If you look up 'antique' in the thesaurus you receive the following:

My favorite? "Superannuated!" I think that will be my 'Word of the Day'! 

I plan to use my 'superannuated' sewing machine today! This is my serger. It is an overlock machine, and for the uninitiated, it creates the sort of edge you often see on t-shirts. The machine can rub its tummy AND tap its head....it sews a seam in a straight line, while at the same time three other needles are stitching and the thread is looping this way and that way binding the seam. 

My hubby always liked surprising me at Christmas with a gift he thought I'd like, but would never consider buying for myself. One year it was a microwave oven. Another year it was a knitting machine. And in 1986 his gift was a Singer serger sewing machine.  

After all of those years...here it is!

 

This particular machine is still described as a tank! And it is. It can sew through quite a few layers of even the heaviest fabrics. Like a Timex ( showing my superannuated state), it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It has very few plastic parts...it is metal and it weighs a lot. But, it purrs. It almost hums as it sews. 

When my serger turned 30 I treated it to a service at our local sewing machine shop. It's first service, ever! Before they took my (then) antique in, they insisted on seeing it run. The gals in the shop all stared in amazement at how smoothly, and quietly it worked! 

My mother had a more modern serger built by Baby Lock. At the time she purchased her machine (turn of the century) it was the up and coming model to have. It was bequeathed to me. I was so excited to have a "new" machine....until I used it. It bounced all over the place. It was pulled in different directions by the fabric and it rattled and clanked. It was very "plasticky". I didn't care for it at all.

I kept my trusty machine, and I pull it out and dust it off whenever I need this sort of stitch.