Goodbye Miss Supermatic

Sewing32 Comments

 

Miss Supermatic, you break my heart,

I loved you so much I even replaced a part.

And after that you sewed like a star –

I even managed to make my first bra!

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So why is it now that you will not start?

Miss Supermatic, you taught me to sew,

At the kitchen table with my mother in tow.

The early days were a bit of a haze,

But I remember so clear the later years.

Remember that ball dress in emerald green?

Those grey velvet knickerbockers (that seldom were seen!)

My first tailored blazer, in grey and white wool,

The matching skirt lives on in family photos still.

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The little red waistcoat from Burda I found

With leatherette piping and buttonholes bound.

The interview blouse with ruffles galore

Funny how now there are some in the stores!

Capture

I missed you often when I left home,

I studied, graduated, the world I did roam

I saw a lot that I wanted to see

And discovered a lot that I wanted to be

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 An essential tool when at fashion school

You were ditched for a bigger, industrial jewel.

But your vintage charms remained in my heart

And I relived my childhood whenever you’d start.

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For now I need your zig-zagging skills

To sew stretchy fabrics and make buttonholes

If you’re not going to start, I might break your heart

And look for a younger and trendier upstart.

Dear Miss Supermatic, in vintage green

From now on you’ll be far less seldom seen.

But I’ll always, always, forever love you

For all those things that you taught me to do.

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Designer, Patternmaker, Blogger Of All Things Sewing. Follow as I share projects, patterns, and my favourite tricks of the trade.

32 thoughts on “Goodbye Miss Supermatic”

    3. My sewing machine is an Elna Supermatic c:a 1954. I dread the moment I have to replace mine. At the moment only button holes present a problem, but I get round that. Long may she live!

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  3. A beautiful poem! But on a much more prosaic note: have you checked the carbon brushes in the motor? After all these years, they might be simply worn out, and they are so easy to replace!

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  5. What a poet you are! Such a lovely ode to your Elna – I have the latest sexiest Elna Excellence 780 – couldn’t recommend it more highly if you are committed to replacing your first Elna love 🙂

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  8. Oh no!! What a gorgeous machine, I hope you can get it fixed. I love an Elna, and have three. One that was my Granny’s that’s from the 70s, and two new ones.

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  9. I have heard of a shrine in Japan where one can take old kitchen knives for retirement and thank them for their service. It might be nice to have one for old sewing machines. I still feel a little bad about an old Singer I gave away 30 years ago, but hopefully someone managed to make her sew better than I did.

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  11. Have you thought about taking her to the lovely guys at the Sewing Workshop on Rosebank Road? They do love an old machine and can fix almost anything.

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  12. You have bought tears to my eyes too!! It has been a faithful old machine and has sewed many, many outfits since it was bought mid 1950’s. Summer dresses, winter suits, children’s outfits,evening clothes, delicate edges to patching farmers trousers, Miss Supermatic did everything it was asked to do. Enjoy your retirement, Miss Supermatic.

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    1. Hi Mum! I remember a lot of those children’s outfits clearly – might need to find a few photos for the blog!
      It is easy to forget that she had already done a lifetime of sewing for you before I learnt to sew!

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  13. I too still sew on my sweet Mom’s 1955 Singer Featherweight 221 – the machine I learned on as a young girl. There are tons of online groups dedicated to the love, maintenance, restoration and repair of vintage machines. Please don’t give up on her yet!!! Your beautiful Elena is likely all metal and can be repaired. Reach out to some of the vintage group experts and your Elna should be up and running in no time! Best of luck!

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    1. Thank you Ruth, I will look into getting her fixed at some stage. There is something special about the machine you learn to sew on isn’t there? Miss Supermatic is from 1955 too!

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  14. Aw! So sweet! I hope she can be fixed, that’s a nice machine. I learned on the same one (though the beige one) that was my mom’s that she schlepped all the way to America. Brings back memories (and the photos too!)…

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  17. What a fabulous machine! I learned to sew on an Elna ‘Grasshopper’, so all of my early sewing memories feature a green machine in them, too. Hopefully your new machine will create a whole new series of memories.

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