I didn't call her Silvia - just my wonderful, wonderful, wonderful sewing machine. She could stitch almost anything and she did a bunch of it - many shirts for Mike and Rygh, and matching Easter dresses for Mikkie, Mandie, Mollie, and me plus countless other clothes! She stitched up curtains, cushion covers, pillow shams and yes of course a quilt top or two. She patched countless jeans and shirts, fixed many a tarp, sewed up blankets and covers for show animals. Even stitched a little light leather on occasion. She stitched and stitched and stitched and her crowning achievement was this:
Mikkie's wedding dress. She sputtered a little as the last stitches were put in and then...she just stopped. (That was in 2008). She visited two different sewing machine doctors...but alas, she had stitched her last and no replacement motor could be found (she was vintage, you know - parts are hard to find for us old girls! LOL). So Silvia I was replaced with the next model (used of course, made in China) - she wasn't called Silvia any more - just a Necchi 4575 - same stitch selections, same basic mode of operation, and she didn't cost much off ebay - (you know, I always thought I could find "someone" who could resurrect Silvia, just needed something to sew a little).
But "ole" 4575 has stitched a bunch too. She does a fair job patching jeans (a true test for a rancher's wife's sewing machine!!), she's altered prom dresses, bride's maid's dresses, suit jackets and a couple of wedding gowns, and she's stitched a plethora of quilt tops. She's even helped me learn to FMQ. Not as sturdy as Silvia, but with frequent oiling and cleaning, and lots of prayer (and holding your mouth just right) she's stitched away right nicely (sure better than no machine - even if I was still pining away for "Silivia"!)
Well, Mikkie is sewing some now, and she liked "ole" 4575, so we talked about finding another one, so she could have one, too (right now we share the sewing room, so we were "taking" turns at times!) But I was tickled that Mikkie wanted to sew!! So, I was perusing ebay one evening and "what to my wondering eyes should appear..." (no not the reindeer silly, it's not Christmas yet!!) but alas, "Silvia II" was found!!
And she now lives at my house!! No she's not a new fancy one like others have gotten, but I couldn't be happier!!! She purrs (and I think I do, too!!) and just look at the harp space for a DSM!!!!! Her first test (after I adjusted the tension, etc) was to patch a pair of jeans!!! She passed with flying colors!!! Then she pieced a 3" nine patch - ooooo sublime! Now the real test - FMQ!!! But alas, my darning/fmq foot doesn't fit "Silvia II" - "ole" 4575 is a short shank and Silvia II is a high shank.. So...you got it: I ran right downstairs and got on ebay and ordered the right foot - should be here in a few days!! So, really, it is nice to have two machines and not just for two of us sewing - I can piece and normal stitch on one, and leave the fmq foot on and a quilt in progress on Silvia!!!
Enough of my sewing machine saga!
Happy Stitching Ya'll!!!!!!
18 comments:
Well what a happy ending to your story! Or I guess, really, it's a 'to be continued' kind of saga, huh? So glad you found a Silvia II -- that's a big ol' happy, happy, happy!! :)
isn't it funny how attached we get to our sewing machines? when a good one is found, it's just a match made in heaven~!
mine is an old featherweight and she's very basic but despair to think she may someday become irreparable.
:-)
libbyQ
I enjoyed the saga, Doniene!
I agree, it is so nice to have one machine for piecing and one for FMQ. Can't wait to see what you stitch up next on that sleek machine! : )
(BTW, your daughter's dress is gorgeous!!)
Goodness, it isn't just the machine that does such gorgeous work, I do believe the operator has a "little" to do with it, too. Great work! My first machine was given to me the Christmas I was a senior in high school and it was a Necchi. I think I nearly wore that machine out. I only had one daughter, but I sewed lots of little dresses and pinafores, etc. for her. I must have run miles and miles of thread through it. Then I learned to quilt and miles more thread went through it. In 1996 I got my Bernina. "Bernie" is starting to get a little old, too, now. I have tried other machines and none of them run like my beloved, so I know it will be painful if he ever "dies." Now I'm going to have to check ebay to see if I can find another one! Thanks for the idea.
Having the right machine is such a joy! I am so happy you found her.
Glad you found another dream machine! We spend so much time with our sewing machine that it's important to have one we love. What fun to be able to sew with your daughter! So special! Oh, and LOVE that wedding dress! I'm so impressed! What a lovely couple!
Love it! I Know you've been looking for a while!
so fun to sit and read your machine story :)!
Congratulations on the new addition to the family!!! Getting a new machine is almost as much fun as a new baby.....and they don't cry or wake you up in the middle of the night :*D!!! Well, okay, I have been known to get up in the middle of the night to sew, but that's not the machine's fault LOL!!!
I learned how to sew on a Necchi and purchased one of my own in the 80s. I regret the day that I sold the machine. (What was I thinking?) Now, I have a Bernina, but I miss my Necchi.
O what a wonderful story of true love!! I haven't actually heard of Necchi but it does look and sound like a lovely machine. Nice to see your photo - how cool that Mikkie is sewing with you, it wont be long till Gracen takes up a needle and thread too!! (Not too sure about doing the mending though...."now it's just quilts!"!
I'm sure if the Necchi could smile it would be a big one... happy that she's been welcomed into a loving and sewful home! Enjoy!
Loved your story and what a beauty your babe is ! Are you going to call her Black Beauty ? Your a horse woman after all!
I loved to read your story Doniene. And wow you sewed a wedding dress. That is a dream!
Love this! I started my quilting 13 yrs ago with a Viking Lily but had issues over the years so when we moved here, I gave her to my daughters. They both sew quite a bit and my youngest has started quilting too. I got a Baby Lock and love her! Yesterday when we got home after the severe hails storm, I saw that my sewing room window was broken and I thought Oh No. Thankfully, only the outside pane was broken so no water damaged my machine. I'm hoping to sew this week.
Sending love your way!
Noreen
Hi I came across a machine like this today at or local op shop,on the side bottom at back the wheel was broken off but when you put it back on it turned something,not sure what it is for do you know. It was not the fly wheel that makes needle go up and down.Maybe to do with bobbin?and one of the cotton spools was also missing and broken.Hope you get this!
Nice to ready your sewing story. I am a beginner and I bought necchi 4575 from ebay kind of site. Trying hard to find threading info online. Do you have any sites as reference for that... Thank you in advance!
Did you ever find threading info on your necchi 4575? Im curious. I have recently purchased one and well i even have the manual and was having issues getting it to work properly.
Post a Comment