Oldie But Goodie!

This spring, thanks to my brother, I purchased a new Baby Lock quilting machine.

I took it into the store for them to "tweak" it a bit, and I needed to do a little sewing, so I got out my old machine.  This machine was purchased for me in 1974.  I was just getting ready to begin my senior year in high school and it was my graduation gift.

It has sewn prom dresses, suit jackets, leisure suits, Christmas dresses, cowboy shirts, Halloween costumes, doll dresses, curtains, stuffed animals, and many blankets, bibs, quilts, and baby items.  It has mended waaaaaay too many pair of jeans, coveralls, shirts, and even canvas from a camper.  I was so thrilled with the machine because it had a finishing stitch so that when I sewed a new garment I could finish the seams so it would look more professional.  It has a double needle that I used many times to trim up the topside of a collar, front band of the shirt,  or the cuff of a shirt.  It has a button holer which made making button holes easy as pie.  

I still have all of the attachments in the original holder.

If you look closely you'll see the toothbrush I always use to clean all of the lint out, and of course the can of oil to keep it running smoothly.

The book that accompanied it became my sewing machine "bible".  It helped me with the settings for different stitches and more importantly for the troubleshooting when things didn't go quite right.

I'm not sure I realized how fancy it was at the time.  As I have sewn with it this week I am really appreciating it.  I saved so much money making clothes and other things for my kids, my husband, and myself.  I earned so much money with the craft items I have sewn over the years.  And I have enjoyed it so much.  I now vow to take it in for a tune-up(its running great now) and keep it running forever.

Not too long ago I went to Sears to get a new bobbin case.  I didn't see them on the shelf, so I asked a sales person where they were.  He asked me if it was an antique machine.  I told him it certainly wasn't, that it was new in 1974.  Welllll, yeah, it is antique!  I don't know what Mom and Dad paid for it, but they certainly got their money's worth!!  I wonder if my brother and sister still have their graduation gifts??????