Vintage Sewing Machine Shop.....Come on in and sit a spell
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 15,506
I remember having to cram myself into a girdle back in the 60s and throwing up when I got to school. Never did like those beasts - glad for pantihose
I guess you can blame the girdle partly on one of our little town’s most famous residents.
N.O. Brantly developed a knitting machine to produce elastic in 1931. A decade later he revolutionized the girdle industry with a more sophisticated loom that turned out two-way-stretch elastic. Soon after that, 85 percent of the world's girdles were being made by Brantly machines.
He moved here in 1955, and some of his other inventions included a Sports Bra for well-endowed women (Cameo), a personal helicopter (now owned by Leer Jet), backhoe attachments for small tractors, and an oil pump jack for the energy industry.
To bring this back around to vintage sewing machines, I was at the 2006 liquidation auction of his last lingerie factory (FryBrant Inc) here, and bought a couple of old H-frame butcher-block industrial power stands that were part of the equipment....
CD in Oklahoma
N.O. Brantly developed a knitting machine to produce elastic in 1931. A decade later he revolutionized the girdle industry with a more sophisticated loom that turned out two-way-stretch elastic. Soon after that, 85 percent of the world's girdles were being made by Brantly machines.
He moved here in 1955, and some of his other inventions included a Sports Bra for well-endowed women (Cameo), a personal helicopter (now owned by Leer Jet), backhoe attachments for small tractors, and an oil pump jack for the energy industry.
To bring this back around to vintage sewing machines, I was at the 2006 liquidation auction of his last lingerie factory (FryBrant Inc) here, and bought a couple of old H-frame butcher-block industrial power stands that were part of the equipment....
CD in Oklahoma
Can you see sewing all that material into a dress on the older machines like Wheeler Wilson with the little sewing area.
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Merritt Island, FL
Posts: 672
It couldn't have been much more unbearable than when I started work in 1954 wearing hose & a girdle and NO air conditioning. It was hard peeling a sweat soaked Playtex girdle off at night.It was the hottest summer on record plus I rode the bus home every night and cooked corn bread for my hubby and we didn't get A/C until 1964. We've come a long way since then.
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 2,609
Skip
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Merritt Island, FL
Posts: 672
I look forward to those photos Skip. I don't want to miss it so be sure to let us know when and where you posted it.
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Victorian Sweatshop
Posts: 863
A friend's 1953 Featherweight has a broken gib hook. Luckily the screw is still there. I think the best way to fix it is to find a bobbin assembly, take the whole thing out via the set screw and replace. My skills probably aren't up to replacing just the gib hook.
Anyone got a source for parts? So far I'm seeing 'out of stock', no longer available', and 'are you kidding'?
Anyone got a source for parts? So far I'm seeing 'out of stock', no longer available', and 'are you kidding'?
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Victorian Sweatshop
Posts: 863
My friend's 221 has a broken gib hook. Not sure that my skills are up to replacing just the hook but the entire case can be removed via the set screw on the shaft. Now just to find a bobbin assembly. Sheesh, mostly I'm finding 'out of stock', 'no longer available', and 'are you kidding'?
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Victorian Sweatshop
Posts: 863
I'm trying to edit my post, it just disappeared when I hit edit.
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