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? Treadle Sewing Machine

16 years ago

Does anyone use a treadle machine? I may be on the receiving end of my husbands grandmothers machine. It is in good working order and has everything with it needed. I am an experienced seamstress but have no idea what I may be getting myself into. Would love to hear from any of you that use one. Thanks in advance. By the way, if I dont take it it will go to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. I hate for a family heirloom to do that.

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Comments (4)

rolsgrl
16 years ago
I have a treadle machine and love it. It's a german made Vesta, over 70 years old. It sews a beautiful straight stitch. Using the treadle is also good exercise. No way would I give that machine away. If nothing else it would make a nice decorative piece.
bonnie-w
16 years ago
I learned to sew years ago on a Singer treadle machine. It was a great old machine. My Mother sewed everything on it from bridesmaid dress to boat canvas. It may take you a while to get used to the treadle action, but its worth it. When you put your feet on the treadle the left should be up higher than the right. I agree you should never get rid of it.

Bonnie
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My mother was given a family sewing machine from my father's side of the family. Lore has it that a great aunt sewed a vest for Tom Thumb on it. This man was a circus performer. My father was born in the 1890s, so our Singer was pretty old too. It had a very nice wood box and cabinet on decorative cast iron legs. I learned to sew on this Singer treadle machine and preferred it to the electric ones because it was so easy to control.
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Never seen rust on an old treadle either. Sometimes a little on the iron of the treadle works. Did you mean 1887? Depending on the date of manufacture, appropriate needles can be hard to get, but there are online sources who carry original ones if you can get a size on them. The bobbin should be with the machine, or several in fact. If it's a round bobbin you may have better luck replacing them. My machines are all long bobbins but they're available as well online and are old salvadge originals. The bobbin chase is another story, so hopefully all parts are intact. It's also hard to get good leather replacement belts. I buy belts from Lehman's hardware in Amish country, but they carry rubber ones and they are not nearly as good as leather. I have no clue on how to remove silver spray paint. I successfully removed gilt paint somebody used on a pair of 1930s lamps with acetone nail polish remover, but I guess it's going to depend on the solvent carrier in the paint on your machine. What a pity. By all means, try to get that serial number. It'll nail your manufacture date on an old Singer.
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Comments (7)
It's my goal for the upcoming winter to learn how to use the treadle I bought last year. I've never used one. Although my grandmother had one, I never saw her using it. I'm sure she sewed a lot in earlier years, having 12 kids. By the time I came along (maybe the 12th grandchild), I think she was just kind of worn out. Once I get so I can sew a straight line of stitches, I'd like to try free-motion quilting with it. A couple of years ago, I went to a quilt show in Wisconsin where Damascusannie (she used to be a frequent poster here--collected antique machines including a Damascus) was demonstrating FMQ on her treadle. That was when I decided I needed a treadle and wanted to learn to quilt with it. My treadle (named her BellaRuby as she's a beautiful Red Eye Singer) only has the regular foot and it's a back-clamp one. So after learning to make it go and before challenging myself with FMQ, I need to get an appropriate foot. Likely I'll have to convert the machine to a side-attaching bar as finding the back-clamping foot might be tough. Treadle on has some excellent instructions (and knowledgeable members) to help me with this conversion.
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Comments (8)
When I converted my old machine back to electric, I found they had reversed the wheel and shaft end on the machine and had to flip it back around. There were long and complicated directions on how to do it on the web, I was following, and then just deep-sixed them and figured it out myself. They made a mountain out of a molehill and it was much easier than they made it out to be. You absolutely must have the groove on the shaft coming out of the machine next to the wheel you move by hand, to accommodate the belt. You will find that many old electric machines can be stuck in the base for a treadle machine and some gals did that when electrics became available so they didn't have to buy a new cabinet. That could lead a person to think a machine was once a treadle machine when it wasn't. Mine is a late 1800s model and has the long bobbin. I don't mind it, but I don't think it holds as much bobbin thread as a round bobbin treadle. Mine doesn't, anyway. Yes, belts are still available. I like the old leather belts but they're harder to get. Lehman's non-electric store (they're on the web and I buy a lot from them) has rubber machine belts, but I have to occasionally adjust the belt tension as they seem to stretch more than a leather belt.
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joansews4u
16 years ago
I sewed on my mother's as a child & have it now as a decorative piece. Her's was converted to electric but could be switched back by removing the belt from the motor & replacing the treadle belt. It will stay in our family for many years to come based on the interested parties now. Even the younger males in the family gaze it at lovingly & mention MaMa when they see it. It's part of the whole family's past as mother used it often in everyone's presence, I am just housing it & in no way would I want it to even go to a stranger, much less the Goodwill.

I have a friend who has one as a kitchen island work counter with a piece of a huge layered ceiling beam on top for the counter top. She got the beam at a place that does beams for vaulted ceilings like in churches. It is beautiful sitting out in the middle of the floor.
spage1
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks to all who responded. If I am offered it I will certainly take it. I may return and ask for help on learning to sew on it, sounds like it could be fun and good exercise too. Thanks again

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