MPB SHOCKER: Peter buys another -- !

Friends, it's barely past dawn here and I have already eaten breakfast, voided my colon, and bought another --

A word of advice: Avoid making promises you can't -- or won't -- keep.  It looks bad.  I said I wouldn't buy anything on eBay for the rest of 2010.  Well guess what.



You may be thinking this looks an awful lot like a sewing machine I already own -- my beloved 15-91 (the gear-driven potted motor model I use for everything).  Well, you're right.  I recently learned that Singer made four 15 models: the 15-88, exclusively for treadling; a 15-89 with a handcrank; the 15-90 with an external motor; and the 15-91.

This morning I won (won!) a 15-90 on eBay, in what looks like great condition and shipping from Georgia.  My plan is to remove its motor and set it up in my treadle table.  I have found that while I love to treadle, I miss the backstitch feature my Twenties-era 66 lacks (this does show up on later 66's of course; I could have bought one of those, probably for a little less than I paid for the 15-90.)

More pics:





I should also tell you that I plan to sell my Singer Spartan.

I know, I know: How can I even think of selling my beloved 192K?  It stitches so beautifully and is SO cute and (relatively) lightweight.  This is all true, readers.  But as I've been putting the finishing touches on my toggle coat -- more about that later -- I've become aware of some of its weaknesses.  It lacks the clearance that the 15-91 has, so I couldn't squeeze some of the thicker areas of the coat under the presser foot.  I broke a needle trying to stitch through a particularly thick spot I was topstitching -- it was simply too much for it.  It lacks a light -- this is one of the features (or lack of features) that distinguishes the Spartan from the 99K.  This didn't use to bother me much since I have a table lamp nearby, but after stitching black thread on charcoal gray wool, it started to.  Finally, as a 3/4-size model, it doesn't have the harp space for big projects like my toggle coat. 

So there you have it.  Indulgence?  Perhaps.  But 'tis the season, after all, and I did recently sell six sewing machines.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I also bought a pattern last night.  This one is for Cathy.  I'd been admiring this vintage Vogue jumpsuit for a few weeks now on eBay, but it was too expensive (for what it was worth to me).  Then yesterday I saw it posted on Etsy for roughly half the price. 

It's so Logan's Run, I had to have it. 

It was that jumpsuit or this one:

I chose the former, though the latter includes a faux fur vest and matching hood.

Meanwhile, the toggle coat....  It's still not done, friends, but here's a teaser, albeit one covered in chihuahua hair:



The plan is to finish it today.  I know I've said that before and you're probably thinking, well, I also said I wouldn't buy any more sewing machines or anything on eBay for the rest of 2010.  Take what I say with a grain of salt, or for those of you on low sodium diets, sugar.

Seriously, the toggles go on today, come hell or high water and hopefully neither.

So -- anybody out there have a 15-90?  Any Yuletide sewing impulse purchases you wish to confess?

At Male Pattern Boldness we don't judge!