Obsessions...

Happy New Year to you all, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves over the festive season!

Fudge, the Bean and I have just returned from a lovely break in regional Victoria... South Gippsland to be precise.  It is a beautiful part of the country, and we had a great time.

...the cabin in which we stayed...

We wandered into a shop called Recycled on Ridgway in Mirboo North (couldn't find more than a brief mention on the net, so no link, sorry) which was full of second hand bric-a-brac, furniture and fabulous bits and pieces.  There were some gorgeous old biscuit tins and if I hadn't found what I eventually bought, I would have grabbed a few as the prices were exceptionally reasonable.

Tucked away in a corner in the very back room was this...

I don't think I've mentioned my obsession with sewing machines before.  It's a little out of control, especially when old or industrial machines are involved.  I had five machines before this one, although that includes one on loan and an overlocker.  And a very specific machine for footwear.  Anyway, enough of the defensive...  

I'm nervous when I see an old machine because I really don't need them, but I love them and I always want to buy them.  This one, however, had a sign on it saying there were attachments.  Now, I actually had the same model of a similar age sitting at home, with only one little standard foot, so initially I was most excited about the attachments.  I really wanted a zip foot, mostly for sewing footwear (it's a long explanation...).  There was no zip foot, but the most amazing array of feet I had ever seen...

I've managed to work out what they all do except for the one on the far right... I suspect it is for sewing pin tucks*, but as yet have had very little time to experiment with this theory.

I didn't buy it the first time I saw it, but the most exciting thing was, after contemplating it all night, when I went back the next day I discovered it's a knee operated machine.  I had been worried when I'd noticed there was no pedal... but was so intrigued when the store owner told me how it worked!  I've never seen one before, although my mum (who is similarly obsessed... wonder where I get it from... she also has five machines) had told me her Aunt had one which my mum used regularly as a teenager.

...the knee lever is on the lower right, a bit hard to see, sorry...

All in all, it was too exciting and too much of a bargain not to get it.  I felt a little silly when I got home though... apart from the method of operation it is practically identical to the one I already have, and after some research I discovered it is only a year older (1956 and 1957 if you're curious!).  

Still, they are brilliant machines, one of Singer's longest manufactured models, which sew like a dream.  In fact, I sewed most of my wedding dress on my first one.  The newest addition sews well, but could use a service.  Which will no doubt cost almost twice what I paid for the machine!  I've told myself it'll be very handy once I set up a studio away from home - that way I can have one in the studio and one at home... I guess you can rationalise anything if you want to badly enough!

* Update: I managed to find an instruction manual online, and this foot is an adjustable hemmer.  There are many other weird and wonderful attachments for this machine... it might be a mission to track the others down now!  Although, from what I can see there is no zip foot as such, but a piping/cording foot which will work just as well... 
Obsessed?  Me?  Never...