Mom wants to get back into sewing.

So been taking acre of my mom why has a lot of disabilities. Been taking care of her for years and now I get paid to do it. At the very least that alleviates the bill situation and I can get the things we need and some wants. She kept mentioning she wanted a sewing table so she could set up her machine sew again. I'm all for it as it will get her away from her damn laptop for a bit and have her move around a bit. I'm just curious if she will recall how the machine works. It's been years since she used and things for her have changed. I know how to repair, build and fix a computer but a sewing machine is just a completely different animal. I'm lost just looking at the internals. She has a big old Singer.

In the past when my mom would ask for things and her then husband would go buy what he thinks was good and have it be a surprise. I knew she wasn't happy about that shit, but she kept quiet. I made sure she picked out the table she wanted and double and triple checked that she was good with her choice. Pointed out some things like if it was too long to fit in the designated space it would have to go and how accessible it was with using a wheel chair. Other than that let her pick what she wanted. I want my mom to be happy, but also safe.

We'll see how this goes.

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

I do almost no sewing: replacing a button is about my limit. However, I do have one of those old Singer machines, hand-operated not treadle, and with help succeeded in making some simple curtains for my van windows!

I recall when very young being fascinated by the shuttle-winder's action, with its heart-shaped cam and a cam-follower (as I learnt eventually to call them) shaped like a £-sign backwards. While looking at the complicated mechanism above the needle, Mum didn't know the parts' names so we settled on "Whirligig".

That cam still intrigues me. I have not tried to analyse it but I think its profile might be a polar sine-curve, to give the thread-guide linear movement with nearly-instant reversals.

DavidW · 70-79, M

@ArishMell I have two old machines now, both hand operated. The orignal one is the regular good old Singer machine. The other, which I acquired a good few years back is of German manufacture. Very similar in style to the Singer and almost identical to use, but it has gears! They're only forward or reverse, but very useful when starting or ending a row of stitches.
Like you, I did make a pair of curtains once, but my most common activity that I still undertake occasionally is taking up trousers.
Over the years, I've used them to place canvas patches on torn horse rugs, and one time, I shortened a persian type rug and prevented it from unravelling my half a dozen runs back and firth with the Singer.
I have no doubt the mother of the lady who raised this topic will get back into the swing of using one again and get a great deal of pleasure from it.

Jessmari · 41-45

I should clear up some confusion. I say old because i feel like it's been sitting around forever, but according to the serial number it's a 2017 model.

This one: https://suprasewingmachines.com/products/singer-7436-ingenuity/

DavidW · 70-79, M

She will! As a kid I used to watch my mum on her old Singer sewing machine. Occasionally, she'd let me push the treddle up and down for her but other then that, all I did was watch when she was sewing.
Without going into the circumstances, in my mid-20's I needed to use one. It was an old singer just like mum's but without the treddle.
I rembered exactly how she threaded it with cotton, wound the bobbin, etc., and used it.
I'd only ever watched but it came to me easily, so it'll be a doddle for your mum.

Nick1 · 61-69, M

Sewing machine is simple machine. All it needs a regular lubrication. Few drops of oil at regular intervals.
I am sure she remembers how to operate. It’s a skill you learn, it stays with you.
Newer machines are little complicated and had few electronics in it.

Jessmari · 41-45

@Nick1 She has some mental complications due to infections. What i saw was a disjointed terminator arm when looking inside lol

DavidW · 70-79, M

I have an instruction manual for the Singer, should she get stuck.

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