Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Yesterday you saw my sewing room and there in my sewing machine. My friend Lucianus got very excited about my vintage machine, having one much like it, so I thought I’d share a little more about it.

It’s a late ’50’s Singer Slant-O-Matic 403 and I adore it. Some parts have worn out and been replaced over the years, like the belt, light, spool holders, but for the most part it’s all original. When my mother had it, it was mounted in a table. I was still in college when she gave it to me, so she had it converted to a “portable” (it’s quite heavy). Now, of course, that I’m settled at Stately Babydoll Manor I wish the table still existed…

I’ve still got the original instruction manual (©1958)

and the box of attachments

This little delight contains all sorts of goodies, like the feet: general purpose foot, straight stitch foot, seam guide, zipper foot, hemming foot, button sewing foot, multi-slotted binder, and ruffler.

It also contains the “fashion disks“. These are cams you drop in the top of the machine to make fancy stitches. Without any, you can only straight stitch. I always have #0 in place, for basic zigzag. I’ll be honest –I’ve never used any other the others. It was only last night that I realized that I had all the original disks, less #9. One wayward part after 55 years — not too bad.

As I mentioned, the one thing I don’t love about this machine is making buttonholes. It’s a complicated process involving repeatedly changing the needle position and the stitch length. I’ve never been able to successfully make nice buttonholes. It’s easier to make them by hand.

Lucianus opened my eyes to the fact that there a buttonholer for my machine! And someone was selling a complete set on eBay. Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity. I’ll let you know how it works out.

Dear Constant Reader,

This is where is all happens. Well, all the costuming anyway. My sewing room at Stately Babydoll Manor.

Here we are facing the door. You can see my dress form with its snazzy cover, made from fabric printed with whimsical dress forms. Behind it is a rather nice mirror Scratch found for a makeup class at the Expo and I inherited. The filing cabinet holds my patterns. You can just see the ironing board behind the door and my mail basket on the door (I only mention that because I made the basket). Above the door are ribbons from costume competitions.

To the right of the door is my fabric and trim stash. It’s a little out of control. The bins are actually well-organized; I just need to get rid of/use up a bunch. The plastic containers way up top hold feathers, boas, and small fans.

Just off to the right is a wooden bench (you can see a bit of yellow) I made in Scratch’s wood shop, under his direction. It currently serves more as a repository of stuff than a windowseat, which was my plan. Sadly, you can’t see the large basket on feet which I also made. During a project it holds important stuff so they don’t get lost in the chaos.

To the left of the door is the office part — roll-top desk, computer, filing cabinets. This is where the business part of B.A.B.E. happens. One of the filing cabinets is currently heaped with cocktail and tea aprons looking for a place to live. One of those decorative shelves is filled with mermaids. The other two have my snow globe collection.

I’m very particular about my snow globes. They should be the cheap tourist kind, contain an iconic landmark or city scape, contain snow (as opposed to glitter), and be from somewhere where it doesn’t usually snow. Thanks to globe trotting friends, I have snow on the Alamo (that’s was my first!), snow on the Great Pyramid, snow on the Las Vegas Strip, snow on the Alhambra, snow on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, snow on Masada (my favorite), snow inside Penn’s Cave, and several more.

Opposite the door is my actual work station. My sewing machine itself is under that sewing machine cozy, printed with whimsical sewing machines. One of the bookcases has all my sewing & fashion books (as well as Elizabethan and maritime history books. I’m eclectic in my interests). The other one is mostly magazines, mostly sewing or needlework related. The one dead ahead has a lot of crafting supplies. It’s not attractive, so I draped it with a pretty bedsheet. On top of all the bookcases are hats and hat boxes.

I’m sorry it was sunny out, partially because it messed with my camera, leaving this picture dark, but really because you can’t see my clever curtains with sewing related prints: dress forms one one, scissors on the other, and sewing machines on the window above the bench. I keep my hula hoops on the curtain rod above. Why not?

And this is my wonderful 1950s Singer Slant-O-Matic that my mother handed down to me. Family lore says that my great-grandmother’s treadle machine was sold to buy this one. I love everything about it except how it makes buttonholes. I’ve considered getting a modern machine just for that.

And that’s the grand tour. You’ll be seeing bits of it as I work on the Fit & Flair dress and now you’ll know where those bits are.