I am so excited it's pathetic - so please be patient with me while I babble on.....

Last night after my husband finished work we drove over an hour each way to purchase a treadle I had seen advertised the day before. I regularly drool over the amazing treadles I see on this board, and have been keen on getting one for ages but here, particularly in Western Australia, they are expensive and very hard to find.

So here it is....model number F2131086 - From my meagre research so far I believe it to have been made in the Kilbowie factory, Clydebank, Scotland circa 1912. It cost me $100 (Aus.) and is rather tired and grubby but it appears pretty much complete. The cabinet is in need of refinishing, but has no major damage and the machine itself seems to work (haven't really had too much time to "play"). The drawer handles are missing, but it came with a heap of bits and pieces and the original book (very tattered but the cover confirms the date 1912.

It's probably not every quilter's dream....but I am totally besotted with it....so Billy...Charlee and all the other "vintage lovers" I am sure to be reading all the treadle threads I can and humbly join your ranks as a "treadler in training".

I think it is beautiful- what a great project!

I am sooooo Jealious.... Its beautiful. When i was 5 or 6 I watched my DGparents tear theres apart to make a entry way stand. Now knowing what it is they tore up.. makes me sick, I could be using it... I am very very happy for you.... Have lots of fun with her... :)

Congrats! I think it's lovely and am green with envy. :mrgreen:

Enjoy your new machine, very exciting!

Walker, that's a BEAUTIFUL machine and cabinet, made more so by your love and excitement about it. The machine actually looks to be in pretty fair shape...a bit of TLC and you'll be rockin' and rollin'!! :)

beautiful, thanks for sharing

Ooooo lucky YOU! I am so jealous :D:D:D

I have that same cabinet. Actually yours is in better shape than mine was. She's a beauty! :thumbup: :thumbup:

That looks like a great machine and cabinet!!!

That's beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you!
I've been bitten by the vintage machine bug but don't have a treadle.......... yet!!
HAVE FUN!!! :D

it's a work of art in itself :thumbup:

Hi earthwalker, I am so happy for you I learnt to sew on a treadle machine, great value well done on finding it.
I went into an antique shop yesterday in toodyay and they had 3 for sale all over 250.00. and only 1 had a stand,
have fun with it,

Sounds like you got it for a good price as well as in pretty good shape! Have fun with your new/old treasure!

Congrats! I know and understand your excitement. Your machine looks very nice. Is it a singer 16K? If so this is what I found--A larger and heavier industrial model, that looks however like a domestic one- I have a red eye Singer 66 but we just bought a motorized Singer 201 and took the motor off. Now that one is in the treadle. Enjoy!!!!

Enjoy your "new" machine! Are you going to name her? :)

I saw a wonderful video where a fellow in San Fran put his treadle onto a sort of trolley and he wheels it out to the streets on a regular basis (I think one Thursday each month). He spends the day repairing people's clothing for free and he evidently has some loyal customers. It seemed like a nice project.

Oh You lucky thing!!!!!!! Yea you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!! How lucky you are! And even having parts of the manual. I have a White treadle with lots of accessories, which I have not used yet, but no manual. I did find mine is from the late 1800's. I did get a copy of the manual from a place in Michigan. Enjoy!!!

Beautiful machine. Enjoy your new toy.

Thanks everyone. It's nice to be able to share my joy with people who "get it"....the boys think I'm a little mad (ok, a lot!) and my husband can't understand why I don't want a new machine with all the bells and whistles. He is quite keen on helping me with some restoration which should be fun.

I think it's a 16K which had a quantity of 60000 allotted. The allotted year is 1910, though the F series are dated 1912, which I think is the actual year of release.

Haven't named it yet....I think I'll save that for after a bit of restoration and some test driving. Anyway, thanks again....happy quilting.

That is a really nice machine under the grime, and depending where you are down under your lucky to have it in that nice of condition!! Honestly it shouldnt take a whole lot to make a really nice machine out of it. Just take the machine out of the cabinet, the cabinet off of the treadle and get ready to have fun!!

Billy

Lovely! Thanks for sharing :) I have 25 machines, and never get tired of looking at them - this would be my dream machine too :)

So cool!

My mom taught me how to sew on one...she used hers until her eyes wouldn't let her sew anymore...she still won't give it up....

Oh my, enjoy the heck out of it. I would love to have one too. I hear that they are very relaxing to use it.

Babble all you want Earthwalker. Happy you found one. Enjoy using it.

Congratulations on your new treadle!

Paint me green with envy. I learned to sew on my Gramdmothers treadle. We used to ship it back and forth from Oklahoma to St Louis, on Greyhound and it cost ten dollars to ship. She lost it in a flood.

Congratulations! I got my treadle not too long ago and made a quilt top on it and it is just the most fun.

You are so lucky, it's beautiful, a little work and it will be a marvel. I so envy you.