Originally Posted by
quiltingcandy
Antiques are fun and some are better made than items today, so why not use them? I would also like to have the Singer treadle that belonged to my Great Grandmother, she was a seamstress and used it for her work. But it didn't have the book with it, the Damascus did so I brought the Damascus home. My aunt has it now, not sure what will happen to it.
After you use a few vintage machines, their operation becomes intuitive; an owner's manual is good for the quirky stuff like unusual threading paths, etc., but most functions can be figured out pretty easily.
The newest machine I have is a Viking 6570 (or is it a 6750?), from the early 70s. My feeling is that the overwhelming majority of home sewing today is for artistic, rather than practical, purposes. (With the exception of alterations.) Today, it's often
more expensive to make something than it is to buy ready-made. Part of that artistic experience is the machine that is sitting in front of you AND the sound it makes. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I find the sound of mechanical machine - especially a treadle - soothing; it makes sense. I don't mean to offend anyone and I know they have some good features, but the hollow, grinding sound of today's plastic electronic machines is something that I avoid as unpleasant. I can get most mechanical sewing machines running properly (it's usually a thread jam) but electronics are rocket surgery for me. As far as conveniences, I don't mind moving the handwheel for up/down, threading a needle or winding a bobbin; it's meditative. I don't even mind using a machine with no reverse - there are plenty of ways to lock stitches without it.
Thanks for your warm welcome.