# Where's the reverse on this sewing machine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323 "2003-10-24T14:29:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/1 "2003-10-24T14:29:29Z")
I got myself a present, an old Singer sewing machine, and I’m starting my first bit of sewing on it. But I must be dumber than I thought, because I can’t find the switch to make it sew in reverse. Anyone have one of these who can give me some direction? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/2 "2003-10-24T16:51:59Z")
Well, all of the old Singers I’ve ever used had the usual lever on the front right side, with settings for stitch length. Can you give us a link to a picture? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/3 "2003-10-24T16:54:24Z")
Well, Singer made a lot of different machines, so if you could tell us which one you’ve got… There is a possibility that it simply has no reverse at all. On home machines, reverse is often a tall button about 3/8" diameter that you push in, and it springs out. ---
**Author:** ![Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Smashed\_Ice\_Cream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smashed_Ice_Cream)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/4 "2003-10-24T18:36:42Z")
I have an old Singer that took me forever to find reverse. It’s an about 15-year old embroidery machine, and the reverse is a touch-button right on the front, near the needle. Other odd places I’ve had reverse are a tiny hold-down button right on the back or side like **gotpasswords** mentioned, and also the inside paar of the manual reel sometimes pushes in along one side to start reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/5 "2003-10-24T19:17:48Z")
My mother’s old singer had it in the center of the stitch selection wheel on the right side (veritical pillar part). ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/6 "2003-10-24T20:09:04Z")
I had a 99K from the 60s (it broke up with me, damn I miss that machine) and you controlled stitch length by twisting this lever till it lined up with the stitich length markers on the machine. In the lever-pointing-up position, it stitched forward at that stitch length. If you flipped it down, it stitched in reverse at the same stitch length. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/7 "2003-10-24T23:35:19Z")
Is it the Singer featherweight type of sewing machine? [http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/media/221-1938-41-1.GIF](http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/media/221-1938-41-1.GIF) If it is, then it is somewhat like **Hello Again** described: when you set the stitch length by tightening the knob on the lever on the right to the level you want, if you want to reverse sewing direction, just flick the lever upwards. I have a featherweight (all 11 pounds of it) from the early 1940s, and that’s how that one works. ---
**Author:** ![bluenosebaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@bluenosebaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluenosebaby)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-reverse-on-this-sewing-machine/209323/8 "2017-03-13T16:18:00Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Is it the Singer featherweight type of sewing machine? [http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/media/221-1938-41-1.GIF](http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/media/221-1938-41-1.GIF) > > If it is, then it is somewhat like **Hello Again** described: when you set the stitch length by tightening the knob on the lever on the right to the level you want, if you want to reverse sewing direction, just flick the lever upwards. I have a featherweight (all 11 pounds of it) from the early 1940s, and that’s how that one works. Thanks for this tip! It was exactly the info I needed. Just recently back to sewing on my Mum’s old Spartan and couldn’t find reverse for the life of me! 👍🏼