I must have crossed a line . . .
 

For what ever reason, I woke up feeling like my sewing machines have taken over my house! (anyone remember the story - "The crabs take over the island?")

I think getting that last cabinet did it- I had managed to find room for everything else, in one nook or cranny - and I simply can't find room for this last one. And like the straw that broke the camel's back, now I feel like I've gone way out of control and I want my house back!!!!

Maybe it's partly cabinet fever - it's been so cold for so long so I've been trapped inside with my sewing machines LOL!!

So now I'm trying to talk my husband into building another shed. I'd love an addition to the house, but that may not be practical - and we'd need a permit for that. County could care less if we add another shed out back.

:D :D One thing I don't see is any mention of thinning the herd.
We live in a 900 sq ft house. It doesn't take very many sewing machines to overrun it. OTOH we have plenty of end tables.
Rodney

I have an industrial size garage attached to my tiny 2 bedroom apartment and I'm managing to fill it up with vintage machines . . . and material. Can hardly fit the truck in anymore. I believe anything that runs and has a cabinet and is $50 or under should be mine. My kids are going to be really unhappy when I retire and they have to move all this.

I think you may have reached a threshold... it happens .. it can be fabric .. books ... anything we get stuck on collecting. Rethink what you want ...quantity or quality..If its quantity... you have a tough road ahead.

"thinning the herd" is not an option I'm interested in. I worked too hard putting together a specific collection and I want to keep it. I've got 40 acres so lots and lots of room for another shed. Besides, we wanted to take down the old granary (before it falls down) and put up a more suitable building.

Our house is old with small rooms, very limited closet space, and almost no basement. If I had a full basement I'd have lots of room. . . Hmm - if I kicked DH out of his reloading room and opened up the full upstairs, I'd have room for my quilt frame up there. Maybe he would like to move his reloading stuff to a separate building. I'd still like to have a sewing machine studio. My main hangup is not really wanting to move my quilt frame out of the house. However if the shed is built right, it would be as secure as a small house, just no plumbing. All our heat is electric baseboard anyway, and portable AC, so no change there.

Lots to think about. Besides we haven't done a major building project in a few years.

I'm pretty strange I guess, because I won't put any of my machines in non-climate controlled areas. I have an attic and a 3 car garage, but I have seen what temperature extremes have done to machines and I don't want my babies anywhere but in the house. My dream would be a huge, heated and cooled studio where I could keep a longarm and many of my machines.

I would have a very hard time storing any of my machines in a shed. So many have been stored like that and it takes a dedicated person to restore the damage the climate does to these little beauties. Some can be brought back, some can't. Why spend the time, money and effort to collect and then basically put them outside.
If modern machines can't be stored that way (& cold weather would KILL my bernina) why would you put a senior citizen into an uncontrolled environment? Just my opinion.

I find it very satisfying to determine which machines I enjoy the most and rehoming those that arn't quite my favorites. This avoids hitting a collecting dead end so that I'm able to add new stuff. Great feeling to sell or donate a machine that someone else is thrilled to have. Some machines however "they'd have to pry from my cold, dead hands" :D

Jon

How did the owners of vintage and antique sewing machines store their machines in climate-controlled areas before air conditioning was invented?

CD in Oklahoma

Ain't that the question of the hour?!

My #1 Singer treadle spent 10+ years in a garage or storage locker with "0" climate controls before I got interested in making it go. It wasn't getting wet, so it didn't get hurt.
I don't like keeping them out in the garage or shed, but I'm also out of room inside. So either they have to go out side, or be rehomed. At least if they are outside, I can switch them out and use them from time to time.

Joe