What is your Holy Grail?
 

Joe just mentioned he would like to find a Singer 201 in a bentwood case with the knee bar for his wife.
That's what prompted this thread. It does seem like we had a similar thread for quest items a while ago but things change. We fill holes in our collections or learn about something new that we now must have.

Here's a few of mine:
1) This I've been wanting for a while. It's not even a machine. The Singer #42 Art Deco sewing desk. Preferably the walnut version. That's my biggest want. I've had to let a few slide by due to finances but eventually the right one will show up.
2) An early New Home, especially with the flat tension on top. I just think they're beautiful. They have great lines to me.
3) An early electric machine, preferably original with a swing away Hamilton Beach motor.
4) This one isn't a machine either. There was an early Hamilton Beach motor on a separate cast iron stand that you could sit next to a machine to run it. One of those would be great. I want my collection to show some of the evolution of the modern electric machine.
5) An early foot-shaped foot controller.
6) An early Franklin with the Scarab pattern. I just think it's a neat decal design and it's a good representation of our nation's fascination with all things Egyptian back then. I like it far better than Singer's Sphinx pattern.
7) An early Free with the Peacock pattern decals. I love Art Nouveau designs too.

I have other machines and items I want but those are some of the bigger holes in my collection. None of them are particularly rare, it's more a matter of having the money to buy them when they do show up.

MacyBaby helped me fill one quest item earlier this year. She gave me a Montgomery Wards (National) Streamliner a while back. I'm a bit nuts when it comes to anything Art Deco. This machine is a great example of Art Deco style, it's also one of the first (maybe the first?) machines to have a hinged nose cover with a light inside. The machine also filled my want for a turtle back motor machine. MacyBaby also just confirmed some attachments I was looking at on Ebay would fit it. They should be in the mail soon.
Thank You Macybaby!

So, what are your latest sewing machine related quest items?
Rodney

I have two Holy Grail wants.

The first is the white version of my blue Brother FZ2 Pacesetter. I've only ever seen one, but since I saw it and know who bought it, I know they're out there.
My second want is a Brother convertible electric/treadle cabinet for a domestic machine. Again, I've seen pics, know a couple people who have one, but I've never seen one in person.

Cari

Singer 201k or 201p I especially love that thicker body style. Even though I haven't been working on my machines much, I still look. That is one I would have a hard time not going after if I found one close enough and at the right price.

I also would be drawn to the bronze embossed White.

I still might be swayed to a Singer 319 or an Adler 189A, but I am holding pretty tight to the number of machines I have now.

Rodney,

Make that a 201-2 in a knee bar bentwood case. :D



I have one of those #42 Singer cabinets. I don't know if it's blond or brunette cos some dufas painted it white.

I have a New Home Model AB with the flat tension. Sews great, looks like .... umm I can't say it here.

I want a machine with the rotateable Hamilton Beech motor too. I have one of those motors that would fit my New Home but I need a screw with a special thread pitch on it. Without that .... not a chance.

I have a Franklin 1911 with the Scarab decals. Great machine.

And what I want the most ..... I bigger home that we own to have my machines in.


Joe

I have always wanted a featherweight for it's portability. Had a chance at a White one but didn't realize that they would become so valuable. But all the ones I see are way outside my price range.

I had read this earlier and thought of you when I found this http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollect...es/image18.htm I don't think that is the one you want. I would like to find the "Universal" Hand Power Attachment.

I'm not really looking for anything right now. I've got my "Tiffany" 15 and a couple of pre-1900 machines. I missed out on a $25 embossed White - so would like to find one close to that. Even a black one would do, but bronze would be nice.

I've gotten most of the attachments/accessories I've wanted. A couple things that I don't have but would like to find would be a complete single thread embroidery attachment at a very moderate price and a pair of treadle belt pliers.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

It's not the one I was thinking about but that's only because I didn't know about it. That one looks earlier than the HB version. Now I want one of those too.
Rodney

I would like to find a really ornate fiddle base hand crank, but what I REALLY REALLY want is to stumble across a fantastic affordable 222K. Yes, I know, good luck with that one! :sew:

A vintage zig zag that will do stretch stitch and has a needle that is center homing or LMR.

I've got that one, pennycandy. Kenmore 1400, a pretty pale green. Low shank feet, too, since it was not a 1400-0. It has many sisters with the 'two dials on the right and white/red toggle above' look to the front of it.

Some White 77s are finally starting to pop up again on the local Craigslist. Very, very far away from here...