Thursday, June 23, 2011

HAND CRANK SINGER

My DIL bought this Singer 28 hand crank sewing machine at an antique shop a couple years ago and I have wanted to try it.  Last weekend I dropped my featherweight about 6-8" and after that it was making a bad noise as well as the stitch speed kept going slower.  So, Tuesday I took it to be repaired.  I hope it gets done quickly.  

In the mean time, I decided to try the hand crank Singer.  My DIL said it works, but has some problems.


Below, you can see the bobbin shuttle.  I was able to do some piecing with the machine, but then the bobbin thread would just break.  The bobbin sometimes seems to get stuck, or the bobbin thread won't come out.  I don't know if there is something wrong with the shuttle or what.  I ordered some more bobbins on Ebay (amazing) and will see if a new bobbin makes any difference.


It's a very pretty machine!


The other problem with piecing is that you don't have your right hand to help guide the fabric through.  This is not good when you have several layers of fabric to sew through and want to keep your points sharp.  However, it was kind of fun to use.  I hope we can get it fixed.
It would be nice to have one like this, or a treadle, if the power were to go out!  Today we might go to a quilt shop and an antique shop.  I'll try to remember my camera.  Have a good day, everyone!

13 comments:

  1. How cool is that!! Pop over to Bonnie Hunter's website and check out her handcranks... I'll bet she can offer some advice or tips on working with the machine, and she's great about emailing you back! http://quiltville.com/sewingmachines.shtml
    Blessings,
    Mary Lou

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  2. I have one just like that but can't figure how to use it. Hugs.

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  3. Boo!Hoo! I sure hope they can fix your feather weight! I am sure it might take a little get use to working this one. Pretty decals on the machine and looks to be in wonderful condition. Have fun shopping!

    Carolyn :)

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  4. I love your little machine......thanks for showing it....

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  5. What a priceless piece of the past! It is really a beautiful machine. Amazing the detail.

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  6. What a treasure! Hope you get the problem figured out! ---"Love"

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  7. It would probably be easier if you had a helper to turn the crank;) Sorry to hear the feather weight didn't win the gravity challenge. I hope they can fix it soon;)
    Happy Quilting!!

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  8. I admire that even tried to sew with the hand crank. I have read that often a mother would keep a child home from school to turn the crank while she guided the fabric through. I don't know how true that is.

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  9. What fun! There's a group locally that all own hand-crank machines and the LQS owner has photos of their get-togethers on her website. I always wondered about not having your right hand to guide things - I'd surely sew through my hand that way! But if you lose power, will you have enough light to sew? (Modern machines have spoiled us with built-in lights!)

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  10. These little handcrank machines seem to be popping up all over blogland recently. The problem with your bobbin seems to be a timing problem. I am sure you can get it fixed. Tell your DL to look for a dusty little sewing machine repair shop with a little white-haired proprieter. He will surely know how to fix it!

    Liri

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  11. Hope that your featherweight gets fixed fast.
    The crank machine is really pretty. How cool that you got to sew on it!

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  12. Give me a bernina and I'm happy! Those machines are beautiful to display though.

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  13. What fun!

    Did you know that Singer has a listing on their website, where you can get information to the model, year, and where it was manufactured? All you need is the serial number which is on the little brass plate just below your bobbin winder. Here is the link if you are interested. http://www.singerco.com/support/machine-serial-numbers

    -Alice

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