A Singer for the Girls
 

Can anyone tell me anything about this mini-Singer? A friend of mine found it in her mother's things after she passed away. She gave it to me as she knew I would appreciate it. I figured out how to thread it and have even sewed a couple of simple quilt blocks with it (it's quite a challenge to crank with one hand and guide the fabric with the other!). I believe it is missing a clamp of some kind that is used to secure it to the table or whatever. There is no bobbin - the stitch is a single thread chain stitch. I am interested in how old it might be and it's history.

It looks like a Singer Model 20. The number of spokes in the hand wheel changed over the years, and is the best indicator of the approximate age. The pad on the base is another age indicator, as is the material that the hand wheel is made out of, and whether or not the thread guides are numbered. The box is also an age indicator, if it can be determined that it is in fact the original box for that machine, as it changed through the years as well. Yes, they came with a “C-clamp” to clamp them to the edge of a table or board to stabilize them.

I have a 1914 Singer 20-1 Type 2, from what I can determine. It has an 8-spoke nickel wheel, no thread guide numbers and no base pad. My clamp is missing the pivot cap on the end of the screw.

CD in Oklahoma

I have one also that I leave threaded sitting on my kitchen counter. Really don't know it's age.

Thanks for the info. Mine has a 7 spoke wheel (spokes are painted black, but outside of wheel looks to be nickel), no thread guide numbers and a pad on the bottom of the base. Do you have any idea what timeframe mine is from?

That is soo Neat.

Love those little machines and wish I had one.

I saw one on ebay yesterday, but resisted. It might still be on.

Neat little machine!

Wow, it's in beautiful condition! And the original box? What a wonderful gift!