Sterling De-Luxe

I'm always jealous when fellow bloggers post awesome sewing machine finds from the Goodwill. I found a decent White machine last week at the Goodwill that they were asking fifty dollars for. Fifty dollars! For a not really cute or vintage basic machine. Yes, it was good and worked, but for that much I expect it to be awesome or at least a sweet color. Not 1985 white.

I often browse Craigslist for machines too. I am a huge fan of Craigslist. I met my husband on Craigslist, found many apartments and homes there, hired employees from the site, sold things, got a free dining room table that is now my cutting fabric piling table. The unfortunate part of the Washington DC area Craigslists is that people assume that every piece of crap they sell is valuable. Every used sewing machine is over $100. Seriously.

So early one morning when I saw a recent post wanting $39 for this baby, I snatched it up.

Working or not, I wanted it. The roses on it remind me of my tattoo so I'd have kept it if it did not run. Or at least taken it apart to try and fix it, then put it back together when I determined it was beyond help.

Good news! It runs. Bad news. I had to order it a new belt.

However, I am over the moon about it.

This is what internet research has told me about my new Sterling:

It is likely a Japanese clone of a Singer 15. There were massive numbers of Singer 15 clones made following WWII. They are all different company names and colors, but the same shape and functions remain. I can't find anything about the Sterling Sewing Company. I think mine may be Japanese made, but assembled and sold in the United States. It's got a nice Dodge motor attached to the back.

If you have any information about my Sterling, I'd love to hear from you. I plan on taking her apart, cleaning her out and making her shiny again. (Notice how Sterling went from an 'it' to a 'her' in one post?) I'm pretty psyched about my find.

Sterling is one heavy mother, too. With her case bottom she tipped the scale at almost 45 pounds! The case lining is crumbling and musty. I'll have to ask my husband to build her a nice new wood base.

Ooh! Ooh! My mother in law just suggested I could scrape the case and Modge Podge it with fabric. Awe, yeah.