Quiltville's Home for Vintage Sewing Machines

Quiltville Custom Quilting
http://www.quiltville.com

Quiltville's Home for Vintage Sewing Machines!
(Or...Old machines never die, they just go to Quiltville!)

What is this Quiltmaker to do when a lonely and unloved vintage machine is cast aside in favor of a modern computerized wonder-model? I adopt them! I love them, each and everyone!

It seems the more "modern" machines advance to become computer driven and pre-programmed, producing die-cut perfection in their abilities, the more I feel that real skill is taken from the Quiltmaker, and atrributed rather to the machine, instead of the person driving it!

The fancier the machines get, and the more expensive their add-ons and abilities, the more I want to run to my vintage friends, leaving the wonder-machines to those who want to live in the modern world. I'm more of a piecer, than an embellisher, so all I really need is a super straight stitch, along with the occassional zig zag for when I actually NEED to sew on a button by machine, or perhaps join scraps of batting together to make a piece that is big enough for whatever quilt I am getting ready to quilt!

There is NOTHING like sewing on a vintage machine. Nothing in the world can connect you to Quiltmakers Past than feeling the hum of their machines beneath your fingertips as the fabric pieces feed through.

These are the machines in my household! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Click on each thumbnail to see the full size pic. Click the highlighted name to view any associated blog post to learn more about each machine and how they came to abide with me.

~Treadles & Hand Cranks~

Willie Wilcox & Gibbs Treadle head. Serial # A734336	Mavis Davis Davis Treadle,circa 1880-1890 Serial # D806080	Tiffany Singer 15-30 Treadle , 1913 Serial # G3366451
Cleo 1973 reproduction of 1923 Singer15 This was the 50 year anniversary of the orignal machine! The machine head is beautiful but I'd love to replace the cabinet with something more "vintage".	Pearlie Seidel & Naumann Hand Crank, Serial # 76108	Winston Singer 15-98 Hand Crank, 1941 Serial # ED017851 Also Winston for Winston Churchill! His decal pattern is called RAF, a WWII baby!
Serata hand crank, circa 1910 I found this one in Sweetwater, TN on my way to Alabama. Cranking with Diane in TN!	Hannah! 1893 singer treadle, a gift from Terri! Her decals are just gorgeous!	Gae Before After 1924 Singer 66 --motor removed to fit her into the treadle table. She is my fave machine to treadle!
Mildred! 1911 Singer 66 Red Eye. Serial #G1004929 I freed her of her motor and placed her in the treadle!	Badged EG Benford Made by White. 1870-1880 hand crank.	Dinah! Dinah was a Craigslist find. $75.00 and found on my birthday! Happy 51 to me! 1925 Singer 127, Serial #AA786058

~Singer Featherweights~

Bertha (From Boise!) Singer 221K Featherweight, 1945 Serial # AG545758	Bea Singer 221K Featherweight, 1964 Serial # EV970152	Hot Rod Magenta 221K Featherweight RIP, Magenta! This machine demolished by baggage handlers on a flight from San Francisco to Oregon.
Doris! Singer 221K Featherweight, 1957	Missy Before & After! Singer 221K Featherweight, 1948 Painted by Gerald!

~Electric Full Sized Vintage Machines~

Martha! 1950s Singer 301A and Card Table Found in Pennsylvania (shown here sewing in my hotel room!)	Dagny! Before! After! 1950s Atlas in Strawberry Milkshake Pink!	Verna Fern Singer 15-91, 1942 Serial # AG370158 (Named after my GrandmotherThis was her machine :c)
Greta Garbo Singer 99K, 1927 Serial # AB804064	Lela Singer 24, 1946 Serial #AG740463 The Singer 24 is a chain stitch machine!	Big BlueWizard Serial # 88291, Japan, 1950's? (clone of singer 15-91) I love this blue color, and the little bit of decal on the bed. Who wouldn't want to sew on a blue machine named Wizard!?
Norma Jean Singer 404, 1958	Sandra Dee Singer 401A, 1957	Sally Singer 328K, 1953 (found her and her converted treadle cabinet at the Salvation Army)
Mean Judy Green Singer 185J, 1954	Sparty Spartan 192k by Singer, 1958 Serial #33681	Lloyd Bell Bell Micro: Real, not a toy! 1954 (posed in front of 185J Judy to show actual size!) More Info
Ugly Betty Singer 301A, short bed 1951 Serial # NA289792 Poor Ugly Betty was a gift from friend who discovered her at a flea market after having spent all winter outdoors under a tarp! She still runs!	Gracie Singer 99, 1941 This one has the "godzilla" finish and was found in her decal adorned cabinet at a second hand store in Kernersville, NC! She came with bobbins, needles, thread, and the green button holer attachment box. RUNS GREAT! She is now living in my guestroom.	Edie Singer 301A, long bed, 1951 Serial # NA156809 Edie is a tan long bed, found at the Quilter's Unlimited show in Chantilly, VA where I was teaching June 2009. She just HAD to come join my menagerie!
Singer 128 Black-side, 1940s Found in Pennsylvania	Marilyn 1950's Morse sewing machine, made by Toyota in Japan! Marilyn is an early zig-zag -- revolutionary because she didn't require the use of cams! Love that paint color on her -- it's original!	Barbie! She's a pink 1950's Singer 15 clone, also made in Japan! She sews like a dream!
This is the Grey Wizard!Also known as "Joe Cool". He's also a 1950's Japanese import Just like Barbie! Found at a yard sale for $30!	Sophia Necchi Supernova Ultra, 1958 Serial Number # 35-0281438 Found in an antique mall in Virginia for a whopping $28.00!	Ken 1950s Kenmore, Made in Japan Found in antique mall in Mooresville, NC!
Bobby 1950's Brother, made in Japan	Jane Singer 500a, The Rocketeer! 1963 Serial Number # NO544107	Francesca Pink Necchi Supernova Ultra Mark 2
Petula! 1967 Wizard Citation made by Brother in Japan Salvation Army find -- $35.00	Best Built! "Shimmy Jimmy" 1950's Japanese Import class 15 Birthday gift: $22.50!	Flora 1930's Eatonia, a badged "National" Lady Eaton (of Canada's Eaton's department store chain) was named Flora.

~Novelty and Toy Machines~
My friend Lucy started my toy collection! The first 3 shown were gifts from her, along with two mini quilts!
The third machine, a Regina, is shown with a mini quilt that I made myself.

Casige, 1940 Nick Name: Thelma	" Made in USSR" No age idea on this one? Nick Name: Louise (Also known as Red Russian!)	Regina, 1940's Nick Name: Regina Shown here with her box and the mini quilt I made.
Singer 40-D, 1950's Serial #22855 Nick Name: Little Brownie	Little Singer Touch & Sew, 1970's I always wanted one of these when I was little. I didn't get one then,but I have one now! Nick Name: Marsha Brady	Found in Virgina, unknown manufacturer battery operated, says Japan on the bottom Nick Name: Japan Blue
Little Gateway NP-1 (1940) Found in Altoona, PA Nick Name: Rosie	Singer Sew Handy, 1950s This little cutie was adopted at an antique mall in Augusta, Georgia while shopping with my friend Siobhan. The box is even in great shape!

I DO sew on my vintage machines,but this isn't the end of the list!

~Modern Computerized Machines~

Bernina 1080, 1994 Nick Name: Nina	Bernina 1008, Early 1990s Mechanical, not computerized.	Bernina 145 Activa, 2001?
2009 Janome 6500p I bought this because of the thread cutter! and I do love it for paper piecing.	APQS Millenium, 2008 Known as Fiona, (Because she is BIG like Fiona from Shrek, but still a Princess and SO COOL!)

~Great Links for Vintage Machine Collectors~