Crafts - Blog Posts

Sewing Machines & Planned Obsolescence

I've got these two sewing machines, made about 100 years apart. An old treadle machine from around 1920-1930, that I pulled out of the trash on a rainy day, and a new Brother sewing machine from around 2020.

I've always known planned obsolescence was a thing, but I never knew just how insidious it was till I started looking at these two side by side.

I wasn't feeling hopeful at first that I'd actually be able to fix the old one, I found it in the trash at 2 am in a thunderstorm. It was rusty, dusty, soggy, squeaky, missing parts, and 100 years old.

How do you even find specialized parts 100 years later? Well, easily, it turns out. The manufacturers at the time didn't just make parts backwards compatible to be consistent across the years, but also interchangeable across brands! Imagine that today, being able to grab a part from an old iPhone to fix your Android.

Anyway, 6 months into having them both, I can confidently say that my busted up trash machine is far better than my new one, or any consumer-grade sewing machine on the market.

Old Machine Guts

The old machine? Can sew through a pile of leather thicker than my fingers like it's nothing. (it's actually terrifying and I treat it like a power tool - I'll never sew drunk on that thing because I'm genuinely afraid it'd sew through a finger!) At high speeds, it's well balanced and doesn't shake. The parts are all metal, attached by standard flathead screws, designed to be simple and strong, and easily reachable behind large access doors. The tools I need to work on it? A screwdriver and oil. Lost my screwdriver? That's OK, a knife works too.

New Machine Guts

The new machine's skipping stitches now that the plastic parts are starting to wear out. It's always throwing software errors, and it damn near shakes itself apart at top speed. Look at it's innards - I could barely fit a boriscope camera that's about as thick as spaghetti in there let alone my fingers. Very little is attached with standard screws.

And it's infuriating. I'm an engineer - there's no damn reason to make high-wear parts out of plastic. Or put them in places they can't be reached to replace. There's no reason to make your mechanism so unbalanced it's reaching the point of failure before reaching it's own design speed. (Oh yeah there is, it's corporate greed)

100 years, and your standard home sewing machine has gone from a beast of a machine that can be pulled out of the literal waterlogged trash and repaired - to a machine that eats itself if you sew anything but delicate fast-fashion fabrics that are also designed to fall apart in a few years.

Looking for something modern built to the standard that was set 100 years ago? I'd be looking at industrial machines that are going for thousands of dollars... Used on craigslist. I don't even want to know what they'd cost new.

We have the technology and knowledge to manufacture "old" sewing machines still. Hell, even better, sewing machines with the mechanical design quality of the old ones, but with more modern features. It would be so easy - at a technical level to start building things well again. Hell, it's easier to fabricate something sturdy than engineer something to fail at just the right time. (I have half a mind to see if any of my meche friends with machine shops want to help me fabricate an actually good modern machine lol)

We need to push for right-to-repair laws, and legislation against planned obsolescence. Because it's honestly shocking how corporate greed has downright sabotaged good design. They're selling us utter shit, and expecting us to come back for more every financial quarter? I'm over it.

I was wondering if any of you would be interested in buying a needle felted Siffrin, or even the whole set of characters? I currently only have Siffrins head done (my needle broke, rip 😔) so the plan is still very up in the air but I’ve always wanted to sell my crafts and am wondering if any of you think it’d be a good idea or not?

I’ll probably post a progress picture once I get a new felting needle and add some final details to the hair and face, so if you’re interested stay tuned! :)

Edit: I was told the creator isn’t okay with this so never mind!!! I’ll just (maybe) post progress pics!

This is my seventh plush, on a new pattern, and the first one which turned out just the way i was intending it to. The last photo is the concept sketch.

Two new ones. The one on the left i'm very proud of, it's for a friend. The one on the right i'm tempted to keep but probably won't end up wearing...

Bracelets. There will be more.

These are all of the ones i've made (for myself, for a friend, and maybe for sale) in the last two days

Cursed box I made

I normally don't repost stuff but OMFG

if anyone finds the op on douyin I'm grateful 🙏

because i am such a completely normal average not insane whatsoever house viewer i’ve dedicated the entire day the past two days to making as many of these hako puppets as i could find while i finish off the series

they can now watch with me hehehe

URAVITY! 🪐✨ . #digitalart #crafts #cutouteffect #uravity #urarakaochako #urarakaedit #procreate (en UA High) https://www.instagram.com/p/CblujAqADHH/?utm_medium=tumblr

I'm making 2 more snowglobe tumblers. One is officially the tweels cause I ordered specific twst decals for them, and I'm making a LoZ one for my sister.

So I got 6 or 7 double walled tumblers struned across our craft desk. There is glitter everywhere, there is food dye, uv resin, qtips and papertowels, it's a fucking mess. I want to make another even though I don't need them.

ESPECIALLY since I've only really finished one.

vvv This guy vvv

no, listen, when I say I want to integrate more specific solarpunk stuff in my life, i don’t mean to ask for yet again new “aesthetic” clothes that now you have to buy or make to show your support of the movement (screw that i’m consuming enough as it is), or more posts about impossible house goals, or whatever, I’m asking you what my options to build a portable and eco friendly phone charger are, im asking you viable tiny-appartment edible plants growing tricks on a budget,  im asking tips to slow down when my mind and society tell me im not fast enough, i don’t need more rich art nouveau amateurs aesthetics or pristine but cold venus project, okay, i know i should joins associations where I am tho i’m constantly on the move, thanks for that, just, you know, can we get a bit more practical ??? how do I hack my temporary flat into going off the grid for the time i’m here

guys um, it looks really bad but I tried

Done in a class with Nichole Vestby

holy shit is this gorgeous.

I made a little guy!

ADHD hobbies are so odd because it's 830 pm and I'm trying to decide if I want to organize the alphabet of my artlang or finish hand sewing my purse made out of denim from jeans I've been saving for 3 years, and I started both of these projects this morning

OH YEAHH &J../ref

@writingnotes520 @montygatorguy hey mooties thought you might wanna see this one ‼️

I uh went a little hard and now I can't draw this on my jean jacket by hand

Time to find someone with heat transfer knowledge/tools, I guess!

Making art sounds really nice

LOOK AT THIS SEAL PLUSH I MADE. SHE IS MY CHILD AND HER NAME IS RONAN.

Ehehehehe

Just finished making these for the convention im going to tomorrow :)

I will be posting pictures from it probably

Working on a small side project 🤫

His name is Vincent 🥺

And now pokey will have a friend when I'm finished, I'll totally keep you guys updated