Vintage Necchi Sewing Maching

Here's a little story for all of you about me and my vintage sewing machine...

In October 2007, my boyfriend Ben and I moved into our first place together in Clintonville, a neat little neighborhood here in Columbus, Ohio. Knowing we were in need of some living room furniture, we went to my grandma’s house to pick up a set of these great chartreuse velvet, tufted-back, arm chairs that were living in her basement. While visiting and moving the chairs, I asked her if I could also take the table sewing machine that was collecting dust. She was more than happy to send it with me knowing how much I love to sew and that it really meant a lot to me.

We got moved in and settled in our new place, and a few days later had my parents over to visit. My mom laughed a little at me for wanting the chairs (growing up with them herself, she thinks they’re ugly) but was surprised to see that I’d taken the sewing machine. Her surprise wasn’t a bad thing, she just then asked me if I knew the story behind the machine. My reply was simply that I thought it was Grandma’s, and being the one in the family who really sews, loves vintage, and has a great appreciation for well-made machinery, I thought no one else in the family would mind that I had it. Well, there is quite a story that goes along with the sewing machine that I had never known…

The machine actually belonged to my grandpa, not my grandma as I had always thought. (As it turns out, my grandma isn’t much of a seamstress unfortunately…) I’m unsure of the exact dates, but in the early 1950’s (1950-52 maybe?) my grandpa was in the Air Force and stationed in Lybia. He had been trading his cigarette and alcohol ration stamps with the other soldiers in exchange for money. Over time he saved up enough to purchase a shiny black Necchi “Bu” sewing machine. Where exactly he got the machine, I don’t know, but I do know that he could really make that baby purr. My grandpa was a machinist by trade, and did everything with exact precision and care. While in Lybia he used his Necchi to sew on patches and badges for his fellow soldiers, and with his great attention to detail and precision, you could guarantee that all of your insignia would be up to regulation. After he had built a following by sewing on badges, people started asking him to tailor their uniforms too. He was “peg-legging” pant legs, cropping jackets, and adding a little “hip” style to the drab uniforms.

He returned home to my grandma and uncle (my mom and aunt weren’t far behind…) and brought the Necchi with him. I don’t know how much use it saw from then on, but he took exceptional care of it. He kept it clean and oiled, and out of harms way. (There’s an ongoing joke throughout the family that everything Grandpa touched will out run all of us for the next few generations…)

Grandpa had a stroke when I was around four and passed away in 2002 when I was a senior in high school. Unfortunately when he had his stroke, he lost a lot of his speech and mobility, so I never really got to hear all of the stories that grandpas tell. My mom has commented that she thinks I get my knack for spatial-relations and creating/building things from my grandpa, quite the compliment in my book.

Ben and I now live in the house that he and my grandma shared for 30+ years, so the Necchi is now back “home”. (Don’t worry, Grandma is still kickin’, she’s just moved to a little apartment in a nice community.) I feel really special to be able to live in this house and take care of everything that my grandpa worked for. As a kid, I was lucky enough to have grandparents that lived so close and got to spend a lot of time here. I’ve always been really close with my grandma, and have recently been thinking of Grandpa more and more. I don’t have many things belonged to him, so I feel really lucky to have inherited such a wonderful piece of sewing machinery. She’s in need of a little oil and probably a new belt, but she runs like ‘buttah’. (I would expect nothing less.)

I remember completing my first sewing project, a poodle skirt for Halloween, with my mom when I was in first grade. From then on I helped her with miscellaneous projects here and there, we did some sewing projects in Girl Scouts, but I really started seriously sewing about 5 years ago now when I was in college. I lost my job about 6 weeks ago now, and sewing has been my saving grace. I’ve been using my mom’s Husqvarna (sorry Mom!) and I am really excited to get the Necchi going. I took a bunch of photos today, so if you would like to see it, pop on over to my flickr page. I found an interesting add-on piece that I have no idea what it is exactly or what it does (there are pictures.) If anyone out there has any information that may be helpful, please let me know!

Happy Sewing!
Amanda

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 6 [3/22/09]

More Finished Projects

I hate to admit this, but I've kind of enjoyed being out of a job these past few weeks. I'm getting a little stir crazy and in need of more people, but I've been really productive with my refashions and sewing projects, which feels really great. The "to be done" pile is shrinking and I'm really challenging my sewing comfort zone. The best part is that I've gone out on a limb when choosing patterns and fabrics and also style, and each attempt has been successful. :) Now let's look at some photos...

Here's the shirt I made last week from Butterick pattern #B5035 (I promised I'd post a photo when I got one...) This was a super easy project, and although the picture isn't that great, it was super cute with dark jeans, heels, and funky earrings. (It's also a little more fushia than purple as it looks here.)

I'm really pleased with this finished project... and I'm actually wearing it (again) at this moment. I used a fine, plum jersey knit from JoAnn (on sale!) and New Look pattern #6780. I have made a change since these photos were taken. I wore this shirt to a family get-together yesterday as it is in the picture and the sleeves really bothered me. The elastic was just a little too snug and they were really riding up into my armpits. (No fun.) I undid the hem and removed the elastic, I gathered the edge then added a band similar to the bottom. This made the sleeves just tight enough and lengthened them too. Overall, I LOVE the fabric (it feels great at the color is gorgeous!) and the pattern was pretty simple too - a definite must for summer! It's also long enough that it would look cute with leggings.

This little jacket was a big leap for me. I started a button down shirt dress a little over a year ago and got frustrated while trying to attach the collar. Needless to say, it's in the "to be finished" pile... This is the most difficult pattern I've tried in quite some time, and I'm pleased to say I'm really happy with the finished product. I used a nice light weight seersucker (also on sale) with another one of the $1.99 Butterick patterns (#B5332) and a covered button maker. Not only was the construction of this piece difficult, but I've not really worked with interfacing in clothing, and I'm pretty bad with button holes... and this had both of those. I don't think I would have ever bought something like this for myself, but I really like it and so does Ben. Win-Win in my book!

I posted this refashion last week: Well, I attached the cut-off to the brown shirt today and ended up with this:

I'm not sure if I'm really happy with it, but it's not a bad use for the scrap, and the brown shirt is better this way than being too short.

Oh, and the brown bag lunch was a huge hit at the cousin's birthday! Josh (Alex's older brother - he's 5) really loved it, so it looks like I'll be making another one.

Happy Sewing!
Amanda

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 5 [3/16/09]

Thrift Finds

I took my first serious thrift shopping trip last week and found some killer steals! I've thrifted before, but this is the first time I've been since I took my 2-month pledge, and I had a much different view while shopping than before. We visited Ben's mom, Judi in Wooster about two weeks ago and ever since she mentioned the great fabric she found for amazing prices at her local thrift shop, I was just dying to go. The idea of getting rid of any cuts of fabric just blows my mind to begin with, so I hadn't thought about looking for fabric at the thrift stores. (Who gets rid of fabric?! I just can't wrap my mind around that one...) I found some amazing prints!

I'm pretty sure these are both table cloths, but I loved the prints and they're both really big. The blue and white floral is a really nice light-weight, kind of silky, linen-type fabric that I think will make a super cute dress. It cost a little more than I wanted to spend (a whopping $7.99) but after a long debate I decided it was definitely worth it. The plaid is a little heavier, but I'm thinking it will make a great skirt, and for $4, it was a good price for the amount of fabric. We'll see what happens with these... I'm really in no rush.

I found a HUGE un-cut piece of plain black linen (there's at least 4 yards) for $3 and about one yard of chartreuse linen for $1. I just couldn't believe the prices on all of the fabrics... I'm planning on checking back every few weeks. I also picked up a vintage "hippie blouse" pattern (McCalls #4867) for 90 cents! I thought it looked like a nice light-weight shirt that would be great for cooler summer days, plus it's vintage 70s! Love it!

I picked up a few clothing items too. The green tee was about $3 and still had it's original tags (bonus). I picked up some flocked iron-ons at JoAnn months ago but never found the right place to use them, and thought this tee would be a good place for the blue flower.

I'm not sure if this is meant to be a dress or a shirt, and I'm not usually a big fan of ruffled sleeves, but it was cute and a great color, so I went for it. I'm still debating whether I'm going to change anything or not. I was thinking of maybe removing the ruffles and making it a tunic tank, or I may just enjoy the fact that it cost $3... Any suggestions?

Lastly, I picked up two clothing items for Ben's nieces Lucy and Beatrice (they're 7 and 5 and ADORABLE.) I'm definitely going to refashion these... Into what exactly, I'm not sure yet. I think they'll make great dress-up outfits -- they have lots of sparklies! The purple sparkly dress has some pit stainage and will need to be sized down, but I was thinking of keeping the style the same, just smaller. As for the sequined skirt, I have no idea, but the options are endless! There's enough fabric here to make two items, maybe two strapless tube dresses? I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have!

Happy Sewing!
Amanda

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 4 [3/16/09]

Finished Projects (finally!)

I haven't posted much lately, but I have been a very busy little sewing bee. I have some finished creations to post and another post on deck about my great thrift finds. (Hoorah!) So here it goes...

First up is the Burda Top, style 130. (Get the free pattern HERE) The light brown jersey was on clearance at JoAnn for $4 per yard. I originally bought the fabric with no plan in mind for it, so when I made this top, I followed the pattern, but the length up shorter than I would wear. I couldn't find more of the clearance jersey, so I used a chocolate jersey for the band at the bottom. I'm actually really pleased with the final outcome... it turned out really cute and will be great to wear when the weather warms up.

Next up is the Garbo Skirt. This was a super simple pattern from Burda Style. (Get the free pattern HERE) My mom bought this fabric as a remenent from JoAnn awhile ago for a project that never happened so she gave it to me. There was a TON in the rememnent, so I opted to use it for this really cute tulip skirt. It falls just below the knee and has a really cute 40's style. The lining still needs hemmed, but it's close enough to finished to post. :)

I bought the pattern (McCalls #M5391) and fabric for these shorts last summer but never got around to actually making them. I cut the fabric about 4 months ago or so, but just got the shorts put together a few weeks ago. They still need hemmed and need a closure on the tab, but hey, they look like shorts!

Before I took my 2 month pledge, I bought this floral summer dress on sale for $5. When I bought it I wasn't sure if it was a dress or a tunic length top (I didn't bother trying it on... I just went with it.) Once I got it home I realized it was a little too long for a shirt and a little too short for a dress. Solution: Shorten it! I'm really happy with the new length of the top, and as an added bonus, there was a great amount of fabric that got cut off. I have a cute brown tee from Banana Republic that I've had for a long time, but just couldn't part with. I haven't worn it in ages because it's just too short. I'm going to use the piece I cut off of the other top to lengthen the tee (maybe a ruffle...?)

Last, but not least, I made a plush, felt brown-bag lunch. (Yes, a plush lunch.) My littlest cousin is having his first birthday party on Saturday and after seeing THIS tutorial, I just had to find an excuse to make one. The lunch is complete with a ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato, a bag of ruffled potato chips, a chocolate chip cookie, and a mini cupcake. Skip to my Lou made a baggie for the sandwich, but given that Alex is going to be one, I thought it best to skip that part. So to hold the sandwich together, I added a piece of velcro to the back of each layer. I also added his name to the brown bag for a personal touch. I actually have a huge stash of craft felt (you just never know when you'll need some colorful felt!) so the whole thing didn't cost a dime either.

Last week JoAnn had all Butterick patterns on sale for $1.99. (!!!) I took advantage of the great deal and stocked up. One of the patterns I picked up was #B5035 which is a "1-hour" tunic top. I got a really pretty plummy purple jersey and decided to make it on Saturday to wear out that night for a friend's birthday. It was an easy 1-hour project and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I don't have a photo yet, but I'll post it when I get one. I would totally suggest the pattern... it was fast, easy and really cute. The only thing I would suggest though would be make sure you have a big cutting surface. It's a huge, single layer, one-piece pattern. It took me longer to get the piece cut out than it took to actually make it.

Until next time... Happy Sewing!
Amanda

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 3 [3/3/09]

Maybe it's just all of the free time that comes with the unemployment, but I've been quite a busy little bee lately. After I posted the floral top earlier today, I dove right into making the fabric flower brooch... and, well, I finished it!

Here are some photos and the link to the how-to... "Oh So Crafty" Blog Post (For the time being, I think this little beauty will live on my tool board in the craft room... It adds a nice, bright pop of color among all the tools.)

I also got the pattern printed out for the "Garbo" skirt HERE and I'm on my way to start cutting out my pieces.

I'm having a blast with this... Thanks WR! I needed this!

Happy sewing everyone!
Amanda

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 2 [3/3/09]

My first finished project!

Hello All!

I'm really happy to post that I finished my first project during my 2-month pledge... AND it was super thrifty!

The floral fabric used for the yoke and waist band is vintage from my boyfriend's mom, Judi. She let me raid her fabric stash a little while back and I can't wait to use more of it! Super cute vintage prints are my favorite. I had the buttons and fasteners on hand and the pattern was free at burdafashion.com. The only thing I purchased was the jersey knit for about $10.

It's safe to say the only thing true to the pattern is the yoke and basic shape of the tunic. I used hooks and eyes instead of a zipper on the back, I added a ruched empire waist on the front and tailored the back in a little, and I added a waist band to match the yoke. It's not quite what I expected it to be, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Here's a photo of it on (sorry it's not a better quality... it was late when I finally got it finished.)

I have a neat black chunky tweed-like fabric that would make a really cute skirt, so I think that will be next on deck. I'm also thinking of trying this flower brooch I found here.

Happy re-fashioning everyone!

Wardrobe Refashion : Post 1 [2/28/09]

As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be taking the Wardrobe Refashion pledge for the next 2-months. As I post there, I will also be re-posting here. Here is the first of my WR posts:
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Hi There!

Hello re-fashionistas! My name is Amanda and I'm a 25 year-old graphic designer from Columbus, Ohio. I've been sewing for about 5 or 6 years now, but have been embracing the "craftiness" my whole life. (I suppose this would be where I say that my childhood "When I grow up, I want to be a..." wish was to be an artist. I guess some wishes do come true...) I love to make things. I started out with tote bags and that has spread into aprons, Christmas stockings, curtains, pillows... I've even taken a stab at quilting. I also love gardening and gnomes, hand-stitchery, paper crafting, among many other things.

I just recently found WR and the timing has been so perfect for me... I just lost my job a few weeks ago, and with no extra money lying around, buying clothes is *so* out of the question right now. I found the blog while looking for free clothing patterns and was totally awed and inspired by all the awesome things everyone has been making here. My closet and drawers are nearly bursting at the seams (it's safe to say that I have both a shopping and "keep everything" problem) and I am super excited about taking the 2-month pledge!

I've already started a super thrifty, cute summer top. I've used some vintage fabric that was given to me (free), buttons and baubles I had lying around (free), and I even found the pattern online at burdastyle.com (free). The only thing I had to buy for the project was some jersey knit which ended up being 20% off! I'll post some photos tomorrow.

This is going to be such a great challenge -- I really can't wait. It's going to be a great push to finish some unfinished attempts at clothes too. I've got a pair of bermuda shorts and a button-down shirt dress that need finished, plus 5 or 6 pairs of pants that need hemmed and altered. Not to mention a baby quilt and a couple of bags. With a whole chest of drawers over-flowing with a various fabrics, plus lots of clothes I never wear but just can't part with... this is going to be an exciting adventure!

Thanks Nikki for starting this awesome group and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

Happy Sewing!
Amanda

(If there's anyone in the Central Ohio area, please drop me a line -- I'd love to meet some fellow crafters!)