The little Vesta Saxonia

I found her sitting by a street bin, abandoned. This is Vesta Saxonia TS, serial number 1477490, made in 1924, according to fiddlebase.com. Complete and working. This is a small model - what they call "half size". It has the typical geared Saxonia balance wheel with integrated handle - this is a hand-crank and the…

Needles for Wertheim TS

Most transverse shuttle machines take 12x1 or 13x1 needles which were standard at the time but are unfortunately no longer made. Many people have searched for a modern substitute, and many solutions were found, yet every time I had such a machine in my sewing room, nothing would fit. The reason for it is that…

Selecting substitute needles

Plenty of old sewing machines could still be working were it not for the lack of needles - the types that are no longer made. There are several ways to solve the problem, from hunting for the few remaining old needles to modifying modern needles or modifying the machine to take a modern needle type.…

Convert your vintage machine to modern needles – for needle clamps with side insertion

Many vintage sewing machines use old types of needles that are no longer being made. This is very annoying because it forces you to retire an otherwise fabulous machine for the stupid reason that you can't find the needles for it! But fear not, the solution is here. You can give your dearest the gift…