An Addition to the Fleet: Maybe
It all happened so innocently. I was sitting at the computer writing blog posts. I had the Messenger program open on my computer too when I messaged popped up from a childcare friend of mine….
“Good morning! I just got a text from a good friend of mine. She was wanting your #. She has an old sewing machine. Do you have a number she can contact you at?”
Hmmm. How do you answer that? What kind of old sewing machine? Hmm. I really shouldn’t be collecting more sewing machines. Truthfully, I need ZERO more. But what kind was it? Maybe it was good? Okay I’ll risk it and gave her my number.
A half hour later I got a phone call. The lady was super sweet. She had a machine. It was an old Singer….”the kind our Grandma’s had” she said. Hmm.
As the conversation progressed I learned that her husband does field tiling and works with big equipment. He was at a site years ago and this machine was in a building that was getting torn down. Her husband rescued the machine and gave it to her. She had it for a few years and she had it completely restored. She said it was in mint condition and it was a Singer.
Now I was really excited. After a few more questions I found out that it was a treadle…and that’s all I know…except that she doesn’t want anything for it. She wants it have a good home and they are delivering it to my house later this afternoon….
WOW. I’m excited. I have two treadles in the house…but surely I could find a spot for another…or maybe I could keep this one and pass one of mine on or maybe I could be a link it a chain that gets a treadle sewing machine to one of my bloggers. Hmmm. The possibilities were running through my head.
I got to thinking if I swapped it out with one of mine if I couldn’t find spot to put this one but I’m a little sentimental about my machines. Maybe I could pass on my treadle to someone….a pay it forward kind on thing. OH MY.
Do you think it’s a parlor cabinet? My Franklin has a parlor cabinet.
Here I am playing with it the day the kids gave it to me.
Do you think it’s the style of my other treadle…a more traditional cabinet?
Oh my. It could be a red eye.
I have a fixer upper treadle in the garage that is a red eye. The machine is in very used condition though. The cabinet isn’t bad.
Oh could it be the dream machine I’d love to find. Maybe it’s a Lotus….like this one…
Isn’t that design amazing???
Well try as I might, I tried to get back to writing blog posts. It was hard. My mind was pinging around like a kid at Christmas wondering what the machine and cabinet might be.
I finally sat down and concentrated long enough to write this blog post….and then I got to this point. My excitement is still there but now I’m waiting. I’m waiting for the machine to arrive because yes, not only is giving me the machine, she’s delivering to my house!!!!!
I really don’t mind whatever style the cabinet or machine is. I don’t mind if I’m just a middle man to find it a good home. I don’t mind if it’s actually a fixer upper machine. All I know, I’m loving the anticipation of not knowing. I did get permission to pass the machine on if I don’t keep it so maybe one of you will want it?? Okay…now just thinking of that are you also so full of anticipation?? It’s exciting….or as exciting as I like my world to be.
I did do all the stings of this quilt using a treadle…
It was so fun. This is Bonnie Hunter’s Daylilies quilt from her book String Fling. I’d love to do another string project with the treadle.
Well at last my anticipation was over. They delivered the machine! So do you want to know what the machine is….THIS!!
This is the cabinet. They took the machine out for easier moving….
The cabinet is in awesome shape…the finish on it is awesome.
The knobs are in the drawer…and there’s a nice accessories box with accessories included.
The machine itself has some scratches and dings. She’ll likely work though. Being the head isn’t in the case I didn’t give her a try. There is a new belt included.
You can see she was loved but likely has some work left in her.
Her front plate is a beauty with beautiful scroll work. I love this style of plate…so pretty.
Here’s her serial number. I looked it up. She’s a 66 model and was made in August of 1925. She’s head towards a 100 year birthday.
That so amazes me. What other useful machine can last a span of years like sewing machines have?
So what am I going to do? I’m going to find a home for her. Are you interested? I’m hoping to find someone who will love and play with her. Of course I will pass her along cost free. You’d have to make your way to my house to pick her up though.
How fun…first I turn into a fabric jockey and now it appears I’m taking on the roll of sewing machine jockey too. I love it!!
If you’re interested, let me know…my email is rogjok@iowatelecom.net