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Over the past year, I have unexpectedly found myself repairing sewing machines. That wasn’t the original plan—I just wanted to reduce waste and reuse old clothes and fabrics I had at home. Not expecting to sew much, I decided to get a broken sewing machine to repair, hoping to save money.
As it turned out, I discovered a passion. I ended up rescuing numerous machines, many of which have now found new homes, been put to good use, avoided ending up in landfill, and provided me with endless enjoyment as I learned how to restore them to their former glory.
Use the sliders below to explore the transformation.
This Brother machine was one such passion project, and it has been one of the most fulfilling in recent years. Drawing on my experience as a prop maker and multimedia designer, I identified the issues, the skills required to fix them, and the opportunities to enhance the machine, ensuring it was as functional and as visually appealing as possible.
My poor Brother sewing machine was quite filthy, having been left in a hut for several months, waiting to be rescued...
Beg, Steal & Borrow
While exploring Withington, I came across the shop, Beg, Steal & Borrow. It’s a second-hand shop with a strong focus on educating customers about sustainability in fashion. Their ethos aligns perfectly with mine and, as we shared ideas, a collaboration seemed inevitable.
Their logo has a playful quality that I thought would look fantastic on the machine. I have brought it to life here with animation.
Their colour palette doesn't just apply to their logo or shop, but also to their clothes and social media where they have an active presence. Having this as a reference, I matched it to upcycled fabric, acrylic and spray paint, and printing filament.
BSB's colour palette is very... pinky
Challenges
It had been a long time since I had access to a fully equipped workshop. To get up to speed, I had to invest a significant amount of time—and money—preparing my one-bedroom apartment for this new and rather space-demanding passion. A few shelves, new tools and a strategy to maximise space, did the trick.
While still an excellent machine, this model is quite old, making it difficult to find replacement parts and when they are available, they can be expensive. In general, sewing machine retailers seem more interested in selling new machines than allowing repairs.
Additionally, some processes were new to me, requiring thorough research, planning, and problem-solving.
Problem-solving led me to learn new and exciting processes and techniques
Opportunities
The space and equipment challenges led me to discover Hackspace Manchester, a fantastic community workshop. Access to their tools and the knowledge of their members proved invaluable.
Meeting BSB provided motivation and a sense of purpose. I find projects much more enjoyable when they have a specific goal, and this collaboration helped shape my creative direction.
As much of this work was new to me, it also became an opportunity to learn additional skills and software, which will be beneficial for future projects. The graphic below illustrates some of the new skills I acquired while working on the project:
*Icons downloaded from Noun Project, by Vector Point, Graphixs_Art, Uma and rizal2109
Steps
The stages of the project were varied and while colour, design and creativity were part of them all, a significant part of the work was very technical. Below is a rough timeline of the different project phases:
Techniques and materials
I've created the interactive graphic to visually show the different areas of work.
Click on the menu below to interact.
Click on the menu below to interact.
The outcome
I spent a great amount of time finishing lots of little details which was very satisfying and as a result, the machine came back to life. Comparing the before and after helps appreciate how much the machine has improved.
There are many details that can be appreciated below.
Take aways
It had been years since I last worked on a hands-on, non-digital project or used power tools, so there was a lot to refresh. It also made me reflect on my time in Spain, where I had access to a dedicated workshop—I now appreciate how lucky I was to have that space.
Looking back, there are things I would approach differently. If I had access to a more suitable workspace, I would have used a spray gun and car paint instead of spray cans. Additionally, I would have been more mindful of my back—I had to move this beautiful but very heavy machine far too often.
This project has been an absolute pleasure. It allowed me to contribute to Beg, Steal & Borrow while learning new skills, recycling and reusing materials, and ensuring that this machine gets a second—and enhanced—life.
If you're particularly interested in sewing and repairing sewing machines,
check www.jo-sew.com and follow me on instagram @jo.sew
check www.jo-sew.com and follow me on instagram @jo.sew
