The Manual

So I had my new Singer Slant-O-Matic 503A. He was comfortably nestled in his new deluxe cabinet. But now I needed to know more about him.

I could do the basics like threading him and stitching. But I wanted to know more about his settings, what he could do, what year he was born, how to de-lint and oil him, etc.

So I needed the manual.

It took some work but I was able to find a free PDF of the manual for the Singer 503 online. So I printed it out. I decided to make it a small manual (I love tiny things) and printed 4 pages to a sheet and cut them out. The manual is over 90 pages of vintage Singer sewing goodness. It covers all kinds of things: threading, bobbin winding, zigzagging. All the basics. It also has how to make buttonholes, do applique, and all sorts of fancy things. I also gives step by step instructions on cleaning, oiling, and maintaining the machine.

But the part that intrigued me the most were the pages that talked about the available "fashion aids" like the tucker, gathering foot, and darning/embroidery foot. It showed all kinds of delightful things that could be done with the amazing Singer 503.