.mt6 .hm3 .h1Grayso Enterprise Ltd Firs N Newspape Rights .h2 Page #. Copyrigh 1989 .h3 1,007 words COLLECTIN TO SEWIN MACHINES Writte an Photographe b Jun Grayson Loi Dixo bega t se whe sh wa nin year ol -"a soo a m leg wer lon enoug fo m fee t reac th sewing machin treadl," sh says. Sh learne t mak he ow clothes worke o 4 sewin project i hig school majore i hom economic a th Universit o Kentuck a Lexington an taugh hom economic i thre states. No sinc he recen earl retiremen -sh i stil sewin an lovin ever minut o it N wonde Dixon a wel a man othe hom economic teacher an seamstresses like t collec to sewin machines especiall sinc the ar mad o th sam material an operat i th sam fashio a adul sewin machines Dol collector an workin-to collector als fin to sewin machine irresistible. Dixo bough mos o he machine i th 1970 a garage sale an fle markets No sh an he husband Mac Dixon formerl wit th U S Arm Corp o Engineers ar antiqu dealer i St Charles Illinois "B prepare t pa mor tha th antiqu pric guide suggest, Dixo warns "Th newe model ma cos $2-$30 whil th rare one brin a muc a $11-$120. Unti recently sewin abilit wa necessar skil fo al women Read-mad clothin wa expensiv an no alway accessibl t th smal town an rura communitie o earl America. Dixon th younges o si childre o Kentuck far family remembers "Ou bigges trea a childre wa t g int tow wit fathe whe h wen t bu cattl feed farmer' wif alway salvage thos empty coars cotto sack t mak dis towel o petticoats s eventuall th fee companie printe beautifu colore pattern o th sacks W alway trie t ge thre o fou sack alik s w woul hav enoug fo ne dress. Th sewin machin wa th firs widel distribute mechanica hom applianc an playe a importan par i th industria revolution Th challeng ha bee t inven a interlockin stitc tha woul no pul out Elia Howe o Spencer Massachusetts patente th firs sewin machin i 1846 Othe inventor als claime credi fo th discover an paten war ensued How an hi paten merge wit Isaa Singe t found th Singe Sewin Machin Company Th Singer Compan wa t dominat th sewin machin marke fo th next on hundre years I 1860 mor tha 110,00 sewin machines wer produce i th Unite State alone Sinc then sewin machin design hav bee adapte fo hundred o specialize industria uses bu th basi operatio remain th same Th foo-powere treadl an pulle free th operator' hand allowin th sewe t wor longe an mor efficiently Sewin machine hav ha electri motor fo the las fift years bu treadl machine ar stil commo i thos part o th worl wher electricit i no readil available To sewin machine wer mad t b used Travelin salesme fo th sewin machin companie use th toy a sale models Littl girl dreame o receivin the a Christma o birthda presents Advertisin promotion reflecte th belie tha eve pla wa seriou educationa pursuit "Practica an Instructive, o "A th Twi i Ben th Tree' Inclined. Ver fe to treadl sewin machine wer produced s i yo ca fin on i goo condition yo shoul bu i immediately Suc toy calle th Littl Daisy wa patente i 1883 Eve mor uniqu wa th "figural sewin machine The righ ar o th figur hel ro whic secure th fabri clamp Th lef han gripped th needle Turnin porcelai handl o th figure' bac caused th lef han t mov u an dow a i guide th threa throug th fabric Ma Stand o German receive paten i 189 fo figura machin wit nin variations Onl tw variation ar know t hav bee mad on Victoria lad an th othe clown Sinc thes machine ar s rare the d no nee t b i perfec conditio t b collectible a wel a astronomicall priced Regardles o thes earl paten dates to sewin machine di no appea i quantit unti th tur o th century Sturdil mad o cas iro i German an th Unite States, the coul b use fo famil sewin i emergencies The wer slo becaus th operato ha t rotat th handl t move th needl throug th fabric Th qualit o thes tos decline durin th depressio of 193 an th secon Worl War du t shortage o heav gaug meal an skille workmen. Perhap th bes qualit to sewin machine wer no mad b to manufacture a al bu wer mad b th Singe Company th sam compan tha dominate th ful siz sewin machin market Th firs Singe model o painte an stencile cas iro appeare aroun 1910 Fortunately collector ca fin dozen o variations Th machine ar mor valuabl i the com wit thei origina accessorie an packin boxes Dixo doe no kno o an compan makin to sewin machine today Home d no nee sewin machine Youn ladie ar n longe expecte t b exper seamstresses. "Girl mus tak on yea o hom economic i junio high," Dixo explains "bu i hig schoo i i onl a electiv subject Girl o th colleg trac don' hav tim fo sewing projects Wome wh wor outsid th hom ofte don' hav th tim o energ t se whe the ar home Fabric cos a muc a read mad clothing. Dixo stil sews Sh i makin Confederat arm uniforms authenti dow t th las bon button Bot he husban an he so participat i th Civi Wa R-Enactmen Pageant s popula no throughou th Unite State o th 125t Anniversar o th Civi War Hom sewin wil continu fo creative i no economi reasons Dixo thinks "Wome wil alway wan t mak beautifu thing fo thei homes." #####