Resources for Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines

I've written a few posts about restoring vintage sewing machines, which have proved to be fairly popular. In this post, I'll list all of the resources related to restoring vintage sewing machines that I've found helpful. There are some amazing blogs, forums, youtube channels, and shops out there to help you fix up your old sewing machines.

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Blogs/Websites on Vintage Sewing Machines

• She's a Sewing Machine Mechanic: this blog covers a wide variety of sewing machines, answers to common problems, and reader questions.

• The Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog: this one doesn't look like it's updated anymore, but it has some great tips on fixing vintage Singer sewing machines.

• Old Singer Sewing Machine Blog: this one also isn't updated anymore, but it's one of the blogs I visit most often for information on vintage/antique Singer sewing machines.

• The Archaic and the Arcane: this blog covers repair and restoration to a variety of vintage sewing machines, and has some great tutorials.

• My Sewing Machine Obsession: this blog also covers projects related to a variety of vintage sewing machines, mixed in with some personal blogging.

• Dragon Poodle Studio: this was one of the first sewing machine blogs I discovered, and it has a special place in my heart. It has sewing machine posts and some sewing projects.

• The Project Lady: this blog has some sewing machine restorations (including industrial sewing machines) and some diy projects.

• Treadle On: this website has a lot of resources for vintage sewing machines, particularly treadle and hand crank sewing machines.

• Vintage Sewing Machines: this blog covers the restoration of vintage sewing machines, often Singers, but some other brands as well, including some vintage sergers.

• Brian Sews: this blog has information on various vintage sewing machines, including answers to a lot of reader questions. It doesn't look like it's updated anymore, but it has some good info.

• The Quilting Room with Mel: this blog has lots of useful information on vintage sewing machines, along with some sewing tutorials and projects.

• Quilter's Bug: this blog has some excellent restoration projects on a variety of vintage sewing machines. It's got lots of great pictures, step-by-step tutorials, and historical information.

• Classic Singer: this blog doesn't look like it has been updated in awhile, but it's got some good information on restoring vintage Singer sewing machines.

• Old Sewing Gear: this blog hasn't been updated in a couple of years, but it's got some great information on vintage sewing machines (particularly Singers) and sewing-related items.

• Sewalot: this site has some excellent information on sewing machine history, as well as video demonstrations and an extensive collection of antique and vintage sewing machines.

• Fiddlebase: this site has some great information on vintage sewing machines, particularly Frister & Rossmann

• Ashley and the Noisemakers: this blog doesn't look like it has been updated in awhile, but it's got some great resources on vintage sewing machines, presser feet, and attachments.

• Needlebar Museum Archive: this site has a ton of information on old sewing machines including manuals, images to help you identify your sewing machine, and information on restoring sewing machines.

• International Sewing Machine Collector's Society: this website has a plethora of resources related to vintage/antique sewing machines, including serial numbers for identification, manuals, and image galleries.

• Quilting Board's Forum for Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts: this is a great place to look for information on vintage sewing machines and also to ask questions if you need help.

• David Mannock's Resource Page for Sewists: lots of manuals, service manuals, and parts lists, particularly for Necchis.

Youtube Channels on Vintage Sewing Machines

• Archaic Arcane: this channel has lots of helpful tutorials on restoring and using vintage sewing machines.

• The Treasure Cellar: this channel mostly shows machines for sale in The Treasure Cellar's Ebay store, but it can be helpful to see different machines in action. He covers threading and basic sewing, as well as some repairs.

• Lizzie Lenard: this channel has some excellent tutorials on cleaning and restoring vintage sewing machines.

Where to Buy Parts for Restoring Vintage Sewing Machines

• Sewing Parts Online: this is one of my go-to stores for parts. If you enter your make and model of sewing machine in the search box, it will show you all of the parts compatible with your sewing machine. This is so helpful when looking for parts for vintage machines!
• Ebay stores:
  • The Treasure Cellar: I linked to The Treasure Cellar's Youtube channel above, too. He has a variety of parts, mostly for vintage Singer sewing machines, but also for other brands. I always check his store first before buying anywhere else. He really knows his stuff, he's helpful when you have questions, and he describes everything thoroughly and accurately. Every part he sells has been checked over and tested. With other sellers, I've had "surprise" incompatible parts that they assured me were the right ones. The Treasure Cellar has quality parts that are described correctly.
  • 072845: Another honest, knowledgeable seller. I've bought hand cranks from this seller to convert old electrical sewing machines. Nearly all of the hand cranks on Ebay are reproductions from China, but not all sellers describe them as such. 072845 describes everything accurately and carefully. He notes that the reproduction hand cranks aren't the same quality as the original hand cranks, but it's hard to find the originals. He tells it like it is, and I like that.

Books on Vintage Sewing Machines

• The Sewing Machine Master Guide: From Basic to Expert: this book has an extensive section on vintage sewing machines, as well as common problems and repairs for all types of sewing machines.
• The Encyclopedia of Early American & Antique Sewing Machines: Identification & Values: this book doesn't have much on repair/restoration, but it's a beautiful reference book on antique sewing machines and toy sewing machines. It looks to be out of print, so keep an eye out for used versions. As I'm writing this, it's rather pricey on Amazon.

My Pinterest Boards on Vintage Sewing Machines

• I have two boards devoted to sewing machines. The first showcases different kinds of vintage sewing machines and the second is all about repair and restoration.

What other resources do you recommend? Let me know in the comments!