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John Desjardins’s interest in sewing machines started eight years ago when he discovered a portable antique model in his in-laws’ garage. Soon he was seeking out sewing machines on eBay where he found his first miniature. He began connecting with other collectors. ‘You start with one, then, two; after three I was bitten.’
Invented in France in 1829 — a mere four years before the New London Custom House was built, the sewing machine revolutionized how clothing was made, changing it from a labor-intensive hand process to something far faster and easier. There was much experimentation with sewing machine designs. But by 1851 Issac Singer developed the first version of our modern machine, with a foot pedal and the up-and-down needle.
Simply put: miniature sewing machines are smaller working versions of regular-sized machines. Both beautiful and useful, the earliest models date from the latter half of the 19th century. Relatively lightweight and portable, many of these machines operate with a hand crank — electricity is not necessary. They were great for travel.
Unlike the larger treadle-powered machines, considered status symbols in the US, the smaller models were favored in Europe, where people lived in smaller apartments and could stow the machines away in a closet.
In 1910, the Singer Company went a step further and made the first sewing machine for children, as knowing how to sew was considered an important domestic skill for girls. The popularity of toy sewing machines declined towards the end of the 20th century largely due to the rise of the ready-made clothing industry and the increasing participation of women in the workforce.
While these mini machines are still prized by quilters, Mr. Desjardins says that today most sewing machine collectors are men, who admire the engineering. ‘The same repair tools work on guns and typewriters,’ he said. John Desjardins has adapted a number of the models, himself, to work with or without a treadle.
The approximately 50 machines in the exhibition include both American and European miniatures, including a Dinsmore used on boats to repair sails, pictured above, and the quilter’s favorite, the Singer Featherweight. Made of aluminum, not cast iron, this machine was introduced at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair and was produced until 1964. There also is a large assortment of children’s machines on display, along with sewing machine ephemera.
Saturday’s opening coincides with a new city-wide event Celebrate New London — a celebration of the City’s food, live music, art galleries, unique shops, and ,and culminating with the annual Mashantucket Pequot Fireworks Extravaganza.
NB: If you cannot get downtown for the fireworks, watch them at home online on the NL HarborCam: https://nlmaritimesociety.org/NLHarborcam.html.
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