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Cellini "45" Sewing Machine |
| Is this not drop-dead gorgeous?! It's a Cellini, one
of many "badged" (meaning it was made by one manufacturer (in this case, Brother) who put various names, or badges, on
the same machine, customized the paint, etc., to sell under different labels) machines made in
Japan in the '50s or '60s. These are solid machines, very heavy and dependable. This one runs
smooth as glass, makes a beautiful straight stitch. Feed dogs can be dropped for free-motion
work. |
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| The finish is gold metallic and cream enamel, with very shiny chrome accents. Even the
accessory box and foot pedal are color coordinated! Except for some scratches on the machine
bed, it is in exceptionally good cosmetic condition. |
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| We put this one in an old Montgomery Ward
cabinet that complements the machine very nicely. I completely refinished the cabinet; the wood
grain is beautiful! |
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| Just look at these details! The stitch-length assembly is as bright chrome as
the day it was made. I absolutely love that big lever, no problem grabbing that while you're
stitching. The enamelled label reads "45, World's Best, Precision Manufactured, Made in
Japan." |
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| "The Cellini "badge" is also beautifully detailed enamel work. |
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| The motor is labelled
the very Italian-sounding "Visetti," though it says "made in USA." And of course the machine
itself was made in Japan. So it must have been made for a re-seller who had an Italian-heritage
customer base, eh? Gotta wonder who the seller was.... |
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| The tension mechanism on this machine is
on the side-back, which is rather unusual--front-mounts are far more typical. As a result, the
thread path is pretty much hidden when working from the front. Is this a nod to a streamlined
Italian style? Whatever the reason, it works like a charm and looks fabulous!
We took this machine to our art show in Weaverville, NC, in 2007, to aid traffic-flow in the booth and as a conversation piece. Near the end of the show, a ten-year-old boy came by and was fascinated by it. I showed him how it worked, he told me it looked just like his Grandmother's, he had fond memories of watching her sew... anyway, I ended up giving him the machine. With his parent's permission, of course. I hope he is enjoying learning to sew! |
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