You Never Forget Your First!

It's National Sewing Machine Day everybody! Yay! So I thought I'd spare you another picture of a cowl! And tell you about the sewing machines I've used in the past!

 

I'll start with the first (See you read the blog title and thought this was gonna be rude didn't you? Saucy!) The first sewing machine I ever sewed on belonged to my Mother and I'm fairly sure this sewing machine ladies and gentlemen was/is EVIL!

 

Artwork by HarmoniousJosh 

 

Now my Mother will tell you, that it is and always was a perfectly reliable piece of sewing equipment. She's either wrong or lying because that sewing machine couldn't do three stiches without skipping another six, couldn't feed a piece of fabric through without rucking it up and couldn't run for more than two minutes before the machine belt came whirling off ready to impale someone!

God knows I despised that machine. Sadly I don't have an image of my Mums actual machine but I managed to find one pretty similar.

 

 

It's a pretty close match from what I can remember, apart from my mums was cream with brown flowers. Oh those flowers, how I hated that flowered case! If the machine was bad the case was a ruddy nightmare! My mum is still the only person I know that can get the case onto the machine base without wanting to throw the entire thing at the wall! And of course if the case isn't properly attached you can't carry it without losing a toe.

 

My next experience of a sewing machine wasn't much better to be honest (It's a wonder I kept sewing really isn't it) My next experience was at high school. Now we were very lucky to have a group of very talented textiles teachers who were wonderful at maintaining the machines and to say they were being used by an entire school they weren't doing too badly at all. The only problem with textiles class was...... Other people. This is the moment I realised I don't share well. You could guarantee that as soon as you stood up to get a pair of scissors some one had parked their backside on your machine and was using up your bobbin.

 

 

 Which is why when I wanted to get serious about sewing my mum and dad brought me my very own machine as a present.

 

 

It was a Delta and it was treated like a workhorse. This bad boy went over everything, fabric, paper, tissue, wax and many more things besides. Not only did it have to put up with my attempts at dress making it also had to contend with my artistic textiles class. It was a great first machine (of my very own) But boy was it loud! it genuinely sounded like a jackhammer when ever I sewed! However I am happy to report that after a good clean its gone to live with my big sister who I'm sure will give it an easier life than I ever did!

 

Which brings me to my last and current machine. My baby. My pride and joy. The second thing out of the house in case of fire ( Little Knitwit first, Mr.Knitwit can look after himself , and to be honest he'd probably be sobbing trying to work out which games console to save!)

My new machine was a present off my Mum and Dad (again) for my 21st birthday. They came up with some options after listening to what I wanted, a general good all rounder machine. And gave me a choice, Janome or Singer? Now to be perfectly honest my heart said Singer. But I'd never used one before so I went Janome, because that was the type machine we had at school and on the rare occasion I could have some quiet sewing time I really loved to way they worked! (Testament again to the wonderful textile teachers and sewing room support staff of Sandbach Girls School)

 

    

And this is what I got! It's so lovely it makes me want to squeal with joy and I haven't had a problem with it yet.

 

What was your first sewing machine?

 

Much Love

 

And Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

 

Frankie

 

xxx