Introducing Minnie Belle

I have been wanting/needing a portable sewing machine for a looong time.  When you're a crafter you always need to sew this or that.  The right machine never came into my life.  One of the blogs in my list is Claudia from Mockingbird Hill Cottage and she has shown her machine named Mabel.  I got quite curious and asked her some questions about her machine.  I found some on Craigslist and broached the subject to hubby who immediately began to tell me all kinds of reasons why I should not get an old machine and should get a new one.  I asked for some ammunition from Claudia and she was so kind as to tell me lots of reasons why I would be better off with a vintage Singer Featherweight machine.  I called the sewing center here in Portland that has been around forever and talked to a man there who agreed with Claudia on how great the machines were.  Success, husband got on board.  Hubby does google research.  :-)  We both study all the ones on CL and both decide on this one in Vancouver.  Call is made to owner.  Yesterday we plugged her address into my iPhone and off we headed.

They are made with an aluminum frame and have a very good motor.  The lady who had this was simply charming!  She had cleaned it and oiled it and replaced the belt and even used it for a while test sewing on it making sure everything was in tip top shape.   

She had it plugged in and a chair in front of it and sat me down and showed me all I needed to know about running it.  Threading and filling the bobbin with thread.  Where to oil it and when to do it.  I did some test sewing and it made the prettiest seam!  She showed us how everything fits in the case.. and I put it away. 

We brought her home and she seems very happy here!  I kept trying to think of the perfect name for her.  One of the ladies in my Portland Women's Forum group is nearly 100 years old and I've always loved her name - Minnie Belle.  Well, this machine is VERY petite, so Minnie is just right and we live on Bell Road, so that ties in.  So that's her name!  (Meredith, thanks for the suggestion that I name her after you.. :-D )

She has the most beautiful face plate!  All shiny and art deco!  She's so little and cute!  When we both saw her we were amazed at how diminutive she is!  It is 15 inches overall across the bottom, 10 inches the body of the machine and 9.5 inches tall! It was made in 1948, I was born in the following year

And it has this wonderful gold decorations all around the table of it.  Pretty!  I need to add that both of our mothers were excellent seamstresses - Dayle's Mom was a sewer for Jantzen and made swimsuits and clothes for them.  My Mom made my prom dresses and all my little girl dresses - most probably on a machine exactly like this one!

The back. 

It has this really fabulous gold emblem on it. 

The corner of the flip up table. 

The lady told us that the book that came with it was in extraordinary condition and also has the original oil can. 

This is with the table flipped up. 

The fly wheel is shiny and pretty. 

Now I can sew a liner for my crocheted "Lucy" bag, sew up my own sock monkey bodies, make the dress for my Alicia Paulson "Miss Maggie Rabbit" kit, etc!  Thank you, Claudia, for helping me finding my little Minnie Bell.  The lady that we got the machine from showed us the purses she made on our machine, so we got 2 for our granddaughters for an Easter gift!  Check out her Etsy Shop Bevo Birdie Originals!

ALSO, I am thrilled to see that I have exceeded 300 "Followers" - but I call them "Friends".  Woohoooo!! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)