Names
 

If I'm posting this in the wrong area please forgive me.

i was wondering if people give your machines names? And if so what's it's name and why did you name it that? I just thought this would be a fun thing to do.

I really haven't given much thought about naming mine until last week. Her name is Charlene after a wonder lady I have become friends with on this forum. She is so up beat, positive and encouraging so I felt that would be perfect!!

can't wait to hear about others!!

My everyday machine (vintage of course!) is called Jasper....when I worked in the book-trade I shared an office with my much older boss ....despite being quite senior in years, he was very computer savvy....everytime he was doing something, but his computer was too slow I'd hear "Come on Jasper" over the room divider......used to make me smile - so Jasper it is.

I have a Vesta (a Singer 3400XL), a Martha (Bernina 1530 and the name of previous owner), an Elsie (a Singer 401 and the name of previous owner) and a Bronwyn (a Juki serger). I used the names Vesta and Bronwyn just because I like them. I think naming your machines is fun.

I have 4 machines. I call #1 "the ole Necchi" #2 "Little Elna" #3 "Gram's ole Singer" (belonged to my late MIL) and #4 "King" The King is a treadle. King is the brand.

Of course he has a name -- my Bernina is named Phil. I know he is male as he does not multitask but will perform one task at a time beautifully. You have to treat him nicely and clean him up every now and then and he will work like crazy for you. My pickup is named Tom T Ruck.

I didn't name my machines until I got a gently used Gammill. She and I were NOT friends at 1st-partly to settings by the previous owner-not bad, just didnt fit me- and operator ignorance. When we MADE friends, I named her Lucy ,,because I had to repeat over and over and over and over 'righty tighty, lefty loosy' when we were making friends. After Lucy, I name them if one comes to me. My 1st 301 is Harriette after my maternal grand mother. One of my Featherweights is Betsy. That one I just like. My Bernina I piece on daily is ,alas, nameless. She is great machine tho!

I named my Gammill "Gabby". Seemed appropriate. My husband and friends would probably agree.

My Bernina 830 is Bernadette, my 801 is Penny, my son's Featherweight is Amy Farah Fowler and my Brother is Beverly (Leonard's mother for those who see the theme - because she is more sophisticated - computerized with lots of stitches). My Sweet Sixteen is Mollie because she was wrapped so pretty in pink when she arrived.

Cheers, K

My old Pfaff is "Steady Eddy" and my "new" one is "Guilty Quilter" because I felt guilty when I bought him! Funny how that feeling fades so quickly!

My Featherweight is the only machine I have named. Her name is Quilty because I do all of the piecing of my quilts on her.

Not all of my machines have been given names. The ones with names that have stuck are: Agent 99 - my singer 99k, Mr. Big Bucks - my babylock, Sally Brown - my singer 301 named for Sally the original owner who was a seamstress, and Buzz Lightyear - the rocketeer.

I have Vivian and her little Brother.

My machine is called Gertrude.

I only have one and his name is Sven. He's a Viking.

My go to machine for years doesn't have a name - just Miss Elna. But Miss Elna can't quilt, so I had to buy AnnieRose, a 301. AnnieRose has a sister, probably ErinRose, but I won't know for sure until I sew on her. The 2 Redeyes, the White, the Admiral, the Singer 128 and the Leader are all nameless because they haven't made anything. The turquoise Universal is Bette because she's so much like my mother's White. The 404 I keep at church is Pearl - she's a little pathetic compared with a 301, IMO.

I have a very old industrial Singer. I call her Granny, because she has good days and bad. She can be very loving and sweet, or so cantankerous you cant stand her. But I love her and if I give her oil and love she will sew through anything I throw at her. Loudly. she is very loud. lol My hubby refinished the top for me, so she is pretty again.
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I call my gammill pfredd

Names for my machines depend on how temperamental they are and what they have done today to displease me!

I use mostly vintage machines, most of them are named for their former owners. My 2 Singer 66 red eye treadles, are named Ruth, after my Dad's mother, Sandy after my bff who gave me the 1910. The Pfaff 60 treadle is Gertrud(she needed a good German name). The 1914 Singer 115 treadle is Opal Violet, she has a big rust spot on her face; so she needed a pretty name. The 1936 Singer 201k treadle is Randie. The Featherweights:Tan 1961 is Freddy,1936 purple repaint is Gloria,black 1957 is Patty.

I have been buying some all mechanical vintage machines to take the place of my unnamed Bernina 1260 whose motherboard is dying and can not be replaced. This machine was purchased for me by my late DH when I was ill. The "nused" machines will be shared between our winter and summer homes. So I have bought Marie (Morse 4400), Mildred (Singer 401), Gigi (Bernina 711); all named for their previous owners. I also have a 15 clone owned by my late MIL so she's Mary. My 3/4 rose case 158.1030 Kenmore is, of course, Rosie. My featherweight and my Necchi Supernova which I bought with her cabinet in Illinois are still waiting to be named.

When I bought my 6600, my dealer asked me what its name was. I didn't have a name for it, so they named her for me. My first & last name together sounds a LOT like a Star Wars character name, so they named my 6600 "Princess Leia". I thought that was funny as heck so I've kept the name. It's kind of appropriate - she's royalty but knows how to get tough! Then when I bought my 3160 from them I decided to stick to the Star Wars theme; for no specific reason the 3160 is now "Chewbacca".

I also have a 90's Kenmore I bought as a teenager - that poor machine has been used and abused (by me) and its name is "Old Squeaky".

I also have 2 non-working machines that are beyond my ability/desire to repair: a Pfaff 332-260 and an old Singer 15; I keep them as decorations and to remind me of my grandmothers. The Pfaff is *exactly* the same machine I learned how to sew on, taught by one of my grandmothers. The 15 is similar to (but not the same as) the machine my other Gran sewed on for years. Neither are named, because they don't work. Both of my grandmother's actual machines are still in the family; one is already coming to me some day and I'm trying to get the other one as well.

I purchased a Feather Weight from a fellow quilter's Mom's estates sale. Her name was Ruth so there fore my FW is Ruthie. Then the Pfaff 1522 is named Gerradderhaus { straight ahead } I can't spell in German. Just inherited my Mom's machine so will name her Mamou.....

I had never thought of doing this until now. I'll name my Janome after a wonderful old German woman who was like a grandmother to me. Her name was Sophie. My sister and I each have a photo of her hand quilting a blue and white fence rail quilt. Mine hangs in the sewing room.

I call my 1475 Phaff, "old faithful". Have had her since 1990. She has to be turned on for about 10 minutes to start working, but then she is her old dependable self. My long-arm is called "Minerva" after my grandmother who taught me to quilt and made sure I had a quilt in my hope chest. When she is not doing her best, she gets the full name "Minerva Margaret".

My gosh... so many names to remember! I have enough trouble remembering the names of all the people I come in contact with on a daily basis. Not going to add to that.

I feel really silly giving people names to inanimate objects, but my daughter loves to do it. She's named every car they have owned.

I haven't named any of my machines as I just refer to them by brand or model... Tiara, featherweight, etc BUT they are all girls!

***
*** FW is Margaret for Aunt who gave me 1st machine.
*** 66 is Minnie for Maternal Grand mother.
*** 301A is Lois for a dear lady who died at 92 last year in NE.
***

I love your theme, one of my favorite shows!

I'm not a namer of inanimate objects either, tho I have called them a few names at times. LOL

My first Brother was a Wal-mart cheapie, but he's a power horse and has taken anything I've thrown at him, so he is Big Bubba. I also have Sassy Sally the Sphinx treadle, and Fanny Featherweight. The Bernette I paid the big bucks for started out and Bernice, but she was a lemon and is now out in the shed with the name B**ch! LOL! I also have Clara the Clone 15 and my newer, fancier Brother SC9500 is named Brittany. :D

My older, less expensive machine is named Penny, because she cost me pennies, and it was an old fashioned type with the knobs on the front, and my quilting machine is Violet, since she is so pretty and welcomes me every time I "get the itch" to sew and DH treats her with respect, it is his mother's name, (not sure if it is respect for the machine or fear of me if he gets too close. Lol!) Violet even sews sideways! Both are Brother machines, tough enough to last, and well made enough to survive having me as an owner. Lol!

My Featherweight is called Hector. My Janome is called Janome :-)

My 1937 Singer 15 is Ms. Mildred after the previous owner who was the mother of a friend

My 1957 Singer FW is Bowser because he is a tough little puppy and Bowser is the surname of the person who rescued him, brought him back to life, and sold it to me :)

Computerized machine has never been named.....and I don't know why? Think its feelings are hurt? I'll have to think about this.

Some of mine have names...I run out of names after my 15th machine...

My Baby Lock is called "Quilla" and should she not behave she would be dubbed "Quiltzilla" (that has not happened). My Sweet 16 is "Trudy" and I have no idea why. It just fits.

I forgot some. My pre 1950 Necchi is Sophia. She is named because she has made a quilt. She was the only machine in the house that would FMQ when the 301 blew her cords. Oh, a 1970s Montgomery Wards is Miss Fancy because she has some zigzag stitches. Almost as perfect as Miss Elna's and a few I like better. My shiny black 15 clone made by MW is Fiona because she's trimmed in shamrocks.

this is sooooo funny. I never thought of naming my machine... I unfortunately only have 1.... I will have to think about this.

Yea, it's fun to name your machines. They are, after all, my best friends, as I spend so much time with them.

My main machine is "Sunshine," who is a Bernina 230. My main serger is "Ben," short for "Benevolence" (my boss practically gave him to me to start my home business), who is a Bernina 800 DL. My 60# vintage Kenmore is "Carol," who is named after her previous owner, who I never met, but who raised an awesome son, and the both of them are great examples of love, endurance through the hard times and service to others. My 1901 Singer treaddle is "Grandmother," it belonged to my Great-grandmother, who expected us to call her Grandmother, not Grandma. "Max" has a big "M" on his left end, and is my Mercury (Juki) industrial. My back-up serger is a 40 year old White, and his name is "Frank."

My 1957 99 is Basil...my grandfather's name who bought it for me when I was 13. 1975 Touch N Sew is Betsy after my grandmother who would have loved her. My newest, BL Aria is Corinne (nicknamed Missy) after my Aunt who taught me to sew when I was 8 or 9 and purely by coinsidence (sp) was purchased on her birthday.

The only ones I have named are ones that were my Mom's. She had two Kenmores so they are Ken 1 & Ken 2. She had a very small Singer Serger that I named Elsie after her Aunt Elsie that loved anything very small. Her other serger is That Darn Serger because it had no book and is a challenge to thread. The first machine she had (that I know about) was a Vigarelli purchased in 1949. It is olive green so I call it Olive Oil.