As the seasons changed, the trees woke up to new life after their slumber, blossoming through spring, now wearing their full, luciously green beauty again.
But what happenes, when a tree was cut down over a hundred years ago?
What happenes if it was married with iron and turned into a sewing machine, now slumbering in a warehouse, collecting dust, far past the time it‘s been deemed useful?
In this case, I found it, had it driven across the county and dragged up an inhumane amount of stairs.
It‘‘s time to wake up this sleeping beauty. ^^
Antique Solutions For Modern Problems
I started out learning to sew on a sewing machine probably at least twice my age, when I was around 12 years old.
This machine had some issues… I remember going on a week long sewing course in school, where we had to bring our own machines and not even the teachers were able to make this thing work properly.
Paired with my impatient nature, this was just a recipe for disaster!
I ended up sewing whole costumes by hand, just to avoid having to use this thing.
At first I thought my lack of enjoyment of the sewing process, despite me feeling inspired to do so over and over again, was due to the half broken machine. And getting a new one at age 17 certainly made things a lot better!
However, something still felt off. Something still felt overwhelming.
It took me years to understand what it was: The noise.
Even with noise cancelling headphones on, I just couldn’t tolerate the noise without getting extremely overwhelmed just a few minutes in.
But what were my options? Spending hundreds on a new, less loud sewing machine?
My love for cottagey charm and hands-on crafts revealed the solution:
An antique sewing machine!
If it doesn’t have a motor, I can’t struggle with the noise from it!
This would also solve another issue I had with the craft: Carrying around and setting up a heavy sewing machine every time I need it.
This beauty is it’s own storage and doesn’t need to be put away at all!
It can be collapsed into itself too, which is super convenient and it offers storage space for all my sewing supplies!
Finding a treadle powered sewing machine in working condition was way harder, then I anticipated. Especially one, that would work in my small space and is collapsable, which was the main concern for me since I can’t stand visual clutter.
But the search was more than worth it!
It was pretty affordable as well compaired to modern sewing machines although it does have pretty much none of the special functions. I never really used any of the stitches on my modern one… they just aren’t necessary for any of the things I enjoy making.
This machine has everythingI wanted! It’s quiet, it’s own cabinet, a wonderful addition to my space and it sews in a straight line. What more could you ask for?
Appreciating Simplicity
Learning to use my „new“ machine was surprisingly easy and intuitive!
It turns out, that the lower bobbins really haven‘t changed much over the last 100 or so years, so I didn‘t have to re-learn that part at all!
And what could be more intuitive than treading a pedal to make something go?
I had no instructions and wasn‘t able to find the model I have online, so I was and still am pretty much on my own in this journey to learn how to use this machine.
Still, I was able to get started pretty much right away!
It was like something just clicked!
But of course there were and are a few challenges to face as well.
For example, I haven‘t been able to fine tune stitch depth and the way it moves the fabric along to exactly what it should be yet. I think I found the appropriate levers, but finding the best balance for the fabrics I use most often will be an ongoing process.
It works well enough for now, and I‘ll be tuning and testing as projects go on!
I also haven’t been able to figure out how to wind thread onto the lower bobbins. It looks like it has the hardware to be able to do that, but I have yet to figure out how, though I don’t mind taking out my electric sewing machine every few months or so to quickly wind a few.
My biggest concern during my first few projects was the upper thread‘s tention.
It‘s controlled by this little spring-thingy that you pull the thread through before threading it through the needle and … well… this is where my intuition failed me.
I experimented with this one part for ages:
loosening the screw, tightening it, changing the needle in case that was the issue, changing stitch length, trying out different thicknesses and fiber contents of thread, adjusting the tention on the lower bobbin…
After hours of frustration and begging the poltergeist clearly haunting this machine and now my craft-space, I finally undertood why my thread kept being ripped – the plates to both sides of the thread clench when you put down the presser foot and release when you lift it. Having the screw tight enough to hold the thread tightly when the foot is up will make it clench on to the thread so hard when the foot goes down to sew, that it has no chance to move and just rips.
Oops…
A Sewer‘s Identity
Tackling an unknown tool like this with no way to educate myself on it specifically might sound like a quite advanced thing to do..
But I don‘t feel like a seamstress. I never did.
As hard as I tried and as many gorgeous fabrics and patterns as I cut – I cannot stand making garments! I don‘t enjoy the process, don‘t want to fuss about with sizes and don‘t want to be subject to the perfectionism I’d have to live up to, in order to make a garment that has a chance to meet my sensory needs in the end.
For me, it ends up creating a lot of waste, stress and something I can‘t even wear in the end.
I love the concept of slow and self made fashion but when I try to make clothes, despite the work of making it myself, it oddly feels like fast fashion – poor quality items that end up in the trash.
I‘d much rather stick to store bought clothes and only take a needle to clothes to mend them if needed.
So am I not a sewist then? Why waste money on supplies if you‘re not going to use them „properly“? Are they wasted on me?
Over the years of my garment frustrations and feeling inadequate as a crafter because of my apparent lack of ability, I found myself in pieces thinking if I want to sew it should obviously be clothes. Right? And why bother if I hate every step of that?
I‘m here to tell you you‘re a valid and wonderful crafter no matter what you make and how many of the possible applications of your craft you participate in! This kind of imposter syndrome does nothing but prevent creative people from colouring our world with their own unique creations.
You do not need to sew clothes to be valid or good at sewing. And who cares if you don’t have the skills to do techniques you’d only learn through sewing clothes, if you don’t want to sew clothes anyways?
And garments or not: You do not need to make your own patterns to be a good maker.
You don‘t need to make anything other than what brings you joy, in the way that works for you, in order to be deservant of any validation.
But what do I even sew then?
Creating New Things With Old Tools
Bags!
In my crippling inability to spend even just one day without a knitting or crochet project in my hands, I always have a use for bags, pouches and anything that can hold my supplies.
They also make for great gifts!
After my first test run with some scrap fabric, I decided to go a bit out of my comfort zone right away and make a kind of bag I haven’t made before:
Following a free pattern but with some alterations, I made this drawstring-backpack!
Click here to be taken to the pattern I used.
This might be one of my favourite me-made bags of all time!
I love the way the colours and patterns played out!
I don’t make projects that would require a project bag this size very often, so it’ll mainly serve me as a backpack for every day use.
However, having fallen in love with the floral fabric and considering, that the backpack only has one inner pocket, which is never enough in my book, I immediately made a matching little drawstring pouch the next day. It’s just big enough to hold one skein of yarn, some needles, a row counter and small scissors, so it became the bag holding my current sock-knitting-project right away.
I’m sure I’ll make more of these but I’ll alterrate the pattern to be just a bit larger because it’s a pretty tight fit for a sock project.
Another bag I made is this zipper pouch, made from some canvas I hand embroidered.
I just love rough canvas fabric like this and adding hand embroidery turns it into a pure joy to look at!
While I usually don’t work on multiple projects at a time, I’m on a journey to work through my yarn stash and like to plan projects in advance.
For this, I put all the supplies in a bag, ready to cast on, whenever my current make has been finished.
I’m excited to get to the one held in this!
Embracing The Process
Sewing like this is much slower and like I mentioned previously, this machine doesn’t have any of the fancy stitches – not even pretty basic ones like a zig-zag stitch!
I wouldn’t recommend an antique sewing machine for anyone wanting to make garments, since you do restrict yourself to the bare basics which might just not be enough for some techniques required by modern patterns.
Feel more than welcome to prove me wrong though!
But to me, that’s not a problem!
Quite the opposite actually.
Contrary to my impatient nature, I nowadays enjoy and strive to take things slow and be mindful about my making.
In that spirit, I started adding finishing touches by hand, like hand-stitching the turning gap of my lined bags with a ladder stitch, closing it invisibly instead of machine sewing.
The slower and more physically involved process of sewing on the old machine actually makes me feel more connected to the process and project and makes hand-finishing feel more natural!
I even find myself taking the time to properly press my seams with an iron, which I found quite annoying previously, having to set up the iron and all.
But with the slightly slower and way quieter process, I find myself wanting to emerge myself in the process and not skip out on anything.
I’m aware that for most people switching from a modern sewing machine to one that’s utterly outdated might seem like a downgrade, but to me it’s not!
I am holding onto my electric one as well, for occasions when I need different stitches and of course the days, when treading just isn’t in it for me.
I’m pretty sure the treadle is meant to be used with your feet in the middle (judging by the dusty footprints that were still on it, when I received it) but apparently I’m either too weak, or my feet are too small because I have to have one foot on the front of the pedal and one on the back, working it like I’m hiking!
But for the days that I’m well, my inability to bear a lot of noise and to suit my style of making, it was definetly the right call!
Hey, I needed a cabinet anyways and this one can make things!
Haha ~
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my rambling!
May your days be filled with calm hours and old-timey charm
Have a wonderful week!
Snowdrop