so cute to see this antique singer sewing machine, nearly identical to the one my great grandmother used as a seamstress after coming to america a century ago. my mother still has the machine in her home, which folds away into a side-table. this machine would have been made when she was just 2 years old. today, the singer company celebrates 160 years in business, and print magazine looks at their products and aggressive advertising over the years here.

i learned to sew from my mother and a few friends who did a lot of sewing at home, but i was impatient and cut a lot of corners. after years out of the game, i gave away my machine to save space, and for some years, i didn’t really miss it. lately, however, i’ve thought it would be nice to have a machine again, and a few projects have come up that i either had to pass on, or do by hand. when i finally had some canvas chairs to repair, i sat down and thought about it seriously, asked around about hiring out the help, and finally did some research on machines.

i’m happy to say, after looking through how far the newer machines have come, and having a great new fabric store with sewing lessons nearby, i decided to dive back in and picked up a singer stylist. i also signed up for some classes with sew LA so i can undo all my lazy seamstress ways and replace them with good, solid garment construction. my first class is this week, and i’m already overwhelmed with all the cool fabrics to choose from. and of course, thinking about pattern design…!