Dear Cotton Patch Community,
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Since this is the introduction of the blog, I thought I’d start with a personal entry about me and ...
My History with Sewing Machines
When I was a child, no one in my family owned a sewing machine. We all immigrated from Korea in stages during the 70s-80s so we had very little that traveled with us from there to California. We did, however, have hand-sewing materials. Some of it was stored in the infamous Royal Dansk cookie tin.
Most of it was stored in a woven basket from Korea that my mother still owns. The pink spool of white thread is at least 40 years old. I would pull things out and play with bits of fabric whenever I got the chance. I’d admire the Korean pincushion (in the shape of a traditional sock) and cloth thimble. My mother taught me how to thread needles, tie a knot in my thread before sewing, and how to sew on a button, but that was about it.
In college I was a Theatre Production major and took a couple of classes on costume design and construction. There, I learned how to use a sewing machine! I don't remember for sure, but I think it was the Pfaff Select 3.0.
I knew how to thread it, sew straight lines, and hit the reverse button…I was too intimidated to try anything else. I needed to call my professor over if the bobbin ran out and I never changed a single setting on that machine, not even the stitch length.
The costume shop also had an industrial Singer (an old, cast iron one set into a table) and two computerized Brothers – those scared me too, so I never used them.
After college, I decided to take the leap and buy my own machine! I sewed on this machine for about seven years. It moved with me four times through three different states. I built up my skills and sewed everything from tote bags and dresses to button-up shirts and corsets on this machine.
And yet….I remember almost nothing about it whatsoever.
All I remember is that it was a Singer and it was the absolute cheapest one I could find that wasn’t a toy. Eventually, I was moving cross-country (back home to the Bay Area after living in New England) and decided the cost of shipping wouldn't be worth bringing it. I gave it away to a friend.
My mother decided she wanted to learn a machine, so we went to Target and, again, bought the cheapest Singer we could find. After all, I’d sewn for so long on one just like it, right?
During this time, I either sewed on my mother's Singer or my boyfriend’s Bernette (we’ve married since then). He had it gifted to him by his mother years earlier when he'd briefly become interested in sewing his own historical reenactment costumes, but it sat unused for many years. His sister-in-law borrowed it occasionally to do some alterations.
Then, COVID. Many people decided to pick up a new hobby and I was no exception…I decided to jump into the vintage machine community and learn how to maintain my own machine.
I prowled eBay for weeks and found a good deal on a Singer Featherweight that was still functional. It was stored in an attic for decades and had some cosmetic scarring but I didn't mind. I read articles and watched videos from the Featherweight Shop in Idaho (I highly recommend them for other Featherweight owners!) and learned how to get my machine back in ship-shape. I cleaned, polished, oiled, replaced the belt and lamp, and even removed the scaly oxidation on the lead sheath that covers the wiring.
And now? I can truly say I understand how a sewing machine works! I understand how the motor, belt, gears, hooks, etc, ALL work together to create a stitch! Also, she’s a beauty. Also, her stitches are perfection.
Bernina Era (present day)
Earlier this year, I started working at The Cotton Patch. As a licensed dealer for Bernina, I was suddenly surrounded by all of these beautiful machines all the time that are capable of doing just about anything. I thought, after 15 years of sewing, don't I deserve a machine with modern conveniences?
Thus, the B570 QE joined the family.
I've sewn a couple of small projects on it now and I'm feeling out the features one by one. It's pretty overwhelming for a gal who's only ever used sewing machines to sew backward and forward with the occasional zig-zag stitch or buttonhole.
That’s my personal timeline of sewing machines. How about you? Have you sewn with a succession of machines like I have, or have you only ever sewn on a vintage workhorse you inherited from a family member? Do you sew with a simple, straight-stitch machine, or do you have a modern behemoth like my B570? Leave a comment below or swing by the store and let us know!