I'm pretty lazy and the following message does not change from year to year. So I just cut and pasted it from a post from bygone years.
"You have been warned. I will NOT repeat NOT ship sewing machines. Ever. These will ONLY be available at the NC TOGA.
"So what, you ask, is the NC TOGA? First part, easy: North Carolina. Second part: Treadle On Gathering and Academy. Basically a treadle and hand crank geek fest. Held in Monroe, NC, every June.
Email me (or post to the NC TOGA Facebook group) if you are SERIOUSLY interested. I don't want to drag a lot of 40 pound machines around for people who are not seriously interested. But you do NOT have to make a commitment, and I don't take any money until you have seen them in person and made an informed decision."
Back to the present time:
These are the machines I will bring IF anyone is seriously interested. Prices will only be listed at the NC TOGA Facebook group page.
Categories:
- Just Want To Get Rid Of Them At Rock Bottom Prices
- something is missing or wrong and/or I just got bored and don't want to bother. Full disclosure on whatever I discovered.
- I bought, I looked, I'm done and I don't want to bother. Unchecked and untested.
- Decent Machines At Wholesale Prices
- Cleaned, oiled, tested and ready to sew
- You Need A Pot Of Money To Pry This From My Hands
- top of the line vintage machines in perfect working order, probably with an amazing assortment of accessories. it is the sale of machines like this that fund the hobby and keep it going. Don't bother asking "would you take less?".
and a new category in 2018
- Vintage Sewing Goodies and Accessories
Just Want To Get Rid Of Them At Rock Bottom Prices
Kenmore 158.321
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| Photo shows it in a cabinet but it is now in a funky case |
It's one of the legendary 158s. It's got the bells and whistles shown in the photo. It is has been cleaned, oiled and lubed and is working perfectly except for one little, probably fixable thing. And it is LAVENDER!!! What more could you want?
Well, you could want a stitch length selector that works properly. This one doesn't. If you only sew with stitches ranging from small to miniscule, it's fine. The fact that you get the full range of stitch lengths in reverse suggests that all of the linkages are good (not frozen by old oil). I can show you what I think needs to be fixed, but you will have to figure out how to get the faceplate off.
Taiwanese 15 clone
It's not as smooth as the usual Japanese 15 clone. But tt works. Treadle-able. It's black. It looks just like a 15 clone. I don't have a picture of it.
New Home 671
Another one I don't have a picture of. It's a pretty teal-multistitch cam machine. Worked fine last time I checked which was several years ago. But there's a reason it is in the "just want to get rid of it" list.
It is missing the zigzag cam. And it won't zz without it. I have had an ebay search set up for YEARS. And I did find and buy a cam set. Which, of course, did NOT include the zz cam.
Taiwanese 15 clone
It's not as smooth as the usual Japanese 15 clone. But tt works. Treadle-able. It's black. It looks just like a 15 clone. I don't have a picture of it.
New Home 671
Another one I don't have a picture of. It's a pretty teal-multistitch cam machine. Worked fine last time I checked which was several years ago. But there's a reason it is in the "just want to get rid of it" list.
It is missing the zigzag cam. And it won't zz without it. I have had an ebay search set up for YEARS. And I did find and buy a cam set. Which, of course, did NOT include the zz cam.
Singer 177. Brazilian zigzagger, treadle-able
This was a budget model and is seriously underpowered. Think chipmunks running in a hamster wheel. None of that will matter if you take the motor off and drop it in a treadle.
I sold one of these to Di a couple of years ago and she was underwhelmed. But there is a serious shortage of treadle-able zigzaggers out there.
Singer 206
No photo. I believe this was the first zigzagger Singer produced for the domestic market. I bought it because I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 306 (similar model but with cams) and wanted to explore and play with the earlier model. But I never got around to it.
TOTALLY UNTESTED AND SOLD AS IS. Could be great, could be not so much. Because I don't know it is in the "rock bottom price" category.
This was a budget model and is seriously underpowered. Think chipmunks running in a hamster wheel. None of that will matter if you take the motor off and drop it in a treadle.
I sold one of these to Di a couple of years ago and she was underwhelmed. But there is a serious shortage of treadle-able zigzaggers out there.
Singer 206
No photo. I believe this was the first zigzagger Singer produced for the domestic market. I bought it because I LOVE LOVE LOVE my 306 (similar model but with cams) and wanted to explore and play with the earlier model. But I never got around to it.
TOTALLY UNTESTED AND SOLD AS IS. Could be great, could be not so much. Because I don't know it is in the "rock bottom price" category.
Decent Machines At Wholesale Prices
Singer 185 in a 285 case
A 3/4 sized Singer. Good candidate for hand crank with slight modification (I can show you).
Necchi serger
No photo. This is not the usual fare for a TOGA but I mentioned it online several weeks ago and Molly says she is interested.
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| Now in a case |
Necchi serger
No photo. This is not the usual fare for a TOGA but I mentioned it online several weeks ago and Molly says she is interested.
You Need A Pot Of Money To Pry This From My Hands
Necchi Nora, pink, with cams
It's a legendary Necchi. I bought cams for it but have no idea whether it is a full set or not. Tested within the past 6 months and working beautifully.
BTW, the photo is a bit misleading. It is not a bright clear pink. But it is definitely pink, just a beige-y pink.
Singer 301 in a non-301 case
Mocha shortbed. Straight stitch machine, but this one does include the zigzag and other stitch accessory.
Singer 319, "typewriter keys" model
Here's the famous Singer 319, an eminently treadle-able multistitch machine with cams for even more stitches. Takes Singer flat cams.
Please note that someone has re-timed this machine so that it takes ordinary needles instead of the special class 206 needles. I have tested it and it sews fine.
Want to start a flame war on a vintage Singer online group? Bring up the topic of adapting this machine to take regular needles.
I have always had in mind re-timing it back to its original specifications but I just haven't gotten around to it and have lost interest.
Tell me what Singer flat cams you already have (by number) and I will include half a dozen extra ones for you. If you don't have any I will include an assortment that I think will be useful and/or fun.
Vintage Sewing Accessories
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| It is now in a case |
BTW, the photo is a bit misleading. It is not a bright clear pink. But it is definitely pink, just a beige-y pink.
Singer 301 in a non-301 case
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| Case not shown |
Mocha shortbed. Straight stitch machine, but this one does include the zigzag and other stitch accessory.
Singer 319, "typewriter keys" model
Here's the famous Singer 319, an eminently treadle-able multistitch machine with cams for even more stitches. Takes Singer flat cams.
Please note that someone has re-timed this machine so that it takes ordinary needles instead of the special class 206 needles. I have tested it and it sews fine.
Want to start a flame war on a vintage Singer online group? Bring up the topic of adapting this machine to take regular needles.
I have always had in mind re-timing it back to its original specifications but I just haven't gotten around to it and have lost interest.
Tell me what Singer flat cams you already have (by number) and I will include half a dozen extra ones for you. If you don't have any I will include an assortment that I think will be useful and/or fun.
Vintage Sewing Accessories
I don't have time to take pictures. but I have lots of stuff. Let me know via email or Facebook of the type of things you might be interested in. If NO ONE expresses any interest, that type of thing will probably be left at home.
- wooden ironing boards. I have three. They make nice display pieces. Plant stands (keep those ferns off your treadles, ladies!). You can even use them as ironing boards--I do! One of them has an underpad and ironing board cover on it right now. If you want one of the others for an ironing board let me know and I can even bring you a piece of old wool blanket, which makes the perfect underpad for your ironing board. Please note that this is old wood and has some splits. Still works though.
- sewing baskets. I have the cute fabric upholstered kind and the vintage plastic ones.
- thread boxes. clear plastic, some with spaces for bobbins.
- buttonholers. I have a zillion. Pink and green Jetsons. Older Singer ones. Non-Singer ones. All of those are for straight stitch machines. I also have some more modern Singer ones for zigzag machines. Let me know what you are looking for. I have several differnent types of top clampers but have NO IDEA of how to determine which machines they will fit.
- Sewing books. Singer, Better Homes and Gardens, Reader's Digest. These are encyclopedias of sewing techniques. If you sew, you need one. Trust me on this.
I have a 306k. You can modify a bobbin case to allow the zig zag stitch to be formed without hitting the bobbin and not need the machine retimed. I have links to some how to articles on my blog in posts with 306 in the title dated more than 2 years ago, just takes a little dremmel work and you can use an industrial bobbin (brand model # also in article) and leave your original case as is. Just another option.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, seconding that! However I went the easy route and bought a couple cases from Keith at In Stitches in Alberta Canada (not confident in my own Dremel skills yet). They work great with standard needles, no messing with timing, and my gorgeous 306 will now be with me forever. Once I get it in a case that is- have been obsessed with Kenmores of late so the 306 waits patiently for showtime.
DeleteCheryl, also seconding your observation about a flame war. The moderator of one of the groups emailed me PERSONALLY to scold me for posting that a modified bobbin case worked in my 306 and that could make people ruin their machines and it wasn't allowed in the group to suggest modifications to machines (I looked all over the group page and files and found no mention of that prohibition). My response was along the lines of "do tell, wasn't aware of that."
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