The Sewing Machine

This 1904 Singer Model 27-4 Pheasant machine and #5 Art Nuveau treadle cabinet has been in my family for 9 generations.

In 1755, Charles Frederick Wiesenthal was awarded the first British patent for a mechanical device to aid in the art of sewing. No description of this patent exists. 

In 1790, Thomas Saint invented the first chain stitch machine for sewing leather and canvas. 

In 1804, Scottish weaver John Duncan invented the first embroidery machine. No description exists.

In 1829, Barthelemy Thimonnier invented a chain stitch machine that would sew a straight seam. 

In 1832, Walter Hunt invented the first American lock stitch machine, but never applied for a patent. 

In 1842, John Greenough patented the first sewing machine in the United States. 

In 1844, John Fisher invented the modern sewing machine that combined all the elements of the previous half-century of innovations. However, the filing of his patent was botched and he never received recognition for his invention. No description of it exists.

In 1845, Elias Howe improved Fisher's machine by holding the fabric vertically.

In 1851, Isaac Merritt Singer was granted a patent for a machine that used a falling shuttle, a vertical needle, a presser foot, a fixed arm, and a tension system. The treadle had been in use for too long for it to be patented. 

Also during this time, Charles Miller patented the first machine that stitched button holes. 

In 1857, James Edward Allen Gibbs patented the first single thread chain stitch machine. This may have been the machine used during the Civil War (1861-1865). 

In 1877, Joseph Merrow invented the first crochet machine that became the first overlock machine, known today as a serger. It sewed a blanket stitch. Also in 1877, the last sewing machine patent expired.

In 1885 Singer patented the Singer Vibrating Shuttle sewing machine, which used Allen B. Wilson's idea for a vibrating shuttle and was a better lock stitcher than the oscillating shuttles of the time. Millions of the machines, perhaps the world's first really practical sewing machine for domestic use, were produced until finally superseded by rotary shuttle machines in the 20th century. Sewing machines continued being made to roughly the same design, with more lavish decoration appearing until well into the 1900s.

The first electro-magnetic machines were developed by Singer Sewing Co. and introduced in 1889. The hand crank was turned to kick start the magnet. The manual treadle machine handed down in my family was manufactured in 1904. By the end of the First World War, Singer was offering hand, treadle and electric machines for sale. At first the electric machines were standard machines with a motor strapped on the side, but as more homes gained power, they became more popular and the motor was gradually introduced into the casing.

Sewing machines have also become collectors items. I'm a huge fan of Brother machines. Brother is the Chevy of the sewing machine industry. Their machines and accessories are really affordable. Brother machines can use Janome and Husqvarna snap-on feet. They can also use Pfaff snap-on feet with a special shank adapter.

Brother was and still is a Japanese company. Brother's history began in 1908 when Kinekechi Yasui established the Yasui Sewing and Co. in Nagoya, Japan. His brother, Masayoshi inherited the company a short time later and renamed it to Yasui Brothers' Sewing Machine Company. The first machine produced in 1928 was for chain stitching straw hats. 

In 1932, Masayoshi's younger brother, Jitsuichi, developed the shuttle hook and they manufactured an industrial straight stitch machine, the Model 15 Type 70.

In 1934, the company was renamed Nippon Sewing Machine Co, but retained the Brother logo. The above machine is the 200 HA-1 that was requested by the Japanese government and exported to Shanghai.

In 1936, the straight lock stitch machine was manufactured for home use, the Model 95 Type B1.

1940s Nippon Baby Brother is a portable battery operated chain stitch machine. It has to be crank started and runs on two D cell batteries.

Nippon Brother was one of the factories restored with General MacArthur's military contracts after WWII. In 1955, Brother International Corporation was established in Florida as their first overseas sales affiliate under the brand name, Atlas. 

Do not confuse the Brother owned Atlas machines for the New Home Atlas machines that were manufactured in the US and exported to England beginning in 1874. Above is the New Home Atlas Model D manufactured from 1900-1910.

Americans hated the Japanese because they bombed Pearl Harbor so the owner of the brand was concealed by calling it Atlas. It was built in a Japanese factory and shipped to Florida where the paint and decals were applied and they slapped another decal on it giving the impression that the Japanese worked for a US company when it was the other way around. The decal says, "made for Atlas in Japan," not "made by Atlas in Japan." The Atlas was the only pink machine. The other retro machines of the period were mint green, turquoise or buff by different manufacturers. There were 3 Atlas models:

Una (1957)

Deluxe (1959)

ZigZag (1962) 

The Una was manufactured as a home industrial model. It was the first machine to feature an external tension button on the top behind the take up lever that allows it to sew different types of fabric based on thickness. It can sew anything from silk to damask and denim. It takes screw on low shank feet which are still available and Class 15 Singer bobbins available at Walmart. It also takes universal Klasse or Schmetz needles. It's a collector's item because of the tension button and the color. It originally sold for $219.50. A Brother machine of this caliber today (the PQ1500SL) costs almost $1,000 new.

Straight Stitch ZigZag (1960) sold only in Japan

The corporate name was finally changed to Brother Industries, Ltd. in 1962 and the Atlas was discontinued. Afterward, the Brother name appeared on machines sold in the US. 

Window Matic (1962)

Window Matic (1963)

Select-O-Matic (1964) was the last pink model. My first machine was a 1964 Montgomery Ward Straight Stitch.

Who else remembers those horrible stitch cam machines from the early 1970s? I owned a 1973 Husqvarna Viking and hated it. This is the Brother Galaxie 8015.

 

In 1976, Brother released its first electronic selection sewing machines, the Compal DX and the heavier Compal DX ZZ3-B751.

In 1979, Brother manufacturered a computerized sewing machine, the ZZ3-B820 "Opus 8".

In the 1980s, Brother released the Atlas II.

In the 1990s, they released the Compal Opus 845 with the beginning of the bells and whistles we've become familiar with.

In 1991, Brother released its first computerized sewing machine with embroidery and memory card function, the PC-7000.

Janome is another Japanese company that started in 1921. Janome also owns the Swiss brand Elna. Janome didn't become popular until it developed the first computerized and programmable sewing machine for home use in 1979--the Memory 7. It also introduced snap on feet.

Janome Memory 7 New Home model 5001 $900

I happen to own this one. Good luck finding one because they're such good machines, they're still in service. Even a used machine is worth $500. It's a very heavy machine with a metal housing and strong motor. All of my Brother feet and accessories are compatible with it. It will sew everything from silk to upholstery. I use it for garments, fashion accessories and general household sewing. It has a drop feed so it can be used for free motion quilting, but it has a narrow throat space.

Janome is a professional brand while Brother is a hobby brand. Since both companies are in Japan, they made their machines compatible. They use the same feet, bobbins and needles. This universality became an industry standard. Singer, Viking and Pfaff jumped on board with snap on feet, but Bernina is still being stubborn with their over priced proprietary feet.

General Machine Tools

Canned Air (for blowing out lint) $3.98
Flexible Light (optional) $12.24
1/4" Foot $19.99
1/4" Curve Master Foot for sewing curved pieces (includes adapters) $26.98
Size 75/11 Needles $4.59
Coats & Clark Dual Duty Thread $2.79
Machine Threader $4.89
Some of the new machines come with an automatic threader, but they bend easily and only work with one or two needle sizes.

Simplicity Bobbin Winder $23.99
I wore out the bobbin winder on my Montgomery Ward machine and I've used this ever since.

Sewing Table

Folding Table (2, one parallel in front of the other) $100
Florist Foam Sheets (the largest size, as many as needed for 1 table) $16.74
Vinyl $10.49

Set the sewing machine on top of one of the foam sheets with the cord end on one edge. Leave enough space between the table edge and the machine for the quilt to rest on. Trace around the machine with a Sharpie marker. Cut out this piece. Lay this cut out piece on top of another sheet and cut that piece as well. Use as many sheets as necessary to make a surface flush with the sewing edge of the machine. Now make the entire table flush. It isn't necessary to do this with the other table. You need it to keep your fabric off the floor and it makes a good cutting surface. Lay a sheet of vinyl over the foam sheets. Your fabric will slide over it easily.