Zigzaggers

Vesta

and another review by Michelle Jensen, of naughty little epoch

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I was completely bowled over by this hand crank when I saw it. It was at the height of my sewing machine fascination and I had never seen a vibrating shuttle machine. (I love the long thin bobbin and the way the bobbin holder looks like a bullet. It's a joy to wind that bobbin!) I never really sewed a whole lot with this machine -- its stitching isn't perfect and it seems to have thread and fabric preferences -- but I always thought it would be great to have something to sew with in a power cut!

When did you buy this sewing machine? I bought it a couple of years ago, purely on a whim. I think I was seduced by those lions.
 
When was it manufactured? It was made by a German manufacturer called Dietrich. I'm not sure when mine was made, really. Its badge is from the 1890s, but the decals are from around 1903 (according to needlebar.com).

Where did you buy it? I bought it in a charity shop in my hometown. There is something about seeing something like that in a charity shop that makes it hard to pass up. It seems like such a stroke of luck.

How much did you pay for it? It is the most expensive machine I've bought at £25. The others didn't cost that much all together.

How many projects have you done on this machine? Only a couple, but I love the challenge of the hand crank option.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I made one appliqué completely in its honor with Nahmaschine written in ribbon across the top. Mostly I've just played around with it.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? I think this machine has real character. It isn't something that I would use all the time -- just when the mood takes me. There is nothing to hate; it has great character and I'm sure that like most sewing machines it just requires the right touch.

Singer 185K

by Michelle Jensen, who blogs at naughty little epoch about sewing, appliqué, and her amazing op-shop finds

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I loved this machine for quite a while, and still do have a soft spot for it, but it has been eclipsed -- first by my Elna Grasshopper and more recently by my Husqvarna Automatic (both of which you can see amazing examples of on this blog!). It has always sewn pretty well. The foot pedal broke at one point, so that’s been fixed. I find the way it sews to be a bit heavy compared with the whizzy little Elna, and it is really quite loud. Despite that, the stitching is dependable.

When did you buy this sewing machine? I bought this machine about three years ago. I had been living abroad for about four years and coming back to a sewing machine-less existence was a hard thing to take.

When was it manufactured? 1959-60

Where did you buy it? I bought it at a village fete in a tiny little place called Staplefield, in the village hall -- a place I’ve known since childhood (Saturday night discos, etc.).

How much did you pay for it? £2! I tried to give them more because it seemed like such a steal, and the money was going to the church fund or something, but they wouldn’t hear of it.

How many projects have you done on this machine? I’d say I got at least 15 finished items done on it before I got the Elna. But that doesn’t include the ‘experimenting.’

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I’ve made appliqué wall hangings, bags, accessories, the better part of a quilt, and some creatures. I used it again recently because I bought a button hole attachment and a zigzag attachment, but then I found the Husqvarna. So the poor Singer is sidelined once again.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? I hate that it isn’t getting any use. I’m on the verge of finding a good home for it, but it is hard -- I let myself get attached. I like how sturdy it is and the design of it. It came with all the attachments and the manuals. Vintage sewing machines seem to have such nice manuals. I also love that vintage sewing machines have a history all of their own.