Singer 327

I don't let every orphan follow me home from the thrift shop, but this Singer 327 caught my eye.  I bought it and took it home even though I knew nothing about it.

I checked out some reviews I found, they blow hot and cold.  This was an inexpensive zig-zag machine with an internal motor and belt made in Great Britain from 1963 to 1965.  I decoded the serial number to find mine was built in 1965.

Talk about saving money.  No special feet.  No attachments. Also, the bobbin winder is manual.  A person pushes the bobbin against the hand wheel and must stop it when full.  There is not a spring mechanism to disengage the bobbin when full.  According to some reviews, in order to lower the price, the earlier ones didn't even have a light switch.  The light came on when it was plugged in.  Mine has the light switch.

I don't think mine was used much at all, the needle looked like it could be original.  It has a drop in class 66 bobbin.  Since the original came with plastic bobbins that is what I am using.

One of the most quoted reviews in The Vintage Singers Yahoo Group is "This machine is loud and clunky".  I think it is quiet and sews wonderfully.  So I don't share that reviewers thoughts.   For $9.50, I don't think someone wanting a basic sewing machine could go wrong.

I think I have S.M.A.D.(Sewing Machine Addiction Disorder)  I borrowed this from Life with Lou. This is an interesting Blog about finding and fixing sewing machines.  I say I have S.M.A.D. because I love to sew and love to sew on different machines. In fact, I bought another machine I will blog about shortly.  All I will say is it is a model of machine I learned about from reading The Bobbin Doctor.

I am not totally gone though.  I like straight-stitch and simple zig-zag machines.  Complicated machines aren't my favorite.  When I was in sewing class many years ago the teacher said all you need is straight, zig-zag, and reverse.  I think this holds true, because when I was looking for my first sewing machine about two years ago, I was told the same thing  at a sewing machine store.

Singer 327 in Case

Singer 327 ready to sew

Too see a video of this machine on youtube, click here

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Shirt for Chase

I was walking through Walmart a few weeks ago and saw what I thought was the cutest fabric to make a shirt for my Grand-Nephew Chase who loves trucks.

He is 18 months old, but wears a 2t or a 3t depending on the manufacturer.  I purchased the fabric then started looking for a boys shirt pattern.  I didn't see anything I liked.  It seems to me like in adults patterns, girls patterns are abundant, and boys patterns are lacking.   I had a mens shirt pattern that also had boys sizes, but I didn't think it would be small enough, but after checking some measurements, I decided a boys small Simplicity 4760 would be perfect.

I sewed this on my Brother XL2600I.  I had mentioned before how I liked the way my Greist buttonholer made button holes, but it did not have a template for 3/4" buttons, so I used the Brother's built in buttonholer.  After a few adjustments, I decided the Brother makes darn good buttonholes.

Another change for me on this shirt was the french seams on the arm holes.  This was from a goof.  I sewed the armholes right sides together by accident.  Rather than ripping out the threads, I decided to french seam it.  Turned out great.

This pattern calls for hand stitching part of the collar and the plackets, but  I machine stitched them as well. 


Here is the finished project.

And of course, the customer is always who must be pleased.

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Argyle Shirt Finale and New Serger

I have not been sewing as much as I would like to the last two months.  I finally had some time to finish the argyle shirt I started quite a while ago.  I think it turned out great.  I gave it french seams, and serged the armholes.  Oh, that reminds me.  I used my new to me serger on this project.  I went to the thrift store, and in the back of the store, no where near the sewing supplies was a box with a serger in it.  I looked at it and saw it was a Pfaff 794 in good shape with the owner's manual.  I plugged it in at the store and it seemed to run slow, but did run.  I purchased it for $6.50.  I took it home, oiled and cleaned it. Now it runs fast and smooth.  Turns out to be a very good serger.  Even has a light, which my overedger does not have.

I am going to retire the Simplicity 7330 shirt pattern I used for this and other recent shirt projects.   It will probably come out of retirement, I am sure.  My next project is a shirt for my Grand-Nephew Chase.  I am using the Simplicity 4760 pattern since it has boys sizes.   I'll blog about that next.

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