Some people see nostalgia as a dirty word, one used by old people unable to keep up with the times. I think we’re very fortunate in the crafting world that this doesn’t hold sway. We know that newer doesn’t always mean better and we can appreciate craftsmanship from the past.
Don’t get me wrong I love my modern sewing machine, but I can certainly appreciate the beautiful of some of the old completely manual machines. They are objects of beauty in their own right. So when I found all of these being used as a display in a shop on Portobello Road in London, I thought I’d died and gone to sewing machine heaven!
I took quite a few shots with my main camera but I couldn’t resist taking my mobile out and playing with it’s panorama features. These shots are straight off the mobile phone and not as good a quality as I normally like to share. I do think however that the give you a better idea of the numbers of these gorgeous machines.
There were hundreds of them and all designed to be operated without the benefit of electricity. As my companions were all photography rather than crafting people they saw the attraction initially but soon wandered off for other photo opportunities leaving me dribbling in the shop.
I can’t help wondering what tales they could tell of sewing exploits. Most were in immaculate condition although they did show signs of wear and a little rust in places. There is certainly no way my Brother machine will last anywhere near as long as these. Don’t get me wrong I love it to bits and probably should have replaced it a couple of years ago when it first started giving me problems – but it’s not crafted the way these beauties are.
