Antique Singer: My new baby needs a name! {The Homespun Life Sewing}
- Mar, 22 2011
- By Meg
- Business & Life
- 8 Join the conversation!
That’s right, folks! Yesterday, a dream came true for me. I am now the proud owner of a fully functional antique singer sewing machine! I have wanted one of these for ages – each one was built like a tank. A gorgeous, gorgeous tank. A fully restored and refurbished one can cost anywhere from $200 to over $1000 depending on model and condition, but I’m not against the idea of getting my hands dirty. So when this one came across my radar, the fact that it needed a little TLC in no way deterred me from paying a measly $50 to take her home.
She’s a 66-16, which is in many ways one of the more collectible models. The 66 first came into the world as a treadle machine, but was later updated in both hand-crank and electric versions (mine’s electric). She was a first in many ways, the height of technology when she was born. She also cost roughly the same amount as a new car does today. It was not uncommon for women to spend upwards of 20 years paying one of these off in monthly installments.
She was also built to last. This particular lovely lady was manufactured in Singer’s New Jersey plant somewhere between 1930 and 1935 – you can tell both from the serial number and from the filigree faceplate, which fell out of use in the 40′s. She’s been sitting unused and unloved in storage for over 4 years, and yet she still runs perfectly. As soon as I can get in there with a little grease and oil and some polish (which will happen just as soon as we get a day nice enough for me to work outside on the balcony), she’ll be like new. I plan to get her re-wired for a foot pedal (rather than the knee-operated switch of her time), but other than that she’s staying just as-is.
I’m already dreaming of the quilts and curtains that will be lovingly sewn on this baby. She’s got a wide assortment of accessories that I’m now officially on the hunt for, and someday I’d like to drop her into an original treadle cabinet just for the looks of it. But first and foremost, she needs a name! Something with this much personality can’t go through life as an “it”. Any suggestions?
Elise
Ooooh, she’s pretty. For some reason the name Betty comes to mind. Or Rosie as in Rosie the Riveter, cuz she looks tough enough to handle anything.
Meg
Ooh, I like Betty! It sorta works, since other versions of this model all had super fancy decal designs and this one just had the plain old “boring” filigree. Sortof like Betty girl next door vs. richy-pants Veronica.
kharmon
Love it! What a beauty and a find! Great job!
Being “born” in the 1930′s I think she may need a name from the 30′s. There are many on this list: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1930s.html
And I’m going to say my top favorites are (starting from the bottom of the list):
Marguerite
Hilda (b/c she’s built like a tank and well … sorry Hildas of the world)
Hattie
Eunice (although no one wants to name their child this these days, I think we should keep the name alive)
Charlene
Gertrude
Constance (always a good trait in a machine you want to keep working for you)
Josephine
Delores
Wanda (b/c I know it makes you smile when you say it — see!)
Frances
Dorothy
Betty.
:)
You’ll pick a good one, I know.
susan j.
betty & ronnie? you crack me up (:
louise gets my vote.
…with frances as runner up (but i’ll always think of it as a middle name, and every time you use it, i’ll be making up different first & last names for her)!
Meg
You know I can’t help it. ;)
She doesn’t seem like a Louise, to me. Frances… well, I’d just picture her as a nun all the time. I can’t decide if that’s ok or not.
Meg
Although she is going to be one of the few relics of our time here at ND, so maybe the fact that I can’t hear the name “frances” without putting a “sister mary” in front of it is actually fitting.
jan
How about Billie?
Billie Holliday was a leading Singer of the days when your “baby” was made… you feel a sense of holiday release having this dream fulfilled… and you’ll be creating lots of new things out of bits and pieces on that delightful machine, just like she did with notes.
OR… Jon’s and your favorite current Singer to remind you of these newlywed days… when you go to create something new in the years ahead.
Although I do like Betty in lieu of Ronnie… but maybe Rosie–like the Riveter!
just thoughts — and blessings!
Jennifer
Sooooo pretty!! Now I’m feeling extra bad about the crappy Kenmore I picked up at Sears last week to replace the crappy one I had before that that broke after four years of very light use. They sure don’t make them the wY they did in Betty Rosie Billie Francis’s day!, I should have held out for out for the vintage models but my mom is coming to visit this week and she’s my personal curtain tailor so I had to get her something to work on! By the way, I’m naming mine Drizella cuz she’s the ugly stepsister to yours!