I had been tinkering with my first sewing machine through the fall, all the while sourcing bits and pieces through ebay, and I had begun to wander the marketplace. Anything can be sent in a big enough package but sewing machines are some of the only industrial machinery sized just right to be sent through the mail in genuine parcels.
I came across good things about the Pfaff 130 on a few vintage sewing forums— I think I read that they were popular on working ships because of their small size and ability to sew through multiple layers of sailcloth… They’re usually brought up when someone wants to make jeans. I had also read that when they were first introduced they were sold on a kick treadle, so in theory one could be mounted in a table with an industrial motor.
There were a lot made, so they aren’t very rare or expensive. They were introduced in Germany in the 1930s, 25 years before being imported to America virtually unchanged and avoided my prejudice against modern consumptive rot. In a lot of ways the 130 is like a miniature of the truly industrial Pfaff 138 which is itself an interesting industrial hybrid; producing both straight and zig zag stitches in a so-called ‘artisan’ format.
I got a smaller 130-6 for a pretty good price at auction hoping to adapt it to a light-industrial/mini-artisan arrangement. It showed up right when I was in the middle of making some silly mistakes on the table that I had intended to have ready in time for its arrival. It was ready to use though, in a wooden tray with a small portable motor attached, stock as it would have been sold in the 50s.
In this ‘electrified’ state the controls are a little jumpy from the tiny low-torque motor pulley, but more noticeable is the artificial limit on its power. You feel the difference in a lot of different ways when the motor power is more proportionate to the abilities of the mechanism— that famed denim & sailcloth muscle. I replaced the plastic portable-style hand wheel with a heavier cast iron piece I sourced using the standard axle bore for this kind of machine. I also had to replace a few specific parts of the thread tension assembly that had rusted and were snagging.
With the larger motor & heavier inertia the needle just glides through everything effortlessly! The higher torque of the industrial motor actually makes it easier to go slow. All I could ask for is a walking-style foot (as on the 138) to help translate all that power into traction, as the mere ability to puncture many layers of canvas, denim, or sailcloth doesn’t necessarily translate to very graceful feeding of the material. There are times when you have to help the material along through a curve but the action of the machine never struggles. Its a steady machine nevertheless, capable of zig-zag & straight stitch (there’s also a sorta rare embroidery stitch module that attaches to the back of the machine).
I started humbly, with a single layer of canvas and some bias binding, practicing reinforcing the edges of the canvas that were prone to fraying. I picked up the technique quickly enough but learned that the actual shape of the cut piece is a consideration too. Certain angles left both the long and cross grain frayed and weak, meaning the stitches and binding kept pulling apart. I solved this by using thicker bias tape and stitching as close to the inside edge as possible— it worked, and I used that approach on the rest of the tool roll that I ended up making.
It turned out to be a really good little study of a lot of the different stitch conditions I would need to learn— lots of parallel lines with a variety of spacing, all the way down to double line topstitching, curves throughout and extensive practice with binding... Its a super messy piece but its still finished well enough that I’ve used it to store my wrench set for a couple months without so much as a loose thread.
The tool roll helped me get started on a more complex project, this sling bag design. I had some yellow and natural duck canvas from a long time ago when I had stretched some of it for paintings. Another quick voyage around the various thrift stores around here and I found some tan piping!
As simple as it may sound just making a basic tool roll, flaws and all, maybe helped me more than all of my meticulous study of the different methods. After handling and arranging the fabric and getting to know how seams can be used in different ways, I could just see the steps in my mind much more plainly when I approached the cut pieces of the pattern. Any amount of time you spend warming up on a machine & getting to know its quirks on a particular kind of material pays off immediately, as well.
I managed to get pretty clean seams throughout the sling bag, with a few sloppy (yet sound) portions on the interior bindings. Those parts were stitched through 5-6 layers, without too much trouble, but sometimes I had to advance the work piece myself... I could get a cleaner result on multiples, given more practice with each of the conditions.
I had to sew the topstitching connecting the front pocket a couple times, taking care to equally place each of the corners to be level and to avoid an overlap at the end. I was just practicing and didn’t take a lot of time sourcing notions but I do wish I had just gotten my zippers before starting! I began with the smaller pocket since I already had a 7” zip but I couldn’t find a match for it for the longer 14” when I got back to the store— not a major regret.
I use the bag a lot, the placement of the sling is really nice and I find myself reassured by the way it hugs my side :)
