My 'new' vintage Brother Festival sewing machine

The newest machine to be added to my collection. A Brother Festival. Made in the 1960s, I purchased it at Goodwill for only $15 the weekend of my spring fashion show. It had NEVER been used, still having the factory practice starched fabric, showing it can sew all of the programmed stitches. I was also lucky enough that it came with the original manual!

And the light bulb still works! My first brown sewing machine. I've owned a few new Brothers, but I have broken them all. Well, I've broken all the new ones anyways. All plastic machines I have owned break in some way. I had another vintage Brother, that was also thrifted, but I gave it away to a young girl in need of a machine. I'm very hard on machines, and new sewing machines just don't cut it. This marvelous lovely lady is going to be my close friend for months, while my Kenmore takes a little nap from making two lines of lingerie in the past six months.

The stitch selector. Since the machine is so old, it is quite difficult to change the stitch selection. One has to push down the button on the left to turn the knob on the right. It doesn't like to move very easily, but that is fine. I never make button holes or use these stitches, so the stitch on the far right is selected, manual. 

In the manual setting, one can choose the needle position on the left, center and right, the dial reading L,M,R. The zig zag stitch is controlled with a 0-5 selector above the L,M,R. The small silver circles are a sort of clamp. When you push them in they slide left to right, keeping the lever in place to secure the selection of your zig zag stitch. The top controls the stitch width, and the center button on that dial is reverse. 

Don't you just LOVE these colors?! This is going to quickly become another favorite machine.

Still in the original case. Ah. Such a beauty. Who could ever get rid of something so amazing!? I found a great deal on this machine! And it even had the manual included, so I was able to oil it properly.

If you haven't already noticed, I added a new page to my blog, "My Vintage Sewing Machines", "sewing machines", up on the top navigation bar under my banner. I want you share my machines with you all since I love them so much. The machines on which I sew are very important to me. I believe it is important to build a relationship with your machine, loving it and taking care of it. Servicing and cleaning it. I have a deep love affair with vintage machines. Just last week I sold my only "new" machine I purchased brand new in 2008. From now on I will only use vintage machines!

Coming soon: the importance and how-to's of servicing, cleaning, and oiling your vintage sewing machine!

What kind of machine do you sew on? Is it vintage? Tell me your favorite thrifted sewing machine story!