Visit to Husqvarna

Husqvarna weapons factory was started in the late 1600's. They have manufactured several types of high-precision (and some not-so-high, too) metal, mostly iron and steel, products over the years. Nowadays the local historical society is responsible for the factory museum.

Obviously, they are most proud of the weapons and the motorcycles. (Several rooms of them, and then there was a room for chain saws, another one for robot lawn mowers, and ..., and ..., and finally a room for the sewing machines.

I, of course, went there to find out about the Triumf sewing machine. I did not have much immediate luck - the volunteers manning the shop weren't sewing machine specialists. (The suggestions I got... Well. Of course I don't know the first things about ancient firearms, so who am I to complain?)

There is very little information about the sewing machines. (Like the difference between chain stitch machines and machines with two threads; about the difference between shuttle machines and bobbin machines, for instance. This always disappoints me, when museums don't "give" of their special knowledge - .)
About the Triumf it was told that it was manufactured 1885 - 1931 and that it was especially popular among (itinerant) professionals.
There was one Triumf looking exactly like mine (ie no signs of a thread guide fallen off), and one specially made for the World Exhibition in Chicago 1893 (where it got a prize). (For Swedish click here.)
Why the model is called Triumf is unclear, as it differs a lot from the "ordinary".
Some pics (click to biggify):

(it sat in a glass case)

The most notable differences - the tensioning discs are on the front, and there are a couple of thread guides, too:

So the mystery is still unsolved.
With some luck, there is a manual somewhere in the archives, but the archivist was on holiday. Watch this space!

Now for the usual water spout:

The head at the spot is quite extreme (116 m), so nowadays the water is used to generate electric power - therefore the water cannot be seen. But it is there, inside the tube!

A sewing machine mystery

Someone sent me a question the other day: did I have a manual for a Husqvarna Triumf?

I don't, but the question made me look at it again - it has just sat there as a nice "décor" piece for years.

And I found I couldn't figure out how to thread it. To improvise, I took the thread over the, hm, "castle"?, behind the needle bar, and on down through the tensioning discs. It works, but can it be right?

I compared it to the Victoria, which has two thread guides, loops, that appear to be inserted into the casing:

There are no unaccounted-for small holes, no screws appear to be missing. There is one screw in roughly the right place, but it is a countersunk screw, flush with the casing. On the end piece, there is nothing looking to be missing, either.

(click to biggify)

Googling gave nothing.
Is there anybody out there who knows about these old Triumf machines? Someone having a manual?

(There are a few more pictures of both the Triumf and the Victoria here)

In case you wondered:

I am not a collector.
The fact that I own 6 electric sewing machines, 4 treadle machines, one hand-cranked and 3 sergers does not mean I am a collector.

The other day I met with the glass-industry study group (don't ask - or, take a look at the glass portion of my other blog) we came to discuss collecting. They declared themselves to be collectors (of glass, mostly), and offered me a definition: a collector has no interest in if the thing (maybe I should say artefact) "works" - if only it looks "good".
And more: a true collector would never use the thing (artefact) - if s/he has paid good money for a (say) glass vase designed by (say) Gate, s/he would perhaps put it on a shelf somewhere, but would never even dream of using it to put flowers in. (Knowing some of the self-proclaimed collectors a bit better, I would suspect
the artefact would be placed in a box somewhere, the new owner hoping it could one day be sold - an investment, in fact.)

The idea of restoring an artefact is unthinkable, I was told.

So - I am not a collector.
Well - maybe this one is more for looks than for (even potential) use:

He is, as you can see, called Shakespear and was born in Birmingham. The manual that came with him is dated 1865 - but, according to this site that can't be true. I bought him for his looks - but: he sews! He is a chain-stitch machine, and it is awkward to have to dedicate one hand to the cranking.

My mother gave me my first sewing machine when she got a newer Adler. This is a Singer, and she got it from her mother as a treadle machine. Mother invested in an upgrade, and he has been motorized in all my life. He still sews beautifully, and I use him for "important" edgestitching. Unfortunately, the treadle is unconfortable if used for any length of time. At the moment, he sits on a shelf.

Later, I bought a Husqvarna (in 1972, if memory serves). She served me faithfully until last year - and I will probably have her repaired. (Why? because I'm an idiot - and found a new Elna for approx the same price as the repair would have cost. I suppose it works - but there are no feet for it. AND the "standard" feet that I have been able to mount on ALL the other machines don't fit. Sigh.)
When I started to sew professionally, I bought Princess Pfaff, but I also needed other machines - topstitching in grey, green and yellow took way to long if I had to re-thread for each gown. I had the Singer and the Husqvarna, but I also retrieved the old Adler...

In the meantime, as I had space, I found an old treadle machine - a Husqvarna Triumf - a machine with a shuttle (instead of a bobbin). After some, er, fiddling, he sews. The shuttle looks almost exactly as does a fly-shuttle for weaving - the problem was to figure out how to load the bobbin.
I know the Triumf was maufactured in 1889, but haven't found out for how long.
I especially like the plate with the recommendations of which thread to use with which needle!

Then came the Sackmann's Victoria - I couldn't resist her, with all the mother-of-pearl inlays!
She also has a shuttle, but it operates sideways. Her needle/thread recommendation plate photographed better, as it is flat. (And I wish there was a better choice of sewing threads nowadays!)

She also has another detail - a small grindstone to sharpen the needles! (It took a long time of gentle oiling to make it turn - but now it does.)

Some 'net-search results indicate that this was manufactured by Singer - but the picture on this site shows an inlay much like my Victoria's - and says she comes from Germany.

For some time I also had a Singer 29K70, like this, bought from the estate of a shoemaker. The most interesting feature of that is that the whole needle bar (or maybe just the foot) could be rotated - you could sew "forwards" and have the piece going "backwards". In my house, it was only used once - we repaired a sail with it. And one day, I had a customer who "gave me an offer I couldn't refuse", so it is now gone. Hopefully to a good home.

Anyway. As I am no collector, I can disregard everything, and just enjoy all my sewing machines - even USE them!

- There are other things I also don't collect - like encyclopedias. For readers of Swedish, the pages Kuriosa on my website have some thoughts on the use of encyclopedias through time...

Reflections on production sewing

Done and delivered - 7 gowns for the new Linné Universtiy, plus one special for the rector (or, if you will, the vice chancellor). In the end, his was the only one making it on the actual stage.
The official pictures are no longer available, but there is one on my website.

Here is one:


When I got my first order for academic gowns, in 1999, I thought I could sew. I had never sewn other than "one at a time" - but, sewing several of the same would only make it easier, right?

Right.
Until I started to think... making calculations, timing myself and, well, reflect on the process of sewing.

These gowns, just delivered, consist of 14 pieces + collar: 2 fronts, 2 sides, 1 back, 1 yoke, 2 sleeves, 2 sleeve trimmings, 4 facings (inside and outside). The collar cosists of 2 pieces for the stand, 2 pieces for the actual collar and 2 pieces of horsehair interlining. Each gown has some 16-17 meters of machine stitching and about 6 meters of handstitching.

The first thing to consider is the design compared to the cutting. How much material does each gown need? How can the pattern pieces be laid out to minimize waste? Can the design be manipulated some, to maximize the fabric usage? (For instance: if the back is made 3 cm narrower, one side piece AND one facing will fit in the width of the fabric... or is more efficient to cut all facings beside each other and have some waste between the back and the side? Is the fabric reversible, so that the fronts can be cut the same, turning one "inside out" when sewing? If so - will the chalk come out easily, or do I have to reverse the fabric for cutting? If the chalk is difficult to get out - do I actually need to trace the piece, or can I trust my eye when cutting/sewing?)
Nearly always it is most efficient to cut all the "same" pieces at the same time. For seven gowns I needed 14 front pieces, 7 backs (which also gave me 7 sides). The other 7 sides could be cut 4 to a width, plus 3 with material over for 2 (or was it 3?) pieces of facings - and so on. As can be seen here I have a stack of drawers to sort the pieces. I also have a record sheet of what is cut, and what is missing, for each piece and length.

When designing, it also pays to think about how the sewing is to be done - if "this" seam is shifted some, then "that" seam will be easier to put in. In what order should the seams be done, for easiest assembly? When doing "this" seam, stop at "this" exact point, because "that" piece will be easier to attach...

Pins. Consider the material - how many pins do I need to put in? For the bourrette version of this gown, there is a minimal need for pins: the bourrette is sturdy and matte, it doesn't stretch or slide. Pins at top, bottom and around mid-length are enough. The special, however, is made of a silk crepe that needs pins every 5 cm - or more.

Meet my best sewing friend: Princess Pfaff. She is about as old as I am, and she has "needle feed" - that is, the whole needle thingy moves from front to back when the presser foot lifts and moves from back to front.



Pressing: again consider the construction. When is the best time to press a seam? Sometimes it is more efficient to sew (say) three shorter seams between pressings, sometimes it is better to press each seam immediately as sewn.

When it comes to the hand sewing - hems, inside facings, some special here-and-there corners. All in all this gown requires about 1000 hand stitches (give or take - ). If I took one stitch at a time, sweeping out with the whole arm - . So I don't. I test each material: how many stitches can I make before "sweeping" and tightening the stitches? When hemming the bourrette, I can make 5-7 stiches - take more, and the risk of breaking the thread is greatly increased. Take less, and feel the shoulder wear out (and the seconds adding up). When hemming the crepe, I can take 8-10 stitches.(Why I don't machine hem? Easy - the hem curves some, and it would take a lot longer to press, pin, "fix" and sew... I checked the time, so I know.)
Meet my two best hand sewing friends: the "Baronet" and the third hand. OK, so the Baronet started his life as a mortar, but now he is both pin cushion and a heay weight to help control the hemming. The third hand is better for shorter seams.




By reflecting on methods, trying out ideas and looking at the clock, I have shortened the construction
time of the Malmö gowns with nearly 2 hours PER GOWN... As I have made more than a hundred of them, it means I have "gained" several days just by looking at methods.

Read more about academic dress on the website of the Burgon Society. More about what I have done on the academic dress front can be found here.