Meet Me Monday: Cyndy Kitt Productions

Photo Credit: Cyndy Kitt Productions

At Seam, we love the idea of giving something old a new life. Usually we are talking about clothing, but today's it's sewing machines. Meet Cyndy Kitt Vogelsang of Cyndy Kitt Productions. This lovely lady restores some amazing old machines to their former glory and sells them to people who are equally appreciative of history and the craft of clothing.

What made you want to start collecting and refurbishing old sewing machines?
I've always wanted to study and collect vintage and antique treadle sewing machines, but it was only when my housemate Darren opened Anne Bonny's Locker, a vintage furniture store, in late 2008 that I was finally able to realise this desire; I still don't have the means or space to keep the machines forever, but they are mine until someone comes along and buys them.

Can you tell us about the process of refurbishing such lovely old machines?
Every machine is different, but the main problems relate to inappropriate storage, lint build up, rust, grime and old oil, which has evaporated to glue and seized the mechanism. Sometimes machines are too far gone. Buying on eBay is definitely a gamble, sometimes I get a lucky bargain, other times a machine that looks great in the online photo turns out to have an irreparable problem.

Do you do a lot of sewing in your spare time?
I still have my industrial machines at home on which I make costumes for a local community theatre group and do occasional repair and dressmaking jobs. In addition, I use the treadle sewing machines in the shop to make items that I sell in the shop, markets and on Etsy. I like to work every machine for at least 20 hours before selling her to ensure I have found and fixed all problems. Lack of use is bad for a vintage machine.

What do you love most about these machines?
The simple engineering and their solidity. And after years of sewing on noisy industrials, the quietness is a real blessing.

Do you have a favourite brand or model?
I have a particular love of the bureau style timber treadle cabinets made by the Australian companies Bebarfald and Pinnock, but they were usually fitted with imported sewing machine heads (often “badged” with their own branding). I have a huge respect for lesser known US makers such as White, Standard, National and Free; German made machines are almost universally high quality (Pfaff, Gritzner), as are the post World War II Japanese made machines. As for Singer, I am a little ambivalent, I often tell people that they were the “Ford Motors” of sewing machines; they did make some very fine machines but they were slow to innovate and that is what killed them as a manufacturing company – Singer lives on as a brand but their factories closed decades ago and they no longer manufacture sewing machines.