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I Dream of Genie

My Mum called me the other day - she asked if I could go over and thread the needle to her sewing machine as she couldn't see well enough to do it.





This is Mum's 'modern' machine - she used to sew all our clothes when we were young on a Singer treadle machine like the one I bought last year. - and just to add some context to this; I have 4 sisters! Also, without patterns, just like she learned in Cyprus where she grew up. 

 Don't you love the '70's floral decal on the machine. Notice on the instruction booklet "Now with NEW elastic stretch stitch"! It kept breaking the thread when Mum was trying to sew but she had the stitch length and tension set wrongly and the thread was probably 20 years old. I sewed up the curtains for her to save her the grief! It ran like a dream. 

 While I was cleaning it up before I used it a younger sister said  "are you cleaning it because you think you're going to get it???"... doh!.. none of my sisters sew so I presume it will be mine eventually..but that's not what I told her!
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Comments

Pam from South Australia said…
Goodie....no competition for the sewing stuff then? I have a daughter & son and our arrangement is DD will have my stuff and DS will have his Dads in the shed. My DH has a passion for old cars and mine is craft/sewing/quilting stuff. And I have A LOT! I suggested to DD fairly recently that I should really try to sort out & cull some of my stuff but she was horrified and said she would be more than happy to do that later for me. ha ha. I have to say it is of some relief/comfort that all my much loved 'stuff' will be going to a good home and I can surround myself with it for as long as I like.
31 January, 2013 12:55
Summer Flies said…
Oh that's great! At least you know someone will appreciate it. There isn't much stash at Mum's as I got some of it already. Deciding what to do with it but it is mostly winter things. I'd love DD's collection too! Lucky children!
31 January, 2013 14:36
velosews said…
That's such a cool machine.
My godmother tried to describe how to draft patterns from scratch years ago and now I'm about to try it.
Your Mum sounds like a very talented sewer.
31 January, 2013 19:24
Summer Flies said…
Oh good luck. I remember my mum getting fitted for dresses with her cousin's wife. they basically pinned fabric on the body and cut and shaped as they went. I have one brocade dress in white and silver - I just don't fit into it again!
31 January, 2013 21:45
Carol said…
What a lovely machine. My mother had a machine but really wasn't a good sewer. She didn't like doing it, so she was never enthusiastic. She at least taught me the basics and she was a great knitter.
01 February, 2013 08:44
Summer Flies said…
Oh my mum could also knit but she is left handed and so when she taught me I had some funny waving of the needles around thing going on.. I couldn't turn it around in my head to right handed, hence I don't knit! I wish I did. I can crochet but can't read patterns... more things on the list!
01 February, 2013 11:27
velosews said…
That sounds like draping to me.
01 February, 2013 17:03
Rachel said…
That is such a cute machine. Thank you for commenting about my hair problems. Will you tell me more about henna? I keep hearing about it and that it makes your hair red? I have seen the hair of people who use it and it is beautiful. For some reason I have always been a little scared of it--probably because I don't know anything about it.
06 February, 2013 00:52
Clio said…
I have my grandmother's "modern" machine which is about the same vintage, but - alas - no flowers. ;-)
(I have 4 sisters too!)
13 February, 2013 06:38
Sarah Liz said…
The Genie was the first sewing machine I owned - my parents gave it to me for my 21st birthday - its was lightweight and portable, and it went on many travels with me. It worked very hard, and I finally burnt the poor thing out after about 25 years service. I hope you enjoy it.
10 March, 2013 19:42
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