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Crafts

Staph

(6,251 posts)

3. I inherited my my grandmother's treadle Singer.

Reply to politicat (Original post)

Fri May 19, 2017, 03:26 AM

May 2017

Their home burned down in 1912 or 1914, so I would guess that the machine dates from about 1913 to 1915.

It is indestructible. Her ten granddaughters all learned to see on that machine, first by "sewing" down the lines of notebook paper without any thread. Then you graduated to seams in old scraps of fabric.

I inherited it after her death. The wife of one of my cousins wanted to throw away the guts of the machine and turn the cabinet into a planter. She was immediately overruled by all ten granddaughters.

I still use the machine, primarily for theatrical costumes and Civil War reenacting clothes. Treadling is great exercise for the ankles! And you can still buy the long bobbins and the leather belt that connects the treadle to the rest of the machine.

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Highlight:

A blanket apology to the Singer owners and their machines... [View all] politicat May 2017 OP

My wife has started into antique machines. gordianot May 2017 #1

You know that there are after market parts to make a blown machine into a hand-crank? politicat May 2017 #9

I have an ancient Singer Featherweight Warpy May 2017 #2

That's what I've discovered. politicat May 2017 #10

It says "Featherweight" right on it. Warpy May 2017 #17

Yep Me. Apr 2018 #26

ME Too!! mitch96 Apr 2018 #27

I inherited my my grandmother's treadle Singer. Staph May 2017 #3

I'm glad your family over-ruled that planter idea. politicat May 2017 #13

I always figured Staph May 2017 #15

This is exactly my survival plan. politicat May 2017 #16

My mom had a vintage Singer that folded down into the cabinet. Many nights I fell asleep with the NBachers May 2017 #4

Not All Singers are Bad dem in texas May 2017 #5

I've heard great things about that Rocketeer, and it's beautiful. politicat May 2017 #12

not sure if it was a singer, but i used my grandma's old hmm, hard to say. pansypoo53219 May 2017 #6

Very timely post. Baitball Blogger May 2017 #7

Honestly? Find a maker space, if there's one near you. politicat May 2017 #11

Thank you! Baitball Blogger May 2017 #14

I have an old Singer, (electric) my grandmother's, probably from pre-WWII. northoftheborder May 2017 #8

This is an old thread but I can't help but jump in eleny Mar 2018 #18

I bought a Singer 4411 back in February... Phentex Apr 2018 #19

That line get very high marks eleny Apr 2018 #20

The only trouble I'm having is with the bobbin Phentex Apr 2018 #21

So the thread loosens as the bobbin becomes more empty? eleny Apr 2018 #22

The worst was with a pretty full bobbin... Phentex Apr 2018 #23

Hey, don't feel bad eleny Apr 2018 #24

that's a great idea... Phentex Apr 2018 #25

Singer Featherweight 221K planetc Apr 2018 #28

That's really cool! Phentex Apr 2018 #29

I used Singers in school and my mother had one, but I have only owned Janomes since the 1960s. demigoddess May 2022 #30

Singer 503 Rockateer is the best, has heavy meatal gears. dem in texas May 2022 #31

skipped part of my story dem in texas May 2022 #32

A complicated set of events that lost me (having stored with a friend no fault of his) a lovely... electric_blue68 Nov 2022 #33