Do you have sewing machine?

Though I used to sew clothes a lot, seems like more recently, I make functional items. I made some cloth napkins recently. A sewing machine is an important tool. Learning to use one, as well as just a needle and thread, is a valuable skill for the survivalist. There are many tutorials on YouTube. If you can mend your clothes, they will last longer, thus saving valuable money. Many items can be made instead of bought new, which is expensive at retail. I want to make a satchel for my cell phone out of old blue jeans I acquired from Goodwill. There are endless possibilities.

 

I thoroughly enjoy sewing. I made a bag recently that turned out to be a lot bigger than the measurements that were on the pattern (weird, because I cut it based on the printed pages, but whatever!) and this bag has been the most helpful carrying pack. It's large enough to where I can fill it with a ton of items, but the strap is more of a cross-body, so I can easily distribute the weight. It's very easy and you can learn how to make something out of nothing! I have made purses from jeans, ice packs from sheets, Waterproof slipper boots, padded pouches, etc. I try to make practical items for everyday purposes. It's so much fun.

 

I have a sewing machine at home, and I know how to properly use it. My auntie use it frequently because she sew dress for a trade. I only have used it to patch up holes in pants or ripped clothes.

 

Got a Bernina and know how to use it
I have made lots a stuff over the years!

 

I don't own a sewing machine. I really would like to buy myself one. I can sew by hand, and I bought myself a small sewing kit with needles. I suppose I could add that to my survival pack.

 

I buy, sell, trade, repair, collect, and use sewing machines....a lot. My wife and I sew for the public (mending & alterations). We have a large variety of sewing machines for various tasks, and various materials. She uses mostly electric machines, and I use mostly treadle machines. I have 8 working treadle sewing machines in our home. I use 4 of them regularly, and she uses 2 of them occasionally. I guess the other two are eye candy, but they’re ready to sew. One that we don’t use much was a used wedding gift to my Grandmother in 1928. It was 22 years old when she got it (1906 model White VSIII). It’s going to our daughter when she gets a house large enough for it and her family. She sews a lot too.

CD in Oklahoma

ETA - Added a photo of Grandma's 1906 White VSIII Treadle sewing machine.

 

I like sewing. Got a gang of kids so there's always repairs needed and jeans screaming for patches. We have a Husqvarna sewing machine. Must be 25 years old, but works great.

 

We have a couple of sewing machines including a treadle powered singer. I do a lot of heavy canvas and leather hand sewing and consider a sewing kit that will sew cloth, canvas and leather a must for every bug out bag. I include thread, waxed thread, heavy thread that is almost string and artificial sinew. Needles of all kinds both for cloth and leather and upholstery. With this an awl and scissors I can make repairs on anything that I might wear or use like packs, holsters, shoes and clothes.

 

Everyone needs some kind of hand sewing kit. And, I think everyone needs at least one treadle or handcrank sewing machine. I only “discovered” sewing machines sometime around 2006. Before that, I didn’t even think about them much, except for seeing the ones in my wife’s tiny sewing area. She sewed most of the family’s’ clothing from the late 70s up until the late 80s on an electric machine made in Japan in the 70s ($44 Wards). By the late 80s, the kids got too old for “home-made” clothing, I had enough handmade western shirts to last me a while, and the wife sort of switched to crafts and away from clothing and eventually bought herself an electric machine made in Poland in 1990 (JC Penney).

Back in the 80s I was into leathercraft pretty deep, and used a double blunt needle style and pre-punched holes to sew leather cases for knives, pliers, and such with heavy waxed thread. I used a round 4-prong punch for punching most of the holes. A regular leather punch did the rest. I had a sewing awl, but never did get comfortable with it. I’ve since accumulated a second sewing awl, but I haven’t ever used it. I’m keeping them around though. Most of my hand sewing the past decade has been replacing damaged thread in existing holes on things that need mended, so I don’t even punch many holes anymore. I only hand sew if I can’t use one of my machines, and then I try to match whatever stitch was in the item originally.

For canvas and multi-layer woven fabrics, I use an old 1917 Singer 16-41 Jump-foot Treadle machine. It’s an early design that led to today’s walking foot machines. It works really well for replacing zippers in insulated overalls and coveralls by keeping the layers from squirming around much. Speaking of which, it’s about that time of year to start seeing those broken zippers coming in for replacement. It’s the zippers that they broke last spring just before they quit using the coveralls and stuffed them behind or under the seat of the pickup and forgot about them. Right about the first cold snap, they’ll be bringing them in needing them ASAP.

CD in Oklahoma

 

I like saddle stitching leather. I have several sets of diamond shaped punches with different spacing and hole sizes. If you use a stitching grover then sew in the groove this makes for a very attractive and strong seam. After they are done I use an over stich wheel to tuck and level the seam. In lighter leather I use glovers needles that sort of cut their own little holes.

I have basically a needle collection that runs from HUGE 12" long mattress needles down to tiny darters. I have always picked up needles, thread and sewing notions at flea markets and garage sales. Clothes are a must as are shoes. Each type of sewing requires a different set of needles and tools. My daughter knits and crochets and sews. I'm seriously thinking about building a spinning wheel . I know a lady that spins and weaves that will teach me. I will make clothes from canvass and leather shoes for all the different seasons. Moccasins are easy and if you will sew a sole onto them they will last a long long time. Tanning leather is also easy and any animal has every thing that you need to tan their own hide. I have scrapers and such to turn deer hides into soft leather.

 

Wish I could have gotten my paternal grandmother's pedal Singer sewing machine after she passed. She used to fix all of my clothes and all of the family's clothes on that machine. I don't know the age of that sewing machine -- 1920's? Before it, she no doubt sewed by hand. Grandma was born in the latter 1890s.

My wife has her mother's sewing machine, an electric one made in the 1940s. She made three piece suits for our sons and dresses for our daughter with that machine. She made her own wedding dress. We have been able to find parts for it.

 

Having your ancestor’s old sewing machine is a treat that slips away from a lot of folks. Nearly everyone’s past family had a sewing machine along the line somewhere, because folks needed and used them back then, but many of them slip away from us over the years.


I was lucky to get more than one family sewing machine. Grandma’s treadle that I talked about was actually given to my wife the seamstress, back when I didn’t give one little thought about sewing machines. I just cussed it when we moved from one house to another. I also have Grandma’s second of only two machines, an electric 1959 Singer 404 that she bought new in 1960. My other Grandma took hers with her to the nursing home when she turned 90, and sewed for the other residents at the home. I don’t know whatever happened to that one, but the old 1919 Singer 66 Treadle that she gave to my Mom in the late 40s got traded in to the Singer Store in 1958 for $20 off on her new 1957 Singer 301A. I have the paperwork on that trade. Mom bought it and its case on the “Time Plan” with a $50 down payment, $20 trade in, and by sending $11.82 a month to Las Angles California for a year. It looks like she paid it off, because the coupon book is empty. LOL


I had a shot at that machine, but let my sister have it. I had two family machines, and she didn’t have any. But, if I ever come across that 1919 Singer 66 treadle with a serial number of G1188975, I’d sure be thrilled. I doubt that it will ever show up though. Singer dealers had to destroy the old trade-in machines back in those days, due to company policy. Can’t sell new machines with old ones hanging around....


CD in Oklahoma

 

By the time I came around, several members of my family had been able to move into small towns. Yet despite this, I'd have my Grandma patch my jeans even put bell-bottoms on them -- yes there was a time when I was a long-hair and smelled of burned rope. She could NOT understand, "We ain't that poor no more! You can afford store-bought! Goin' 'round in patched jeans! What's wrong with you?!"

And I'd tie-dye t-shirts for my bra-less girlfriends.