Here is what my mom says about sewing with a Singer machine back in the 1960s.
I bought a new machine in 1962 as all I had was my Singer Featherweight that my parents had given me when I was 19. Mine looked something like this and had some decorative stitches. I don’t think mine was a Slantomatic. I bought mine right before the Slantomatic came out. I remember sewing you a dark striped dress with a white waistband. I used some of the decorative stitches around the waist and around a white sewn in collar. You liked that dress a lot. Do you remember it? I think you were about nine or ten at the time and I made all your clothes except for the ugly Holy Family uniforms you had to wear to school. I was really pleased with that dress and made a second one from the same pattern, in blue, for a girl who played a part in one of [the local theater groups] many plays.
Thanks to inkyarnandbeer for this blog. To visit go to
https://inkyarnandbeer.wordpress.com/2019/09/02/hotter-than-hell-so-im-gonna-sew/
I think it must be about 100F (38C) where I live, so the air conditioning is on and not going out until it is dark. My dogs aren’t mad, nor am I a Brit, so I am staying indoors, drinking water, and prepping the Maggie Shirt . . . and I am sewing it on my vintage Singer 403a,
I think these machines (the Singer 400 series) date from the mid to late 1950s and into the early 60s. Mine is like it was never used. When I bought her, she needed some TLC, heat and oiling, as well as a bit of gear grease, before she was off and sewing. Unused machines freeze up, but once they have been given the right attention, I think they are the best! I’ve had my 403a for awhile, and as I cycle through my machines, she hasn’t been out for a spin…
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Daily Fiber 
Laura, here is another historical moment in my sewing life. When you were five we lived in Elyria and they were celebrating 125 years of being a city. They had a Miss Elyria and a little miss Elyria contest so I decided to enter you to be Little Miss Elyria. I went to the library and looked up children’s fashions of the 1800s. I found a cute little girl in a poke bonnet a full skirted dress and pantalets. So I went to Penny’s and bought red calico and white batiste. Your dad had been transferred to Akron so the only time I had to sew was when your little brother was sleeping as he would not leave me in peace when I tried to sew. I finished the the dress, bonnet and pantalets and entered you in the contest. I thought you were the best because you looked like a little girl from 1833. All we needed was a Conestoga Wagon and two mules. The girl who won the contest was dressed like an 1890 era adult complete with full make up. Her costume was cute but she did not look like an authentic little girl from 1833. I was disappointed but you had fun. You wore the dress for the Halloween Parade and your brother Cliff was dressed like an Indian. His buckskin top and pants were made from flannel dyed brown and he had an Indian headdress. He won a prize and you did not. You were disappointed but all most every other little girl had an old fashioned dress so there were too much competition. This was before I got the new Singer, we bought that machine in Akron so I sewed all these costumes on my Singer Featherweight. I had also sewed a bunny suit for you when you were two so your little sister wore the bunny suit that Halloween. I don’t know if I took any pictures of those costumes but you may have a picture in your album.
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I remember that event clearly. But what I remember most is that my shoes were too tight! Thanks for this little essay.
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Sorry about the tight shoes. How did you get that post in so fast. It came in almost before I was finished writing,
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Just lucky I guess
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