Ruth Kay, Star Struck & the Singer 227M!

This is a picture of my Singer 227 M, a basic little wonder machine made in Italy in the 1960s.

It came off of an ad on Craigslist for $50.00 ---I removed the motor, and popped her into a treadle cabinet.  She sews great!

We don’t see a lot of 227 M’s out there…and when a question comes along, I try to answer as best as I can.


I received an email from Ruth Kay asking a couple of questions I think may be beneficial to others who are out there acquiring vintage machines.

And she also sent along a quilt to share with us!

She writes:

Bonnie,
I finished binding my star struck quilt while visiting my Aunt in Maine.  Thank you very much for the free pattern.
 

 

Ruth Kay’s Star Struck in Greens and neutrals – KING SIZE!

Free pattern found under the Free Patterns tab above.

 

I also took home my Great Aunt's machine that has been sitting up in the old family home.  It has not been used since the early 70's.  It is a middle 227M Singer.  I have been trying to look up information on that machine tonight and saw your blog post from Aug 2013 that you were trying to get yours working. 
 
You were having trouble with the fabric puckering.  Did you get that resolved? 
 
I have ordered a manual, and will try to get it going when I get home.  Just was wondering if you have gotten the machine working well.  I just got my first featherweight this year, and do not have much experience with old machines. 

My Aunt who lives in the house never did much sewing,and the few times she tried to use it she had problems.  I would like to get this machine going.  My Great Aunt Mary was like a grandmother to me.
 
Thanks for the free patterns you let us have, and thanks for any insight on the 227M.

Thanks for sharing the quilt photo, Ruth Kay! It’s GORGEOUS!  And I am excited that you have your Great Aunt Mary’s machine.  I really love my 227 M.  It’s a very easy machine to operate – straight stitch only.  It goes forward and back.  That’s it!  There is a knob on the side of the faceplate that looks like this:

Knob adjust pressure on the presser foot!

This knob will turn either left to lessen the pressure on the presser foot, or right to give you more pressure depending on the kind of fabric you are sewing on.  In many other machines this knob is much smaller and located on top of the machine on the left above the take up lever – but here..it’s on the side.

With my machine I had to first adjust the thread tension.  This machine takes a class 15 bobbin case and bobbin – readily available and uses regular 15X1 needles like you would use for most machines today.

I never found a manual for this machine, but it is so very similar to a singer model 15 I didn't feel I really needed one.

By working with the knob on the side I was able to adjust it to where I didn’t have any puckering anymore, the fabric flowed freely under the needle and my stitches were perfect.  It took a bit of work to get it this way, but it was worth it.

I bet anything during the decades of un-use, some child had had a heyday turning this knob and that knob because the tension knob was all messed up too.

I’ve learned most of what I know from not being afraid to get in there and mess and monkey with things.  You can’t do that with a computerized machine ---but you CAN with a basic machine like this.

I’ve learned to have NO FEAR!  And you will often find me with old machine oil and grime on my hands and under my fingernails, a smudge on my cheek, a new stain on an old loved t shirt.

If YOU can't get it working properly, take it in and have it looked at.  It might just be a simple problem.  Try an old sew & vac guy -- someone who has been around a long time and has experience with these simple vintage machines.  It's worth getting it up and running.

For those of us who LOVE vintage machines, I really enjoyed these musings sent to me by Sandy Smith. 

She writes:

Why this person loves her vintage machines. Me, too!
http://edsmum.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/in-praise-of-vintage/

 
Go give it a read, it’s hilarious!
 
Back to my 227!


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