The Sewing Place

I haven’t even bought a needle yet....

Ohsewsimple

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #15 on: October 13, 2020, 12:19:21 PM »
Welcome to the forum.  Gosh that’s an ambitious project.  You’re right, you won’t win the argument about the covers with the wife.   :)

Not my area of expertise but definitely agree you need an old metal body machine for this. 
I look forward to seeing the progress.  Good luck. 

Lilian

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2020, 12:37:13 PM »
Welcome to TSP @Gavin e look forward to seeing how you progress  :drink:  :vintage:
Willing but not always able :)

Lachica

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2020, 15:56:57 PM »
Nice boat. A tad bigger than ours! Good news, the cushion covers are nice & simple. I wouldn't want that tartan either. Our seat cushions were all odd shaped, a big curved -edged triangle fitted into the bow. Yours will be much simpler, particularly without piping. I second using stainless staples.  Good idea to replace one cover at a time, then the seats can still be used.

The dodgers will be a good starting point, much, much easier than the cockpit cover and will give you a good feel for the machine. There's a reason new cockpit covers are so expensive!
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Gavin e

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2020, 16:50:51 PM »
To keep this simple and since my dog knows as much about sewing as I currently do, it seemed like a good idea to follow the advice given and not confuse myself with too many decisions if I can avoid them - so I thought I’d settle on the Singer 201 as my model of choice.

Then I looked on ebay....

Wow there are a lot of them.  Black ones. Silver ones. Machines with lots of bits.  Some are older than my granny, with others covering the years of various family members.  Some are thirty quid and others are three hundred....

Help...

What do I need?  I’m assuming that I want to avoid the cheap ones since there must be a reason that they are a bargain, but how on earth do I figure out which is best suited to my needs? Who knew there were so many machines for stabbing tiny holes into clothes....

sewingj

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2020, 18:01:00 PM »
Calling @Brenda  and @Roger

BrendaP

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2020, 18:36:48 PM »
@Roger is more knowledgeable than me, but:

Be wary of Ebay!  Especially if the seller says they don't know anything about their sewing machine (or sowing machine or sawing machine). 

Price of a decent 201 should be around £50-£100 depending on how many extras are with it.

Use the ISMACs website to look up the serial number to confirm that it is a 201
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html

Until the eaarly 1950s they were all black, cast iron and weigh a ton.  The mark 2 model came out about 1952, and is either black ot tan and  cream with a slightly more square shape and with an aluminium body but still very heavy.  Any other colour has been resprayed
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Surest1tch

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2020, 20:08:34 PM »
Welcome Gavin, wow that's some project

Roger

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2020, 21:05:32 PM »
Hi @Gavin,

Thanks Brenda!

I would suggest either the Singer 15 or the 201 - they're both very available machines and tough use standard needles and bobbins and parts and spares are widely available as is advice. I would probably look on local Gumtree or Ebay. the reason for this is they are ferociously heavy so you'll save a lot on PnP and you can see the machine yourself. I think you are looking for a workhorse, so you can choose one which is a little battered (faded decals and enamel wear) rather than being prissy about a collectors piece.

I would probably look for the cast iron model of the 201 and the 15 only comes in cast iron they will be heavier and give you better stability when you use them, especially with heavier fabrics.
the 201 has a larger 'harp' space - the area between the bed and the neck of the machine, which might be helpful when handling large pieces of ridged fabric.
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
the cast iron 201k; most have roughly the same format the real tell tale feature for me is the round plate with the stitch length lever in it
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
the 15k - again theres a lot of these but they all have roughly the same format they were also popularly knocked off by japan and there are lot of later ones of these in different colours. Japanese manuafacturing was very good and some people say they're as almost as good as the originals.
the tell tale on these for me is the bottle shaped neck.

there are other makes and models that will do nicely but they can be scarce - old pfaffs for example - Pfaff 30s are like tanks. Crestas can be brutal, but singers are plentiful and more likely to be a bargain!

If you want me to have a look at any gumtree finds just let me know, but I can't promise a swift turn around.

As an aside are you anywhere near Norfolk? I have a 201 that works but could do with a good home.


A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Gavin e

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2020, 23:49:55 PM »
Well I’ve been on here for one day and I’d like to say a real and genuine thank you to all who have posted.

I still know next to nothing, but due to your really detailed replies and the effort you have put in to help me  I really feel that I’m no longer totally lost and wondering where to start.

It may take me a while to find a suitable machine, but hey, I have plenty of time to get the project started.  (If you really want to find a new home for your machine Roger I may be interested - its a bit of a trek from Wokingham but may well be worth it to know I have located a reliable tool?)

I realise that my chosen projects will be somewhat challenging, but I like a puzzle and I’m sure I’ll enjoy working out how best to tackle this one. 

I guess that this ‘hello’ section of the forum is not the place for long term discussion so I’ve had a look through the other sections but I’m not sure where I should post for updates/questions about my future progress.  Any suggestions?   

Once again, thanks for all of your help, it’s much appreciated.

Gavin

wrenkins

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #24 on: October 14, 2020, 08:15:46 AM »
Who knew there were so many machines for stabbing tiny holes into clothes....

We did!  :laughing:

Good luck with this...it's going to be great!
You could start your own diary thread to chart your progress and let the nosey parkers interested parties follow your every move or the House Beautiful board would probably come close... I suspect most people just use the 'unread topics' function so we'll find you wherever you post. Up you'll pop in a swathe of canvas!

Welcome to the forum! We'll have you bankrupt kitted out in no time. :ninja:
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

jintie

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #25 on: October 14, 2020, 09:51:38 AM »
I vaguely recall a guide to sewing raincoats that said that you need to waterproof the sewn seams with tape and glue - could you put the canopy together just with strong glue and tape?
Rottweiler with scissors

HenriettaMaria

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #26 on: October 14, 2020, 10:26:11 AM »
@jintie I would think not because a boat gets a lot of wind and twisting forces that could pull such seams apart.  However, I would definitely consider using the tape & glue idea on the inside of the finished stitched seam, as is done in tents as this stops rain and spray coming through the stitch holes.

Goth Gardiner

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #27 on: October 14, 2020, 10:28:13 AM »
I vaguely remember that a work colleague got use of a machine where his boat was moored to mend something heavy duty in his boat. My memory is a bit hazy but I think it might have been a canopy and the machine borrowed from the chandlery.

There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

Sewbusy

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #28 on: October 14, 2020, 14:43:24 PM »
@Gavin e  If an hours trip along the M4 is possible I have a Singer 201k hand crank in working order if that would be of use.

Lachica

Re: I haven’t even bought a needle yet....
« Reply #29 on: October 14, 2020, 14:59:05 PM »
@Gavin e I'm also in Wokingham. I don't have a 201 for sale but am happy to help you get going on one or look over a local machine if you find one for sale. For your upholstery I'd go for an older Pfaff, Janome, or similar as you won't need so much punch power. That might be easier to find, then get the cushions covered while you look for the 201. They can be resold without losing cash if chosen wisely in the first place. Where's your boat moored?
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.