The Unexpected Treasure: Reviving an Industrial Brother Sewing Machine Found on the Roadside - Part 1

Sometimes, life gifts us with unexpected treasures in the most unexpected places. One such serendipitous encounter happened to me recently when I stumbled upon an industrial Brother sewing machine discarded at the side of the road.

Brother sewing machine sitting on sidewalk up the road from home.

The sight of this heavy-duty piece of equipment, abandoned and waiting for its fate, stirred a mix of curiosity and excitement within me. Despite its weathered appearance, the machine exuded an air of resilience—a silent invitation to breathe life back into its mechanisms.

As I looked closer there was a note sitting on the table top which read “Machine is still in use, please put sewing machine oil in before using”. Without hesitation, I decided to rescue this forgotten gem, envisioning the possibilities of sewing my own garments with this magnificent gem. This is what led me to wanting to start this blog site.

Previous owners evidently tried selling on Ebay with lo luck.

So I swiftly returned home and told my husband Greg that he needed to join me in driving up the road and collecting the sewing machine. Little did we know as we tipped the machine over that the machine itself swung open on its hinge and spilled machine oil on the asphalt.

I ran back home to grab some old towels knowing that the only way we were getting it in the car was tipping it on its side and I didn’t want to get oil all over the back of the car. I grabbed some absorbent towel as well knowing we needed to clear out this oil with something more than a couple of Macca’s serviettes that were sitting in the car which lets face it, are terrible absorbers of liquids.

Since bringing the sewing machine home this afternoon, I have sent inquiries to a couple of sewing machine repairers with hopes to restore this magnificent machine and using it during my sewing journey.

Finding this machine on the roadside was more than chance—it was a serendipitous gift, telling me that this new phase in my life is meant to be. Truly, it's a testament to the timeless adage: one person's trash can indeed be another's treasure.

I will post updates on the machine as they come!