KS quilter

My mother was quite a seamstres and she made 'everything'
She used to dress my sis and I as twins, but she was over 3 years older than me. Mother said she could "cut to an advantage making two dresses out of the same fabric. ??
She even made my dad's boxer shorts, and our winter coats
until we were in Jr. High.. I married and about 3 yrs later
while expecting my 2nd boy, we moved to Calif...2000 miles
away. { I never learned to sew..and in Home Ec classes our
teacher didn't know what she was doing and that was also a
discouragement} If you can imagine, I used to buy fabric
and mail it to my mother, she would make the dress and mail
it back to me. After I had my 3rd, a daughter, decided I
needed to know how to sew for her. I bought a machine from
a door to door salesman...don't even remember what it was
but it sure wasn't worth much. A few years later I bought]
an Elna,and had that for many many years. Gave that later
to my youngest daughter who does not sew, but uses it for
mending. My older daughter can do "anything". I now have
a Brother and I love it. Been sewing now for over50 years.

stichinluvr

Mine was a Dressmaker when I was 14. Dad paid $14 for it to be shipped to me - otherwise it was free. It came from Belleville KS, I think. I sewed that one to death. I made all my clothes- including coats. When I was 22 my husband bought me a Bernina 830 Record and it's been running every since - 35 years. I just bought a Janome 7700 but I think the Bernina is still my favorite.

Wendy Keys

Mine was a used Singer. I bought it in the 50's and it served me well!

Chrys

I didn't have my own until I was 25 and I bought a Singer from Walmart for $100. I still use it, but only for my paper crafts.

Lori S

The first machine I used was a old Kenmore that only did forward and reverse... I about 7 years old and shared it with my sisters. I bought a machine of my own in college , a used White.

schwanton

My first machine was a Sears Kenmore. My father had bought it for my mom, she could not sew and gave it to my aunt. When I was in 7th grade we learned how to sew in home ec. I was hooked. My mom bought the machine back from my aunt. I loved that old machine!

hikingquilter

I learned to sew on my mother's treadle when I was about 10. She sewed all of my and my sister's dresses on it. Then my dad won a Kenmore for her in a contest about the time that I learned to use an electric machine in junior high home ec class. Then I started sewing all my own clothes for school, right through high school, then my first daughter's clothes. My ex-husband bought me my own machine, a Singer, for Mother's Day one year and I had it for many years. I've owned a couple of Singer's since and have one now. Nothing fancy,I don't need a lot of bells and whistles.

catrancher

My very first sewing machine was a toy, but it worked. It was smaller than a featherweight, made of metal, and it folded down into a nice carrying case. I so wish I still had it. It would probably be worth a lot of money. I've never seen one like it. My first "big girl" machine was a refurbished Singer. My mother gave it to me for a wedding gift. I sewed on it for decades. It finally gave up the ghost after my mother had died. When I traded it in for a new, basic Janome, I cried as I left the shop. I felt as if I had lost a piece of my mother all over again. (and I hated that Janome. It was never as reliable as my refurbished Singer.)

LNS64

My first sewing machine was a Singer Slant-O-Matic. I got it for 8th grade graduation in 1960. It has only needed one new belt and is still my most reliable sewing machine.

redeagle

Learned to sew on my mother's 1913 White treadle. Made prom dresses, maternity clothes and baby clothes on it. Got my own first machine when we were stationed overseas. I knew it would either be a Pfaff or a Necchi. Never had an opportunity for a Pfaff but when the opportunity to buy a Necchi in Rome came up I jumped at the chance. That was in 1951 and I used it until 1974 when the freearm came out. Bo't another Necchi but by then parts were plastic, etc and the machine didn't last. Bo't a used heavy metal Viking but never liked the tensions on that so in 1991 I bit the bullet and put out the money for a Bernina and never looked back. Now I have that Bernina 1031 and the Artista 180 sewing/embroidery machine.