After 30 years of service, West Allis sewing machine repair shop to shutter doors

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For generations, clothes, pillows, and countless household items were sewn meticulously at home. In the heart of downtown West Allis, when those machines broke, there was a small shop where they came. A low hum. The sound of metal clicking in a familiar pattern. It’s a rhythm Bill Blenkinsop knows well.

“They’re not made to be looked at, they’re made to be used,” said Blenkinsop.

Blenkinsop has been listening closely since 1983.

“My father-in-law offered me – I think he offered my wife this job for me and she says we’re going to Wisconsin!” said Blenkinsop.

It wasn’t a childhood dream.

“No. Growing up, no, this doesn’t look like a fireman, or policeman or anything like that,” said Blenkinsop.

Still, there’s a childlike curiosity in the work.

“Anybody that tore apart things as a kid and tried to put them back together could do this,” said Blenkinsop.

He listens for what’s wrong — and what still works.

“She’s got a list for me here. Broken needle. Well, that’s 90% of them here,” said Blenkinsop.

Some sewing machines come rusty. Others just need a tune-up. Sometimes, it gets worse before it gets better. Until finally, something clicks.

“What we’re going to do is let it run for a little bit cause it’s running a little slow,” said Blenkinsop.

Those are the moments that matter most.

“When they bring it in, they’re not working and when they leave, they are and that’s probably the most satisfying,” said Blenkinsop.

Three storefronts. Thousands of machines. For decades, Blenkinsop’s business ran on moments like this.

“This is Bill from Blenkinsop Sewing Machine Repair letting you know that your sewing machine is ready for pickup,” said Blenkinsop during a phone call.

These days, the machines have changed to keep up with the world and so has Blenkinsop.

“This is a unique machine. They don’t make these like this anymore. But this one has all metal gears,” said Blenkinsop. “There used to be a lot of independent sewing machine repair shops, but we’re dwindled.”

At the end of the month, Bill Blenkinsop Sewing Machine Repair will close its doors.

“Every customer was my boss, basically, so I worked for a lot of people,” said Blenkinsop. “They’re devastated. Yeah, they’re unhappy.”

New owners will buy the building, but Blenkinsop says he wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Somewhere along the way, fixing machines became more than just a job.

“Because I enjoy it. I don’t have hobbies. I’ll make this my hobby,” said Blenkinsop.
While the storefront may close, the work isn’t going anywhere.

“No. No. They’re not of the past. There’s a lot out there and there’s a lot of people that use them,” said Blenkinsop.

Because for him, the building was never the point. He’s spent a lifetime listening, fixing what could be fixed, and that’s what he’ll take with him wherever he goes next.

“It’s like my mom said when she moved out of her house. Aren’t you going to miss the home? No. It’s a house. I’ll take the memories with me. So that’s how I’ll look at it,” said Blenkinsop.