Here is my old Jones sewing machine. Again, I cannot remember a time when there hasnt been one of these in my life. I learnt to sew on my mother's Singer, which was in virtually every way similar to this Jones. This machine has been with me since the early 70s when I first had a flat of my own and my parents rescued this from a skip (skipraiding is hereditory isnt it?) for me. It was orignally a treadle operated machine because you can see the drive wheel that the leather belt would have gone round (the silvery rimmed wheel at the near end of the machine) and there is a slot in the wooden base for the belt to go down to the treadle.

I have made clothes, furnishings, and all sorts of fabric things on this for over 30 years and it seems indestructible, only needing oiled every 10 years or so to keep it purring happily through denim and leather as well as thinner stuff. I have tried to use a prewar electric machine but they changed the design of the threading and the bobbins at some point before that and I grew up with these and cannot somehow adapt myself to the newer ones. The old bobbins are bullet shaped but the modern ones are little cylinders. Techy in most other ways you would think I could make the jump wouldnt you?

I love the idea that with this and my windup gramophone I am all set for clothes and entertainment when the power all goes.

Considering that today the banks are falling like dominoes, who knows what is coming next.