A quick note on feet since I wasn't as clear about this in the video as I meant to be. Even some Singer machines have different shanks (like the 66), even though most vintage & antique models do have the low-shank. The nice thing with Singer machines vs. other brands is that it is still possible to look up the serial number of your machine and learn the model and year it was made! From there, you can figure out what sort of attachments work for your machine. Basically if you buy a vintage machine, just know that not all feet work for all machines, and some research is a good idea. One of the best places on the internet for antique machines (including the Singer database) is here: ismacs.net/ and if you have a old singer and want to get an idea for parts/accessories this website is well organized (though mostly sold out): oldsingershop.com/ and this website is also fantastic: www.vintagesingerparts.com/ If you're a antique sewing machine lover and have other website suggestions for folks - leave them below! ❤❤
Every brand of vintage / antique sewing machine has at least 1 Facebook group geared toward helping people restore & use that brand. The #1 fastest way to get help is through these groups. Lots of sewing repair professionals who are aging have been passing their knowledge on for free for years on these sites. My main stitcher is a Kenmore, and I just find Kenmores to be very strong, reliable, and easy to find for cheap. The Sears Kenmore / White Vintage Sewing Group is my favorite one. I’ve learned so much from them!
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.
@@AbbyCox You know that now there will be interest for you to make your own lingerie dress, right? I know I'd personally love to see how making it with these specialized feet would make the process different.
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.
The mechanics of attachments haven't changed much in 120 years, if at all. Ruffler, hemmer, top and underbraiding feet etc. are all the same on my 2017 Juki electronic machine. Hemming exactly along the grain, ironing, interfacing will all make it a lot smoother. Rufflers still aren't much use though some people (e. g. Gunnar Deathrage, who creates very dramatic, voluminous gowns) seem to use them with eyes closed and marvelous results.
@@ClaudiaArnold That may be partly the user? I have and will always gather/ruffle by hand and am rubbish with a ruffler foot. Whereas my mother could gather an entire skirt to fit a bodice with a ruffler foot and a cuppa coffee. In like 20 minutes.
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!
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.
Yep, the only machine in my current empire (of 5) that doesn't need to get professionally serviced AGAIN is the 1914 hand crank. I want to use it, whereas I dread using the others.
I have a treadle singer that needs a few parts but I'm determined to get the old gal running again. Watching this got me all tingly and inspired again!
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
At least belts are super easy to come by! There's a link in the pinned comment to a couple of online shops that should have what you need (also google will pull up a whole lot of sites). The nice thing about these old machines is they're super tough and really hard to hurt, so great to learn on. Plus with a treadle or hand crank, they don't go too fast, which can be really scary for beginners (speaking from experience here). ❤❤
@@AbbyCox Thank you, that's good to know! It is a little intimidating all right 😁 But one readon I went with Singer is that there are tons of online tutorials as well as parts still available (in case I do manage to break something) ❤️
Have fun. I taught myself during the pandemic. I sewed for hours a day making anything and everything. Then I crashed. I haven’t sewn in a year. I miss it but I can’t get myself to sit in front of my machine. I have a million notions I bought and want to use them but I really burned myself out. Go slow and watch a lot of TH-cam videos.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Let's not forget that different singer machines may use different feet, there were several types of buttonhole attachments alone. There's Low Shank, High Shank, Slant Needle, and now Snap-on attachments. If it's a Singer attachment they may have a SIMANCO number which you can search to find what types of machines it's compatible with.
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.
I consider myself very lucky to still have possession of my great grandmothers 1921 Singer Seeing machine (still attached to its table). It’s almost surreal that it’s been making and mending clothes for my family for 103 years and 5 generations.
I have a model 99 Great Brittian Singer manufactured. I found a box of attachments at a ReStore for $5. I love my old girl. She purrs like a kitten and I have an amazing store that does cleaning.
I adore machine feet! My mom has a 1952 black Singer 301a which came with a huge pile of feet and a clamp on buttonholer. She never wanted to use any of them besides the buttonholer and the zipper foot. That said, she was so expert having learned to sew on a treadle, post-depression. She was Minnesota Ironing Champion of the year, either 1951 or 1952. She didn’t need any feet!!! Lol. I am studying with Andi and Paul Barney of Sewing Doc Academy, spiffing up Mommy’s Singer and a bunch of vintage machines I have been gifted.
I just made a massive floofy tiered skirt dress for Dapper Day with my 1938 SInger and my ruffler foot, so I am feeling a lot of fondness for that one. The hem was somewhere between 350 and 400 inches around, but I just pressed that up and then folded it over and stitched it down while sitting at the machine.
I've been collecting old Singers for like 20 years and use them regularly. I tried most of the feet for the first time last year because I was about to emigrate and had to downsize. First time I ever used a rolled hemming foot was on an 1877 12. I was like 'omg I need to use all of these they're awesome'. Haven't sewn since.
My grandfather was a tailor and worked exclusively on an old Singer, which I inherited. I have it, as well as the box. I’ve always wanted to use it, but I have no idea what I’m doing, lol. Great video, Abby- thanks 🙂💛
Try an embroidery hoop for sewing with the underbraider foot. The tension created by the hoop should create a smoother design . I totally love the edge stitcher! I like to imagine the person who originally purchased the sewing machine. How he or she felt when trying out all the accessory feet for the first time. I suspect they were just as amazed and delighted as you. Your Singer is a beauty.
My mom worked with an interior decorator in the 60s and 70s. She and I made miles and miles of ruffles for sheer Priscilla curtains. That foot also does pleats, and it can gather a top fabric while attaching a flat bottom. I just used that foot when attaching gathered skirts to my daughters’ dresses. Sure wish my Janice or Brother machines could use that foot.
This is scary--this vid drops on a day when I had to excavate my sewing machine box to find my zipper foot amid a whole bunch of Singer feet I've NEVER used.
aaaaaaand now I need an antique Singer. (My own Singer is from 1985 - Mom saved & saved to buy it for me as a high school graduation gift. I still use it all the time, of course.)
Wonderful video!! I feel the same way about all my feet! My Singer 27 came not only with all the puzzle box feet (plus random feet for a different shank machine...?) and manuals, but a newspaper article from during WWII that said, basically, "Ladies, you can't buy a new sewing machine now because all the manufacturers are making munitions. But if you have a problem with your machine, don't take it to a repairman; he'll rip you off. You can repair your machine yourself!" I love that these machines are such workhorses, and nothing is hidden behind plastic panels that will void your warranty if you remove them. It's all right there, ingeniously and precisely designed, but understandable if you put your mind to it. And they are also beautiful! (When I first got my machine I told my brother that it was "gorgeous, ingenious and will work forever," and he said, "I've been looking for a woman like that all my life."😆) I wish we could go back to the days when practical, useful things were decorated within an inch of their lives.
My Grandmother (b.1889) was a seamstress in her tiny Friesian village 🇳🇱, working later in her life with just such a "hand" Singer sewingmachine - when they became "available" to the general public. She helped her daughter/my Mom (b.1934) make her Wedding gown in 1964. which I still have. I (b.1971) sadly never got to know my sweet elderly Grandmother (✝️1967) but I'm named after her...and my Mom (✝️2017) passed her sewing skills and pre-WWI sewing "utensils" box on to me. 🥲🥰
I sew on a Bernina 1130 and I could not live without my blind hem foot, overlock foot, and baby hemmer. I also love the knee lifter for the presser foot, it helps so much with preventing distortion when sewing curves.
Thank you Abby, you've just solved a 30 year mystery for me. Inherited some Singer sewing feet from my grandmother and worked out what most of the were but until now the edge stitcher had me stumped xx
That edge stitcher foot and the ability to do insertion lace is AMAZING. I was also impressed with the hem foot! My experience with modern machine hem feet is...not exciting. But that foot's results looked so much better!
Not technically a foot but get/show the buttonholer on the treadle! It's my favourite thing because once you set it it's basically hands free and you just treadle away 😁 you've inspired me to dig out the feet I have, identify them, and try them out!
I went to a quilt fair today. Several booths had these 1938 singer sewing machines. They were cute and repainted bold colors and most worked. One was for sale for $650
I have my great grandmother’s singer from the 20s that I have been wanting to learn to use. This was so inspiring! I had no idea that these machines were capable of this!
This was great, Abby! I was bit by the VSM bug 10ish years ago. Once I realized the quality, the power of (some of- always check!) the motors if they have them (for example, the modern Singer “Heavy Duty” has a 0.7 amp motor. A Kenmore 1914 has 1.2, and a Pfaff 130 has 1.5 amps. And I got my Pfaff 130 free on the side of the road!) I never looked back. I now fix up & gift donated machines locally to folks who need one. They’re incredible resources that can be had for under $50 98% of the time, and people throw them away. The more we can keep running & out of landfills, the more resources we keep for the future. They were overbuilt & meant to last generations. And with good care, they will keep running! The more I’ve used them, and used the attachments, the more I realize we got rid of all these amazing features when plastic modern machines started rolling out. So I’m even more convinced what resources they are! lol. What I love the most about this is that you’re going to inspire people to try old machines. 💕 Thank you!
For many years I've kept a few feet like these in my sewing boxes, feet I inherited from my step-grandfather who was a tailor in the early 20th century. Aside from checking that they do fit my modern sewing machine, I never knew how to use them. Yes, vintage feet *may* fit modern machines. It's worth checking. My modern machine has snap on feet ... on a removable low shank bar. If I remove that bar, I can use any low shank pressure foot - from my step-grandfather's tucker and ruffler, to the specialty feet I bought for my 1976 Sears (Janome) machine. I'm saving this video ... I know it's not meant as a tutorial, but it will help me figure out my feet. The tucker has always been a great mystery to me.
I hate my modern machine but I loved my grandmas foot pedal machine. It was exactly the same model as this video. I had so much more control and it was so much simpler than a modern machine.
I think I like this style of video best: about 15 minutes, focused on a specific topic, highlighting your expertise. Thank you for all of your hard work. I hope you are happy and well.
Oh, what fun to find you working with feet. Singer did an amazing job with their attachments so good in fact other brands had Singer make the feet for their machines. They did make 4-5 different rufflers each with their own ID number. I should spend a day testing one against the other. The button hole attachment today still makes the best button hole of any vintage or modern machine. There is one for spaghetti straps. Many for embroidery. Another to make rugs. These are all low shank and most are interchangeable from one vintage sewing machine to another. Instructions on how to use them is now available on line.
I know they can sew through anything, because my mom learned to sew on a treadle machine. She also told me that machine made two stitches in her thumb before the needle broke. It didn't stop her from sewing with it she made sure her fingers where out of the way
I have my great grandma’s singer sewing machine from the 20’s. I also have all the attachments, the manuels and the warranty paperwork. I learnt how to sew on it and only purchased a motorized sewing machine after a few years of sewing. It’s been in the family for 100 years and hasn’t broken once.
Talk about a blast from the past! I have fond memories sitting underneath the sewing machine as my grandma was sewing, totally fascinated by all the intricate moving parts. I also loved to “play” with the foot pedal moving a scrap of cloth through the machine without thread, pretending to sew something. Back in the 1970s this type of foot pedal operated sewing machine still was a feature in virtually every household in our community. But they began to disappear in the 1980s as electrification advanced.
I inherited a couple of boxes for my singer and love how amazing our ancestors were. People seem to forget that doing things by hand took time and ain't nobody got time for a lot of things when you have to churn butter raise babies of all species etc etc.
I have a Singer 201, a Singer Featherweight, and a Singer 99. They all take the same feet but each has it's own unique bobbin. I use the narrow hemmer foot and the ruffler the most. I also have the Singer buttonhole attachment with templates for eyelets all the way up to 1 1/4" buttonholes plus keyhole buttonholes. I do contract sewing for an internet company that specializes in 9th to 15th century clothing for museums and reenactors. The 201 is my main machine and is used daily. The owner of the company I work for has a Singer 301 for her main machine. I love the old machines. No modern sewing machine could take the amount of sewing that these can unless I go industrial.
Watching you carefully and yet so casually sew so beautifully with that edge stitcher foot made me gasp and my jaw dropped. I have a modern Singer machine (Heavy duty, 4423) and now thanks to this video I'm going to investigate what feet I can get my hands on. I now want a hemming foot and an edge stitching foot.
I inherited a treadle Singer that had been converted to electric. I learned to sew on that machine. It's been in storage for almost 5 years. I just bought a house but haven't been able to get my furniture out of storage yet. I cannot wait to get my machine into my house and get it working again! It has all these attachments that I never really explored using. I will definitely come back to this video when I do get it in my house!
I have been slowly rebuilding an ancient singer I got as my latest fidget project and it came with all the original feet attachments that go with it. As soon as I finished the video I booked it to my office and opened the foot container to see the edge stitch foot right on top and just being able to Identify these mystery pieces of metal fills me with such giddy glee. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO 💖💖💖
I have a sewing machine foot fetish. That is a very nice near-complete puzzle box. Every time I see a youtube sewist bemoaning the chore of ruffling, pin tucking, or pleating, I mutter "There's been an attachment for that for over 140 years." The tucker marker is probably my favorite--I have at least 6 of them for various makes and models of sewing machine dating back to the 1880s. IMO the hemmers take the most practice and test runs to get good results.
I was given 3 tins of feet and accessories recently. This could not have come at at better time! Thank you. I dont know why but playing with feet has always confused me a bit so being able to watxh it is so helpful.
I want one of these old beasts so badly. I recently started sewing with machines after hand sewing only for almost a decade and dear god! It is ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH THESE THINGS! Dont get me wrong I absolutely love the convenience of them but if I ever run into one of these older ones in good shape im hopping on it like white on rice
What a fascinating video! Your collection of feet for your machine is purely a treasure. I have a 1920 Singer treadle machine that needed a serious cleaning when I got it. I restored it myself and now works beautifully, but all that came with it is a standard presser foot and a zipper foot. Thank you for your suggestion about looking for attachments at flea markets. I will try that and probably take one of the feet I have with me to match up and be sure it will fit my machine.
I love vintage machines and all the amazing feet and attachments that were available for them❣️ Sometimes it takes a while to get the hang of using them but for the most part they work absolutely beautifully and do cool things I never knew I needed. Singer parts are nice because you can google the part number and usually find a video demonstrating the attachment. I especially appreciate videos from the featherweight shop as they have a good variety including some very rare and hard to find attachments.
You mean my antique machine can do more than straight stitches? It's interesting to learn what they can do with different feet, which I didn't know was a thing. Then again I have very little knowledge regarding sewing machines because I only started using one last January. Thank you for the continued education and inspiration.
Amazing that your vintage Singer came with not only the manual but the accessory box and all those sewing feet, what a find. The edger or insertion foot attachment is so fun.
I learnt to sew on a treadle machine which someone had added a motor to. It had a number of these feet, including a ruffler, which made sewing for my daughter so much easier. I was at work one day and my then wife gave the machine to someone without asking. I now have more modern machines but it's remarkable how similar the feet still are. The Victorians got the tech right and it's just kept going.
Recently inherited my grandmothers 1917 shuttle singer sewing machine (gloria) which also came with feet, which i now know what they are for! Thank you so much.
I’m happily sitting in my sewing room buzzing along on a petticoat using a ruffler attachment when I hear it will look better by hand. Well played. 😂 Going to go finish my petticoat now….by machine!
I recently got a vintage MS Macy's machine from the 1930s at our local antique mall. I got lucky and it still had all of its feet and its original manual. The machine is in perfect condition and works beautifully. This video has me super excited to dig though the feet and see what they all are for now!
I have inherited a Singer 99k made in 1946, hand cranked machine and a full box of attachments. The demo of the edge stitcher and ruffler feet have taken away a lot of fear to try them out.
I have a Singer 401G from the 60s, with all its associated feet and accessories and I have only used the zipper, straight stitch and zigzag (the wider opening for the needle) foot so far. I sew regularly but haven't branched into any complicated projects because I haven't had the mental energy to sit down and learn how to use the various feet. Guess I'll get to it now. ❤
Yes! Definitely experiment with them! It's amazing how *not scary* they actually are if you just take the time to try them out with some scrap fabric lol
I enjoy a rolled hem foot. I have a vintage singer and I will be finding feet for it now. I have always only used the standard foot. I am going to have so much fun.
I've been meaning to do a sampler with my different stitch options on my modern machine - now I know I need to play around with the different feet too! But that edge stitch foot was ✨ magical! ✨
Thank you so much for this video! I just got a White sewing machine from 1913 & it came with a bunch of feet that I didn’t know how to use, it now I know how to use a few of them!
Such an amazing machine! Beginner here, and I'm super proud that I managed to swap the normal foot out for the invisible zip one. Still haven't quite finished the skirt, but I will!
This was as much fun to watch as it looked like you had making it. When I sewed in my younger years, I was always amazed at what various attachments could accomplish! None of them were treadle machines which makes it even more amazing watching this, imho!!
I have an early 1950s singer clone and the automatic buttonholer is the most fascinating tool I’ve ever used. They legitimately made a straight stitch only machine do EVERYTHING. Shoutout to my more modern ruffler that can pleat though. I absolutely loathe pleating at this point. I’ll gladly let a few be janky for the machine to do it.
A quick note on feet since I wasn't as clear about this in the video as I meant to be. Even some Singer machines have different shanks (like the 66), even though most vintage & antique models do have the low-shank. The nice thing with Singer machines vs. other brands is that it is still possible to look up the serial number of your machine and learn the model and year it was made! From there, you can figure out what sort of attachments work for your machine. Basically if you buy a vintage machine, just know that not all feet work for all machines, and some research is a good idea. One of the best places on the internet for antique machines (including the Singer database) is here: ismacs.net/ and if you have a old singer and want to get an idea for parts/accessories this website is well organized (though mostly sold out): oldsingershop.com/ and this website is also fantastic: www.vintagesingerparts.com/ If you're a antique sewing machine lover and have other website suggestions for folks - leave them below! ❤❤
I remember being fascinated by my mom's Singer ruffler foot when I was little. Her machine was late40s/early 50s and portable.
Every brand of vintage / antique sewing machine has at least 1 Facebook group geared toward helping people restore & use that brand. The #1 fastest way to get help is through these groups. Lots of sewing repair professionals who are aging have been passing their knowledge on for free for years on these sites.
My main stitcher is a Kenmore, and I just find Kenmores to be very strong, reliable, and easy to find for cheap. The Sears Kenmore / White Vintage Sewing Group is my favorite one. I’ve learned so much from them!
I've got a 1929 hand-run Redline, and one of these days I really want to learn to sew on it!
The buttonhole & zig-zag attachments are awesome too!
I love the pin tuck foot! I find pin tucks a bit intimidating, so I think that would be very helpful!
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.
I also have a "feet problem" I call it "attachment issues" I love-love mine and use them all the time.
Have to think about Bernadette's dress with the lace, with your feet it would have been much faster.
Fascinating to watch.
LOL we were talking about that when I was filming it and we were like 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲
Exactly my first thought, too!
I thought of her too 😮 I wonder if she has any extra feet for her treadle machine. I’ve never seen her use any.
@@AbbyCox You know that now there will be interest for you to make your own lingerie dress, right? I know I'd personally love to see how making it with these specialized feet would make the process different.
@@tenaoconnor7510 if not, @AbbyCox now has a Christmas present idea for Bernadette
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.
The mechanics of attachments haven't changed much in 120 years, if at all. Ruffler, hemmer, top and underbraiding feet etc. are all the same on my 2017 Juki electronic machine. Hemming exactly along the grain, ironing, interfacing will all make it a lot smoother. Rufflers still aren't much use though some people (e. g. Gunnar Deathrage, who creates very dramatic, voluminous gowns) seem to use them with eyes closed and marvelous results.
@@ClaudiaArnold That may be partly the user? I have and will always gather/ruffle by hand and am rubbish with a ruffler foot. Whereas my mother could gather an entire skirt to fit a bodice with a ruffler foot and a cuppa coffee. In like 20 minutes.
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
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!
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.
Yep, the only machine in my current empire (of 5) that doesn't need to get professionally serviced AGAIN is the 1914 hand crank. I want to use it, whereas I dread using the others.
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 and there's nothing like a hand crank when you are learning (like me) and want to go slowly :)
I have a treadle singer that needs a few parts but I'm determined to get the old gal running again. Watching this got me all tingly and inspired again!
I think Bernadette is going to come steal your box 'o feet LOL
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
At least belts are super easy to come by! There's a link in the pinned comment to a couple of online shops that should have what you need (also google will pull up a whole lot of sites). The nice thing about these old machines is they're super tough and really hard to hurt, so great to learn on. Plus with a treadle or hand crank, they don't go too fast, which can be really scary for beginners (speaking from experience here). ❤❤
@@AbbyCox Thank you, that's good to know! It is a little intimidating all right 😁 But one readon I went with Singer is that there are tons of online tutorials as well as parts still available (in case I do manage to break something) ❤️
There are books and Facebook groups. Lot of resources for vintage, treadle, whatever your jam is.
I got my replacement belt on Amazon
Have fun. I taught myself during the pandemic. I sewed for hours a day making anything and everything. Then I crashed. I haven’t sewn in a year. I miss it but I can’t get myself to sit in front of my machine. I have a million notions I bought and want to use them but I really burned myself out. Go slow and watch a lot of TH-cam videos.
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.
I adore my hand crank machine, I own 5 machines and it's the one I always look forward to using. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I love mine!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
Ohhh the underbraider is so cool!!! But also that edge stitcher 😲 This would make making a lingerie dress so much easier.
I've always thought the ruffler foot was just a cruel joke. Thank you for showing how it really works! 💜💜💜
Let's not forget that different singer machines may use different feet, there were several types of buttonhole attachments alone.
There's Low Shank, High Shank, Slant Needle, and now Snap-on attachments.
If it's a Singer attachment they may have a SIMANCO number which you can search to find what types of machines it's compatible with.
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.
I consider myself very lucky to still have possession of my great grandmothers 1921 Singer Seeing machine (still attached to its table). It’s almost surreal that it’s been making and mending clothes for my family for 103 years and 5 generations.
I personally liked the edge stitcher. Thank you for the video. May the next month be kinder to you and your spouse.
thank you
I have a model 99 Great Brittian Singer manufactured. I found a box of attachments at a ReStore for $5. I love my old girl. She purrs like a kitten and I have an amazing store that does cleaning.
I adore machine feet! My mom has a 1952 black Singer 301a which came with a huge pile of feet and a clamp on buttonholer. She never wanted to use any of them besides the buttonholer and the zipper foot. That said, she was so expert having learned to sew on a treadle, post-depression. She was Minnesota Ironing Champion of the year, either 1951 or 1952. She didn’t need any feet!!! Lol.
I am studying with Andi and Paul Barney of Sewing Doc Academy, spiffing up Mommy’s Singer and a bunch of vintage machines I have been gifted.
Your outfit and hair in this video is giving “Sally Field” in Mrs.Doubtfire and I’m LOVING it
This is the only internet feet content I'm into 😁
I just made a massive floofy tiered skirt dress for Dapper Day with my 1938 SInger and my ruffler foot, so I am feeling a lot of fondness for that one. The hem was somewhere between 350 and 400 inches around, but I just pressed that up and then folded it over and stitched it down while sitting at the machine.
I've been collecting old Singers for like 20 years and use them regularly. I tried most of the feet for the first time last year because I was about to emigrate and had to downsize. First time I ever used a rolled hemming foot was on an 1877 12. I was like 'omg I need to use all of these they're awesome'. Haven't sewn since.
My grandfather was a tailor and worked exclusively on an old Singer, which I inherited. I have it, as well as the box. I’ve always wanted to use it, but I have no idea what I’m doing, lol. Great video, Abby- thanks 🙂💛
This helps a LOT! I inherited my husband's great-grandmother's vintage Singer and literally just was looking at all the feet with such confusion lol.
Try an embroidery hoop for sewing with the underbraider foot. The tension created by the hoop should create a smoother design . I totally love the edge stitcher! I like to imagine the person who originally purchased the sewing machine. How he or she felt when trying out all the accessory feet for the first time. I suspect they were just as amazed and delighted as you. Your Singer is a beauty.
My mom worked with an interior decorator in the 60s and 70s. She and I made miles and miles of ruffles for sheer Priscilla curtains. That foot also does pleats, and it can gather a top fabric while attaching a flat bottom. I just used that foot when attaching gathered skirts to my daughters’ dresses. Sure wish my Janice or Brother machines could use that foot.
This is scary--this vid drops on a day when I had to excavate my sewing machine box to find my zipper foot amid a whole bunch of Singer feet I've NEVER used.
aaaaaaand now I need an antique Singer. (My own Singer is from 1985 - Mom saved & saved to buy it for me as a high school graduation gift. I still use it all the time, of course.)
Wonderful video!! I feel the same way about all my feet!
My Singer 27 came not only with all the puzzle box feet (plus random feet for a different shank machine...?) and manuals, but a newspaper article from during WWII that said, basically, "Ladies, you can't buy a new sewing machine now because all the manufacturers are making munitions. But if you have a problem with your machine, don't take it to a repairman; he'll rip you off. You can repair your machine yourself!" I love that these machines are such workhorses, and nothing is hidden behind plastic panels that will void your warranty if you remove them. It's all right there, ingeniously and precisely designed, but understandable if you put your mind to it. And they are also beautiful! (When I first got my machine I told my brother that it was "gorgeous, ingenious and will work forever," and he said, "I've been looking for a woman like that all my life."😆) I wish we could go back to the days when practical, useful things were decorated within an inch of their lives.
My Grandmother (b.1889) was a seamstress in her tiny Friesian village 🇳🇱, working later in her life with just such a "hand" Singer sewingmachine - when they became "available" to the general public. She helped her daughter/my Mom (b.1934) make her Wedding gown in 1964. which I still have. I (b.1971) sadly never got to know my sweet elderly Grandmother (✝️1967) but I'm named after her...and my Mom (✝️2017) passed her sewing skills and pre-WWI sewing "utensils" box on to me. 🥲🥰
The insertion lace application blew my mind.
I sew on a Bernina 1130 and I could not live without my blind hem foot, overlock foot, and baby hemmer. I also love the knee lifter for the presser foot, it helps so much with preventing distortion when sewing curves.
I made my first (and only) quilt on a Singer treadle machine when I was 9. A well maintained vintage machine is magic!
Thank you Abby, you've just solved a 30 year mystery for me. Inherited some Singer sewing feet from my grandmother and worked out what most of the were but until now the edge stitcher had me stumped xx
you're better than i thought you'd be, sounds like something you say at the end of a blind date.
That edge stitcher foot and the ability to do insertion lace is AMAZING. I was also impressed with the hem foot! My experience with modern machine hem feet is...not exciting. But that foot's results looked so much better!
Welcome back! I was watching ‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006) and now this. My Sunday feels much brighter.
Oh Marie Antoinette is my favorite! Have you seen Priscilla yet? It's definitely a spiritual sequel
@@AbbyCox I saw ‘Priscilla’ earlier in the week and I do see the parallels.
Not technically a foot but get/show the buttonholer on the treadle! It's my favourite thing because once you set it it's basically hands free and you just treadle away 😁 you've inspired me to dig out the feet I have, identify them, and try them out!
So I have a buttonhole attachment from the 40s and I got way too intimated to do it on my treadle 🤣 I'll definitely give it a go though!
And the zig-zagger!!
I second giving the buttonholer a go on the treadle. I have never been so happy with the quality and consistency of my buttonholes.
I went to a quilt fair today. Several booths had these 1938 singer sewing machines. They were cute and repainted bold colors and most worked. One was for sale for $650
I have my great grandmother’s singer from the 20s that I have been wanting to learn to use. This was so inspiring! I had no idea that these machines were capable of this!
This was great, Abby! I was bit by the VSM bug 10ish years ago. Once I realized the quality, the power of (some of- always check!) the motors if they have them (for example, the modern Singer “Heavy Duty” has a 0.7 amp motor. A Kenmore 1914 has 1.2, and a Pfaff 130 has 1.5 amps. And I got my Pfaff 130 free on the side of the road!) I never looked back.
I now fix up & gift donated machines locally to folks who need one. They’re incredible resources that can be had for under $50 98% of the time, and people throw them away. The more we can keep running & out of landfills, the more resources we keep for the future. They were overbuilt & meant to last generations. And with good care, they will keep running!
The more I’ve used them, and used the attachments, the more I realize we got rid of all these amazing features when plastic modern machines started rolling out. So I’m even more convinced what resources they are! lol.
What I love the most about this is that you’re going to inspire people to try old machines. 💕 Thank you!
Seeing that foot that lets you sew insertion lace really wowed me. It really does remove a huge barrier to making nice insertions
For many years I've kept a few feet like these in my sewing boxes, feet I inherited from my step-grandfather who was a tailor in the early 20th century. Aside from checking that they do fit my modern sewing machine, I never knew how to use them.
Yes, vintage feet *may* fit modern machines. It's worth checking.
My modern machine has snap on feet ... on a removable low shank bar. If I remove that bar, I can use any low shank pressure foot - from my step-grandfather's tucker and ruffler, to the specialty feet I bought for my 1976 Sears (Janome) machine.
I'm saving this video ... I know it's not meant as a tutorial, but it will help me figure out my feet. The tucker has always been a great mystery to me.
I hate my modern machine but I loved my grandmas foot pedal machine. It was exactly the same model as this video. I had so much more control and it was so much simpler than a modern machine.
I think I like this style of video best: about 15 minutes, focused on a specific topic, highlighting your expertise. Thank you for all of your hard work. I hope you are happy and well.
Oh, what fun to find you working with feet. Singer did an amazing job with their attachments so good in fact other brands had Singer make the feet for their machines. They did make 4-5 different rufflers each with their own ID number. I should spend a day testing one against the other. The button hole attachment today still makes the best button hole of any vintage or modern machine. There is one for spaghetti straps. Many for embroidery. Another to make rugs. These are all low shank and most are interchangeable from one vintage sewing machine to another. Instructions on how to use them is now available on line.
I'm very happy to know I'm not the only one with a bunch of feet that are underused!
Holy moley I can't believe how well those work. Insertion foot?!? My mind is blown.
I know they can sew through anything, because my mom learned to sew on a treadle machine. She also told me that machine made two stitches in her thumb before the needle broke. It didn't stop her from sewing with it she made sure her fingers where out of the way
I have my great grandma’s singer sewing machine from the 20’s. I also have all the attachments, the manuels and the warranty paperwork. I learnt how to sew on it and only purchased a motorized sewing machine after a few years of sewing. It’s been in the family for 100 years and hasn’t broken once.
Talk about a blast from the past! I have fond memories sitting underneath the sewing machine as my grandma was sewing, totally fascinated by all the intricate moving parts. I also loved to “play” with the foot pedal moving a scrap of cloth through the machine without thread, pretending to sew something. Back in the 1970s this type of foot pedal operated sewing machine still was a feature in virtually every household in our community. But they began to disappear in the 1980s as electrification advanced.
LOL not me looking at the silly amount of feet that came with my vintage Singer 301A, and being like, oooooohhhh, THAT’S what you’re for!!
Me too. I have a 401a and a 301a. They sew beautifully, sometimes better than my modern one 😂
I inherited a couple of boxes for my singer and love how amazing our ancestors were. People seem to forget that doing things by hand took time and ain't nobody got time for a lot of things when you have to churn butter raise babies of all species etc etc.
What a treat to see those feet walk the walk!
I have a Singer 201, a Singer Featherweight, and a Singer 99. They all take the same feet but each has it's own unique bobbin. I use the narrow hemmer foot and the ruffler the most. I also have the Singer buttonhole attachment with templates for eyelets all the way up to 1 1/4" buttonholes plus keyhole buttonholes. I do contract sewing for an internet company that specializes in 9th to 15th century clothing for museums and reenactors. The 201 is my main machine and is used daily. The owner of the company I work for has a Singer 301 for her main machine. I love the old machines. No modern sewing machine could take the amount of sewing that these can unless I go industrial.
Watching you carefully and yet so casually sew so beautifully with that edge stitcher foot made me gasp and my jaw dropped. I have a modern Singer machine (Heavy duty, 4423) and now thanks to this video I'm going to investigate what feet I can get my hands on. I now want a hemming foot and an edge stitching foot.
I inherited a treadle Singer that had been converted to electric. I learned to sew on that machine. It's been in storage for almost 5 years. I just bought a house but haven't been able to get my furniture out of storage yet. I cannot wait to get my machine into my house and get it working again! It has all these attachments that I never really explored using. I will definitely come back to this video when I do get it in my house!
This was so fun. My great grandmother had one of these machines with all the feet. It was so cool.
I have been slowly rebuilding an ancient singer I got as my latest fidget project and it came with all the original feet attachments that go with it. As soon as I finished the video I booked it to my office and opened the foot container to see the edge stitch foot right on top and just being able to Identify these mystery pieces of metal fills me with such giddy glee. THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO 💖💖💖
I have a sewing machine foot fetish.
That is a very nice near-complete puzzle box.
Every time I see a youtube sewist bemoaning the chore of ruffling, pin tucking, or pleating, I mutter "There's been an attachment for that for over 140 years." The tucker marker is probably my favorite--I have at least 6 of them for various makes and models of sewing machine dating back to the 1880s.
IMO the hemmers take the most practice and test runs to get good results.
I was given 3 tins of feet and accessories recently. This could not have come at at better time! Thank you.
I dont know why but playing with feet has always confused me a bit so being able to watxh it is so helpful.
I want one of these old beasts so badly. I recently started sewing with machines after hand sewing only for almost a decade and dear god! It is ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH THESE THINGS! Dont get me wrong I absolutely love the convenience of them but if I ever run into one of these older ones in good shape im hopping on it like white on rice
What a fascinating video! Your collection of feet for your machine is purely a treasure. I have a 1920 Singer treadle machine that needed a serious cleaning when I got it. I restored it myself and now works beautifully, but all that came with it is a standard presser foot and a zipper foot. Thank you for your suggestion about looking for attachments at flea markets. I will try that and probably take one of the feet I have with me to match up and be sure it will fit my machine.
I love vintage machines and all the amazing feet and attachments that were available for them❣️ Sometimes it takes a while to get the hang of using them but for the most part they work absolutely beautifully and do cool things I never knew I needed.
Singer parts are nice because you can google the part number and usually find a video demonstrating the attachment. I especially appreciate videos from the featherweight shop as they have a good variety including some very rare and hard to find attachments.
You mean my antique machine can do more than straight stitches? It's interesting to learn what they can do with different feet, which I didn't know was a thing. Then again I have very little knowledge regarding sewing machines because I only started using one last January. Thank you for the continued education and inspiration.
The opening of that attachment box... orgasmic!
Regarding the hemming feet: starching the fabric helps enormously.
That's a good tip! Thank you!
That looks just like my grandma Tootie's machine, just with an appropriate finish now. May you enjoy it forever. I miss her so much.
And my favorite hands down is the edge stitcher. I always wondered how they got those insertions done well.
How the box closed blew my mind🤯🤯🤯
Seeing them all laid out stresses me out soooooo bad lolll
Amazing that your vintage Singer came with not only the manual but the accessory box and all those sewing feet, what a find. The edger or insertion foot attachment is so fun.
I learnt to sew on a treadle machine which someone had added a motor to. It had a number of these feet, including a ruffler, which made sewing for my daughter so much easier. I was at work one day and my then wife gave the machine to someone without asking. I now have more modern machines but it's remarkable how similar the feet still are. The Victorians got the tech right and it's just kept going.
I love the Reading Rainbow caption!!!! I watch everything with subtitles so I can catch little gems like that
Recently inherited my grandmothers 1917 shuttle singer sewing machine (gloria) which also came with feet, which i now know what they are for! Thank you so much.
I've been lucky enough to grow up using my great grandmas singer hand sewing machine thats over 100 years old, i love it dearly!
Such a lovely video! Really love the decor in your sewing room too, so calm and pretty. More like this please, perfect Sunday afternoon vibes!!
Thank you! I just finished renovating it and I'm so pleased with the space, so much more inspiring and comfortable to work in
What a fascinating machine. I can imagine the lady receiving this and being so thrilled. This machine is truly magical.
I’m happily sitting in my sewing room buzzing along on a petticoat using a ruffler attachment when I hear it will look better by hand. Well played. 😂 Going to go finish my petticoat now….by machine!
I recently got a vintage MS Macy's machine from the 1930s at our local antique mall. I got lucky and it still had all of its feet and its original manual. The machine is in perfect condition and works beautifully. This video has me super excited to dig though the feet and see what they all are for now!
I have inherited a Singer 99k made in 1946, hand cranked machine and a full box of attachments. The demo of the edge stitcher and ruffler feet have taken away a lot of fear to try them out.
I have a Singer 401G from the 60s, with all its associated feet and accessories and I have only used the zipper, straight stitch and zigzag (the wider opening for the needle) foot so far. I sew regularly but haven't branched into any complicated projects because I haven't had the mental energy to sit down and learn how to use the various feet. Guess I'll get to it now. ❤
Yes! Definitely experiment with them! It's amazing how *not scary* they actually are if you just take the time to try them out with some scrap fabric lol
I enjoy a rolled hem foot. I have a vintage singer and I will be finding feet for it now. I have always only used the standard foot. I am going to have so much fun.
I've been meaning to do a sampler with my different stitch options on my modern machine - now I know I need to play around with the different feet too! But that edge stitch foot was ✨ magical! ✨
Thank you so much for this video! I just got a White sewing machine from 1913 & it came with a bunch of feet that I didn’t know how to use, it now I know how to use a few of them!
As someone who cannot get their rolled hem foot (on a mid-'70s Kenmore) to work consistently to save his life, I am impressed.
Such an amazing machine! Beginner here, and I'm super proud that I managed to swap the normal foot out for the invisible zip one. Still haven't quite finished the skirt, but I will!
This was as much fun to watch as it looked like you had making it. When I sewed in my younger years, I was always amazed at what various attachments could accomplish! None of them were treadle machines which makes it even more amazing watching this, imho!!
I have an early 1950s singer clone and the automatic buttonholer is the most fascinating tool I’ve ever used. They legitimately made a straight stitch only machine do EVERYTHING.
Shoutout to my more modern ruffler that can pleat though. I absolutely loathe pleating at this point. I’ll gladly let a few be janky for the machine to do it.
I really enjoyed the little spring time transitions.
I love the pin tuck attachment. I got one with my 1929 Singer sewing machine.
Love your video. My grandmother used to sew all of her clothes on a treadle sewing machine. My mom still has it
Abby I love your historical content and your wonderful research, but I have missed watching you sew. Love you so much!
100% the edge-stitcher. That lace is so annoying to handsew 😢😂
Also, your face at 10:48ish ...that intense but quiet satisfaction 😊