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Showing posts from May, 2023

Using a Bakelite Sewing Pedal on a Vintage Singer 66

 Hi all I don't come across items made from bakelite very often. Apart from two bakelite sewing machine pedals, the only other bakelite item I own is a bakelite thimble .  At one time, bakelite was everywhere. From door knobs to telephones. As the world's first foray into the world of plastic, it found it's way into all aspects of life. I think it peaked in the late 1950s and then slowly fell out of favour through the 60s and into the 70s as the new and improved plastics came into play. Anyway, I have two sewing machines that came with a bakelite foot pedal. One is the Singer 301 and the other is the latest addition to my sewing machine collection. The Singer 66.  Image by Olwen White This type of pedal can be found on sewing machines from around the 1930s through to the 1950s. My 301 dates to around 1954 and my 66 is from 1949. So they fall neatly into that date range. Although it's most often associated with Singer, some other brands also used this type of pedal. Necc...

Cracking the Code: A Guide to Reading Sewing Machine Needle Packets

Hi all, Sewing machine needles come in a whole host of different styles and sizes. It can be a bit of a challenge to choose the right one for your project. Especially as the information on the packet is written in code... Picture of Schmetz Needles by Olwen White In my latest YouTube Video, I show you how to decode the information on your sewing machine needle packet! Simply and easily! Better still, there's a link in the video description to a handy pocket guide that you can keep in your sewing area! The video isn't sponsored but I did reach out to Schmetz Needles to ask permission to use their images. Thanks Schmetz for allowing me to do so!  Enjoy the video and let me know in the comments if the information helps you choose the right sewing machine needle for your project! Bye for now Olly