Am I becoming a sewing machine hoarder?

Or just a collector?

Yesterday, this two-tone Singer 301A

came to live with me.

For $35, I purchased the machine in great condition

along with a cabinet and sewing chair.

This full-sized portable Singer was born in 1956

and was designed to fit in a cabinet or be portable.

It came in short and long bed options,

but only the short bed fit into a cabinet.

I'm dubbing her Susie after the granddaughter of the original owner,

who sold it to me yesterday.

She said something about whether this was my first sewing machine

and I admitted it wasn't.

I was hoping to find a 301 in a case as a take along machine,

but the cabinet is so lovely I'm going to keep it in there for now.

Here it is folded away into its cabinet, which measures 18 by 24.

Here's a view of the cradle for the 301.

It unsnaps at the right side and lifts out -- no unbolting necessary.

The foot pedal is mounted into the cabinet with clips

and there's a knee feed in the cabinet.

So, do I need to justify another sewing machine?

No, because I'm giving it a good home,

and I'm going to teach a young woman to quilt this year,

and this will be a perfect machine for that.

Did I say it sews beautifully? 

It made a lovely lock stitch after years of being folded away.

I've since oiled it and cleaned it and changed the needle.

How many machines do I have?

I'll tell if you tell!

Elna SU (zig zag and free arm) --40 years old

Juki TL98q for piecing and quilting 

Singer FW 222K for taking with me

Singer FW 221 given to me this spring

Singer 66 (I think) in a treadle cabinet, used as a table

unknown fiddle base hand crank, also mostly decorative

23-year-old Pfaff serger, which paid for itself when I made baby and children's clothing

and one red Little Queen toy sewing machine.

Let's go sew!