A memento of our sewing past

Not long ago I picked up a book called Singer make-over guide, published in 1943 and intended to encourage women to "mend or make do" in support of the war effort.  One of the suggestions really intrigued me; it showed a device which allowed you to darn socks and stockings by machine.

Pretty cool, huh?  And then I picked up this book which has that same cool device on the cover.

At this point I decided I had to have one!  I went looking and found you could pay as much as $100 for the thing, but when I found "mine" it was only $4.  It came in the mail yesterday, looking like it was made yesterday.

I am completely charmed and I can hardly wait to mend a stocking.  The instruction booklet says "Fine soft thread used with a fine needle will produce a soft, comfortable darn that will outlast the rest of the stocking."  Have you ever darned a sock?  I tried it once, using my mother's darning "egg" and that fine wool yarn they used to make for darning.  (Ha!  I just checked and they still make the stuff.)  The result was a big thick wad that was thicker than the sock itself, possibly due to my lack of skill, and which made the sock too uncomfortable to wear.  As for stockings, I remember as late as when I was in high school (and yes I heard that snort of laughter) Frederick and Nelson's in Seattle still offered a stocking mending service.  I had always thought that meant repairing runs, but now I see it probably meant darning holes.