Oh my! I only have 3 machines including the Singer 401 that was my Mom's...what a work horse! They were one of the best ever made. I know just how you feel...I haven't been able to part with any of them.

OH wow - I envy your love of sewing machines and your collection. I know you're sad but are also glad that you appreciate the fact that they've gone to good homes. It must be nice to have that part of your belongings sorted out. As you say Now I actually have space, mental and physical, and time to use the remaining machines.

I am sure your generosity will bring much joy to many people. Knowing how to sew and create beautiful garments and home furnishings is wonderful.

I remember how happy my grandmother was with her new c-1975 Pfaff.

Brava for making room for new things and experiences in hour own house.

As a sewing machine enthusiast, I feel for you. I hope you do better and that your hwalth continues to improve. There are a lot of us who appreciate the vintage sewing machines. I am familiar with most that you have described. Your sewing machines will find an appreciative new caretaker, I am confident.

Meanwhile, you get to open your wings in a new direction. Enjoy your expanded space, caroline. As you say, you can still quilt and enjoy needlework.

Wow - that's an impressive collection, even after downsizing, you might be mistaken for a shop 😃

I love old all metal Singers and have 3 in working condition, along with my mom's old Featherweight, along with tons of fabrics and notions and patterns I've collected over the years. I admire your strength of resolve to get rid of so much. I know I need to myself 😏

Good for you! Too many possessions does weigh us down. I'm a big fan of Döstädning, or Swedish death cleaning - cleaning things out so your loved ones don't have to once you are gone. I've been slowing working on it for three years. One more closet to go and I've been through everything at least once. Then I'll keep going through things until I'm at the level I want. Good luck with your clearing out.

WOW! That's an impressive sewing machine collection. I only own two machines. That's plenty for me! I don't want to lose the space. Giving the machines to people who will use them is so nice and generous of you. Good machines are hard to come by...you've given someone a way to improve their lives! You have a BIG heart! ❤️

It makes it so much easier to say goodbye to them when you know they are going to good homes. I recently dropped off a few boxes of sewing notions, fabrics. zippers. etc, for a community house’s sewing classes.

I still have Mom’s Necchi. I wonder if it’s what she sewed her wedding dress on in the early ’50s? I need to find a good home for it.

What an impressive collection! Now that you feel so free, I’m sure it will be easier to ’let go’ of others in the future as your time and inclination permits. Thankfully you have a friend, your guru, helping you find good homes. Just think, if you werent around, your kids would likely be lost as to what to do. Hopefully this will relieve your stress.

good for you! so many people must be very grateful to you for your generosity. I've been working on going thru boxes and closets etc myself in recent years. I don't want my kids to be burdened with it when I'm gone. I have tons of stuff I don't need / will never use again. clothes, craft supplies, sewing supplies, books etc - and I'll be boxing / bagging them up for someone who can use them. my hands can't do those things anymore and my brain agrees with my hands. I seldom cook anymore (just for me) so even most cookbooks are going.

Caroline, your post strikes home here.

Age (89) and health issues too, signal a need to do some major clearing. I have three machines and use only one regularly. One could easily be rehomed.

My sister died last year and clearing out her house was a wake up call and I began purging here with loads to the thrift store. But as Bev said, time for a second or third go round. The hardest part to let go is fabric. I have way too much and while my daughters do sew, they don’t quilt, so all this cotton needs a new home. A lot of craft supplies went to a great grand daughter. She was thrilled.

It really is almost painful to part with possessions but time to ’rip off the bandaid’ and make things easier for those who will have to do it later.

I hope your health issues improve, that is a big part of the stress. I know!

Theresa

I hope your enjoyment of the new-found space in which you can create, and the happiness you brought to others' lives with your generosity far outweighs your anxiety over the changes. You're doing the hard work to accomplish the goal you started. Give yourself time to breathe and get used to it. Then play in your new workshop, free to embrace what you've made.

Yeah, I have some machines that need to go, too. It's sometimes hard to let go of stuff. At some point, I realized I'm not going to fix those machines or use them. I still have several to go, though. I cleaned out a bunch of my fabric and unfinished projects and sent them to Project Linus. I still have a long way to go, though.

bkay

Carry on, Caroline!! Nice collection, machines finding good homes. You inspire me.

I use my 37 year old sewing machine everyday. I do have a back up, just in case, same machine. I have been given others and they have never been used. I too am getting rid of them for more space. Good luck with the rest of you downsizing, i know it is a lot of work.

MAJOR step forward, Caroline! I'm especially glad to read that you got out of the house and into town. I know what it's like to feel tired but happy, once you've accomplished something. Rest and recoup, then enjoy *using* space that was locked up in dead storage.

Fourteen sewing machines?? Thats a lot. i have one, a White that i use on rare occasions. It weighs a ton.

I have zero sewing machines and never sewed but I am impressed at your decluttering. I was an antique collector for 45 years and need to pull off the bandage because my kids are not interested in anything except maybe a very few family pieces.

I just had this discussion yesterday with my grandaughter. i told her not to get rid of the Kenmore which I had purchased in 1971, if (or more likely, when) I'm gone My other machines, the Husqvarna Viking Epic and Designer Diamond, along with my 2 Featherweights (one black one white) are great machines, but if I have a tough to sew project needing heavy needle penetration, the Kenmore is my go to.

In addition, I have two ancient sergers, my Bernina 2000DE which I love, and the Elna 927, which I dislike intensely.

She has used my Epic to both sew and embroider, but if that's not where her future interests lie, then definitely keep the Kenmore and unload the rest.

Wow, I'm impressed. I bet it did hurt to let go of so many machines but hopefully they went to loving homes.

Kudos to you. It's got to feel good.

This is a picture of a Singer 42 cabinet and matching storage bench, like the one I shared. The woman that received it was also given the Singer 201-2 machine, its original paperwork, and all its accessories like the one below.

I love that cabinet. I bought one, but it was in bad shape, so I had to trash it. My old Singers are my favorite machines. They never give me trouble. They just keep on going and going and.....

bkay