Playing with attachments
 

I figured this is a great place to post about playing around with attachments.

I aquired my first treadle machine early last month. I am getting the hang of it so I thought I would play with some attachments tonight. I have a 1891 Singer VS2 with the complete puzzle box, style #7. I also have a Singer short shank buttonholer for my Featherweight. I tried the buttonholer on the VS2 tonight, and it was just so cool! I just treadled my way to a perfect buttonhole. That was so darn fun, I pulled out the ruffler. After a little bit of adjusting I ended up with the perfect ruffle. Paging through the attachment manual, I saw I could put the shirring plate under the ruffler and that worked out really cool as well. I have the tucker too but I didn't feel like getting the iron out. These attachments are just a bunch of little jewels. 126 years old and they work as well as the first day.

By the way, I have the original manuals for both the VS2 and the Attachments Style#7. Both booklets are yellowed and becoming quite fragile, so I scanned them and then printed copies for my own use. Anyone who is interested in copies may PM me with their email and I will send them. I do understand that there are people out there selling these manuals so I would really appreciate it if you didn't resell them. I feel that I have a wonderful archive and do not mind sharing it with people who have the same interests in people-powered sewing machines.

I fairly recently discovered the buttonholer is an older invention than I though, at least a decade or two before 1900. I knew there were all kinds of sewing machines invented well before 1900, overlockers, embroidery, hole-card technology, but the domestic attachments were not behind at all. So far I have never needed a ruffle, but I have tried both the ruffler and tucker. I now and then use the binding feet, the flat felling foot, zipper foot and darning foot. I have two buttonholers and they are the challenges with have in 2017. I can't say I am overjoyed with all the zigzag attachments, but I like the Swiss zigzagger I have for my 201.

I so want a VS2 with roses and flowers LOL, but I don't dare say it out loud ;) My oldest machine is 1934 so not nearly as old as yours.

I think the only attachment I've tried on my treadle was the ruffler. I really like the attachments, but mainly just to play with them. I have tried the underbraider on my 1898 27 with Persian decals. The only soutache that I could find at the time I wanted to try it was the metallic and that didn't work very well with the underbraider. I tried another underbraider on a 15-clone hand crank some time back with regular soutache and that was fun.

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

I have just recently fallen down the vintage rabbit-hole, first with a Featherweight then a week later the VS2. With my Featherweight came Singer Sewing Book with a 1953 copyright date. Looking through at all of the pictures, everything had ruffles, clothing and furnishings. That book answered that question of why there are rufflers everywhere. I have one for all 3 of my machines. I never had a need to mess around with one but today since I was playing anyway, why not��

My VS2 has the Victorian decals, in so-so condition. I just hope I look that good at 126 years! LOL

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Beautiful, I always thinknew if these machines could talk. I absolutely love them?

I just started playing with attachments also - way too much fun! Just makes me giggle to see ruffles made automatically! Anxious to try the edge foot and binding tools.

I love playing with the old attachments. Sometimes I even use them on my fancy electronic machine!