Milsurp After Hours

Well if 2 counts as collecting

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My mother had one of those old Singer cabinet models. When I was a kid I remember her making dresses on it....one of those pattern things...think McCall was the name of the patterns. Used to come in envelopes with the pieces all cut out. Have no idea how they adjusted for size, unless it was "sized" to start with. Nothing I ever asked about.

People probably don't sew anymore. Probably another lost art.

My mother had a Singer that folded down into the frame so it could be used as a table. It had a foot treadle. I remember my dad making a tent on it then proofing it with MEZOWAX. We used the tent on holiday in Wales as a shelter. It was pitched on a sandy ledge behind the beach at Penbryn and left there for the full 2 weeks. That was in the early 60's - no one ever damaged it.

As for paper dress patterns, my wife used them a lot. They were sized except for the really cheap ones where you had to cut them to size.

What I like about the old machines

1 They look intresting some almost like mini artworks

2 They are built to last and can sew anything!!

most of the junk they pedal in stores today won't even sew a decent pair of blue jeans let alone canvas vinyl and leather.

My sister broke 3 needles trying to sew a heavy pair of carhart coveralls on her new machine. She came over and used my old household and it didn't even slow the machine down let alone break anything.

3 I enjoy mechanical devices and these are some quite ingenious ones.

GG