Men Who Sew

I really like Judith Weller's statue of a Jewish tailor at a sewing machine. I must have passed by it a million times while I lived in NY. I moved there in 1986, and this was made 1984. He always seemed so peaceful sewing there while everyone rushed around him. I think I have a photo of him with a pigeon on his head somewhere. When I think about it, my experience with men who sewed began with the guys who I went to college with. I don't recall a single fellow classmate in my middle school home ec class. None of the men in my family sewed.

I asked my husband this weekend if he would like me to teach him to sew. He answered no a bit quickly for my liking, and when I pressed him as to why he told me that he didn't have time nor would he know what to make. And why is a man traditionally called a tailor and a woman a seamstress? Do we say seamster? I've never used that term. I've read sewist a few times lately. Is that even a word? This week is dedicated to men who sew. I am looking forward to what I find out.

P.S. Anyone want to take a guess what kind of machine our statue tailor is sewing on? I may need to write to the artist to find out.

Is there such a thing as a vintage sewing machine?

What does vintage really mean? Well if you are a smarty pants, you have probably figured out by now, I have been misusing the word vintage all week.

According to Richarde13 on Ebay, "The correct usage of the word vintage must be used with a year: ie. my car is vintage 2001... , this WWII item is vintage 1943... " In fact, vintage in the purest sense of the word refers to wine. When I write vintage sewing machine I am using the adjective form, meaning it is of or relating to a vintage: like it is the best of that group.

Is it wrong then to call a machine from the early to mid 20th century vintage? You tell me. I think it is not the correct use of the word, but it has become part of the vernacular. Ah, semantics... what will we mess up next!

Hope you enjoy the collage of 20th century beauties. Next week I am going to attempt to feature (brooding music cue) Men who Sew. I have some good stuff lined up, so stay tuned!

Links to the Machine Photos:
Orange Brother
White and Orange Singer
Blue Morse
Green Zundapp
Green Brother Overloque

Interview with Amy Karol

Amy Karol is the creative guru behind the blog Angry Chicken and has written two sewing books, Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew (Potter Craft 2oo7) and Bend the Rules with Fabric: Fun Sewing Porjects with Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More (Potter Craft 2oo9). She has sewn everything from wedding dresses to quilts and has made short films, recorded songs, and created monoprints and fine art paintings. Amy's artwork, textiles, notecards and patterns are for sale on her online shop KingPod. She lives in Portland, Oregon (her hometown) with her husband and their three daughters.

When did you learn how to sew?

I don't exactly remember how old I was—5 or 6? It was always out and set up, I think. My mom taught me. We did a mix of hand sewing and regular sewing, but mostly I was just watching her and learning the process and then trying myself by jamming up her machine over and over again.

What kind of machine did you first learn to sew on?

I learned on my mom's machine, which she no longer has, but has since given to her sister. It was a awesome 1970s (maybe earlier) all metal bright orange Husqvarna. I love it and it was so strong! I must have jammed that machine up 1000 times and it still worked great. When I graduated from highschool my mom and dad said they would buy me a computer to take to college or a sewing machine. I went for the machine, and of course I chose a Husqvarna and now it's the machine my girls use.

What machine do you sew on now?

Now I have a Bernina Artista 165, which is the second machine I have ever owned. I love it. I also use a Baby Lock Imagine serger, which has been nothing short of life changing.

What do you most use your machine for?

Sewing! Ha! Seriously, everything, right? I mean it's perfect for both crafts and garment sewing. I do a love of free-motion work on it as well and it does a great job with that.

What is your 'dream machine?'

I'm pretty well set up right now. I don't have a collection of machines (nor do I want one) but my mom has a vintage featherweight, which I would love to try, it's popular among quilters for it's wonderful straight stitch, and I'd love an old school Pfaff machine, like what I used when working in college in the costume shop, again, another straight stitch machine. Purely for nostalgic reasons.

What advice would you give to a beginning sewer looking to invest in their first machine?

I actually have a bit about this in my fist book, Bend-the-Rules Sewing . . . I'd say try to get the best one you can afford and buy from a dealer from an independent shop, not a big chain store. Also, these smaller shops have classes usually for free—take them. It' makes all the difference in the world. And really be honest about what you think you might sew and try to keep it simple. You can always trade-in if you later want a machine with all the crazy bells and whistles, but starting out, simple is best.

Does Your Sewing Machine have a Name?

Does your sewing machine have a name? Common now, you can tell me! As I have been researching machines this week, I have run across this notion (sewing pun!) more times than not. Come to think of it, when I brought the Babylock Ellure home I think my daughter named it something, but I can't remember what. I may have been Sewey or Stitchey, but I will have to ask her. I also recall the Elna at Oregon Ballet Theater's costume shop having a name, but I can't remember that one either. Maybe I'm just bad with names!

I love that there is a machine called a Minerva, which is the brand name, not the name of the machine itself. So what does it say about our collective sewing personalities that we name our machines and talk about them like they are human? In literature that is called personification -- or maybe it is pathetic fallacy -- I can't quite remember which is which -- but I still find it interesting that we think of our machines as our friends (or in some cases, enemies...)

It seems for many people, the choice of a name is derived from the brand name -- such as Bernie (for Bernina) or Vicky for a Viking. I have also read about lots of machines which (or is it who?) possess a name that conjures up a reliable farm animal or wise elder: think along the lines of 'Ol Betty or Aunt Bertha.

Here are a few links I found that discuss the habit of naming machines. Julia over at Serious Sewing calls her Singer 168 machine Matilda. There are seven pages of comments on naming machines on the quilters' message board. And it was one of the questions for the Sew Mama Sew Sewing Machine Meme: they asked if 'she' had a name - I wonder if there are any machines out there who are male...?

My dad had a car named Sad Bird. He had a little silver plaque engraved with the name on it that was set into the dashboard. Could be a business idea for someone, no? Maybe take over a corner of a trophy shop and market it to us nutty sewers? Let me know if you start it up!

Swingin' Sewing Graphics

I just love the graphics on these vintage owner's manuals! The colors are great and the illustrations are fab! You can barely even see the machine on the Kenmore booklet - just a bunch of happy gals! I love the artwork on vintage patterns too. I had a great internship once where I helped archive an entire library of home sewing patterns - there were over 10,000 patterns dating from the 1860s though 1959! One of my tasks was to try to date them. Betty Williams, the woman who had the collection, donated them to The University of Rhode Island when she died. The entire collection is open for research.
Don't you wish there were some groovy machines to go along with these funky owners manuals? Well, I will have to search for those. I know there were some cute colorful toy machines, and I've certainly seen some groovy Bernina's. I will go exploring tomorrow -- I have to run over to the repair shop. Who knows, maybe I'll find a treasure to write about!

PS - there are great images of sewing manuals (which are for sale) over at Manuals on CD.

Vintage Machine Week

So Far I have been reviewing a mixture of new and vintage machines, so I have decided to dedicate this week to vintage machines only. Not antique machines - that will happen, I promise, but vintage, as in 20th Century; 1940s-1970s (maybe 80s if it comes up.) I would love to make it a more specific challenge and limit it to American manufacturers, but that is tricky, because many machines in the 70s were made overseas. I'll see what I can muster.

I learned to sew on a converted Singer treadle machine, meaning it had been converted in the 1920s or 30s from a foot pedal to a knee pedal. I loved sewing on that machine, but it was far from modern. Then sometime in 1977 I went shopping with my mother. We brought this fancy Kenmore 158 16250 home and embarked on a world filled with zig-zag stitches and blind hems! I still have this machine and have used it with my students. It is a solid, mechanical machine (remember this means all pullys and levers and gears and such) and my only complaint is that the tension knob seems to be useless.

I plan to scour the web for interesting vintage machines with stories attached. If you have one, send me an email! I hope to find some great stories about machines and their humans to blog about. I am looking forward to what else comes up in my quest.

Juki TL-98Q, Just Quilting, & the Portland Modern Quilt Guild

I am now a proud member of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild thanks to this machine, the gals at Just Quilting and my friends Miyong Noh and Violet Craft. It is true - a sewing machine can get one into this kind of mess!

I was out and about with Miyong, not shopping for sewing machines (although that is a bit of an oxymoron, because I always get in trouble when I shop with her!) and we saw the sign for Just Quilting. After a quick decision to go see what was there, we were deep into a conversation about longarm quilting with the two awesome gals who work there.

Let me back up a bit and admit that I have only ever made doll quilts with my students. I have never, ever made a quilt. I have always been intimidated by quilting, which is silly, because I've sewn everything else under the sun. Somehow the idea of committing to such a large and labor-intensive project that requires precision terrifies me. I am inspired by the modern quilt movement - and I love Denyse Schmidt's quilts and quilts of Gee's Bend - oh it is a vast world of quilting out there! But I digress...

Back to Pat's Just quilting. I asked her which was her favorite machine to sew on and she pointed me to her her Juki TL-98. She said it was perfect for sewing on quilt bindings and she was attached to it (See, I am not the only one who gets attached to my sewing machines!) The Juki TL-98Q is a lockstich machine, and I wasn't sure I knew what that meant. This warranted more research (okay, twist my arm!) and here is what I discovered: A lockstitch is a straight stitch. It is what was originally patented to commercialize the home sewing machines in the 1830s and is the fundamental mechanics for straight stitch sewing on machines to this day.

Good to know! Now off to plan my quilt design...

Interview with Lupine Swanson of Modern Domestic

Lupine Swanson is an owner/partner of Modern Domestic sewing studio on NE Alberta in the bustling arts district. She has been sewing and crafting since childhood and really began sewing just after college 15 years ago, then became a Sales Rep for Petersen-Arne, a large wholesale distributor of sewing and craft supplies out of Eugene. There she had the opportunity to travel in the greater Portland Metro area and spent time in all sorts of stores, big and small. After having her first child, Lupine switched to teaching sewing at Bolt Neighborhood Fabric Boutique which proved to be a wonderful change, and perfect for the first years of her family and second child. Eventually, she assisted Gina, the owner of Bolt and future partner at MD, on starting the bolt neighborhood blog. Last March, Lupine opened Modern Domestic with Gina of Bolt, and Michelle, a long time friend and sewing and knitting inspiration.

When did you learn how to sew & what kind of machine did you first learn to sew on? I began sewing as a child on my grandmothers hand-me-down Singer. It was horrible. If I had access to a better machine, I would have been sewing much earlier. There were constant problems with tension, unthreading and more. It made sewing by hand easier than figuring out the machine, which really stalled my learning. After college, I borrowed a friends simple and inexpensive machine. After a little less (just a little mind you) frustration, I started taking some classes. I wanted to become a better sewer, and although I didn't know much, I knew there was a whole lot for me to learn.

I began taking classes in a great shop in Eugene, 27th Street Fabrics. I quickly discovered that Bernina's were truly wonderful machines, and bought one. I am the type of person who feels that if I am going to invest in something, a tool or learning experience, I would rather have a good one that I can depend on to work ever time and make learning fun. I can not tell you what a difference that machine made to my skills. That lovely Bernina 130, a handful of classes, and I was sewing for years and years! There wasn't access to great fabric or inspiring patterns, but I made due and mostly just kept sewing through the years, for myself, my home, and now my kids.

What sewing machine do you use now? I also invested in a Bernina serger, it is a 900 DL. It is a great serger and continues to serve me well. I now also have a Bernina Aurora 430, and still have my Bernina 130 (although I have lent it to my sister). I also sew on lots of new Bernina's at Modern Domestic, the 330's mostly, as they are in the classrooms.

What do you most use your machine for? I use my machine for loads of things, from sewing doll clothes, to clothes for myself, a little quilting, home dec projects, what ever inspires me. Most recently I made a little Vogue tunic dress with beautiful Liberty of London fabric, which was dreamy.

What is your 'dream machine'? I think I can happily say that I own my dream machine! I do think that may change when I get to know more about the Bernina 820, which is truly amazing. After I can get over the intimidation of such a sophisticated sewing machine, I bet I will begin to fall in love.

What advice would you give to a beginning sewer looking to invest in a machine? When it comes to investing in your first machine, please do not purchase on from a "big box store." Aside from a very poorly made sewing machine that has mostly plastic and non-durable parts, they are hardly worth maintaining and you get NO support from those stores. Go to a dealership and buy the best you can afford. A well-built sewing machine will last you a very long time if properly maintained, and you can get loads of support from your dealership, including classes on your machine, and tips and help. If you have to wait a little longer to invest, look into layaway, and use a sewing studio for classes meanwhile, so you can learn and sew before you decide on your level of commitment/investment.

Lupines Links:

berninausa.com

http://www.boltneighborhood.com/

http://www.boltfabricboutique.com/

Omni Glide Machine Trolley

How cool is this? I first saw the Omni Glide at my local sewing haunt, Save Stores on Foster Road. I couldn't believe there was something that looked this hip for lugging a sewing machine around! I knew I had to have one, but it was right before the holidays, so I did the only possible thing I could do and told my husband to get it for me as a gift (That was the right thing to do, wasn't it?) Well, he did, (thanks hon!) and it proved to be as fantastic as I had hoped. We have already covered my it needs to look good issue and this satisfied that quirk of mine perfectly!

If you travel with your machine I would say this trolley is a great investment. It is super lightweight and comes in three colors: silver, red and blue. Warning though, it does not fit my Babylock Ellure with the cover on. I can just get it to zip closed. My older machines and new little Bernettes fit just fine. Also, the wheels seem delicate to me, like they are meant for slick airport linoliem floors and not the rocky asphalt I attempted to drag it across in the school parking lot (I ended up carrying it until I got inside). Shop around too: Amazon has it for less than Save Stores did, it just depends on how you like to shop. Personally, I prefer to support my local sewing haunts, even if it means paying a bit more.

VISI: Margarita's machine

Several weeks ago I found out that Barbara Matera Ltd. was closing its' doors after over 40 years of making costumes for Broadway shows, Ballet, Film and Opera. My first job out of college (I went to Parsons School of Design) was working as a first hand there. I was a fabric cutter for the two years I worked for Materas and I had the privilege of working directly with Barbara on several occasions. One that stands out in my memory was handing her pins in a fitting for Rudolf Nureyev for a performance of the King and I. It was a life-changing experience working there: I helped create some of the most incredible garments, I worked for world renown costume and fashion designers, and I made life-long friends who loved to sew.

I always made a point to visit the shop when I was in the City. Many of the people I had worked with were still there, and they always invited me into their world of costume magic. My daughter had a chance to visit and she began to look forward to going to the place mommy used to work where she could keep any beads she collected off the floor. One of the most important skills I took away from Matera's was how to sew on their ancient industrial sewing machines. The women who sewed at the shop, known as the 'ladies', were either hand stitchers or machine stitchers. Margarita, one of the machine stitchers, took me under her wing and taught me with patience and expertise how to drive these behemoths. I took this photo of Margarita's sewing machine the last time I visited the shop in New York. She was an expert tutu maker and taught me how to tell jokes in Spanish. I never quite mastered the art of either, but I will say I am more confident sewing tulle than regaling my friends with the 'one about the playa.'

I will miss Matera's and the world sparkle a bit less in it's absence.