Originally Posted by IT_Nana

I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine many years ago. I never knew her as she passed away at the age of 52 long before I was born. She and my grandpa homesteaded in northwestern Kansas and started their family in a sod house. As typical of many farm wives of that era, she sewed clothes for the entire family as well as raise a garden and chickens and cook huge meals for farm hands. I don't know how those women did it with none of the conveniences we have.

Anyway, this sewing machine is a Free brand and still worked the last time I tried it. Just yesterday I re-arranged my sewing room/guest room and set it up rather than having it folded up with the machine inside. Do you have any idea how old this is? The drawers all work, but I know there is a front piece missing in the middle. I've looked and looked for that piece, and one time about 10 years ago found a machine like it in an antique shop, but we were 1,000 miles from home in a small car and no way to transport it.

As you can see, this machine was very well used and well loved. My mother told me that her Mom gave it a fresh coat of varnish every year! My husband plans to refinish it...he said the wood should be very well preserved under all that varnish!

I'd appreciate any info you can provide.

******

I forgot to mention that Mom told me that my grandmother could look at a picture of a dress and cut a pattern to fit her daughters....very talented and creative. I wish I could have known her.

Originally Posted by Crossstitcher

I have a question DH and I just bought a fiddle base machine and we can't find any names or number anywhere on it. We will post pictures soon but what I need to know now is how to thread the boat shuttle. We have tried and can't get it to work. Looked on the net and can't find a guide. So if any of you have a boat shuttle machine can you tell us how to thread it?

The free machine is very pretty and like someone else said try and use her your grandmother would be proud.

Originally Posted by IT_Nana

I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine many years ago. I never knew her as she passed away at the age of 52 long before I was born.

Anyway, this sewing machine is a Free brand and still worked the last time I tried it. Just yesterday I re-arranged my sewing room/guest room and set it up rather than having it folded up with the machine inside. Do you have any idea how old this is?
I'd appreciate any info you can provide.

******

I forgot to mention that Mom told me that my grandmother could look at a picture of a dress and cut a pattern to fit her daughters....very talented and creative. I wish I could have known her.

Originally Posted by Glenn

Nancy please no water it will loosen the veener because it was glued down with hyde glue(old glue pot type). You may wipe down the piece with turps or denatured alcohol only. This will neutralize the stripper so stain and shellac will stick to the wood. The brass brush is a small parts brush about the size of a toothbrush, the brass bristle will not hurt the wood since they are softer than a regular wire brush. The finish with white specks in the grain is known as pickling and it not appropriate for sewing machine cabinets. Some people call it white washing and was very popular for oak floors and kitchen cabinets. If all the white paint can't be removed you can use a gel stain this will cover the white much better than regular stain. I know it is no fun stipping paint from oak because of the open grain. I have even used dental picks to get the stain out of the grain but very time consuming. Glenn

Originally Posted by dirty1mom

Does anyone know anything about and I quote "new domestic shuttle treadle sewing machine"? Craigslist owner says it works, the pictures show a beautiful machine and coffin cabinet. Wondering if I should spend the &75.00 on her. What do you all think?

Originally Posted by IT_Nana

I inherited my grandmother's sewing machine many years ago.

Anyway, this sewing machine is a Free brand and still worked the last time I tried it.

Originally Posted by BoJangles

Hello Nana! Congratulations on your beautiful Free! Look at page 627 here. I have a Free just like yours, but your cabinet is gorgeous and different from mine. This is the treadle I am using for all my quilt piecing now. I love my machine! Banjo sits in my sewing room (my Free is a boy named after my daughter's pony - Banjo walked, trotted, and loped/cantered slow -- that is what my Free does, he just trucks along at his own speed no matter how fast I treadle!).

The Free Sewing Machine Company operated from 1910 to 1958. I have a friend who also owns a Free and she has it's original receipt. I don't remember what her serial number is, but the serial number on my Free is C83642, which we figured made my machine around 1913. What is the serial number of your machine?

Yes, I understand the work and talent of those women. My own Mother could design dresses from just her own ideas. She always motified her store bought clothes to make them nicer.

Nancy