There used to be a lady who frequented the quilting forum and went by the name of Damascus Annie. Whoa boy, did she know her treadle machines. She would have been able to tell you anything you wanted to know about it. I have an old Ohio Farmer Machine, and it is very like yours in the tension design and it wouldn't surprise me if it were made by the Reliance Company either........who did make machines under different brand names. Mine also comes with a host of accessories and I use it and in fact learnt to sew on a treadle machine. It's what we had in school....sort of like learning to drive on a stick shift. Does this one have a round or shuttle type bobbin? The cabinet looks more modern than mine and I'd guess my machine is a late 1800s model by the ornate gilt designs and wrought iron gingerbread. Your's looks like it may be as late as early 1900s and it is in quite good shape. Can't tell you more than that, but a serial or model number would help. It should be somewhere on the sewing head, and engraved in.

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.

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.

Aloha Lamguy, What a sweetie you are to buy a treadle for your wife even if you don't see exactly what she would want it for! Consider it sort of the same as using hand tools to do woodworking. As a craft, woodworking or sewing with handtools has a nicer "feel" to it. I use a treadle for many of my sewing projects because it is a much more controlled machine than the electric ones. It also makes a better stitch and I find the treadle action to be soothing. I also use hand planes to finish wood and my husband doesn't understand that either. He did buy me a nice double action air sander - with an air compressor, too - which I'll use for the rough sanding, but will probably use the planes for the final finish for the flat areas. ( I'll do that when he isn't looking.) My newest treadle showed up last week, a White rotary probably made in the late 1800's. It is in real good condition with a fancy cabinet, but does have a few issues here and there. I've been doing a bit of restoration to the cabinet and it looks like the original finish is shellac. If the finish on your wife's "new" sewing machine is also shellac, it is an easy finish to renew. I've been using very fine steel wool moistened with a teeny bit of soapy water to clear off the accumulation of old wax and polishes. (Probably more elbow grease than water.) After getting the old stuff off, I'll just put another light top coat of new shellac on it using the "French polishing" method. One of the darker shellacs, probably either seedlac or garnet shellac. Very easy and will hopefully be the same as the original finish. The other way this is an easy finish is that it is renewing the existing finish and not entirely refinishing it. Much less work and then I'll be able to start sewing sooner. A hui hou, Cathy