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Thread Number: 32825
/ Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
The Connection Between Vacuums and Sewing Machiness |
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| Post# 359364 9/15/2016 at 16:29 (2,773 days old) by rohmell (New York -> Long Island) | ||
Many, many of the small, Mom-and-Pop stores that sell and service vacuums also do the same for sewing machines, at least in my area.
What is the connection between the two? Is it because both have motors and are used in the home? I collect vacuums, but also have an interest in sewing machines. I prefer the HA-1 style of imported Japanese machines. Does anyone else have a sewing machine collection in addition to their vacuum collection? | ||
| Post# 359367 , Reply# 1 9/15/2016 at 16:49 (2,773 days old) by Caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
I've wondered about this for years.  | ||
| Post# 359371 , Reply# 2 9/15/2016 at 17:48 (2,773 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada) | ||
Yes...I have often wondered the same thing. Could it be that both sewing and cleaning were tasks that housewives had to do outside of the kitchen and laundry room? The motors were often the same size and the target market was identical for both machines. Both machines required belts and lightbulbs - in fact, some upright vacuums used the same headlight bulbs as sewing machines.
Beyond Singer Sewing Centres selling both sewing machines and vacuums, Sears department stores also paired the two Kenmore products together and even the sales teams worked to sell both products. Other companies producing both vacuums and sewing machines: Brother of Japan, Tacony/Riccar/Simplicity of Japan, Electrolux/Husqvarna of Sweden. The Shark/EuroPro vacuum company started out in Montreal, Canada by importing lightweight European sewing machines and then spread out to making the Shark hand vac and cordless sweeper. On the same theme, I think even General Electric attempted a sewing machine line at some point. | ||
| Post# 359428 , Reply# 4 9/16/2016 at 16:41 (2,772 days old) by rohmell (New York -> Long Island) | ||
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Perhaps These Sewing Ideas Can be Applied To Vacuuming?
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Post# 359589 , Reply# 7 9/19/2016 at 14:43 (2,769 days old) by gottahaveahoove  (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
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In college, one of my majors was Theatre.
WE HAD to learn to do everything from sets to lights, to costumes. WE were taught by a tailor. Then, I worked for a tailor. I have a friend, (she can do almost anything), who really taught me what to do. It helped me make NUMEROUS costumes for my students, (Christmas elves, etc). I've made curtains for my home, tablecloths, etc. I'd love to work on men's clothes, but am not quite that brave, yet. The good thing is that I;m not really afraid to 'tackle anything'. .. well, most things.
I bought a Singer machine. It's fine for me. I appreciate those who can really sew well. I always found it odd,as a child,how cleaners and sewing machines were linked. But, it DOES make sense. My late brother was in the Navy. He was 'borrowed' to make parachutes. When he and his wife built a home in Colts Neck, NJ, he thought: "If I can make a parachute, I sure as heck can make a drape". So, he made drapes for the entire house. I admire all of that. | ||
| Post# 359592 , Reply# 8 9/19/2016 at 15:38 (2,769 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan) | ||
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Well, once, long ago, in another life, I knew a male seamstress who sewed gowns for cross dresser shows. | ||
| Post# 359603 , Reply# 9 9/19/2016 at 18:35 (2,769 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada) | ||
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Another angle: many of the young men and women who immigrated to New York and Montreal from Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 1900's ended up spending long days in garment factories to earn a living. My grandparents' generation knew their way around a sewing machine for sure! :-)
Grandma Molly always shortened my new pants and jeans on her old sewing machine, and even with her aging eyesight, she was still able to get thread through the small eye of a needle. Arthritis did not stop her... :-) | ||
| Post# 359627 , Reply# 11 9/20/2016 at 10:28 (2,768 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan) | ||
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Yes Brian, children did work in mills and textile sweatshops before labor laws. Whatever work for whatever ages at what ever very low wages. | ||
| Post# 359813 , Reply# 12 9/23/2016 at 23:30 (2,765 days old) by mjm0424 (Chicago suburbs) | ||
Sewing machines
I remember the Sears store on 62nd & Western Ave. in Chicago,having the vacuums, & sewing machines together,on the first floor .The patterns,& the material,however where on the third floor. My mom was an excellent seamstress. There wasn't anything she couldn't do. She made all of her clothes,drapes,& kitchen curtains,as well as her nurse's uniforms.The store sizes didn't fit right,as she was buxom with an hourglass figure. She was a size 10,but she'd have to get a 16, & alter it,so it was easier to make it on the sewing machine.She also altered all of the clothes,that my aunt gave me after my cousin outgrew them.We had a Kenmore sewing machine from 1966. I bought her a new one for christmas in 1978. I still have it.
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| Post# 359872 , Reply# 13 9/25/2016 at 00:52 (2,764 days old) by Suckomatic (Deer Park) | ||
I do! :)
I "accidentally" started collecting sewing machines about 4yrs ago.
I already had a gorgeous 60s Japanese machine for which I had a secret unnatural love. It runs like a Rolls Royce built by Swiss angels. (You know what I'm talking about.) I wanted to try my hand at auto upholstery, and I didn't want to spend the money on an industrial machine. As you know, those beautiful old iron beasts can sew thru a 2X4. Of course I didn't want to hurt my pride & joy sewing vinyl, so I needed another one. While I was looking, I figured I might as well get one with style, right? Three machines later, in a near panic that I might have been losing my mind,I had to force myself to stop buying them! They're all so cool! They're like the love-child of a classic car and a fine old clock. ...that can hem your pants, make curtains, and restore upholstery. I collect old clocks too. And old cars, come to think of it. Perhaps we're just drawn to the marriage of fine vintage styling and precision machinery. | ||
| Post# 360076 , Reply# 15 9/29/2016 at 01:26 (2,760 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
Sew/Vac Connections
I had always wondered about this myself. Besides Singer, several other companies sold and serviced both vacuum cleaners and sewing machines, including Electro-Hygiene, where I worked in 1974 and again in 1976. Although I never sold sewing machines myself, I was often asked to pick up or deliver a sewing machine while I was out selling vacuum cleaners. I also had some training in the service department on both vacs and sewing machines. The Electro-Hygiene sewing machine was made by Brother, and was offered in two models: a low priced basic model, and a deluxe model that had an automatic buttonholer, design cams, and many other features.
Another store about 3 blocks away from us sold Royal vacuums and White sewing machines. And as others have mentioned here, I have also noticed that department stores such as Sears, Wards, O'Neil's, and J.C. Penney usually have their vacuum cleaners and sewing machines side by side, and mail order catalogs such as Aldens, Spiegel, and Wards always had the vacuum cleaners on the pages immediately before or after the sewing machines. But I still don't quite get why they paired them up. Jeff | ||
| Post# 360110 , Reply# 16 9/29/2016 at 18:10 (2,759 days old) by rugsucker (Elizabethton TN) | ||
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Vacuums & Sewing Machines Don't forget Atlas. | ||
| Post# 360123 , Reply# 17 9/29/2016 at 22:53 (2,759 days old) by chad (texas) | ||
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Well, not trying to stereotype, but.... If you have the ladies in the shop anyhow, why not try to make another sale? You can only sell so many vacuum cleaners to one person. That's why I always figured they were paired. | ||
| Post# 364151 , Reply# 18 12/24/2016 at 20:50 (2,673 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada) | ||
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| Post# 364174 , Reply# 19 12/26/2016 at 09:08 (2,671 days old) by columbus (South-Africa) | ||
Sewing machine collection and vacuum cleaner collection
Wow, this truly is striking a cord so close to home. In addition to my collection of approximately 150 vacuum cleaners, I also have a modest collection of sewing machines.
Both my grandmothers were fashion designers and made the most exquisite wedding dresses, gowns, and grew in their abilities from the most basic machines like the Singer 128K and the Necchi Straight Stitch, to later models doing a one step automatic buttonhole. Unfortunately my moms mother passed away when I was a few months old, and a few years ago I was given her last Sewing machine, a Bernina 740 Favorit, which was a " How do you do" machine at the time. In addition to the machine with its ornamental zig-zag variation stitches, I also received her smocking machine, a non electrical machine that pleats material. In my collection I have Sewing machines Models varying from Bernina Favorit 740, Bernina 640-2 Favorit. I have a large interest in Elna's from before elna went bankrupt in the early 90's My oldest is an elna automatic Knee lever, complete with discs, July 1960, Elna star series, 62C SUPER-Blue Top TSP Pink/Aipricat top, Elna Stella Air electronic TSP, Elna Carina SU Air Electronic, Elna Contessa 310-18 (Made in Japan) Elna 2004-SP (Made in Japan), Elna 9006 Envision Sewing Embroidery Machine Combo, Elna 8300 Embroidery machine, Elna 744 Serger. Singers as follows: 306K Spotless, 760 Slant-o-matic, Perfect Condition 1975 Automatic Bobbin winder without having to remove the bobbin, and step automatic buttonhole My great grandmothers Singer 128K Bullet bobbin case mavhine dated 1912. Singer 15K Spotless with zig-zag attachment with discs and one step automatic buttonhole. Singer Magic 14. Brother: My gran who passed away 4 years ago's Brother Compal Opus 845, and serger. These are a few to mention. hence the Elna and Bernina range lays me very close to my heart. The more stitches it has and Functions, the more exciting. To those who also collect Sewing machines in addition to Vacuum Cleaners, I can not explain the nostalgic attraction, but I can not pass an Elna or Bernina made in Switzerland. Merry Chrisatmas and a prospourous new year. Adrian South-Africa | ||
| Post# 364181 , Reply# 20 12/26/2016 at 13:17 (2,671 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada) | ||
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Adrian! What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing.
I'm always curious about corporate history and parent companies behind brandnames. I'm also fascinated by locations of manufacture. Were any of your machines made right there in South Africa? Where were the Singers made? Was Elna ever connected to a vacuum maker such as Electrolux? Happy New Year from Canada! | ||
| Post# 364203 , Reply# 21 12/27/2016 at 06:01 (2,671 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan) | ||
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An old friend said it this way once. "It's a woman's movie". | ||
| Post# 364216 , Reply# 22 12/27/2016 at 14:06 (2,670 days old) by columbus (South-Africa) | ||
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Thank you very much.
The history really intrigues me too. To my knowledge, there is no machines I am aware off, made in South-Africa.
As far as the Origin of the Singer sewing machine go, Most of the old black Hand crank Singers and treadle machines, were made in Britain,England. The Singer Slant-o-Matics, seem to have their origin in Germany, and some of the Singers like the magic 14, 6512C, Melody, Harmony, Symphonie dated the early 1980's from Brazil. These days, Taiwan. Most machines made these days come from the same factory, the Brother Manufacturer in Taiwan. Well as with vacuums too, you get good ones and then the not so wonderful ones that last until the warrantee expires. Elna, Brother, Bernina(Bernette), Empisal, Janome, all come from the same manufacturer, with the accept ion to the name tag. Hence looking at maybe the Elna 8200, 8300 and 8600 embroidery machines are all identical in every way, appearances functions, than the Berrnette 340, 500, 650 embroidery machine brought out by Bernina. I prefere the older models as you can see in the pictures, as they were precision made, with a stamp of quality. Gears were made of steel, and each foot, bobbin, or accessory was precision fit to the model. Each and every sewing project was completed with perfect machine made stitching. Elna who brought out their first machine around 1949, the Elna Grasshopper, had a top loading bobbin, which carried the same system through all models to 1990's. Once Elna Switzerland went bankrupt, the Elna Contessa made its appearance with the front oscilating bobbin, bobbin holder system. Needles to say, the tradition of a quiet smooth running Swiss machine was over for Elna. At this stage it was making use of the exact same size, and identical bobbin and bobbin holder. hook and accessories as Janome, Brother, Finesse, Empisal, and so forth under the Taiwanese umbrella of Brother. All components and replacement parts were mass made and well so I need to say more. Elna and Bernina brought out the more cost efficient ranges of Elnita, and Bernette, to compete with the other marketed sewing machines in the 1980's and especially with the introduction of the overlocker (3 thread at the stage), a new system, machine that enhances quality craftsmanship, of designers. Most home sewers were looking for a good solid sewing machine at a reasonable price thatwill last for years, hence a name brand was second to price. The markets were extremely competitive and with fashion changing in the 1980's at a rapid pace, consumers were exposed to more brand names as what they were use to. Many of the Elna's from the 1970's-1980's are still in use in South-Africa, and all around the world, by far longer than their newer models, | ||
| Post# 364234 , Reply# 23 12/27/2016 at 21:10 (2,670 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada) | ||
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