My New-to-Me Sewing Machines!

They're here! (Yep, that's plural!)

My granny called me a little over a week ago. I thought she was calling (like everyone else seemed to be) to check up on us before the impending Hurricane Irma. In reality, she was calling to let me know she was on her way down to deliver the sewing machine and "sewing table" to me! She said she would be down on the 18th, which just so happened to be my birthday.

Now, I'm already working on my next sewing project (a tote bag -- post coming soon!), so I told my instructor that my granny was coming with the machine. She asked me what kind of machine I was getting, and I said I didn't know. I called her up and asked, and she said, "It's a treble." (Or at least, that's what I heard.)

I Googled "treble sewing machine," and instead I ended up with a "treadle!"

Image search results on Google for "treble sewing machine"

I found all of these beautiful photos of sewing machines that matched that "sewing table" at my granny's house. Suddenly I got very excited. I thought that sewing table was just that... a table.

Then she said she was giving me an electric sewing machine. Well, that seemed to contradict what I was finding online about the treadles. So I thought, maybe she was just confused about the sewing table thinking I was asking the name of the table instead of the name of the sewing machine. In any case, I figured I would find out on my birthday.

Boy, did I!

She showed up with both! Not only was there the electric sewing machine she told me about (also her mother's), but the sewing table (or "cabinet" as I later learned they were called) had a sewing machine inside of it that folded out!

Initially, I didn't realize the cabinet had (or still had) a machine in it. I thought I would just put the electric machine on top of the table when I wanted to sew. It wasn't until I unfolded the flap on top of the table (like I had seen in all of the pictures online) that I saw the machine inside.

What I found when I unfolded the table top

I think I squealed. If not, I did in my mind.

I pulled the machine up to get a look at it.

My new-to-me Singer 27

The machine is still threaded! There is red thread still looped through the top of the machine and still sticking out of the bobbin. I know I need to figure out how this machine works as compared to the other machines I had learned to use at the library, because already I can see the bobbin (or "vibrating shuttle") is completely different than the other "modern" machines.

Closeup of the faceplate and the thread still in the machine

Closeup of the vibrating shuttle

I've now tinkered a little bit with the machine to see what (if anything) seems to work or not work. I took a video of my experiment, but the video cut short when I ran out of space on my phone. I apologize for the shaky cam and the occasional finger in the way of the lens, but you can get a little closer look at the machine if nothing else.

For the electric machine. I haven't done much with it yet except open the case. Since this is a "portable machine" (even though it is SUPER heavy -- and I say that as a tuba player), I am going to take this machine to the library during open lab and see if the instructor can help me figure it out.

Sewing machine case

Singer 431G unboxed

Like the 27, it was also still threaded. The most exciting part for me, however, is the fact that it still has the original manual, and my great-grandmother wrote her name and contact information on it.

"This Book Belong to Mrs. Jessie R Grimm"

Lastly, you'll notice I already know what model sewing machine my treadle is. I used this link (found through a blog via a Google search). Also in that blog was a link to figure out the year of your machine based on the serial number through Singer's website. The link does not appear to take you to a serial number database anymore, but I was able to find another database online using Google again. Using that database, I was able to date the Singer 27 to 1896. (Gotta call my granny now again because neither her mom nor even her grandmother were born yet in 1896! I definitely want to know how they came across this machine!)

Serial Number 13787188

I am still trying to figure out the age of the Singer 431G, but they seem to only have been made in 1964 and 1965, so at least it's narrowed down to a two-year span.