My Nana's old treadle sewing machine. As you can see from the picture, the old girl has seen better days. The machine was purchased in 1935 for the grand sum of 35 pounds. The piece of paper in front is the original hire agreement.
My sister and I learnt to sew on this machine when we were about 5 and 6. We used pieces of brown paper with no thread in the needle. Hows that for being frugal. Nana would take the needle out of the machine when she wasn't there to supervise us, for fear that we would hurt ourselves. Truth be told, I spent more time seeing how fast I could make the treadle go than practicing straight line stitching.
My plan is to restore the machine to its former glory. The cabinet needs stripping back and there are some areas where the veneer is damaged, all fixable. I found a link on Farmama's site about refurbishing old Singer machines. I'm hoping it will provide all the information I need.
My sister and I learnt to sew on this machine when we were about 5 and 6. We used pieces of brown paper with no thread in the needle. Hows that for being frugal. Nana would take the needle out of the machine when she wasn't there to supervise us, for fear that we would hurt ourselves. Truth be told, I spent more time seeing how fast I could make the treadle go than practicing straight line stitching.
My plan is to restore the machine to its former glory. The cabinet needs stripping back and there are some areas where the veneer is damaged, all fixable. I found a link on Farmama's site about refurbishing old Singer machines. I'm hoping it will provide all the information I need.
I would love to be able to make clothes and quilts on the machine. Nana would be so pleased.
Thanks to Rhonda for this great idea, pop over to her blog and see what others have on their mind.
Have a lovely weekend
Cheers Lisa
4 comments:
What a lovely sewing machine...well worth restoring. lol at seeing how fast you could make the treadle go. My nan had a similar machine, but it was given away...I SO wish we still had it now.
I have an old one that my sister and I learned to sew on too and it dates back to 1874. It has no bobbin and has a chain stitch underneath. We used to see how fast we could get it going too,lol
It is a lovely machine and well worth restoring.
Hi Lisa
Love the old machine and how special it must be to you! I have a slightly newer Singer machine that was my late mother's. She bought it probably about 1945 when she left the army. It has the wooden cover on it and it's locked...and guess who doesn't have the old keys???? Maybe a locksmith could help...I learned to sew on it (it has a knee control) and sewing many 60s fashions on it in my teens! Such memories...good luck with the restoration of your nana's machine!
Vi , we tried selling Nana's machine two times but never managed to sell it. I guess it was meant to say with me.
Hi Debbie, wow an 1874 model, what a treasure. Seems as though we all like treadle races lol...
Oh no Maria, how terrible not having the key. I know the style of machine you mentioned. I think we used them at Brownies or Guides. Have you thought about trying a old sewing machine repair shop. I'm sure they would have old keys.
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