Friday 19 November 2010

Say Hello ... Wave Goodbye

I have good news and I have bad  news ... And I have very mixed feelings ...

Although it's not quite as bad as standing at the door of the Pink Flamingo crying in the rain, I'll give you the bad news first .. Despite my naming competition, and loving attention towards Maisie in the first few heady weeks of her living here, her arrival was a step too far for Mr Marmalade, and frankly, there wasn't room in his life - or his conservatory - for both of us .. So, as much as it pained me to make the necessary 'arrangements', Maisie is leaving The House of Marmalade tomorrow.  :(


To make up for her loss, I had to find myself a new companion, and I had heard say of a veritable "wonder machine" on corsetmaker forums and communities.  I went forth to search for this sewing wonder, and my journey took me to the Sewing Machine shop in town.  I asked the resident expert about these fabled machines which caused him to break into an enthusiastic skip towards the back of his workshop practically singing "Oh Yesssss! I've got one of those - BEST machine ever made, you'll never beat them" ... He then proceeded to compare this wonder machine to the biggest and best of the modern machines in his shop, running them down in 'her' favour and softly coo'ing over the purr of her mechanisms ... Sigh ..

How could I leave without her?  

Her name is Sabrina the StitchWitch, she was born on 15 December 1953 - the importance of that year marked on her body by a blue ring around the trademark badge - in Scotland, and she is a Singer 201K who lives with me now - in my new sewing room upstairs, and I love her even more than I loved Maisie .. which is alot!  She is the BEST machine I have ever operated.  Stitch perfect, so smooth, and also the first machine I have ever referred to as "she" and meant it!  If you have an old Singer, you can look up it's origins on the Singer database of serial numbers HERE.  Apparently, this type of Singer machine has an 'industrial' mechanism - seems very technical to me, i just can't see how that would work without the huge engine, but nevertheless, apparently this model is favoured by tailors and corsetiers alike, for that reason.  

ps:  Sarah - your mag is on the way - I was a bit delayed posting it what with all the "trauma" of moving rooms! Sorry!  Maisie is forever immortalised as I have told the new owner her name :)



6 comments:

Sewingadicta said...

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! It's funny how the end sewistas putting names to the sewing machine ..... We spend so much time with them!

silverpebble said...

That is a very very beautiful sewing machine. I hope you will be very happy together.

Rebecca said...

I remember my Nan having a singer like that, they dont make em like that any more x

amy said...

OMG! I have a 1939 221 and it is the best thing since I learned to make bread myself! I love the vintage singers and sing their praises to everyone who will listen! So happy you able to experience it your self! The variety of attachments I have for mine are pretty amazing too.

christinedown28 said...

You will love her as i do mine. They are the Bees Knees!! Small but perfectly formed. Nothing to go wrong and they sew through stainless steel...no wait, I mean handbag stiffening.

angharad handmade said...

Sounds like it's all change in the house of marmelade. Such a beautiful machine, enjoy your sewing! x