I started sewing somewhere around the age of 10, taught by my mother who sewed a lot. I learned on her machine, a Pfaff 332, which I now have. She gave it to me in the 1980s when she bought a new Pfaff. She said she knew it was a mistake almost immediately because the new one was not as good as the old one and I offered to return it, but she declined. At the time, I had a newish Kenmore I had gotten new, an old kenmore, and a Singer 15-91 which had stopped working on me (if only Rain's blog and the internet had existed then, it probably would have been fixable). I got rid of all but the Pfaff when I moved out of state.
Over the years, I worked for two different clothing designers as a cutter and shop room manager and have used many different machines including a number of industrials. The Singer 591 with a Servo motor and toggle switches for automatic backtacking and thread cutting/presser foot lifter in the foot pedal was probably my favorite to use. A simple tap of the foot would make a single stitch, perfect for topstitching delicate designs or floor it to rock and roll. Nice machines.
I've always preferred machine piecing quilt tops to hand quilting (which was the preferred method I was taught) and gave away a stack of quilt tops to my sisters for them and their children several years ago, but they would have to quilt. One of my sisters said "no more unquilted tops." Then two years ago, my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and couldn't get warm during radiation treatments, so I made her an appliqued horse quilt and machine quilted it. About the same time, the belt was started to slip on the Pfaff and replacements are rarer than hen's teeth, so I picked up a Singer 15-90 hoping it would do what the Pfaff would. That was the start of the addiction. Now, I usually just respond with "a lot," when asked how many machines I have...which is more than tate_elliott but not as many as KenmoreRulesAll! I do also have my maternal grandmother's 1889 Singer treadle, which is actually a rescue abandoned in the basement of a house my paternal aunt bought in the 1950s or 1960s.
Although I do have a lot of Singers and love the 201s especially, I seem to prefer the German and Italian machines. I love the Pfaffs and also really love Necchis because they're so smooth and quiet. I also recently acquired a Nelco badged Vigorelli and I think it is probably second only to the old Pfaff 332 for power. I keep telling myself I have too many and need to stop but I do really really like them. My heart races when I see a case or cabinet at an estate sale or thrift store. I have a problem.
The following is a queen-sized quilt I made as a 60th wedding anniversary present for my best friend's parents, who have sort of become my surrogate California parents. They both have music degrees and have been lifelong musicians. He sings in a barbershop quartet group and is a church organist and they both sing in the church choir and have taught children to play instruments.
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This picture shows the musical note backing and some details. The black borders have a repeat pattern of gray Clef notes and the background fabric in the blocks is sheet music.
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