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I just google and didn't get much. But Austrlia has one one ebay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Butterfly...-/220765906930
Maybe you can find out more there. |
Hello,
I was wondering how you got on with this machine. I've just been offered one, but I have a teensy house, so I must say no to machines I'm not going to use. But it sure is prettier than my beat up Singer 15-88. |
try doing a google search w/the model #; it may be one of the ones that were made under singer but w/different name.
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It seems to be a JA2-2, the newer type. These are Chinese 15 clones, the newer ones have reverse and droppable feed-dogs, apparently. Problem is googling gets me a cubic buttload of Chinese distributors, but no actual info from people using them. The one I've been offered is free but far away, so I'll have to accept it without trying it first (and pay for shipping).
I don't want to adopt a poorly working machine, and "made in China" isn't a real stamp of quality, sadly, so I was hoping for some input from an actual user. The reason I am even considering saying yes is it's so pretty and it would be lovely for my daughter to learn on one of these years, because treadles go nice and slow. |
Here's a link to a manual for generic 15 class sewing machines. It worked for my Riccar machine - it's intended for all those 'clones'. Wish my Riccar was as pretty as that Butterfly!
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...al-rotated.pdf |
My pretty butterfly machine is still sitting in the garage, unused and untested. I do intend to get to it one of these days...
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My goodness - I too would have snapped that one up in a hot second - it's gorgeous! I need to go and look on eBay now (grin).
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Hello! I live in Scotland, UK and bought a similar Butterfly sewing machine in May 2010 for exactly the same reason - I thought it was incredibly pretty. I was in an auction house looking for cheap furniture after I graduated from university and saw the box with the butterfly on it... I asked the auctioneer what it was and when he took the lid off the box, I couldn't believe my eyes! It was the most astoundingly beautiful sewing machine I have ever seen. I had never even seen a vintage sewing machine before. I didn't expect to win the auction but out of sheer luck that the local expert was away on holiday, and perhaps because others at the auction could tell I wanted to buy it just to use it, I got it for next to nothing. But sadly I can't get it to sew and I don't know whether this is because the machine needs some TLC or just because I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I will be honest I am a complete novice and although I am quite good at hand sewing and embroidery, have never owned a sewing machine before. I suppose this beautiful machine has opened up a new hobby for me by tempting me to buy it with its beauty and charm! But where to begin!?
I thought a good place to start would be to try to identify the model and find a manual for it and that is how I stumbled upon this thread. Although mine is slightly different in that it is a hand-crank style sewing machine so it has no motor or pedals or anything attached, the gold butterfly design is the same :) From what I've read so far, I agree that it seems to be a Chinese copy based on the Singer 15. I started reading the "Instruction manual for generic HA-1 15 class sewing machines" originally posted by deplaylady:
Originally Posted by deplaylady
(Post 3787989)
Here's a link to a manual for generic 15 class sewing machines. It worked for my Riccar machine - it's intended for all those 'clones'. Wish my Riccar was as pretty as that Butterfly!
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...al-rotated.pdf So far here are the best articles I could find that had anything to do with the Butterfly machine, which I thought were lovely and hopefully might interest you. http://www.globaltimes.cn/DesktopModules/DnnForge - NewsArticles/Print.aspx?tabid=99&tabmoduleid=94&articleId=66488 7&moduleId=405&PortalID=0 http://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/ar...sewing-machine http://sonenskadu.blogspot.com/2011/...g-macines.html Unfortunately I am in the middle of moving house at the moment so I don't really have time to play with it and get it working, but I certainly plan to after the move. I will keep you posted on my progress and hopefully post pictures once it's had a good clean! Please keep me updated on how you are getting on with yours too, you are the first person I have heard of with a similar machine to mine so if you find out anything about it (most of all I would like to know when it was made!) please tell me! Finally thanks to everyone for your helpful comments and links and I have to be honest - I am not a quilter, I simply found this thread from a Google search and joined in order to post a reply. But I once made a quilted cushion in primary school and enjoyed it, and the main thing putting me off trying to make a quilt is the sheer time it would take to sew something large like that. A sewing machine would make a world of difference - and so I have decided that if I ever manage to get my machine sewing again, I will definitely endeavor to make a quilt with it! Thanks again and good luck! Emmy, UK |
I would have not passed it up either. Looks like a Class 15 Clone. She should sew like a dream.
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Originally Posted by NekoEmmi
(Post 5013715)
Hello! I live in Scotland, UK and bought a similar Butterfly sewing machine in May 2010 for exactly the same reason - I thought it was incredibly pretty. I was in an auction house looking for cheap furniture after I graduated from university and saw the box with the butterfly on it... I asked the auctioneer what it was and when he took the lid off the box, I couldn't believe my eyes! It was the most astoundingly beautiful sewing machine I have ever seen. I had never even seen a vintage sewing machine before. I didn't expect to win the auction but out of sheer luck that the local expert was away on holiday, and perhaps because others at the auction could tell I wanted to buy it just to use it, I got it for next to nothing. But sadly I can't get it to sew and I don't know whether this is because the machine needs some TLC or just because I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I will be honest I am a complete novice and although I am quite good at hand sewing and embroidery, have never owned a sewing machine before. I suppose this beautiful machine has opened up a new hobby for me by tempting me to buy it with its beauty and charm! But where to begin!?
I thought a good place to start would be to try to identify the model and find a manual for it and that is how I stumbled upon this thread. Although mine is slightly different in that it is a hand-crank style sewing machine so it has no motor or pedals or anything attached, the gold butterfly design is the same :) From what I've read so far, I agree that it seems to be a Chinese copy based on the Singer 15. I started reading the "Instruction manual for generic HA-1 15 class sewing machines" originally posted by deplaylady: It is very helpful in many aspects, thank you so much! I have so far worked out how to put thread onto the bobbin and how to thread the bobbin into the bottom of the machine. However when it comes to loading the needle thread, I run into problems. I am missing the "Spool pin A" on top of the machine, shown in the manual under upper threading, page 7. Now is my machine missing this vital part or does it load differently somehow? It does have a spool pin attached to the base which is used for loading the bobbin, I also assumed it was for sewing but I may be wrong. I notice your machine is also missing this piece in your photo and also the one in the picture from globaltimes blog that I will post below, but I don't know if this is the way it's supposed to look or not :( It's frustrating not knowing the official model number etc. and not having much to compare it with. You said yours had a serial number, where abouts was it? I can't find one on mine but maybe I'm not looking hard enough. So far here are the best articles I could find that had anything to do with the Butterfly machine, which I thought were lovely and hopefully might interest you. http://www.globaltimes.cn/DesktopMod...405&PortalID=0 http://www.thatsmags.com/shanghai/ar...sewing-machine http://sonenskadu.blogspot.com/2011/...g-macines.html Unfortunately I am in the middle of moving house at the moment so I don't really have time to play with it and get it working, but I certainly plan to after the move. I will keep you posted on my progress and hopefully post pictures once it's had a good clean! Please keep me updated on how you are getting on with yours too, you are the first person I have heard of with a similar machine to mine so if you find out anything about it (most of all I would like to know when it was made!) please tell me! Finally thanks to everyone for your helpful comments and links and I have to be honest - I am not a quilter, I simply found this thread from a Google search and joined in order to post a reply. But I once made a quilted cushion in primary school and enjoyed it, and the main thing putting me off trying to make a quilt is the sheer time it would take to sew something large like that. A sewing machine would make a world of difference - and so I have decided that if I ever manage to get my machine sewing again, I will definitely endeavor to make a quilt with it! Thanks again and good luck! Emmy, UK |
Originally Posted by Caroline S
(Post 5013800)
I would have not passed it up either. Looks like a Class 15 Clone. She should sew like a dream.
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Emmy, so nice to read all that you had to say. I am missing the bobbin case on my Butterfly, so I have not been able to try to sew with it. I don't remember whether I checked to see if the Model 15 bobbin case would fit - if so I will see if I can get it to work. Thank you so much for posting those links! When I purchased my Butterfly I looked all over the web and could not find much information at all. I only found some pictures of more modern Butterfly machines.
We visited Scotland in May of last year! It is a beautiful country. We spent a week in Edinborough and another week in Fort William, as well as a couple of other nights in Aberdeen and Dunfermline. We would love to go again. Please do post a picture of your Butterfly when you finish your move. There are many people on the board who will be happy to help you get it sewing. But watch out - we might make a quilter out of you! |
Your's has a twin:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...p-t164361.html you can post yours on here too - lots of info |
Originally Posted by dunster
(Post 1355322)
What? Don't tell me the Amish use sewing machines made in China!!! Was it at least treadle powered?
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Hi! This is an old post so I'm not sure if you'll be checking this thread any longer but I am a new member of this site, which I found because I was researching Butterfly Sewing Machines, and because I didn't see the answer you were looking for here I thought I would tell you what I know about these types of sewing beauties. I live in Shanghai, China and recently read an article about them which I will copy for you to read here:
August 2011 issue of That's Shanghai Just as young couples in CHina today consider an apartment and a car prerequisite possessions for marriage, so too did the sewing machine enjoy the same status from the '60's to the '80's. Along with a watch and bicycle, it was viewed as one of the three necessary items, and the Butterfly Sewing Machine had the most female friends of them all. We can hardly imagine the excitement collecting this small machine from the store would have caused. These were the days of the planned economy and a purchase went like this: people first had to register for one with their company; if their application was approved they would then wait up to two years for it to be distributed; and finally, when it arrived, they would head to the store, ticket in hand. Created by Shanghai Xiechang (pronunced she-chaang) Sewing Machine factory in 1942, the Butterfly slowly broke out of it's cocoon to emerge in all it's glory. In order to liberate women from manual labor, the nation attached great importance to the sewing machine industry, so that women could make and fix clothes at home. With full government support and mature technology, Butterfly soon flew into common people's homes. Hudie (how Shanghainese say butterfly) has the same pronunciation as Wudi (invincible) in the Shanghai dialect, a name chosen to indicate that the product would be unbeatable inthe market. And so it proved; the sewing machine may have cost RMB130- roughly five times the average monthly salary- but enthusiasm for the Butterfly never faded, and demand always exceeded supply. Butterfly wasn't confined to the domestic market, either, with healthy exports. The company also become embroiled in an unexpected, 8 year long, international lawsuit in 1994. It was a scramble for the Butterfly trademark between China and Indonesia, one of it's major importers. In an age when intellectual property was almost unheard of here, it was by no means easy for Butterfly to win the lawsuit, but finally succeeded. The case not only assured Butterfly's overseas sales, but also set a precedent for intellectual property protection in China. Today the ready-made clothes industry has seen the Butterfly- and sewing machines in general- fade into history. In the early '90's Butterfly produced 1.4 million units a year. Now annual sales are down in the tens of thousands. But while Chinese demand for sewing machines may be on the wane, with retro winds plowing and locals seeking some nostalgia, it's not impossible that the Butterfly can fly back. ---end of article I hope this helps a little bit! Maybe you've already learned the year it was made or were able to find out a bit more about it's history but perhaps this will lead you to more research. I'm in the market for one of these antiques and am not going to stop until I find one. I think they're mostly still in Chinese homes of the original owner. Maybe I'll spot one through a window and make a bid? :) |
WOW! I don't really care for the old machines like so many do, but I think if I had seen this one, I too would have had to buy it! Love the details!
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Bremlow - thank you for the information. I wish you lived in Oregon - I'm trying to whittle down my collection and would gladly sell you this one. Of course it still needs a bobbin case...
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I thank you also Bremlow, great information. If I ever see a Butterfly I will get my net out.
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