J Miller

We are slowly working on cleaning out the garage. Since we started this my wife has found a number of sewing attachments and accessories just hither thither in boxes. As she's been finding them I've been putting them all together so we can find and use them when we want.
Today she found another low shank Singer buttonholler in the square dark green rubbery plastic box.


This is the second buttonholler she's found, but this one was my moms. When I opened it I saw it had a couple extra cams and .... a receipt:


M. J. Miller, or Mary Jonella Miller was mom's name. This was the buttonholler she used with the HOTHER machine.

No instructions, but I can print up a booklet if I want to. The strange thing is, the receipt put the purchase in Farmington, NM in um, 67? Nooooooooo, that ain't right.

So there's the mystery. In 1967 we lived in Phoenix, AZ and I was in my freshman year at high school.
No way in the world could that date be right. We moved to Phoenix in 60 or 61, maybe even in 59, I'm not totally positive. I do know for positive that in November of 63 when President Kennedy was killed I was in class at ST Mary's Catholic School in Phoenix.

So I'm thinking the correct date should be 4-2-57. I say that because the price is $5.67 cents. Perhaps the salesman had a brain phart and wrote 67 rather than 57. I'll never know, moms been gone since '01 and I doubt anyone in NM would be alive either.

But I have one more of moms sewing tools. In a bit I'm gonna hook the buttonholler up on the HOTHER and see how they work together.

Joe

Stitchnripper

What a great find. Don't you wish it could talk and tell you stories?

Charlee

Maybe Mom took a trip? Cool to have, no matter what.

jennb

I almost bought that Hother machine from the lady with all the machines, but since I have a 15 and 2 clones already I passed, but that was one I looked at a few times. How far is Farmington from Phoenix? I have no clue, but maybe y'all went on a road trip of some sort?

J Miller

Oh gee, I'm gonna guess close to 600 miles. Phx is in the center of AZ and Farmington is in the upper NW corner of NM.
I'm sure neither of us took a trip. My memory hasn't gone away yet.

I wonder what she used it on. Clothes mostly I'll bet. All the cams show use and the buttonholler itself is well used, but not abused.

Joe

path49

I'm thinking that the receipt is for something else because the price is listed as a "vacuum cleaner accessory". Maybe she sent for some bags or something & it's a mail order receipt.

And besides, that's not a 1967 Singer buttonholer. I would date that buttonholer closer to the late 40's thru the 50's. I have a buttonholer that was my mom's, bought in the mid-late 60's at the Singer shop that used to be in town...it was in the red, white, & green cardboard box & it's plastic with plastic cams. It has a $14.95 price sticker on the box. If that buttonholer was bought in '67, it may have been used.

jbj137

O she is soo nice.
A good reminder of Mom.
J J

J Miller

path49,

I would almost bet it was bought used. I come from a family that usually tried to save money when they could, and would buy a good used thing rather than a new thing to do it.

And you are right, that could be a receipt for something else. But at the same time, in Phoenix, my Aunt and Uncle owned their own sewing machine / vacuum store, so that doesn't sound probable.

Joe

May in Jersey

Joe, Never heard of a HOTHER but she's a beauty. My father had a threadle Singer circa 1930's or earlier that he used. Back in those day's he worked in the New York City garment trade like his mother did. I think at times she did "home work" and that's where the machine came from. Story was that she had a electric motor attached to it but years later my father removed it and used the treadle. I could never get the hang of foot power but my younger brother did and he made himself lots of drawstring bags for his marbles. Isn't funny how discovering something like you did gets you thinking about the past and where you lived and what was happening at a certian time. Too bad these questions come to mind when most of the family are gone and there is no one to ask.

AuntieD

Nice looking machine.