SINGER FASHION AIDS & CASE for Singer Sewing Machines

Singer Fashion Aids Case in 

Singer Fashion Aids Case organizer, with various Singer Fashion Aids, including a zigzagger, cording feet, braiding foot, blind braiding foot, Singer Ball Bearing Pinker, box of presser feet attachments, buttonholer, imitation hemstitcher, a Perfect Hemstitcher attachment (non Singer), Singer Style-o-matic foot, quilting foot with guide, the Singer Fashion Aids Insert flyer

Singer made the most of their huge market share, when they were the biggest sewing machine company in the USA, as well as the world, and selling special feet, attachments and accessories, as well as sewing manuals & books, to their customers. One of the most valuable, and difficult to find items, is the Singer Fashion Aids Case.

Singer 15-88 treadle table with Singer Fashion Aids Case with sewing machine accessories & fashion aids prior to replacement handle being attached

Singer Fashion Aids Cases came in blue, black, and this tan with red striping, with leather handles. The leather handles usually have rotted by now, so many cases have replacement handles. An organizer insert, shows stitch samples of sewing techniques the Singer Fashion Aids help you to create, another version, or the back of the insert, often showed what Fashion Aids belonged in each section of the organizer.

While some special Singer Fashion Aids cases may have been sold with bonus Fashion Aids included, the majority of them were not, which is why you see ads for both the case, and fashion aids, listed separately in, or on the back covers of sewing machine manuals, sewing magazines, newspapers, flyers for Singer appliances and sewing furniture, etc...

Below, you can read a vintage Singer advertisement, which I found in my Singer desk model #65, which included a fabulous Singer 201-2 rotary class 66 sewing machine, with the incredible steel gear driven, potted motor! Some of the advertised Singer Fashion Aids came in the desk, with my 201-2, others came from garage sales, thrift stores, and Ebay.

Singer didn't put photos of all of the Fashion Aids in this advertising section, it would probably have taken too much room, but if you read the page here, at the front of the Singer Illustrated Dressmaking Guide, it tells of a large number of Singer Fashion Aids you NEED to do your best sewing!

Singer Fashion Aids Case and Singer Fashion Aids cleverly advertised in the 
Singer Illustrated Dressmaking Guide

Singer shows their cutting table (folds up and hides in a closet, plus the extension table), Sewing stools (some versions of the stool actually came with a fabulous organizer like the Singer Fashion Aids Case insert, except it was octagonal (to fit inside the shape of the bench with the corner brackets), dress forms, and pressing equipment!

Singer Fashion Aids cases were made and sold for, and at, at least one World's Fair. I can't remember the details at this moment, but will try to remember to look them up again, and update this when I can.


They were marketed as an excellent way to organize and store your Singer Fashion Aids, and were an excellent marketing ploy, because once anyone acquired a Singer Fashion Aids Case, they want to fill every cubby in this adorable, sturdy wood cases, which came in black, or French blue  faux leather, or a woven rattan like cover, (possibly more styles) with a leather handle (most have rotted or broken off, and can be replaced), and a removable waxed paper covered cardboard organizer insert, with multiple cubbies for tucking the various Singer Fashion Aids in.

The lid of the case has a color photo of stitched samples of decorative and practical sewing each Singer Fashion Aid can sew, and on the back of this insert, some have the layout of the insert, with suggestions for which Singer Fashion Aids go in each of the cubbies.

This advertisement for Singer Fashion Aids is in the back of one of my
Singer Family Sewing Machine Manuals

Singer Edgestitcher next to Singer Style-o-matic attachment (2 pieces, are attached in photo), Edgestitchers are inexpensive, around $9, the Style-o-matic foot is quite rare, and often sells for $300 to $900!! (Not just lists for it, actually sells for it.)

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TO SEE THESE ADS FULLY USE SLIDE BAR TO SCAN TO RIGHT SIDE OF PAGE if I make it smaller
you won't be able to read the text and see the details of these wonderful vintage Singer Sewing Machine
and Fashion Aids Advertisements which I have, that were cut out of a newspaper.

I am including these photos of Singer's wonderful Fashion Aids, as they are portrayed in Singer's "Sewing Skills" manual, which was the instruction manual used in Singer stores, throughout the world, to teach sewing lessons on Singer sewing machines. You can find these manuals in pink and white paperback version, or a hardback, green version, though the interior information is identical in both versions, the copyright dates vary, and some fashion aids are included in some years, but not in other years, based on when those fashion aids were available for sale, in Singer stores.

The black piece on the presser foot section of the zigzagger, has a convenient black spring to place cording beneath.

Singer Adjustable Zigzag Attachment, shown with the edgestitcher attachment removed. 

Singer Featherweight 221 with Edgestitcher, adjustable zipper foot, rolled hemmer, a Griest tucker/tuck marker, early Singer ruffler, and adjustable hemmer. These were with my 221, when I received it, but are not all the original accessories which would have come with it when new. The green box with red trim, is the original accessory box.

Early Singer ruffler, notice it does not have the extra settings for how many tucks per inch, adjustable hemmer to the right, in blackside

This is actually not a Singer brand tucker tuck marker, it is a Griest version, but it was with my Singer Feather weight 221, when I received it, and is low shank, so can be used on the Singer 221 and 222, and all other straight stitch low shank Singer sewing machines.

Many people are unaware Singer also manufactured and sold electronic appliances besides srwing machinez and sewing notions, Singer did actually try selling vacuum cleaners, record players and similar appliances, which were cross advertised in Singer manuals, and advertising flyers.

Some Singer Fashion Aids are more rare than others, including specialty braiding feet, in various sizes, a flange hemmer foot, for sewing incredibly tiny 1/8", 1/16", even 1/32" rolled hems, on fine fabrics like organza, taffeta, and batiste.

Singer made various sizes of irons, some with thermostat controls, others apparently, did not, depending on when they were made. A handy tool to keep your iron cord out of your way, looks like a C clamp, with a tall spring, which bends and flexes, as you move the iron, but the spring automatically hold the cord, so it doesn't mess up the fabric you have already pressed! This is rare, and sells high, when well listed on Ebay.

Want to sew spaghetti straps, quickly, and easily, turning them right side out, as you sew them? There is a Singer Fashion Aid, which does exactly that! It sells between $300 and $900 on Ebay, depending on time of year, how it is listed, how it is described, condition, and whether the turning hook, and screwdriver like tool are included, since they are usually separated from the Tubular Trimming Attachment.

Singer TUBULAR TRIMMING ATTACHMENT came with the long threading wire, with a hook at one end, and a finger loop at the other end, for pulling the fabric into the tubular trimming attachment. A flat long screwdriver looking, stiletto accessory with a flat end, also came with it, to help feed and control the fabric. The Tubular Trimmer Attachment is VERY RARE, and finding one with the threading wire hook, and the stiletto is even more rare.

Singer's embroidery attachments are some of the most expensive, and hard to find attachments and fashion aids. There are 2 main versions, the Singer 2 thread Embroidery Attachment, part # 35505, and the Singer One Thread Embroidery Attachment. These actually lay heavy, decorative yarns and thread, in front of the needle, which stitches them down, creating beautiful braidlike effects.

Ironically, the 2 thread version may have either been the inspiration for the first serger or overlock sewing machine, or may have been inspired by an overlock or serger sewing machine!

If you buy the Two Thread Embroidery Attachment 35505, make sure the top portion of the attachment (it looks like a short flat metal bar, with 2 pivoting, fold down spool pins, and if separated from the base, people throw them out, because no one knows what it is!)  is there, as well as the special sized screw, to attach it to the presser foot bar, is included. The regular thumbscrew would interfere with the thread holder portion, not allowing it to fit and feed thread properly.

Singer made blind hemmer attachments, buttonholers, and zigzaggers, of various types, to allow people to sew the latest zigzag stitches, which could even use cams, to sew a variety of zigzag stitches, on a straight stitch sewing machine!

Hemstitchers helped anyone be able to sew delicate linens and French antique sewing techniques, quickly, with the aid of Singer's Hemstitcher and Picoter attachment, you just had to buy the correct needleplate, to fit your Singer sewing machine.

Singercraft Guides enabled sewers to make their own rugs, out of yarn, or strips of rags, using the sewing machine to secure them, helping out with the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" mantra that helped get our great grandparents through the Great Depression,  and World War Two. 

Singer's Fagoter Attachment is one of the rarest, particularly to find it in it's original box, with instructions, as well as the essential fagoter presser foot, with it's 2 parallel cutouts along the foot bottom, so it can ride the rails of the fagoter itself, as you stitch down, and secure your carefully wound thread, yarn, or ribbons, that are now your lace, as well as the important stripper, for removing your home sewn fagoting, or lace.

Singer attachments parts lists from the "Machine Sewing Singer" manuals are convenient for looking up which specific presser feet and fashion aids work with each specific model of Singer Sewing Machines

Here is a link to a cool blog with photos and reviews, stitch samples and more about other sewing machine attachments! ENJOY!

Attachment Reviews by EDSMUM a BLOG

This next link takes you to the Singer Featherweight Shop website, where they have a 
"schoolhouse" section where you can see photos of various Singer Featherweight attachments, Singer Fashion Aids, the Singer Fashion Aids cases, and many other wonderful educational resources about Singer Sewing Machines, and the various other items Singer had available with their sewing machines.
I am not connected to the Featherweight Shop, I just love their sharing knowledge, and how they have been helping people to learn to save and use these fabulous vintage sewing machines!

Singer Featherweight Shop

Singer Zigzagger with multi color cams available-

There is a low shank Singer zigzagger 161157, 161102, 160985 and a slant shank zigzagger 161103. Apparently, there are a couple more part numbers used, as well, but Singer made several styles of zigzaggers, some use cams, some do not. The shank type, is the only difference between the two, so pay close attention to that. They have different part numbers.

My Singer Zigzagger blog post has a link to the original Singer advertising video commercial for these zigzaggers.

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