Sewing Machine Stories

**This post has been written in association with Tesco. All opinions are my own.**

I’ve always thought of sewing machines as the one thing that all grandmothers have in their house. I imagine the stories behind what they’ve made and the people who have used them. It’s the one machine that I think of as necessary for anyone’s craft room, whether it’s a modern machine or a vintage piece. A sewing machine helps create a baby’s first quilt, a child’s first day of school outfit, a Christmas pillowcase, and a wedding dress. People often talk about their machines as a friend, and I really do think it’s because of the memories they help make.

When I see a vintage sewing machine, I love to imagine what it created. Did it sew curtains and bedding? A family’s clothing? Maybe it patched pants or was used as an in-home business. Was it left out because it was used so often, or did it get stored because it was only used for special occasions? I always look at them and wonder just how on earth someone was able to use them, too. Our modern machines are billed as easy to use and have everything laid out for us on computer screens with a bunch of different stitches built in, but vintage machines, while gorgeous to look at, seem so difficult to use. I wouldn’t object to having one to admire, though!

We’re incredibly lucky to live in a time when sewing machines are so easy to come by. There are machines for every skill level. We even have machines specifically made for kids!

Scott and I were recently sharing memories and comparing our very different childhood experiences, as we often do. Even though we grew up on opposite sides of the world, we share common memories of sewing machines. We’ve both worn clothes that were sewn by family members. We both had sewing machines in our houses and our grandparents’ houses. Whatever else was different, sewing machines were the same.

I asked for a sewing machine for our first Christmas as a married couple. I had had a basic one when I was younger, but I was ready for my “adult” sewing machine that was going to create my family’s memories. When Scott was searching for the best machine for my skill level and what I wanted to do, he turned to the older generations in his family to ask advice. Having a sewing machine brings generations together. Everyone has their preferences and stories to tell. We heard stories of past machines and what they could and couldn’t do. Scott’s aunt gave him a list of stitches to make sure the machine he chose had.

We’ve now been to weddings all over the world, and a sewing machine has been on the gift registry for every single one. It is the perfect builder of memories and stories, whether you’re a beginner or have been sewing all your life. What kind of sewing machine memories do you have in your family?