A couple of years ago I jumped onto the Pinterest train in earnest and suffice to say it’s been an education! Although I’d previously experimented with Pinterest when it was first introduced several years ago, I didn’t spend much time adding things or cultivating any real collections other than a pinning a few photos here and there.
When I started educating myself about how to use my new embroidery machine, I noticed someone’s Pinterest “pin” about an embroidery design they liked and where they found it. This prompted my subsequent Pinterest search for the design source and suffice to say, Pandora’s box was opened.
I loved seeing what other people were pinning for embroidery design inspiration and relished exploring options beyond the stock designs that came pre-loaded with my machine, I frankly didn’t have a clue where to begin sourcing quality embroidery designs up to that point. What a wonderful resource for sparking additional design ideas the Pinterest site proved to be.
On a whim, I decided to enter a search for “Antique Singer Sewing Machines” and was astounded when the Pinterest floodgates opened wide. In addition to Singer sewing machines, there were hundreds of additional varieties, brands and manufacturers to behold, so much so that I was inspired to create my own board on Pinterest entitled “Antique and Vintage Sewing Machines”. This, along with my “Sewing Inspiration” and “Extraordinary Recipes” boards have proven a very time-addictive research pastime. The whole activity now feels akin to being an electronic stamp collector, especially when learning about international brands of machines, such as my most recent discovery the “Tula” model from Russia.
I knew from my previous sewing machine restoration research that Singer sewing machines were widely popular throughout the late 19th and the majority of the 20th centuries. What I didn’t fully realize was how many hundreds of different brands and manufacturers of sewing machines existed early on. I knew about Pfaffs, Berninas, Vikings, Brothers, Whites, Elnas, and Necchis to name a few, but the Pinterest search engine quickly educated me that those machines were only the tip of the iceberg.
Photo credit: New York Sewing Center
So far, I’ve created more than 185 different sections of sewing machine manufacturers within my Antique and Vintage Sewing Machines Pinterest board. Some of my favorites include the old anchor-shaped British-made machines, the earliest Singers and Pfaffs of course, but what also delights me is seeing the Art Deco-inspired Morse Machines, space-age/Flash Gordon-influenced Singer “Rocketeer” models, the mod colors of machines from the 60s and 70s.
Photo credit: Stephanie Moore
Photo credit: Possumjimandelizabeth.com
Some machines made in the 30s-50s seem to mimic the look of vintage radios complete with tuner dials and frequency-gauge details.
Photo credit: quiltingboard.com
Many sewing machines seem to reflect the decor and characteristics of their specific time and era. If you enjoy exploring Pinterest, I hope you will check out several of my boards there. I’m sure I’ll be adding more pins sometime soon.
“E&W Automatic” American History Textile Museum
Here is a link to my Antique and Vintage Sewing Machines Pinterest board:
PetiteSewSop 
Oooooh, I love those mid-century machines! If I go into Pinterest I’m afraid I’ll never come out. Perhaps for now I’ll just set up a supervised visit to your Pinterest boards with my husband nearby. Then once I’ve perused your Pins, he’ll be able to stop me from going any further (until I retire).
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