Busy Book Project

I love my Singer Slant-o-Matic. It can do just about anything I want it to do. I wanted to make a project that showcases many different sewing techniques that are fun for a beginner or an expert so I put together this project: a Busy Book.

Making this project I used many different techniques and vintage Singer Slant-o-Matic feet and attachments.

Some skills and attachments used for this project are:

- button sewing using the button sewing foot

- buttonhole making using the Professional Buttonholer

- top stitching using the straight stitch foot

- quilting/stippling using the darning and embroidery attachment

- eyelet making using the Professional Buttonholer

- satin stitch using the special purpose foot

Here is a link over to my other blog, the HeartbeetBoutique, with the instructions and patterns.

Slant-o-Matic Accessory Storage

One of the challenges I came across when collecting my Singer Slant-o-Matic accessories and attachments was finding a way to store them that was accessible and organized and vintage. I came across this beautiful little storage box while thrifting and found out it was an original 401 accessories box.

Singer had it all figured out. The manual fits perfectly inside:

Under the manual is a little tray that comes in and out. Here it is:

On the left side the tray has a spot for the straight stitch plate to click in and an indent just the right size for a vintage paper packet of sewing machine needles. Then the four boxes in the middle hold the button sewing foot, the straight stitch foot, the shirring/gathering foot, and spare felt spool pin washers and a spare bobbin winder tire. Tucked in next to that is the seam guide and on the right there are four little slots to hold four spare bobbins. 

Under the tray you find this:

On the left side you have a spot for the ruffler, then under that the zipper foot and hemmer foot or edge stitcher, then the multi slotted binder. In the middle is the oil tube, large screwdriver, and the small screwdriver fits into a little groove at the bottom. The right has 2 pins that each hold 2 fashion discs. You can keep your lint brush on the right edge or you can tuck it in under the oil tube in the middle.

I love this accessory box. It is cute and functional and I love that it is original to a Slant-o-Matic. There are a couple of problems that can happen with these little boxes but they are easily fixed. One problem I have seen is that the gold Singer label on the top can come unstuck but it is easily fixed with a bit of glue. The other problem that I have come across is the hinges pop out of their place but they can be tucked back in and re-glued very easily.

I found this box for a great deal. The set of accessories was nearly complete, including a manual for a 401, at a thrift store for $10.00! A steal!

As a side note, I understand this box slides into one of the plastic carrying cases you could get with your machine. I will have to dig out my cases and see if I have the right case. I will get a picture if I find one.

Singer Tucker

The manual for the 503 has this to say about the tucker:

"Since the beauty of tucking lies in explicit accuracy, the Tucker will contribute greatly to the attractiveness of this work. 

Tucks up to 1" may be stitched and marked in one operation.

Two adjustable scales are provided to gauge the tuck width and spacing.

Use either straight or decorative stitch setting."

Singer made two different slant shank tuckers. The first is part number 160692, the singer tucker made for class 301 machines.

Mine is a lovely blackside tucker. Here it is:

Since the 301 was a straight stitch machine, the hole for the needle on this tucker is only set up for a straight stitch so you can't do zig zag tucks or change your needle position when using it. 

The second slant shank tucker is part number 161226. Mine has a copyright of 1962 in the instructions. It was made for zig zag machines so the hole for the needle is wider, allowing you to zigzag or change your needle position. 

Here it is:

I haven't done much with either of these attachments but I had to have them for my collection.

Singer 503 Original Accessories

When I first fell in love with my Singer Slant-O-Matic I realized I wanted to collect all of the original accessories that came with the machine. Here is a list of the accessories that came with the Singer 503, according to the manual (and their part number):

- general purpose foot (172075)
- straight stitch foot (170071)
- straight stitch throat plate (174529)
- special purpose foot (161167)
- button sewing foot (161168)
- zipper foot (161166)
- foot hemmer (161195)
- multi slotted binder (161174)
- seam guide (161172)
- fashion discs:
#1 (arrowhead)
#5 (banner)
#6 (crescent)
#7 (icicle)
#8 (blind stitch)
#9 (multi stitch)
#10 (ball stitch)
#11 (ribbon stitch)

Some additional fashion aids listed in the manual that were available to purchase:
- darning and embroidery attachment
- edge stitcher (160625)
- gathering foot (161169)
- tucker (161226)

Additional fashion discs:
#2 (scallop)
#3 (solid diamond)
#4 (solid scallop)
#12 (domino)
#13 (faggoting)
#14 (comb)
#15 (thunderbird)
#16 (shag)
#17 (curlicue)
#18 (solid pyramid)
#19 (block)
#20 (walls of troy)
#21 (chevron)
#0 (zig zag)


If you are looking to get all of the original accessories they are available online. I have purchased a few sets of 503 accessories in the original green and red box. You can usually find them for pretty cheap online. I have paid as little as $15.00 to $20.00 for a set.

Retro All-In-One Apron from Singer's How to Make Aprons booklet

This is one of the booklets from the Singer Sewing Library, number 119, How to Make Aprons:

It's a really fun one to read. Some of the projects are outdated and impractical but are an interesting glimpse into the past.

There is one project that I thought was super cute, the All-In-One apron. I recreated it, following the instructions in the booklet, scaled down to a toddler sized apron. I had to make a few adjustments in lengths and sizes to make it work for a toddler but I think it turned out pretty cute:

Here are the instructions from the booklet if you're interested in making your own ladies' sized apron:

(Just a note, the instructions in the booklet were a little confusing in a couple of places so I just had to kind of go with my own methods here and there).

If you want to make a toddler sized apron, I made a tutorial for the Retro All-In-One Apron and I have it posted on my other blog, Heartbeet Boutique, if you would like to check it out.

This is a fun project to use some of your Slant-o-Matic attachments:

-General purpose foot - 

-Straight stitch foot and plate:

-Button sewing foot:

-Buttonholer (optional)

(If you aren't interested in using your buttonholer or if you don't have one, use the instructions in your manual for making buttonholes. It's one of the pages I use the most in my 503 manual. It's on page 44).

This project was great practice for a few essential skills including top stitching and making buttonholes and applying rick rack.

Anyway, if you get a chance, Singer's How to Make Aprons booklet is worth checking out. 

The Slant-O-Matic Special

I was reading the manual that came with my favorite machine, the Singer 503A, and came across a lovely list of reasons to choose that machine, the Slant-O-Matic Special.

I'd like to go through some of the points on the list and explain.

• "Double Easy Threading. Face plate swings open to reveal threading chart. Handy "drop-in" bobbin located in front of the needle where it's easy to reach."
 It is very handy to be able to just swing the face plate open and see how to thread the machine. The drop in bobbin is what I really love. It's not under the machine and you don't have to put the bobbin in a removable bobbin case and then into the machine; you just drop it right in. Love it.

• "Slant needle and gear drive...seeing is easier, sewing smoothest ever. Gear drive ensures trouble-free operation at all speeds without slipping or stalling."
I do like the slant needle because of the added visibility. There is so much space between the machine and the throat plate that makes it easier to see what you're working on.

• "Built-in, eye level stitch chart for easy reference while you are sewing. Information at a glance, that lets you select the fancy stitch you want."
Sure. Quick reference is always good.

• "Elevator Type calibrated throat plates, lever operated. Easy to remove and replace."
This is one thing I really like. You don't have to find a separate cover to cover the feed dogs, you can just raise the plate and they are out of the way. I also switch to the straight stitch plate and it's super easy to make the change.

• "Hinged Face Plate houses threading charge and swings open for easy access to oiling points."
We already talked about the threading chart but the bit about easy access to oiling points is great. I love being able to get the oil in there just by popping the door open and not having to remove any screws.

• "Superfine Control of stitch length ensures perfect satin stitch adjustment."
I really like the number system Singer uses. If you set your stitch length at a 12 that means you are getting 12 stitches per inch. It's not vague like some machines with their scale from 1-4.

• "Perfect straight stitching."
Seriously. I love it. I sew a lot of super tiny doll clothes and it's key to have really straight, even stitches when you are doing 1/32" top stitching. I love being able to click the straight stitch plate in without taking out any screws or having to access the underneath of the machine.

• "Built-In Light focused on sewing area."
Pretty straight forward. It's in the right place. It does get hot, however and I have burned myself on it a time or two.

• "Needle Clamp holds one or two regular needles--same or different sizes for exciting two-needle stitching."
This is something I am looking forward to trying. I have never used the two-needle set up but I will be trying it and I'll let you know what I think.


• "All Mechanism Completely Enclosed for maximum safety."
I like that there are no exposed belts to catch hair or anything; keeping all your fingers is important.

• "Aluminum Construction, durable and light weight."
I'm not sure I'd call twenty-ish pounds light weight but it was pretty light for a good sewing machine back in the day. It's not light weight like the plastic machines of today but that's a lot of what I love about it; it's sturdy. It's not convenient for a portable machine but the functions and design simply can't be beat.

• "Interchangeable Fashion Discs, one piece and easy to handle."
The discs simply click in and out for fun fancy decorative stitches, no additional attachment necessary.

• "Peephole Bobbins show thread supply at a glance with bobbin in place."
It hadn't occurred to me that they did this on purpose. The holes on the bobbin make it so you can peer in there and see how much thread is left on the bobbin. Nobody likes running out of thread in the middle of a line of stitching.

• "Automatic Thread Control ensures a smooth flow of thread from spool to needle for uniform stitch setting."
Yep. Easy to adjust tension, too.

• "Concealed Automatic Bobbin Winder."
The bobbin winder for the 400 series is on the outside of the machine but starting with the 500s they enclosed the winder. The tire is still there like on the 400s but it's on the inside of the machine. The bobbin winding latch clicks in place easily and I love it that when the bobbin is full it automatically releases so it can't get over filled.

• "Dial-Operated pressure adjustment, calibrated to eliminate guesswork in duplicating settings.
This can be changed to keep your machine to feed the fabric smoothly. The numbers are right on there so you can set it to whatever amount of pressure you need and return it back to your normal setting when done. According to the manual "Generally heavy fabrics require heavy pressure; fine fabrics require light pressure." You can just turn to a higher number to increase pressure and turn to a lower number to decrease pressure. Pretty user friendly.

• "Stitch Length Regulator with double pointers for easy, accurate stitch length adjustment."
I assume they're talking about the numbers to the left and right of the regulator, which makes it clear how long your stitches are. You can tighten the thumb nut to hold it at your selected stitch length so you don't have to fuss with it after back stitching.

• "Hinged Nylon Spool Pins, self-positioning and self storing."
These little guys fold themselves flat when you close the door on the top and pop back up when you open it. They are also easy to replace if needed.

• "Thread Cutter built into presser bar for added safety and convenience."
This is helpful for a quick cutting of the threads at the end of a seam when you don't have your scissors handy. It's right on the presser bar so it's not in the way and doesn't break off.

There you have it. So many reasons to fall in love with the Singer Slant-O-Matic!

Singer Teacher's Textbook of Machine Sewing

Maybe you have heard of it: Singer's Teacher's Textbook of Machine Sewing. This edition (the best edition) was published in 1960. It's the holy grail of sewing machine manuals, particularly if you have a Slant-O-Matic from the 400 or 500 series.

It was the manual they used to teach the courses at the Singer Sewing Center. It covers everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) you want to know about your sewing machine, attachments, sewing techniques, maintenance, and even history of the sewing machine.

The tricky part is it's rare and usually costs about $150.00 to get a copy.

But lucky me! My husband got it for me for Valentine's Day. So romantic. :)

And it is amazing. Seriously amazing.

I have spent hours reading it and re-reading it. It's super fun for a Slant-O-Matic Fanatic like me.

I will be sharing some of my favorite bits and some of the most useful information from the book in future posts.

Oiling Your Machine

Below are a few pages of the original Singer Slant-O-Matic 503 Manual outlining oiling and lubricating the machine.

It's amazing what a little oil will do!