I bought a new attachment for the sewing machine –a ruffler.  And I have been having a wonderful time.  I  want to add ruffles to everything I own.  Shower curtains, book shelves, pillow cases.  I’m hooked.  If I can see it, I want to add ruffles.  Right now, I’m working on a handbag pattern.

If you’ve never seen a ruffler, you will get a kick out of it.  It is straight out of the industrial age.  To see one in action, check out this video.  I found it even more fascinating that this contraption hasn’t changed in over 50 years.

While at our church’s rummage sale a few years ago, I picked up a Singer sewing machine from the 1940’s.  Or the 50’s at the latest.  Now normally, I bring a lot of stuff TO the rummage sale and nothing back home with me.  But on this particular day, I bought an old sewing machine.  It came with a box full of accessories, and lo and behold, one of them is a ruffler.

Now, if you haven’t noticed, sewing machines have changed quite a bit since the 1940’s or 50’s.  Today they are complicated pieces of electrical engineering and computer design with sewing mechanisms attached.  They accept USB sticks. You can buy optional digitizing software. You plug them into a UPS, and make sure they are unplugged when not in use to avoid a power surge. They get software and firmware updates. They come with training classes and webinars, and their screens are in HD.

Yes, sewing machines have come a long way, baby.  But when I opened the box of accessories for this antique sewing machine I recognized the ruffler immediately.

See for yourself.

Apparently it’s hard to improve on perfection.  Some things never change.  Good to know that in some cases we keep what works.

On the other hand, on a whim I looked up “ruffler” in the Urban Dictionary.  Yup.  Some things never change.