I had to repair a pair of jeans in an area where there were a lot of seams, so I used my cheap, mechanical Singer – I didn’t want the problem of an electronic machine carrying on if it hit the seams.

It was pleasant to use such a simple, uncomplicated machine, I thought about the machines I used way back, one of the first didn’t have zigzag and I had to take my shirts to a seamstress for the buttonholes and pink, bind or flat fell the seams.

This little workhorse did a great job and wasn’t fazed by the heavy seams, I used a 16/100 jeans needle and normal weight thread and can now wear my jeans again.

I have to remove the hand basting stitches I used – I forgot about them.