machines at yard sales
 

A line that makes me wonder -

"This was my mother's machine and she never used it."

Why? Was the machine a dud?

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I went to an estate sale where the machine was never used. The husband got it for his wife because his mother sewed and he wanted his wife to learn to sew. She love everything domestic about housekeeping with the exception of sewing with a machine. His daughter was like his wife. They did all kinds of needle work by hand but not machine. Lovely embroidery and tatting and knitting and crocheting but no machine sewing. They loved cooking and baking and canning and decorating.

Could have been my mother. She never sewed but she knitted beautiful complex patterns. My father "surprised" her with a crinkle finish Singer in a cabinet. She literally never touched it. My brother learned how to do his own mending and soon enough it ended up in my room. I think she cried when it was delivered. I think my father's third wife got rid of it.

I have neighbors with machines they never use. I also have a couple I never use because I like my Viking Rose so much.

I was at a garage sale last week and there was a pristine Singer 99k. The lady who had it for sale couldn't remember when she got it or much about it. It truly looked like it had never been sewn on. The case had a bakelite insert in the handle that said Singer. It was beautiful and sold quickly.

Also, maybe mom sewed before the kids were born or when they were little, but never went back to it.

Tate

I gave my youngest GD my Singer that I bought in Japan last Christmas. It wasn't a Christmas present.

My Grandson had a brand new sewing Machine from the 50s given to him. It had never had a drop of oil in/on it. I bought it off of him. It needed a new belt and oil, runs like a champ. No one in the family sews. I assume they inherited it and had no use for it. I'm sure glad I got it.

I bought a 50's Singer for $10 and it looked like it hadn't been used. All the attachments looked new. Great buy.

I think some people get a sewing machine so they can repair clothes and rarely use it.

My Mom had a machine that wasn't used because it was a dud.

My mom never used hers, she blamed the machine but somehow it always worked fine for Gran! I remember it clearly, and the cabinet it never left unless Grandma was over fixing something. :D

I think some people get them because in their mind it's just something you're supposed to have as part of a complete household, or it was a wedding or similar gift that they feel obliged to keep, but they don't actually have a desire or aptitude for using it.

I was just given a Kenmore in a cabinet that all looks like new .But, no book so I can not figure how to get the thing to do anything but sew straight --seems I don't know what to do with the fancy stitch button --how to set it .

A friend bought a brand new Bernina 830(old style) several years ago at an estate sale. The woman's hubby bought it for her and she didn't want to sew, so it sat unused until my friend bought it.

My sister and one dil would have machines that are like new. They do not like to sew!

I was ( gifted) a machine a few years ago, it was an expensive, top of the line machine in 1956, in a beautiful cabinet, with lots of cams/attachments/features. Was used twice. My uncle bought the machine for my aunt when they had their first child, uncle's thought, she could make baby clothes.... She tried a couple times, didn't really like sewing- for years & years I remembered that beautiful cabinet with the big beautiful plant sitting on it, I had no idea there was a sewing machine in there. After my uncle passed away my aunt asked me if I could use an old machine... Told me the story and gave it to me.
So, to answer your question-
Just because it wasn't used doesn't mean its a dud or has anything wrong with it- sometimes people just get one, but find they never use it.

Morningstar: I have heard a lot of people say they found manuals that are downloadable by Googling the model number. Good luck.

Do you use everything that you have bought or have been given ? I know I sure haven't. Kids gave us an ice cream maker about 10 years ago, never been out of the box. Also have many other things given as gifts that have never been used.

That was my MIL - she didn't sew but had a sewing machine. However - it could never be said that it wasn't used because she let me use it and I sewed everything.

My dad bought my mum a sewing machine, which she never used, she hated even sewing a button, but would knit beautiful intricate clothes for babies or adult, she even knitted a dress one with two ply cashmere no 14 needles(really thin) that was so intricate it looked like lace. I have sewn from as far back as I can remember and mums machine was still in cardboard packing case until I took it out and used it.

Google sewing machine manuals and see if you can get one.

Most people are honest, but many are inclined to express hunches as if they were fact. Instead of this kind of story, what is much more common is for sellers to say it "works fine" when what they mean is the motor ran and the needle went up and down. They might not have a clue how to thread it.

Maybe she just did not have time to use it..That happens to a lot of people....

My great grandmother was a seamstress/milliner, my grandmother (her daughter) did not like sewing, she didn't have to as long as her mother was alive. And then she bought my mother a nice sewing machine for a wedding present so my mother could repair things for her. My grandmother never understood cutting fabric apart, only to sew it back together. And alterations could be paid for so she didn't need to sew anything more than a loose button. My mother sewed out of necessity - my dad said his mother never had a sewing machine because they were too poor while he was growing up so she mended by hand.

My mother gave me her 15-91 and then bought a small Brother machine at Walmart that she never uses. She had it in case she needed to mend something, but never got it out of the box. She was afraid she would be able to thread the needle. My niece has that machine now - she uses it quite a bit to make costumes for her kids.

I did see a TV show a few years ago about the history of the sewing machine and they said the home sewing machine was the second largest expense after the family car up to the 1950's. Now there are a lot of homes that don't even have them. (Neither of my daughters have or want a machine. Where did I go wrong?)