested for sewing cylinder shapes on a flat bed like your vintage machine. I now prefer that method over the free arm in most cases. (2) when sewing a rounded corner (like the cover flap you added), it is helpful to make small cuts with your scissor tips to the fabric on the curve, then your fabric will lay flat and not bunch up.
They look great for a first time project. Well done! I am actually quite impressed that the old machine does so well with heavy leather. Thanks for showing this comparison.
Good comparison. I learned some shortcuts. Check out using quilt clips or binder clips when sewing leather to keep parts together. They work really well.
I have a Singer 101-3 on a #40 library table from 1923, it's electric and I am restoring it now in fact. The machine itself is in excellent condition, no rust, but all oil dried out, it only needs a decent cleaning a relubricating.
the vintage machine is a triumph of design with the mechanism that allows you to turn it upside down and disappear into the table..... total genius. I had on and wish I had been able to keep it! thank you for a great video.
This was fabulous! I just purchased a Singer 201-2 1949 and love it. Eventually, I will will get a Singer 66 treadle. You're a delight and I'm sure your sister is enjoys her beautiful backpack!
My dad has a very fancy (too me) Husqvarna sewing machine, and its really nice! And my grandma has one of those old vintage machines. I never really thought of it but after getting more into fashion, and finding sewing a plausible new hobby, that old vintage machine is now very interesting too me! Grandma uses it from time from time so it's fully working too! Great video and its so cool how those old vintage machines are so up to pace even today! Its crazy to think about really
I’m with you on keeping the antique sewing machine, personally I bought first a modern computerized singer sewing machine and it was a disaster, I would get error codes every 10 minutes, internal plastic parts would break away , even spare parts that I was keeping to replace them when they broke down, broke by themselves 😮 then my ant gave me a Franklin sewing machine which is amazing, I recently bought a singer 66 on a bentwood case and I love it is 105 years old and works even better than any other computerized machine I’ve owed, vintage were created to outlast its creators and owners which is amazing ❤
We used to call those Duffle Bags in England and they were popular with school children in the late 1960s for gym kit, writing pens, snacks, etc and made of canvas. They did not usually have a closing flap. They are very useful and of course can be held across the chest for added security in crowds. I like your old and new machine and well done with the overhaul. I have a Singer 99K from 1957 that was made in Scotland and was my Moms from new.
Oh my goodness. That original sewing machine was the same machine my mother had. She used it constantly for as long as I remember. It was beautiful and never went wrong. Wish I still had it.
You forget that the new singer heavy duty you can change the feet of the machine. There is a foot for leather work. Or use a plastic foot or a foot that has a roller attached to the foot. I think both are very good and very well sewn. Great job. 👍🏾.
Thanks for taking the time to make such an informative video! You might enjoy the addition of a hand crank to your old machine. You have to remove it to put the machine away but there's only one bolt. The control you get with the hand crank is nice.
Your backpacks look great. Well done. I also love sewing on old vintage sewing machines. The treadles do give great control, power, and great looking stitches. I agree that they do take up a lot of space! There is a 1950's era machine I recently acquired, a Viking 21 (Swedish) that converts into a free arm that I love for sewing cuffs, etc. That machine can be controlled very easily when sewing slowing and has the option for heavy duty sewing with a low gear option. Hope you have a chance to sew on one of those some day, too!
I fell in love with the older machines. Making sure you have the correct needles is essential. You did a good job 👍🏻👍🏻 I have two hand-crank machines, one singer and one Hexagon. Both of them I love, they work wonderfully. I also have 3 treadle machines that I have to work on the bases to make them usable. One Damascus and two Franklins. Mom and I both have heavy duty electric machines, both over 30 years old. I have newer electric machines also.
I loved your video, my grandma had a vintage machine that's now in my parents house. It was supposed to be mine but I moved to another country. I hope my sister use it someday!
Singer had an arm in the earliest electric ones.. One thing you didn't mention is whether you used a leather needle and it makes a huge differnce . I still have my mother's old singer from the 1940's and did use it on leather and even fur making bears out of fur coats. I think the antiques/ vintage machines especially the later electric ones will still be around in another 100 years when the plastics are long gone . The earliest circular sock machines that are being refurbished are very beautiful hand cranked knitting machines that are still going strong after more than 150 years on some of them . For all the modern advancements the materials have gone backwards with plastic and are now creating havoc with our planet and health. The more we refurbish the old machine the better off we will be or start to make new ones with the old tried and true solid metals .
The plastic singer Is not heavy duty. That's a advertising ploy. I wouldn't have one of them. BTW, I have about 30 vintage machines, mostly singers and several newer machines. None of the newer ones are singers.
People keep referring to the new one as "plastic" but it's only plastic on the outside, it has a steel frame and metal internal parts, which is why I bought it. I also have a 1919 Featherweight Singer, which is much prettier, and sews well, someone put a motor on it in the 30's but it can readily be converted back to a hand cranked machine if needed. I also have a 1977 Kenmore (actually made by Pfaff with Kenmore labeling) that is also all metal, the foot pedal is a bit touchy tho, age is catching up with it I suppose.
@@ruthsquiltingandmore5346 It's reasonably heavy duty. I've seen some tests of this machine and it had no problem punching through 4 layers of leather (the most possible to fit under the presser foot). It does require a bit of a minimum speed though. Go too slow with too many layers and it can stall. I've used the Singer Heavy Duty a decent amount for personal use and never found something it couldn't handle.
I love your comparison! I have a Singer hand crank from 1912 which is stunning but was my first sewing machine and I didn't want to damage her by my ignorance, so, I got the grotesque Singer Heavy Duty last year to experiment on until I'm worthy of my old beauty. I wish I had the table, mine is portable with a gorgeous wooden carrier but I don't travel much with my sewing machine! lol I vote for the old beauty!! Both did a great job but you can't compare the craftsmanship. I'll go with the antique any day!! Great job!!!
You're very charming and interesting and make me want to create, as you do. I love your appreciation of the beauty of the industrial design, functional and aesthetic, of the treadle machine. FYI, Janome makes a modern treadle machine that has modern features.
I use a treadle for most of my sewing. One thing you might try is a different foot position. I use a heel/toe position instead of side by side. One to push, the other to keep time. I have better control of starting and stopping. I love your work and like the comparison of the machines. I actually traded my singer heavy-duty machine in for a vintage. I didn't like fighting the handwheel.
Great comparison. Love the tan/navy combination. An option for backstitching when it's hard to turn the fabric - sew forward a few stitches, raise presser foot and needle, pull the fabric back to the beginning, and sew forward again over the original stitches. There are a few seam guides out there to help when topstitching. Pros and cons for the magnetic seam guides. When there is fabric to the right of the needle, the guide would have to be kind that attaches to the foot.
Easiest sub ever. I appreciate that it took time and effort to make the comparison between both machines easy to understand. I'm thinking of buying the newer machine though, and I wanted to hear what others say about it. I really like your backpacks, and I think you're a good brother for giving one to your sister.
Hi Elizabeth. I’ve just read your comment that you’re thinking of buying a Singer HD. I would advice against it as there are lots of other machines in the same price point that are better. Find a specialist dealer that stocks a variety of brands and test out a few different machines first, then you’ll be able to compare and choose the one you like best for your needs.
I felt the same until a friend who is a vintage machine enthusiast persuaded me that it was worth £25 to try one. (That’s the typical price they go for in vintage/antique/junk shops in Scotland. There was a HUGE Singer factory in Kilbowie and it seems everyone’s granny had an all metal sewing machine at one point). I liked it so much that I now have a small collection of different models. My two favourites are one made in 1905 which is a wee hand crank one with the long bobbin in a bullet-shaped “vibrating shuttle”. And a Singer 201 from the 1950’s which is in a treadle cabinet and would have cost more than a family car when it was made. That one even has a lever to do a reverse stitch. It cost me £19.99 for the machine in a cabinet (which included an electric motor, but I took that off - by removing one screw and a rubber drive band) and around £10 for a new treadle belt. Plus a few hours to clean it and oil it. It was definitely worth the effort, I not only saved lots of money over buying a new machine but for an amateur sewer these machines are a dream. I bought that first vintage £25 machine to replace a very expensive, computerised machine that did monograms and 200 decorative stitches. I very rarely used those, and when the motherboard failed I was told it would be more than the cost of a newer model to repair it. I took it to my recycling centre but most of it will have ended up in landfill.
I have a 1938 15-88 treadle bought new by my grandma. Came to my mom when I was a kid so toyed with it a few times as a kid, just getting it so sew, not actually making anything. Came to me 40 years ago and it has just been an ornament till I recently retired. Having fun using it, made a couple things, going to try denim next and was surprised at how much power you got from the treadle. Hint: Grandma kept a chunk of resin in the drawer, I assume she used it to stop slipping (main belt), and a chunk of beesax to promote slipping :) I use the wax on the end of the thread, then cut, it slices the fibres clean and stiffens the thread, easier to thread the needle.
When I was little ,I would sit at my grandmother's feet as she sewed on her pedal machine, I loved watching her sew. I started sewing by hand after that to make clothes for my dolls, and i eventually started working in the sewing industry. making many different things and using many different types of machines. Currently, i use the singer machine at home for quilting and I'm learning so much more about sewing, we never used decorative stitches at work. As i Watched this video , I wonder if you used a leather needle in your machines for this project. We used them in our Juki at work for sewing vinyl materials. Helps so much by cutting through the material. Thanks for sharing
Your story sounds so much like mine. My grandmother taught me to thread a needle and make a knot in the thread at around 5-6 years old and I started out sewing doll clothes by hand. By the time I was 8-9 I started learning to use my mother’s electric machine to sew doll clothes from a pattern. I started making my clothes in junior high and by the time I was in high school I was making most of my clothes and clothing for my mother. I started working in the garment industry after high school and after using commercial machines I just had to have one. I got a Columbia single needle with reverse and then a serger. At the time home sergers weren’t a thing and it was just a 3 thread machine that just serged. I sewed for myself, my husband and son. I’m now 71 and don’t do much garment sewing these days as it’s become harder to find decent material where I live and I have carpal tunnel which limits the amount of time I can sew at a time.
I have sewn for 70yrs with a singer treadle. I own modern machines which i do use, but the vintage machine copes with multiple layers of denim eg better than any modern machine. I love using the treadle.
I have my grandmother’s old Singer. My grandfather attached an electric motor to it. It is the machine I learned to sew on. I still have it. The wiring is old and I would be afraid to use it, but I would never get rid of it. It was a great machine. The machine I use was purchased in the 1980s. Still a great machine. The shop I take it to told me to keep it as long as possible. The working parts are metal unlike the plastic parts in today’s machines.
First of all- I LOVED LOVED LOVED that you made this video! and that you like to sew! I have a very small collection of vintage Singers, plus a more modern Viking (it's from the mid- 1990's but it is computerized). When I saw the intro part- I was really interested because I bought a treadle with the very same cabinet at a yard sale, and mine was a 66 (redeye). I don't think yours is a 66- I think it's a 15, because that tension disc thing is on the front... The 15 was the only one that had that on the front. Yours must be one of the earlier 15s b/c of no back tack or reverse stitching. The one I bought was the first of the 66s and it was a shank that the foot attached on the back. Apparently that particular model was the ONLY one Singer ever did that way and it is able to be replaced with a shank that the foot attaches to the left side, which I had done by a 92-year-old man who had been repairing sewing machines since he got back from the war when he was 22. Very Very interesting man. Anyway- I am pretty sure your machine is a 15. I was glad to read all these comments because the lack of a back-tack or reverse really bothers me about sewing on this machine, and several people talked about the "trick" of sewing a couple or three stitches and then pulling the fabric back to the beginning and then sewing over it again to "tack" down the stitching. I never heard of that before, it's a great idea. The only other thing that I wanted to comment on, that I think may be helpful to you is this: On these old machines (and I have two 66, one 99, one 201, one 221, and a 15-91), you need to end your stitching with the take-up arm all the way to the top, and maybe just barely at the point it is starting to go back down. If it is at that point, when you start sewing again, you can just put your right hand on the wheel, give it a short tug towards the front (not really turning it) and your treadle wheel will go in the right direction. I know it is easier to sew short difficult distances by "hand-cranking" the machine, but mostly I want to keep my hands on the fabric (as you mentioned with the one difficult part) so I try to just give the wheel a start in the right direction and then it will go. This has been the most difficult concept to teach people who want to learn to treadle, at least for me. My 8 year old grandson "gets" it and can sew on it like no tomorrow- but his older sister cannot do it at all. Maybe she'll learn. I learned treadle when my parents bought my sisters and me a treadle at an estate sale. It looked like it had never been used, and there was a broken needle in the machine. My mother theorized that the original owner sewed until she broke a needle and then quit. Oh- I also wanted to mention there is a hand-crank available that is NOT by Simanco, and while it works, it makes the machine only take ONE stitch with every rotation of the hand-crank. The Simanco (original) and the copies are pretty good and they take several stitches with every hand-crank. ( I got one of those for my grandchildren, too, and they did not get that at all.) Would you be able to put a hand crank on a machine in a treadle cabinet and use either method? Then you could hand-crank for those hard small pieces of leather, but treadle sew the regular things. Of my vintage machines, I love my 201 the most...it's so great--and it's electric with the potted motor. You can get the 15-91 with the same potted motor. You can also run those machines in the treadle if you want. The 201 is called the Rolls Royce of sewing machines because Rolls Royce used that model to sew their upholstery in their cars. It is much more heavy-duty than any of my other machines, but I wouldn't sew just leather with it, it is not a designated leather machine. Maybe- if you find one of those you would like that. Also, the reason I bought my Viking 400 in 1996 was because Viking was advertising the fact that it could sew through 17 layers of denim at a time. I don't know how it would do for the 4 layers of leather, but if I were doing that, I would be trying it on my Viking and on my Singer 201. Again, thank you SO MUCH for your very interesting video. I love it. I am impressed by your ability to just make up a pattern based on something else you saw. I (sadly) do not have that talent,. Hey- another idea for keeping the flap closed.... Velcro? just a spot of it would do it. Or a magnetic snap? I am sorry this is so long. It is not every day one encounters such a fascinating video on a common interest. THANK YOU!
I threw my new sewing machine in the trash, and only use my 1950 Japanese-made "Singer" machine. It stitches very evenly, and is easy to make adjustments or repair. You can find them for $70 versus paying hundreds for a computerized machine that you have to take to a shop for repair. I also have a treadle 1880s machine! I learned to sew on my Great Aunt's treadle sewing machine. I'll take one of those any day!
I have been carrying my old Singer along for more than 50 years now, ever since I got it as a present from my mother, who on turn got it from her neighbour. I'm thinking of selling it now, as I'm old, but I have a hard time parting with it. It's just soooooo good! But... about what you said: one can take the Singer out of its table and put it on top of the the lid, didn't you know that? You said not being able to shove anything underneath was the only drawback for an old Singer, but it isn't! All you need is an extra cord for the threadwheel that's a bit longer; just as much longer than the hight of the lid. Then position your machine straight over the holes in the table, and sew away. Just try it, it takes a bit of fiddling to change the cord, but this way you can really do with the old Singer everything you can with a modern one. Except turning back without lifting the foot, of course, but as you say, that great handcrank and the wonderful threading system make up for everything else, right?
I have my great-grandmother's Davis treadle sewing machine, with all the attachments, in perfect working condition. Right now, my daughter is holding it for me as I couldn't take it when I moved, and she loves it as much as I do. It has a feature that many other machines lack - a "walking foot", where the presser foot moves the fabric from the top rather than having teeth move it from the bottom.
When you want to sew around the top of the bag on a flat bed, turn it inside out and have the loose part of the bag on top where you can see it. It's easier to keep track of that way. Many of the newer machines struggle to go through even two layers of leather. The older sewing machines can be workhorses. I have a few. I prefer the mechanical machines to the electronic ones. Also, with that Singer Heavy Duty, some people think it's industrial. Nope! It's okay for occasional hard work, but not everyday. Nice work! Good and fair comparison! I agree with others about the light colored lining. It's easier to find things, especially for older people or in darker circumstances.
Definitely be keep your vintage treadle singer machine. When you have an electrical outage you can still sew albeit by torch/candle light, which maybe an interesting experience😊 Your bags looked very nice you did a good job, maybe you could have a little cottage business and sell them at the markets or similar. I have an old singer as well and she is my go to machine because I am only on 12v solar, if I put the generator on I can run my janome sewing machine, and I have a light weight triumph which will run on batteries. Thank you for sharing your comparison between the 2 machines, it doesn't matter how old they are, a singer sewing machine is still the best. Cheers from Australia!
I share your love for simple sewing machines. Your video was terrific. I suggest you check your youtube feed for the directions on how to slow the speed of the modern Singer foot pedal. There are several good videos. I purchased that machine for my niece and I was worried that she couldn't use it to sew slowly. You might also want to look at the videos for the Chinese cobbler machine. They sew leather beautifully in any direction. They are a hand crank machine. There is a huge dedicated community of users who make specialized parts etc. They will help you if you decide that you want to purchase one.
You have a very nice treadle they didn't make turtles with a back stitch capability. I have one. They're really nice. Too bad you didn't have an electric motor. You could have put on that one so you could have tried. Motorized versus motorized but this is nice. I like seeing the treadle working my opinion in a lot of ways those vintage sewing machines are far better than the modern stuff. Just have to get used to how to use them
Where can I get a wooden tread holder that goes on top of vintage machine, I lost mine and I dont know where to get a replacment Also can I use modern needles on my vintage machine, mine is rusted Also what belt do I need to connect big wheel to small wheel since my machine also lacks that
Nice work and its good to see that the vintage machines can handle leather. One comment i have is that on the top band you are not using a French seam, you are topstitching. French seam is sewn with the wrong sides together first, then part of seam allowance is trimmed off, the work is then turned inside out, and the seam stitched with right sides together. This encloses the raw egdes of fabric inside a 'tube' created by the two seam lines. This technique is used mainly in haute Couture, and wirh fine fabrics that are prone to fraying, such as chiffon and satin...
You do beautiful work. I watched your videos about refurbishing your vintage sewing machine. I am so happy you refurbished the old Singer because they are such a gem and are a work of art, more than your new monstrocity Singer, (as you say). Look how amazing it sews and it's 100 years old, it was made when things were made to last. New machines are made with many plastic parts which is built in obsolescence. You have many talents and it is very interesting to watch your videos. You said that you were posting your backpacks for sale on some local Hungarian site. So you are Hungarian?
Thanks ! I guess they both have their pluses and minuses, but now definitely the old one, I worked so hard on it and know each part in and out, would never trade it for anything else haha.
Can you lubricate the needle when doing the multi layer leather to lower the friction ? A bit of beeswax like we use in woodworking? Perhaps silicon spray on a Qtip cotton swab?
You video is interesting. I like your creativity. I have the newer heavy duty model and enjoy it. I'm planning on giving it to a dear friend who doesn't have a machine. I'm sure shell like it. I have other sewing machines. I have a heavy duty that is a different brand. I don't have a vintage one. I think they are nice though.
My mom’s Singer featherweight from 1955 did zig zag and had a fabulous buttonhole attachment. When she got her fancy new singer in about 1975 she still used her singer featherweight for buttonholes because she lik d it better!
The Singer Manufacturing company folded in the 1970’s and all their factories worldwide closed. The name was revived by a consortium in the 80’s but the machines are in no way worthy of the great reputation. The so-called ‘Heavy Duty’ machines are not really HD. Because there’s so much plastic, the gears are flimsy and the motor is actually quite weedy. This means it doesn’t have the penetration power you’d expect. The machines are loud, clunky and vibrate violently. The pedal is not sensitive so there’s not much speed control. For a truly HD machine, stick to the old Singers, or look to brands like Husqvarna (especially the Emerald 118 which can easily manage 16 layers of denim!!!), Juki or Pfaff.
Those are the comments I have been also hearing for years; that the grey Singer so called HD machine high-end is junk. I've read and heard nothing but complaints about it. It is a very unattractive looking machine. Not cheap. And not worthy of sewing.
I saw a man sewing with a Singer like yours on "Skid Row"' a area where homeless people live. He just sets up on the sidewalk on Saturdays, has a curtain people can stand behind, and they can have him mend their clothes on the old non electric Singer. The man said that his wife uses this machine to make quilts and it has been in his family over one hundred years. What a nice way to give support to the people who suffer the most.
So inspiring, thanks for sharing !
Great idea! As a female, I would be too scared, but a man doing this charity work seems lovely.
I have two antique machines and two modern ones. I love my antiques, one of which is a Singer treadle machine. While it can’t sew in reverse, a good alternative to backtacking is as follows. At the beginning or end of your seam where you would normally backtack to lock your stitches, sew forward a bit, lift the presser foot and move your fabric back a little, and then sew over that small section of seam a second time. Basically, you provide the “reverse” function by just backing the fabric up a tiny bit. It’s less annoying than actually turning the whole piece 180 degrees and works just as good. I hope this helps!
Smart idea!
I have several types of sewing machines including industrial sewing machines oil cooled to cobbler straight stitch machine. Thank you. Great video.
Wonderful video. Great stitches. Gorgeous pieces. Very impressive finished pieces. Cheers
😢Thank you
Hey, I don't know which machine you have but here in africa we use similar style sewing machines to the vintage ones because they are cheaper and stronger even for professional tailors and they do have a reverse stitch way
I must be having a mid life crisis as I just bought a load of treadle machines. 😂 I simply adore old sewing machines, they 're so beautiful. Your vintage machine is gorgeous, I'm glad you kept it. Nice work on the backpacks. 😊❤
Thank you, yeah I have 2 in storage too waiting to be worked on, more videos on them soon !
@MarleyBu, Nope, you are just instinctively trying to save a long lasting iron tool for yourself. Great that you have spcae to store those machines. These cast iron, even domestic, are kinda real heavy duty machines.
What you call a French seam is actually a butterfly seam. A French seam is sewn twice. Once with the right sides out. Then it's turn and its sewn with wrong sides out. So that the edges are fully encased. This sort of seam is used in garments to reduce fabric from fraying. It also creates a much neater inside seam.
it's funny because in France what he calls a French seam is called an English seam
that's what I was going to say.
It's a flat fell seam. English.
Beautiful work. I sooo regret selling my granny’s treadle machine-such a relaxing sound. Don’t know how old it was but I’m 77 so it was old but still working.
My mom had a Singer treadle machine that looked like the one in your video. It was awesome. She made clothing for me and my siblings from printed flour sacks back in the 40s-early 50s. What a blessing printed flour sacks were! Wish they were still around -- they would make awesome quilts! BTW, I am 82 y.o.! I have had a couple of low-end electric Singer portables and a more modern electronic machine. Would still prefer the old non-electric machine. Don't know what ever happened to it. Interesting side point, my great grandfather was a traveling salesman for Singer sewing machines in their early days. My great grandmother was a seamstress when she and my great grandfather met.
I own one of these vintage sewing machines, exactly like the one in the video. I would love to learn how to use it in my retirement, but don't know where to start.
How can I learn to use it properly ?
I live in Australia and my Nana owned a Singer treadle sewing machine and she used it until she was 102 when her eye sight became difficult for her to do her projects 😊 … she would sew pot holders for her Grandchildren. My Nan past away when she was 106 and now l own her treadle machine … l don’t use it but l love it 🥰
Thanks for sharing ! You should learn to use it, Its quite rewarding work !
I own both of your machines and I love my vintage machine and use it constantly Thank you for your video. Happy sewing
I have a 1950's Singer and a brand new electronic one - the 1950's is a VASTLY superior machine. There is literally no comparison. I only use the modern one for button holes.
A tip for flatbed sewing machines: always sew on the inside of the circle. In that way your fabric folds away from the needle in an easy manner. And for backstitching: start a little early, cross over and finish a little late.
It's a bit easier to start going and you'll have a more control if you put the ball of one foot on the back edge of the treadle and ball of the other on the front edge of the treadle. I sew on a New Home Rotary treadle (my grandmother's from the late 1930s). If you ever decide to look for another vintage machine, there are a lot of post WW1 options with a back stitch and droppable feed dogs. Nice bag!
I just learned a new back-stitch method (I have a 113 year old Singer!) Take about 4 stitches. Lift the presser foot and pull your fabric forward 2 or 3 stitches, then continue sewing. There are many demonstrations of this technique on TH-cam. Thank you for the enjoyable comparison video! I had a plastic Kenmore 30 years ago. Threw it to the dump once I got my Singer treadle! lol
Thanks, that is a good method, but doesn't it leave a long stitch where you pull the fabric forward ? I guess If you are sewing anywhere where it wont be visible it is nice ! About the machine, yeah same with me I had an old neumann...
@@hefestodesign Yes, If you’re concerned about the visual probably not the best method but I love it. Saves time and isn’t terribly noticeable. But, give it a try if you haven’t already. I try and line up my stitches exactly. Lol
Try lifting the presser foot for just a few stitches while treadling; this will relieve tension to the feed dogs so that you’ll be stitching over your last stitches, effectively making a double lock
So glad that there are people like you in the world that are saving the vintage beauties👏🏻💐.
I am looking to upgrade a basic generic sewing machine and know Singer has a good reputation, but I can’t bare how UGLY their modern sewing machines are- no way I’m looking at THAT in my house.
They are junk go buy a vintage one pre 70's with steel gears etc and lots of stitches and cams
The only improvement I can suggest for future bags is to use a light color lining. It's much easier to find/see items inside the bag. Other than that you did a great job, you're bags are beautiful!!! I also have a 1911 Model 66 Singer machine as well as several modern electric machines. If I had to choose only one, it would be the vintage machine, hands down!
Absolutely! I have a Singer Model 12 Fiddle Base treadle, Singer Model 28K Handcrank, Singer Model 66 Treadle, a Singer 201-2 electric also all original, the Singer 4411 this young man is showing and several more modern Singer machines! Totally agree…Vintage Iron Lady wins every time!
Thanks for doing a comparison of old and new. I have several old machines and I call them old faithfuls. They never disappoint. The new ones are stacked up all needing new motherboards. Yuck
Well done young man. Love your enthusiasm and as for the bags you created , I would happily buy one as they look so beautiful. It just goes to show that old machines are still better in many ways than those cheap and nasty plastic things. Look at the amazing work produced by the (sweat) shops in Asia where they are using Singer machines that were made before the dawn of time. Never sell the vintage table machine even if you are tempted to. The money you receive will never pay for all the work you put into it and in years to come you will regret selling it. Good luck with your channel .
Hello from Georgia, USA. I was glad to subscribe as you requested. By the way, you speak English incredibly well. It was a pleasure watching and listening to your narration during this excellent video.
I learned to saw on the old singer and I can tell you that it’s much more forgiving. It’s an incredible tool for teaching kids, both how to saw, but also how mechanics work.
Glad you are keeping the vintage. I want one!!
This is a perfect comparison of these two remarkable machines. Now my friends can veiw this and see why I prefer the vintage treadle machines; you demonstrate the features so well👍
I have three vintage sewing machines and one HD Singer just like yours.
I'm amazed how efficient the first manufactured sewing machines were... And they last and last. One of my machines is at least a hundred years old and it works!
I appreciate your tenacity!
Keep up the great work!!!
I too am a seamstress of many varieties of projects. I have the old black iron Singer machines and love the turnout on denim fabrics.
I too have a plastic one, a Brother; for which thousands of projects have been sewn up.
Wow! My grandma had a machine just like yours. Now I have a singer pro 4423 and love it, but i'm fascinated to see what her sewing machine could do! It's amazing!!!
I am not at all surprised by your results. Don't get me wrong, I like my sewing machine, but my antique treadle machine is much better in so many ways. The machine is rock solid sturdy, sounds wonderful when using and makes robust seams. If I had to make a choice and only keep one of them, I would keep the treadle to be honest. Great video.
Very good video! I love my older Treadle Singer machine, given to me by my grandmother. I started sewing on it when I was a very young girl. Wouldn't part with it for all the world! I have had a newer electric Singer now for several years and I'm still trying to learn how to operate it!! Currently in my 60s now,😂. Thank you!!
Found your video very interesting. My mom had a treadle operated Singer machine like the one in your video on which she made clothing for me and my siblings back in the 40s-50s. I learned to sew on that machine. Don't know what ever became of it but wish I had it. My great grandfather was one of the early traveling salesmen for Singer and met my great grandmother, who was a seamstress, in his work promoting the machines. Those treadle machines were real work horses!! You did an admirable job in the video. Your work is excellent!
I love seeing you use the old singer
Would love more videos on it
Thank you
I loved watching you sew on the vintage sewing machine. I collect them because they are so beautiful. I do have a treadle and have a Red Eye in it. I have many of the Singer sewing machines but my favorite is the 201 because it's the Rolls Royce of the Featherweights. Thank you for the video, I truly enjoyed it!
Great! Also for the vintage sewing machine, you can buy a handcrank or a motor to attach to it (your singer class 15 was very popular so many standard size/generic attachments are compatible ) if ever you want to try something different, it's very fun for me!
Hi! I recommend covering the leather strap of the old sewing machine with rosin. In this way, when sewing several layers of leather, the strap will not slip and the result will be noticeably better! It is still possible to tighten the belt, which would also give a result. I wish you success in your creativity!
Great comparison video! I have a couple of vintage singers, a 201-2 and a 15-91, both electric, and they sew through anything and have the most beautiful straight stitch. I also have the singer heavy duty, and I love it. It does a fabulous job on thick layers. I love your bags! Great design. A couple of tips for you: (1) google ‘sewing in the round.’ This is the method a couple people have suggested for sewing cylinder shapes on a flat bed like your vintage machine. I now prefer that method over the free arm in most cases. (2) when sewing a rounded corner (like the cover flap you added), it is helpful to make small cuts with your scissor tips to the fabric on the curve, then your fabric will lay flat and not bunch up.
I have had my heavy duty for several years and I love it .I am a quilter and use mine most every day
They look great for a first time project. Well done! I am actually quite impressed that the old machine does so well with heavy leather. Thanks for showing this comparison.
Good comparison. I learned some shortcuts. Check out using quilt clips or binder clips when sewing leather to keep parts together. They work really well.
Yeah that is a good idea, will invest in a couple hundred clips in the near future!
I have a Singer 101-3 on a #40 library table from 1923, it's electric and I am restoring it now in fact. The machine itself is in excellent condition, no rust, but all oil dried out, it only needs a decent cleaning a relubricating.
Good luck on the restoration, Its a really rewarding endeavor !
the vintage machine is a triumph of design with the mechanism that allows you to turn it upside down and disappear into the table..... total genius. I had on and wish I had been able to keep it! thank you for a great video.
This was fabulous! I just purchased a Singer 201-2 1949 and love it. Eventually, I will will get a Singer 66 treadle. You're a delight and I'm sure your sister is enjoys her beautiful backpack!
Great backpacks and loved your comparison.
Excellent video. You are a great teacher !!!
My dad has a very fancy (too me) Husqvarna sewing machine, and its really nice! And my grandma has one of those old vintage machines. I never really thought of it but after getting more into fashion, and finding sewing a plausible new hobby, that old vintage machine is now very interesting too me! Grandma uses it from time from time so it's fully working too! Great video and its so cool how those old vintage machines are so up to pace even today! Its crazy to think about really
I’m with you on keeping the antique sewing machine, personally I bought first a modern computerized singer sewing machine and it was a disaster, I would get error codes every 10 minutes, internal plastic parts would break away , even spare parts that I was keeping to replace them when they broke down, broke by themselves 😮 then my ant gave me a Franklin sewing machine which is amazing, I recently bought a singer 66 on a bentwood case and I love it is 105 years old and works even better than any other computerized machine I’ve owed, vintage were created to outlast its creators and owners which is amazing ❤
True story they make them that way on purpose 2 years and you will be buying again.
Cool . I’m in St. Louis ,Missouri. I collect and restore vintage sewing machines. It’s a fever ‘ good luck with your channel. I liked and subscribed.
Amazing video! My next project will be a bag in my vintage machine ❤
We used to call those Duffle Bags in England and they were popular with school children in the late 1960s for gym kit, writing pens, snacks, etc and made of canvas. They did not usually have a closing flap. They are very useful and of course can be held across the chest for added security in crowds. I like your old and new machine and well done with the overhaul. I have a Singer 99K from 1957 that was made in Scotland and was my Moms from new.
Good video. I love the vintage one.
Oh my goodness. That original sewing machine was the same machine my mother had. She used it constantly for as long as I remember. It was beautiful and never went wrong. Wish I still had it.
You forget that the new singer heavy duty you can change the feet of the machine. There is a foot for leather work. Or use a plastic foot or a foot that has a roller attached to the foot. I think both are very good and very well sewn. Great job. 👍🏾.
The old machine has OODLES of feet and even ruffle attachments. More so than the new ones
Thanks for taking the time to make such an informative video! You might enjoy the addition of a hand crank to your old machine. You have to remove it to put the machine away but there's only one bolt. The control you get with the hand crank is nice.
Your backpacks look great. Well done. I also love sewing on old vintage sewing machines. The treadles do give great control, power, and great looking stitches. I agree that they do take up a lot of space! There is a 1950's era machine I recently acquired, a Viking 21 (Swedish) that converts into a free arm that I love for sewing cuffs, etc. That machine can be controlled very easily when sewing slowing and has the option for heavy duty sewing with a low gear option. Hope you have a chance to sew on one of those some day, too!
Wow a gear reduction would definitely up the game for me, sewing slower and harder is just the thing I need for this heavy duty sort of work !
Interesting comparison. The modern machine did better than I thought it would.
I fell in love with the older machines. Making sure you have the correct needles is essential. You did a good job 👍🏻👍🏻 I have two hand-crank machines, one singer and one Hexagon. Both of them I love, they work wonderfully. I also have 3 treadle machines that I have to work on the bases to make them usable. One Damascus and two Franklins. Mom and I both have heavy duty electric machines, both over 30 years old. I have newer electric machines also.
Such talent! Bravo. 😉
Thanks, glad you thinks so haha
I loved your video, my grandma had a vintage machine that's now in my parents house. It was supposed to be mine but I moved to another country. I hope my sister use it someday!
Singer had an arm in the earliest electric ones.. One thing you didn't mention is whether you used a leather needle and it makes a huge differnce . I still have my mother's old singer from the 1940's and did use it on leather and even fur making bears out of fur coats. I think the antiques/ vintage machines especially the later electric ones will still be around in another 100 years when the plastics are long gone . The earliest circular sock machines that are being refurbished are very beautiful hand cranked knitting machines that are still going strong after more than 150 years on some of them . For all the modern advancements the materials have gone backwards with plastic and are now creating havoc with our planet and health. The more we refurbish the old machine the better off we will be or start to make new ones with the old tried and true solid metals .
The plastic singer Is not heavy duty. That's a advertising ploy. I wouldn't have one of them. BTW, I have about 30 vintage machines, mostly singers and several newer machines. None of the newer ones are singers.
People keep referring to the new one as "plastic" but it's only plastic on the outside, it has a steel frame and metal internal parts, which is why I bought it.
I also have a 1919 Featherweight Singer, which is much prettier, and sews well, someone put a motor on it in the 30's but it can readily be converted back to a hand cranked machine if needed.
I also have a 1977 Kenmore (actually made by Pfaff with Kenmore labeling) that is also all metal, the foot pedal is a bit touchy tho, age is catching up with it I suppose.
@@ruthsquiltingandmore5346 It's reasonably heavy duty. I've seen some tests of this machine and it had no problem punching through 4 layers of leather (the most possible to fit under the presser foot). It does require a bit of a minimum speed though. Go too slow with too many layers and it can stall. I've used the Singer Heavy Duty a decent amount for personal use and never found something it couldn't handle.
Cool video. Thank you! It's great to see people with many skills.
Are you using Leather Sewing Machine Needles? As I understand, it would make the process easier.
Lovely video! You did an amazing job, beyond the comparison! I'm a vintage machine fan, so I loved it♥ Greetings from Argentina :D
Lovely video! You did an amazing job, beyond the comparison! I'm a vintage machine fan, so I loved it Greetings from Argentina :D
I have a Singer 15 that's only ten years younger than yours, and it reverses. I love it so much.
very cool to see these machines head to head!
I enjoyed this comparison. Your vintage machine is a true beauty. I really like the bags, may I sugest a pocket on the inside.
I love your comparison! I have a Singer hand crank from 1912 which is stunning but was my first sewing machine and I didn't want to damage her by my ignorance, so, I got the grotesque Singer Heavy Duty last year to experiment on until I'm worthy of my old beauty. I wish I had the table, mine is portable with a gorgeous wooden carrier but I don't travel much with my sewing machine! lol I vote for the old beauty!! Both did a great job but you can't compare the craftsmanship. I'll go with the antique any day!! Great job!!!
You're very charming and interesting and make me want to create, as you do. I love your appreciation of the beauty of the industrial design, functional and aesthetic, of the treadle machine. FYI, Janome makes a modern treadle machine that has modern features.
I use a treadle for most of my sewing. One thing you might try is a different foot position. I use a heel/toe position instead of side by side. One to push, the other to keep time. I have better control of starting and stopping. I love your work and like the comparison of the machines. I actually traded my singer heavy-duty machine in for a vintage. I didn't like fighting the handwheel.
Great video, so I instructive and inspiring.
Thanks for watching, always means a lot to get some feedback !
Great comparison. Love the tan/navy combination. An option for backstitching when it's hard to turn the fabric - sew forward a few stitches, raise presser foot and needle, pull the fabric back to the beginning, and sew forward again over the original stitches. There are a few seam guides out there to help when topstitching. Pros and cons for the magnetic seam guides. When there is fabric to the right of the needle, the guide would have to be kind that attaches to the foot.
Easiest sub ever. I appreciate that it took time and effort to make the comparison between both machines easy to understand. I'm thinking of buying the newer machine though, and I wanted to hear what others say about it. I really like your backpacks, and I think you're a good brother for giving one to your sister.
Hi Elizabeth. I’ve just read your comment that you’re thinking of buying a Singer HD. I would advice against it as there are lots of other machines in the same price point that are better. Find a specialist dealer that stocks a variety of brands and test out a few different machines first, then you’ll be able to compare and choose the one you like best for your needs.
I felt the same until a friend who is a vintage machine enthusiast persuaded me that it was worth £25 to try one. (That’s the typical price they go for in vintage/antique/junk shops in Scotland. There was a HUGE Singer factory in Kilbowie and it seems everyone’s granny had an all metal sewing machine at one point).
I liked it so much that I now have a small collection of different models. My two favourites are one made in 1905 which is a wee hand crank one with the long bobbin in a bullet-shaped “vibrating shuttle”. And a Singer 201 from the 1950’s which is in a treadle cabinet and would have cost more than a family car when it was made. That one even has a lever to do a reverse stitch. It cost me £19.99 for the machine in a cabinet (which included an electric motor, but I took that off - by removing one screw and a rubber drive band) and around £10 for a new treadle belt. Plus a few hours to clean it and oil it.
It was definitely worth the effort, I not only saved lots of money over buying a new machine but for an amateur sewer these machines are a dream.
I bought that first vintage £25 machine to replace a very expensive, computerised machine that did monograms and 200 decorative stitches. I very rarely used those, and when the motherboard failed I was told it would be more than the cost of a newer model to repair it. I took it to my recycling centre but most of it will have ended up in landfill.
I have a 1938 15-88 treadle bought new by my grandma. Came to my mom when I was a kid so toyed with it a few times as a kid, just getting it so sew, not actually making anything. Came to me 40 years ago and it has just been an ornament till I recently retired. Having fun using it, made a couple things, going to try denim next and was surprised at how much power you got from the treadle. Hint: Grandma kept a chunk of resin in the drawer, I assume she used it to stop slipping (main belt), and a chunk of beesax to promote slipping :) I use the wax on the end of the thread, then cut, it slices the fibres clean and stiffens the thread, easier to thread the needle.
When I was little ,I would sit at my grandmother's feet as she sewed on her pedal machine, I loved watching her sew. I started sewing by hand after that to make clothes for my dolls, and i eventually started working in the sewing industry. making many different things and using many different types of machines. Currently, i use the singer machine at home for quilting and I'm learning so much more about sewing, we never used decorative stitches at work. As i Watched this video , I wonder if you used a leather needle in your machines for this project. We used them in our Juki at work for sewing vinyl materials. Helps so much by cutting through the material. Thanks for sharing
Your story sounds so much like mine. My grandmother taught me to thread a needle and make a knot in the thread at around 5-6 years old and I started out sewing doll clothes by hand. By the time I was 8-9 I started learning to use my mother’s electric machine to sew doll clothes from a pattern. I started making my clothes in junior high and by the time I was in high school I was making most of my clothes and clothing for my mother. I started working in the garment industry after high school and after using commercial machines I just had to have one. I got a Columbia single needle with reverse and then a serger. At the time home sergers weren’t a thing and it was just a 3 thread machine that just serged. I sewed for myself, my husband and son. I’m now 71 and don’t do much garment sewing these days as it’s become harder to find decent material where I live and I have carpal tunnel which limits the amount of time I can sew at a time.
I have sewn for 70yrs with a singer treadle. I own modern machines which i do use, but the vintage machine copes with multiple layers of denim eg better than any modern machine. I love using the treadle.
Treadle is king !
Thank you. Very instructive and inspiring. Well done !
I will always love the older machines more.
I have my grandmother’s old Singer. My grandfather attached an electric motor to it. It is the machine I learned to sew on. I still have it. The wiring is old and I would be afraid to use it, but I would never get rid of it. It was a great machine. The machine I use was purchased in the 1980s. Still a great machine. The shop I take it to told me to keep it as long as possible. The working parts are metal unlike the plastic parts in today’s machines.
My ancient hand-cranked Singer is powered by grandchildren. ❤
First of all- I LOVED LOVED LOVED that you made this video! and that you like to sew! I have a very small collection of vintage Singers, plus a more modern Viking (it's from the mid- 1990's but it is computerized). When I saw the intro part- I was really interested because I bought a treadle with the very same cabinet at a yard sale, and mine was a 66 (redeye). I don't think yours is a 66- I think it's a 15, because that tension disc thing is on the front... The 15 was the only one that had that on the front. Yours must be one of the earlier 15s b/c of no back tack or reverse stitching. The one I bought was the first of the 66s and it was a shank that the foot attached on the back. Apparently that particular model was the ONLY one Singer ever did that way and it is able to be replaced with a shank that the foot attaches to the left side, which I had done by a 92-year-old man who had been repairing sewing machines since he got back from the war when he was 22. Very Very interesting man. Anyway- I am pretty sure your machine is a 15.
I was glad to read all these comments because the lack of a back-tack or reverse really bothers me about sewing on this machine, and several people talked about the "trick" of sewing a couple or three stitches and then pulling the fabric back to the beginning and then sewing over it again to "tack" down the stitching. I never heard of that before, it's a great idea.
The only other thing that I wanted to comment on, that I think may be helpful to you is this: On these old machines (and I have two 66, one 99, one 201, one 221, and a 15-91), you need to end your stitching with the take-up arm all the way to the top, and maybe just barely at the point it is starting to go back down. If it is at that point, when you start sewing again, you can just put your right hand on the wheel, give it a short tug towards the front (not really turning it) and your treadle wheel will go in the right direction. I know it is easier to sew short difficult distances by "hand-cranking" the machine, but mostly I want to keep my hands on the fabric (as you mentioned with the one difficult part) so I try to just give the wheel a start in the right direction and then it will go. This has been the most difficult concept to teach people who want to learn to treadle, at least for me. My 8 year old grandson "gets" it and can sew on it like no tomorrow- but his older sister cannot do it at all. Maybe she'll learn. I learned treadle when my parents bought my sisters and me a treadle at an estate sale. It looked like it had never been used, and there was a broken needle in the machine. My mother theorized that the original owner sewed until she broke a needle and then quit.
Oh- I also wanted to mention there is a hand-crank available that is NOT by Simanco, and while it works, it makes the machine only take ONE stitch with every rotation of the hand-crank. The Simanco (original) and the copies are pretty good and they take several stitches with every hand-crank. ( I got one of those for my grandchildren, too, and they did not get that at all.) Would you be able to put a hand crank on a machine in a treadle cabinet and use either method? Then you could hand-crank for those hard small pieces of leather, but treadle sew the regular things.
Of my vintage machines, I love my 201 the most...it's so great--and it's electric with the potted motor. You can get the 15-91 with the same potted motor. You can also run those machines in the treadle if you want. The 201 is called the Rolls Royce of sewing machines because Rolls Royce used that model to sew their upholstery in their cars. It is much more heavy-duty than any of my other machines, but I wouldn't sew just leather with it, it is not a designated leather machine. Maybe- if you find one of those you would like that. Also, the reason I bought my Viking 400 in 1996 was because Viking was advertising the fact that it could sew through 17 layers of denim at a time. I don't know how it would do for the 4 layers of leather, but if I were doing that, I would be trying it on my Viking and on my Singer 201.
Again, thank you SO MUCH for your very interesting video. I love it. I am impressed by your ability to just make up a pattern based on something else you saw. I (sadly) do not have that talent,. Hey- another idea for keeping the flap closed.... Velcro? just a spot of it would do it. Or a magnetic snap? I am sorry this is so long. It is not every day one encounters such a fascinating video on a common interest. THANK YOU!
I threw my new sewing machine in the trash, and only use my 1950 Japanese-made "Singer" machine. It stitches very evenly, and is easy to make adjustments or repair. You can find them for $70 versus paying hundreds for a computerized machine that you have to take to a shop for repair. I also have a treadle 1880s machine! I learned to sew on my Great Aunt's treadle sewing machine. I'll take one of those any day!
Here I am again :-))) Well, the tripple head&feed needed :-))
Interesting subject perfectly formated with polished presentation. Outstanding work. great job mate.
Very interesting. Looking forward to your videos. Thank you.
I have been carrying my old Singer along for more than 50 years now, ever since I got it as a present from my mother, who on turn got it from her neighbour. I'm thinking of selling it now, as I'm old, but I have a hard time parting with it. It's just soooooo good!
But... about what you said: one can take the Singer out of its table and put it on top of the the lid, didn't you know that? You said not being able to shove anything underneath was the only drawback for an old Singer, but it isn't! All you need is an extra cord for the threadwheel that's a bit longer; just as much longer than the hight of the lid. Then position your machine straight over the holes in the table, and sew away. Just try it, it takes a bit of fiddling to change the cord, but this way you can really do with the old Singer everything you can with a modern one. Except turning back without lifting the foot, of course, but as you say, that great handcrank and the wonderful threading system make up for everything else, right?
I have my great-grandmother's Davis treadle sewing machine, with all the attachments, in perfect working condition. Right now, my daughter is holding it for me as I couldn't take it when I moved, and she loves it as much as I do. It has a feature that many other machines lack - a "walking foot", where the presser foot moves the fabric from the top rather than having teeth move it from the bottom.
When you want to sew around the top of the bag on a flat bed, turn it inside out and have the loose part of the bag on top where you can see it. It's easier to keep track of that way.
Many of the newer machines struggle to go through even two layers of leather. The older sewing machines can be workhorses. I have a few. I prefer the mechanical machines to the electronic ones.
Also, with that Singer Heavy Duty, some people think it's industrial. Nope! It's okay for occasional hard work, but not everyday.
Nice work! Good and fair comparison!
I agree with others about the light colored lining. It's easier to find things, especially for older people or in darker circumstances.
Definitely be keep your vintage treadle singer machine. When you have an electrical outage you can still sew albeit by torch/candle light, which maybe an interesting experience😊 Your bags looked very nice you did a good job, maybe you could have a little cottage business and sell them at the markets or similar. I have an old singer as well and she is my go to machine because I am only on 12v solar, if I put the generator on I can run my janome sewing machine, and I have a light weight triumph which will run on batteries. Thank you for sharing your comparison between the 2 machines, it doesn't matter how old they are, a singer sewing machine is still the best. Cheers from Australia!
I share your love for simple sewing machines. Your video was terrific. I suggest you check your youtube feed for the directions on how to slow the speed of the modern Singer foot pedal. There are several good videos. I purchased that machine for my niece and I was worried that she couldn't use it to sew slowly. You might also want to look at the videos for the Chinese cobbler machine. They sew leather beautifully in any direction. They are a hand crank machine. There is a huge dedicated community of users who make specialized parts etc. They will help you if you decide that you want to purchase one.
good job well done! what kind of singer heavy duty are you using?
Great video! Your English is great!
Wonderful to see. I have a vintage machine that is missing some parts, so doesn't work. This will inspire me to see if I can get it fixed up to use.
There are multiple shops online that sell replacement parts for vintage/antique machines
You have a very nice treadle they didn't make turtles with a back stitch capability. I have one. They're really nice. Too bad you didn't have an electric motor. You could have put on that one so you could have tried. Motorized versus motorized but this is nice. I like seeing the treadle working my opinion in a lot of ways those vintage sewing machines are far better than the modern stuff. Just have to get used to how to use them
There should be a TH-cam channel dedicated to Germans Explaining Things. I would subscribe.
I'm glad to have a vintage Singer which can stitch in reverse. I also have an Elna Supermatic, but it needs some parts.
very good video. What is the model of thread and needle that you use specifically?
Where can I get a wooden tread holder that goes on top of vintage machine, I lost mine and I dont know where to get a replacment
Also can I use modern needles on my vintage machine, mine is rusted
Also what belt do I need to connect big wheel to small wheel since my machine also lacks that
Nice work and its good to see that the vintage machines can handle leather.
One comment i have is that on the top band you are not using a French seam, you are topstitching. French seam is sewn with the wrong sides together first, then part of seam allowance is trimmed off, the work is then turned inside out, and the seam stitched with right sides together. This encloses the raw egdes of fabric inside a 'tube' created by the two seam lines. This technique is used mainly in haute Couture, and wirh fine fabrics that are prone to fraying, such as chiffon and satin...
You do beautiful work. I watched your videos about refurbishing your vintage sewing machine. I am so happy you refurbished the old Singer because they are such a gem and are a work of art, more than your new monstrocity Singer, (as you say). Look how amazing it sews and it's 100 years old, it was made when things were made to last. New machines are made with many plastic parts which is built in obsolescence. You have many talents and it is very interesting to watch your videos. You said that you were posting your backpacks for sale on some local Hungarian site. So you are Hungarian?
nice work. What needle type and size did you use?
Very nice work! Which machine do you prefer?
Thanks ! I guess they both have their pluses and minuses, but now definitely the old one, I worked so hard on it and know each part in and out, would never trade it for anything else haha.
Very interesting comparison. I have both , vinatage with motor.
Are they any good ? the vintage machines outfitted with a motor ?
@@hefestodesign yes , they are , can stitch multiple layers of fabric easily as compare to white plastic machines. Less Thread tension issues...
Can you lubricate the needle when doing the multi layer leather to lower the friction
?
A bit of beeswax like we use in woodworking?
Perhaps silicon spray on a Qtip cotton swab?
Love your video ! thankyou
Thanks ! glad you enjoyed it !
You video is interesting. I like your creativity. I have the newer heavy duty model and enjoy it. I'm planning on giving it to a dear friend who doesn't have a machine. I'm sure shell like it. I have other sewing machines. I have a heavy duty that is a different brand.
I don't have a vintage one. I think they are nice though.
I’ve used old and newer machines. The only advantage I found in the new machines is that they can do button holes and other zigzag type stitches.
My mom’s Singer featherweight from 1955 did zig zag and had a fabulous buttonhole attachment. When she got her fancy new singer in about 1975 she still used her singer featherweight for buttonholes because she lik d it better!
Awesome video.
Thank you ! Glad you enjoyed my video !
The Singer Manufacturing company folded in the 1970’s and all their factories worldwide closed. The name was revived by a consortium in the 80’s but the machines are in no way worthy of the great reputation. The so-called ‘Heavy Duty’ machines are not really HD. Because there’s so much plastic, the gears are flimsy and the motor is actually quite weedy. This means it doesn’t have the penetration power you’d expect. The machines are loud, clunky and vibrate violently. The pedal is not sensitive so there’s not much speed control. For a truly HD machine, stick to the old Singers, or look to brands like Husqvarna (especially the Emerald 118 which can easily manage 16 layers of denim!!!), Juki or Pfaff.
Agree on your reviews. Juki's are excellent machines used by most seamstresses and tailors.
@@shortsweettoo I have many antique and vintage Singers but wouldn't want a new one.
Those are the comments I have been also hearing for years; that the grey Singer so called HD machine high-end is junk. I've read and heard nothing but complaints about it. It is a very unattractive looking machine. Not cheap. And not worthy of sewing.
I make bicycle bags. I use my hand crank singer 99. It really is powerful. I love it. I had no idea how powerful it would be.