Dear reader...

AFEW YEARS AGO, I was given a handsome old sewing machine. Its shape is elegant, with the weight and finish of something that has been made to last.

Sitting like a trophy in my dining room, it has prompted many admiring comments. But, despite its splendour, it is a functional item; yet I have never used it.

I always choose its modern counterpart; a machine that is easy to thread and simple to use, but which has no joy in its construction. It was not made by skilled and caring hands. Its form is not celebrated with a glossy coat of black paint, nor does it have a proud golden badge telling of its provenance.

So, on a grey Sunday afternoon, I decide to give it a try. Under a little door at the back I find the needles, wrapped in green paper embossed with the maker’s name. Anchoring the needle is fairly simple, but working out how to thread the sewing mechanism might prove more difficult, as the instructions are long lost. Luckily, there is a full bobbin already loaded. Threading the upper spool proves easier than expected, although the cotton wraps around the tension gauge, and I suspect this may require extra attention when I come to sew.

A thick piece of fabric is needed; something that will not slip on the shiny paintwork. With a smooth thud, I lower the foot over the cloth. This is where things get tricky. Feeding the fabric through with my left hand and turning the balance wheel with my right is not instinctive. I stop every few stitches; adjusting the tension, pulling a lever and twisting a screw; trying to learn by trial and error the part played by each of these shiny components. The wheel turns effortlessly: it would be easy to go too fast, and I am struggling to control the fabric.

The bobbin jams a couple of times and getting the tension right is problematic. The result is a wobbly line of uneven stitches, yet I feel a sense of achievement. I will not be running up a new set of curtains any time soon, but I have learned that I might be able to master the art of sewing with this machine. It will just take a lot more practice…