May I add my comments on here too.  I am a friend of Twopence on here, and I have recently had to ask her for a machine back that I loaned to her just before Christmas.  Hence Twopence's need for a small easily portable machine to take to her P&Q classes.  So there we were looking at the SMD website, each in our own homes, but on the phone to one another.  Whilst I have never used SMD, I know others on TSP have with excellent results.  You say you are a beginner, so looking at what Morgan has suggested all from SMD, there is a bonus you get to have a huge amount of threads - there are 50 looks like 1,000 mts. spools, five pairs of scissors - all different sizes, a tape measure, some bobbins, an unpicker and some machine needles thrown in as an extra - so for someone starting out sounds like a good idea.

Of course using a local dealer is far and away the best way of looking and trying out various machines, but if there is not a dealer nearby and you have to use mail order, then SMD could well be your best bet.  I understand that Russell at SMD listens to what you are saying, and advises accordingly - now that is what I call good service.

Good luck in your quest.

Wow wrenkins a choice of two, I think I prefer the first one you showed, the one that is more decorated and has such a pretty end panel.

Now thank you for putting up a photo of the accessories, now I shall be watching intently for some answers as to what they are as I have one or two of those.

I bought my little dinky one really for its cuteness and as it is small and very pretty.  The box under the hand wheel has no lid nor all the wood trim that would have been around it but I am sure I can come up with something.

Come on wrenkins get one of these home - I  am eagerly looking forward to seeing which you you choose.  Is it for use or just for decoration?

Oh go on wrenkins, join me in exploring the vintage world.

Well this machine has found a new home with me, it is a dinky little machine and I am sure given time I can clean her up and she will be respectable again.  I have taken some photos, only cannot fathom out how to upload them to my laptop, so another ongoing project.  There were few items in the box, the tiniest zipper foot I have ever seen, and some odd looking items that I have never seen before.  The wooden case is like a coffin top, and has some interesting carving part way down the four corners  Just under the hand wheel there is a long cut out slot that is rounded at the back so I am wondering whether this could have been able to be converted to a treadle.

So cute and so very different.

Right I have never got dressed so quickly before as I did this morning,  I get up late, have breakfast, eventually shower and get dressed, and the morning is gone.  So what was different this morning, my husband came back in from shopping and said there is a sewing machine in our village's charity shop window and it says CWS Federation.  Quite a pretty machine,  Trouble is the shop was closing in less than 20 minutes.  Well I got in there with five minutes to spare - it does need a lot of TLC, it has a shuttle and from one bobbin I could see that it had wound and piled up one side (I remember this happening on my mother's machine)  No needle in situ but there was one in the side box - no lid to the box.

I intend to go back and have a closer look on Monday morning - I will be popular!!!!  Now something is ringing alarm bells in my head and that is needles.  So far I have learnt that Jones made this badged machine for CWS Federation back in the 1920's.  I believe those of you who have ventured into the vintage side that Jones needles for this type of vintage machine are extremely difficult to get hold of.

Now why do I want this - well something in me has hankered after an old pretty - pretty being the operative word here - machine for a long time, ideally I would love a wrought iron based treadle but it is getting it to my home.  This  CWS machine is a hand turned one so should be easily transportable.

My husband is sort of egging me on it is only £15, and although I would want this to be a decorative machine, it would of course be nice if it worked.  So those of you who have tinkered with these old beauties, i.e. taken them apart, got them working, cleaned up the chrome and the body work, would this be an easy machine to try and sort out?  The chrome on the hand wheel from what I could see looked okay needs a good clean and polish, and the chrome plates covering the shuttle, and the end plate  also need the same attention.  I did not look to see if the shuttle case was there.

So please any feed back from anyone over this over this weekend really would be appreciated.  If I am right on the needles is there anywhere I could get them - or should I just give this vintage machine a clear miss?

By the way the two ladies on duty in the shop today were saying it could not be taken out of the window until they change the display - well I have had things out of the window before and of course on Monday it will be a different team in there, so I intend to have it brought out so I can see it more closely and I shall have some thread with me!!

I've missed seeing posts from you too, so now we know why.  Your dress is lovely and so pleased that you can now get back in to sewing - so enjoy this and enjoy your new wardrobe.

I too have the full busted DVD and have found that by watching this several times it gets easier to understand.  I also made a note of the patterns Marta was using, some are now out of date but there are places in the USA that you can get them from and they are factory folded.  If you can find a McCalls Palmer Pletsch (Palmer Pletsch is stamped under the McCalls name) pattern these have the extra lines that Marta uses already printed on them and thus it makes it much easier to follow.

If it would help you I can let you have a list of the pattern numbers from Full Busted, and if you can find one you can then follow Marta step by step.  Sew Today sell the Palmer Pletsch Pattern Paper and this is gridded so helpful in cutting this into different widths and lengths for inserting into your pattern, and there is good advice on the tape and type of pins used in Fit for Real People.

I like Marta's way of showing you how to do the FBA, it really is like having her in the room with you, and of course you can stop the DVD and rewind as many times as you wish.  I play the DVD in my sewing room on my laptop.  When I first had this Twopence came over for the afternoon and we sat and watched the DVD on the television - we were both enthralled with this and I can say I certainly have learned a lot from Marta.