by EmilyKate, who recently reviewed her gorgeous Husqvarna 21, and is now sharing another of her beauties!
Love it or hate it, or something in between? Ooooh, who could catch a glimpse of this beauty and not fall instantly in love? My sister snagged it at a seaside opshop, and I know she must love me because she then gave it to me! It looks like something Elvis would have DRIVEN, rather than something to sew with; but it's not just good-looking -- it operates beautifully.
When did you buy this sewing machine? My sister got it about six months ago, photographed it artfully, and then turned it over to me.
When was it manufactured? Going by the styling, I think around late fifties to late sixties. It's been difficult to find anything out about this machine, as it is what they call 'badged'-- basically, back in the days of the big department stores, a store would order generic machines from a (usually Japanese) manufacturer, and then put their store logo on it and sell it as their own brand. HG Palmer's was a Sydney, Australia, department store. I managed to find a manual online that a person in Sydney had scanned after finding an identical machine. "Princess" is quite similar in many ways to a Janome machine I have from the seventies, but I believe the HG Palmer stores folded sometime in the late sixties.
Where did you buy it? Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia! The seaside opshops always seem to have the best scores!
How much did you pay for it? I think my sister paid around $15 Australian.
How many projects have you done on this machine? I sewed a shirt, and I've tried out the embroidery stitches on other projects. It came with a set of cams that are like no cams I've ever seen for other machines -- Princess's cams look like... well, they look like little nipples! A little door opens on the top of the machine and you stick them over a little knob. It's all a bit rude!
Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I've used the embroidery stitches to embellish projects. I've tried it on denim and the stitches stayed straight and true, with no strain on the motor.
What do you like and what do you hate about it? Well there's nothing I hate, but it is HUGE and heavy. Definitely not a portable. It doesn't have a buttonhole. One of its funny little features that I love is that the light shines though a little grille, which has a kind of fly-screen installed in it to stop any curious moths from getting inside and gumming up the works!
I have a remarkably similar machine made by Western Auto called a Wizard. I love it dearly, but no one seems to have any info about it and I really wish I had an owners manual. But I bought it on a whim for $10 based on the facts that it looked like something Buddy Holly would drive (slightly different feel from Elvis :) and it still had the original receipt in the accessory case, which I took to be a good sign.
Posted by: Katie | December 01, 2008 at 05:34 PM
You know what Katie? If yours is VERY similar this manual may be useful to you-
http://rudolfcouture.com/wardrobe/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=39
Posted by: EmilyKate | December 03, 2008 at 08:54 PM
And I'd LOVE to see a revie and pictures of your "Buddy" :o)
Posted by: EmilyKate | December 03, 2008 at 09:30 PM
OMG I have this SAME machine only mine is orange! I LOVE it. I learned to sew on it when I was 8. It was my mothers, bought by my father in the late 50's. Mine is branded Canadian Home. My repair guy said it was brought into Canada by Kresge's.
http://indigolime.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/my-mothers-sewing-machine/
Posted by: cate | September 25, 2009 at 10:49 PM