This page was last edited: September 01, 2010
What's New at
ISMACS International?
ISMACS International?
Search ISMACS International by entering a word or phrase
in the box below and clicking on the "Search" button.
- Curtain Capers - A Ghost Story From Battle
- Frightened stiff she dropped her tea and the phone.
- True Story Number 13 -- The Honour of an Irishman
- I like to think of him flinching a little every time he walks past the Lion ...
- Carry On Baggage
- How to Travel With Your Sewing Machine
- True Story Number 12 -- The Phonograph Horn
- I don't suppose you've got any phonograph horns?
- How to Orient a Sewing Machine Needle
- Instructions and advice on identifying, orienting and testing replacement needles. Read in conjunction with the Needle Cross-reference Charts.
- Needle Cross-Reference Charts
- An exhaustive list of modern replacements for vintage needles with all the critical measurements necessary to identify currently available needles that may work in place of the originals. A fantastic resource comprising a detailed and cross-referenced guide to most of the needles still being produced.
- Greist Long Shuttle Buttonhole Attachment Manual
- ... covering the use of the Long Shuttle Buttonhole Attachment ...
- Singer 192 Spartan Manual
- Instructions for Singer's budget model (Form K6349), 4 pages. For more detailed instructions, see literature for the 99 (to which it is very similar).
- Singer 319K Manual
- Instructions for using the Singer 319K automatic swing needle sewing machine (1957 - 108 pages). Before computerisation, embroidery stitches had to be achieved mechanically. This zigzag machine has a set of levers on the top which, in combination with the 30 supplied fashion discs (flat cams), manipulate the byte of the needle to form dozens of decorative stitches. There was a free-arm version (320K) and together they represent probably the last of Singer's rugged, "all-metal" domestics.
- New Home NH Manual
- New Home round bobbin rotary, model NH, Instruction book (24pp)
- ISMACS News Back Issues
- ...complete your collection today...
- Domestic Rotary 153 Series
- Domestic rotary series 153, Instruction manual (56pp)
- S. Davis Medium & Family Machines
- S. Davis & Co. Ltd., Medium & Family machines, Directions for using (including its attachments); 16 pp; approx. 1910. Transverse reciprocating shuttle ('boat' shaped) models made in Germany and badged for this South London (UK) importer. Similar in most respects to the majority of German T.S. machines of the period, for which these instructions should suffice. Franklin Long Shuttle
- The Franklin long shuttle sewing machine, model no.117.42, Instructions for using (24pp). A vibrating shuttle machine based on the Singer 27; made by Domestic; badged and retailed by Sears Roebuck from 1911.
- Bradbury Family & Medium Machines Manual
- Bradbury Family & Medium machines, Instructions for using (machine and attachments); 16pp; c.1890.
- Singer 12K Manual
- Singer 12K 'New Family', Instructions for using machine and attachments (Form K2); 12pp.
- Singer Edgestitcher Manual
- The Edge-stitcher: Singer attachment instructions; 4pp; 1916.
- Domestic No. 3 & 4 Sewing Machine Manual
- The Domestic S.M. Instructor. Manual for the Domestic 'Light Running' machine (No. 3 & No. 4 pictured) and attachments; 32pp; c.1890.
- New American Manual
- The American S. M. Co's New American sewing machine; illustrated instructions, "... for quickly learning the use of the Machine and Attachments"; 32pp; c.1880.
- Husqvarna Vibrating Shuttle Manual
- Husqvarna V.S. (vibrating shuttle) sewing machine, Directions for the use of; 20pp; 1916 (Sweden).
- Wheeler & Wilson Number 8 Manual
- ... interchangeable glass presser feet instead of steel attachments ...
- Frister & Rossman Transverse Shuttle Manual
- Frister & Rossman's High Arm, transverse shuttle sewing machine, Instructions for the use of (16pp) c. 1892. F&R had several U.K. sole agents over the years; this is from the period under S. Loewe of 49 Fore Street, London (1890s). The cover is damaged but otherwise readable. Many German T.S. machines of this period had very similar workings; the contents of this manual will apply to most of them.
- Davis Vertical Feed
- Illustrated directions for operating the Davis New High Arm vertical feed sewing machine with instructions for the attachments. (48pp).
- ISMACS Needle List
- UPDATED 4/9/10 - Sewing Machine Needles and their Equivalents
- Free Manuals List
- An exhaustive listing of sewing machine manuals available - without charge - on the internet
- Optional Extras
- Attachments that could be had for the Seidel & Naumann
- Singer Model 401 Manual
- Singer 401 'Slant-o-matic' zig-zag sewing machine - instructions for use; Form No. 4101; dated 1960. Slant needle machine using 'Special Discs' for decorative stitching. For electric or treadle use. Announced as "the world's first automatic with a slant needle and gear drive...". (96 pages)
- Jones Spool Manual
- Instruction card for the Jones Spool machine. A 2-page 'get-you-started' guide to threading, setting needles, winding and replacing bobbins, etc. Undated (c. 1910).
- Jones Cylinder Shuttle Manual
- "Directions for operating the Cylinder Shuttle sewing machines" (incl. Hand C.S., Family C.S., & Medium C.S. machines and their attachments), 1914 (24 pages).
- New Home Attachments Manual
- "Illustrated Directions for using our latest special set of steel attachments upon the New Home Machine." Undated (early 20th Century). 4pp. Contains instructions section for the ruffler and the tucker, with illustrations of all the attachments.
- White Rotary Manual
- "Directions for using the White Rotary Sewing Machine, Book 11" (undated) 26 pages.
- Vibrating Shuttle #1 Manual
- An ISMACS Exclusive! For the Singer Vibrating Shuttle machine and its attachments, supplied by the Kilbowie factory; Form No. 1443; dated 1891
- 221K Featherweight (10mb)
- Instructions for using Singer Portable Electric Sewing Machine No. 221K, Rotary Hook, Reverse Feed, for family use, plus "Instructions for using attachments etc. which may be purchased separately" - this includes: the feed cover plate (for darning) and embroidery. Dated November 1951 (Form no. K5710).
- 222K Free-arm Featherweight (12mb)
- Dated November 1955 (Form K5969). Including how to use the attachments. 96pp.
- Manual for the Free Models C, E, CE, 5, and attachments
- (pdf format, ~9mb)
- Singer Sewing Machine Needle Information
- ... Singer Needle Sizes and the proper way to Set a Singer Needle...
- ISMACS Needle List
- Sewing Machine Needles and their Equivalents
- The First Jones Sewing Machine
- ... but who made it? ...
- Manufacturing Parts for Vintage Machines
- Singer's Factory in Flames
- ... a major fire devastated the Elizabethport factory ...
- Husqvarna-Viking
- A new section dedicated to Husqvarna!
- Wiring Diagrams
- Contains Featherweight-specific, and generic wiring diagrams (PDF format)
- True Story Number 11 -- The Wake ~~ November 21, 2009 ~~
- ... the relatives were sharing out the estate under the watchful eye of the recently departed ...
- True Story Number 10 -- 800 Pound Sewing Machine
- A deal is a deal ... but he's still not getting that motorcycle!
- True Story Number 9 -- 911
- ... My friend's husband had to display her, in one piece and not bleeding ...
- True Story Number 8 -- Joe
- ... the memory of a love story that failed to bloom until an old man died ...
- True Story Number 7 -- Queen Bess
- Maybe it was worth breakfast, after all ...
- The Pinking Machine
- ... a mechanical go-with ...
- Kimball & Morton
- ... so much more than lions ...
- True Story Number 6 -- Coming to Visit
- ... and then he collapsed completely ...
- True Story Number 5 -- The People's Republic
- ... we were nearly knocked off our feet by three pit-bull terriers making an escape bid ...
- True Story Number 4 -- The True Collector ~~ September 8, 2009 ~~
- He'd obviously not washed or shaved for days ...
- True Story Number 3 -- The Idiot ~~ August 30, 2009 ~~
- I always try to set up a little rapport with the vendor ...
- True Story Number 2 -- Martha ~~ August 24, 2009 ~~
- “Oh, no,” he replied, “... we're an antiques shop ...
- Graham's True Stories~~ August 20, 2009 ~~
- Sewing Machine Research Links~~ August 13, 2009 ~~
- The most important sewing machine find of the century ~~ August 2, 2009 ~~
- Sewing Machines at the London Exhibition of 1862 ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~
- Tom Thumb -- Small IS Beautiful ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~
- Who Was Thomas Hood? ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~
- Martin Gregory Lecture, 1996 ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~
- The Way it Was ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~
- Davis Vertical Feed ~~ June 6, 2009 ~~