The Gold Machine

Blackside faceplate

As I was sewing my gold dress last week I kept thinking "Oh I have to write something about my 98k, it could be a series" I am dreaming big for this little blog, I know.

serial number EV 525167

If you are playing at home when you see the red S singer logo like this it means that this machine was manufactured sometime in the 60's and as we discovered last time, the K after the model number means it was manufactured in the Kilbowie factory in Scotland (that's a joke, if anyone reads this post I don't expect you to read up on old posts this is supposed to be fun not educational). This beautiful machine is from 1963 and is not that popular or well known. I have no idea why. It's gold people. And so tiny and cute.  Offically 3/4 sized. She weighs a ton though.  

Only 50,000 of these gold machines where made (later gray machine the 286k was made and these two models are usually lumped together) compare that to the numbers of featherweights made some people say one million some say 2.5 million.  A lot more featherweights around but still these little gold wonders get no love and featherweights are selling for $300-$600.

Featherweights

She has all blackside pieces instead of chrome, one of the reasons I had to have her.  Now everywhere I look online states that Singer made pieces like this between 1941-1953 because of  shortages of nickel and chromium.  My 98k was made a full decade after that which is interesting. 

If anyone who stumbles upon this post knows anything about them please feel free to comment. I know very little. The lovely couple who sold her to me passed along some folk law and rumour about her model but nothing concrete.  The rumour goes that these were made to be used in institutions like schools and prisons. A budget model.  Which is why she is so heavy. The very simple engineering with hardly anything you could pull off and pocket also suggests this.   

Slide plate and bobin cover plate are in one piece

You hook your finger under and remove the whole thing to get at the bobbin

I know of only 2 others both of which were "released" from the factory on the same day. One has all blackside pieces and the other has some blackside and some chrome. I wish I could say I sewed my gold dress on my gold machine but it didn't happen that way. I bought her with a visual that I would sew 60's dresses with full skirts while wearing a 60's dress with a full skirt so I should do that sometime soon.  

The good and the bad. The ugly and the beautiful.

very sad Singer 99

very sad photo of a very sad singer 99. Photo from the original eBay listing

I bought this machine for parts over the weekend. I needed a ¾ sized base and cover. I am in the middle of a mass maintenance of a bunch of my machines. One of them is a little ¾ sized Japanese 15 clone.

They were made in hundreds of factories in Japan after the war in any colour you wanted. These were sent all over the world to have a locally made motor bolted on and badges added.

a singer 15 with RAF decals.  I really want one of these one day.

Some people call them 15 clones because they use almost the same mechanisms and are roughly the same shape as a Singer 15. But don't be surprised if you get an ear bashing if you say "15 clone" to the wrong person. A lot of sewing machine people take offence. They are not exact copies. The Japanese made a few improvements. The bobbin case's are not always the same. Some of them have a feed dog drop switch on the bed of the machine. But as a general term I think it's a good one and I use it.

machines made in Japan usually have JA punched with the serial number

My little 15 clone is smaller then most. In fact it is a bit rare. I wouldn't want to declare that it is worth lots and lots of money, I bought it from a very nice man for $16, but you don't see them as often as the full size. It didn't come with a base or box so I bought this very sad looking 99 for the box. Now even though my little Chevret is not a clone of the 99 it did fit.  I am very thankful that those Japanese factory workers 50 years ago copied singer with so much dedication and detail.  Unfortunately the base and box is very sad as well. It's coming apart and the veneer is coming off in parts. Some bright spark painted the lid with some watered down brown purple paint which has been coming off on my hands and all over my sewing room. I don't think I will be able to save it.

The listing and the pick up was very typical for an eBay purchase. The sellers had no idea what it was. The 99 in bentwood box was designed with a knee lever mechanism. There wasn't a knee lever in the box which happens a lot. They go missing. People think it is just a random piece of metal and throw it away. But the seller had packed an extra foot peddle and cable. No matter that this plug wouldn't fit. When I got there the machine was set on top of a magnificent industrial treadle machine with gold decals. I do not know much about industrials so could not tell them much about it other then it was industrial. The sellers then told me it was a family heirloom and they bought the 99 to replace the huge machine sitting in the industrial table. That would be like putting a very small peg in a very large hole. Or driving a Cadillac and replacing it with a smart car. I told them if they sew they should use it. Maybe they will maybe they won't.

And then they mistook my brother for my boyfriend so I said good day.  

My First Machine

If you have read any of my previous posts, hell if you have read my blog introduction, you will know that I own a couple of sewing machines. I will write about all of them one day when I get to know them a bit better. This might sound strange to normal people but to people who *collect* them it doesn't. There are people who name them and only refer to them by name. I don't. They already have names. Today I want to talk about my very first machine. My 201K that my father gave me when I was very small, I think about 5. Dad was a real estate agent for most of my childhood and he is a hoarder/appreciator or old things. The story goes that a little old lady let him sell her house and he bought her car and this machine off her as well.

201's were made by Singer for a long time and they were very popular common machines. eBay and gumtree are full on them. The K on the end of the model number means it was made in the Kilbowie factory in Scotland. I looked up the serial number and it says it was released from the factory on April 24^th 1956. They came in two shapes, the earlier feminine shape and the later constructionist shape. These are names I've made up because that's what they remind me off. The were first made in black or black and black just like all of Singers other machines but by the 60's they started making them in beige/brown.

http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/201/

http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/201/

These machines are gear driven, use a 66 class bobbin and have a internal motor.  Mine is controlled with a knee lever. They are very heavy sturdy work horses.The advertisements you see around proclaim they can sew 1,100 stitches a minute. They have reverse stitch and you can lower the feed dogs to embroider or to make buttonholes using a buttonholer, but that feature is hidden under the bed and looks like something that shouldn't be fiddled with. Which is why it took me such a long time to find it. I had the machine for 20 years before I did.

I love this machine. It's not rational, when I see other 201's they are not that impressive and I pass by them with not even a glance. But this machine. Something about it makes me very nostalgic. I even love the smell of the bentwood case. Which I know sounds crazy. This is the only machine I own that smells nice.

I remember using it a lot when I was little. I remember just taking it out to look at and test the stitching. It felt like I had the tools and some of the know how to clothe myself using this machine but I never felt competent enough to handle it's speed and power and actually create something. So I used my Mum's machine to sew things. Still it always felt special. It was also a great hiding place for things. In my early twenties I hid my ex boyfriend's cigarettes in it more then once. One day it started skipping stitches and I had no idea how to fix it so I packed it up and it became a décor piece/conversation piece/hiding place.

What it actually looks like when in use, electrical tape in place for a seam allowance guide

It wasn't until I found instructions on-line on how to remove and clean the bobbin area that I fixed it and started using it again. This is a complicated process and instructions are crucial. But they are easy to find on-line, or if your lucky enough in the service manual.  Since then I have actually made things with it, and while the speed can still be intimidating I just grit my teeth and trust in my skills. I can always unpick it if I have too.