Hardware! I love hardware. These are the accessories that came with my old Singer sewing machine, which I inherited from my great-aunts. (A Singer No. 201K, incidentally, with “rotating hook, reverse feed, for family use”.) Aren’t they marvellous-looking things?

I should confess straight off that I haven’t used a single one. When I [...]]]>

Hardware! I love hardware. These are the accessories that came with my old Singer sewing machine, which I inherited from my great-aunts. (A Singer No. 201K, incidentally, with “rotating hook, reverse feed, for family use”.) Aren’t they marvellous-looking things?

I should confess straight off that I haven’t used a single one. When I was younger I found them quite intimidating, particularly the enormous contraption on the right, which if I’ve correctly deciphered the beautiful black-and-white halftones in the instruction booklet is The Ruffler.

(Also pictured: The Binder; A Combined Edge-stitching, Lace-joining and Piping Attachment; The Gathering Foot; The Adjustable Hemmer; The Bias Gauge; The Quilter; and some miscellaneous hangers-on.)

Nowadays, I’m older and braver – and what’s more, I’ve discovered a deep and abiding love of tools in all their guises (power tools! Rarrrr!). So I’m thinking it may be time to put these gleaming babies through their paces.