Treadle sewing Machines???????
 

In a quilting magazine (can't rmember which one) there was an article about a group of people taking treadle sewing machines to the women in aferica to use as they are in an area where eletricity is none exsistant. in short supply. My question is there a company or companys that manufacture these machines? Being without electricity this past week has made a new interest in having one of these.

I'm pretty sure the machines they are sending are vintage ones that have been reconditioned so they will work well. Having a treadle isn't a bad idea if you have power outages. We are in the remote areas of upper michigan and there are a lot of people that have treadles because they don't have electricity. They really work well.... love using them.

My 15 year old daughter is sure "the grid's going down." Now, I'll be ready!

My SIL believes the same thing and is wanting a good semi-modern machine in a treadle. I got her beat, I have four. :D

Joe

You just never know.....................

Singer still makes a treadle machine, but it's a straight stitch clone. Janome has a modern treadle as well. Both are newly manufactured machines, and neither are as good as the older machines.
Singer made several machines with zigzag features that can be put in a treadle cabinet and treadled... those are the ones I'd go for.

Any pics or prices on these "New" treadles? I am looking for a handcrank machine, any "new" handcranks being made (metal not plastic) ???? Thanks Vickie

http://content.janome.com/index.cfm/...Specialty/712T

http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/se...FSUbQgodaSSaSw

are you talking about the one, where they ( The group ) wany YOU to give them $100. They get the machine, restore it and shipping to africa,,

They then teach the woman to sew, get her a job, Charge her $500, once paid off she's on her own.. and they show a room full of women, all sitting with treadle machines.. all wearing late 50's style long dress.. all using the very same style machine. whick look like 15's . every machine had the same dark cabinet, all the heads where shinny ..

we hear singer still made 15's in south africa untill mid 90's, the we hear there still made ??... Then even on this site we see photo's of treadle's said to have been sold by wal mart @299. bathroom type cabinet, plastic machine head.

why would any large Group bother which buingy any machine here in this country, restore it and ship,, when shipping is said to be the largest overhead involed.

The numbers don't add up. ,, These's are the sweat shops this country had, now there globle and get moved from small country to another ... This started in the 70's,, with very well sewn shirt's shirts from countrys, That we never hear of... rememeber the plaid shirts with the ploy linning.

My questions are

why isn't goodwill Donating machines .

what about st vinny's

Why does none on C'L taking of selling these to that group..

Why are they not asking for Donations of old machines from us ?

or people to locate those ?

call them up. tell them you have a few machines to give them,, you'll ship those to there location and see what there reply is > ?? :shock:

better yet say you have a quilting group, that will buy and pay for goodwill auctions, but they have to pay the shipping to there place of restoring and shipping.. no out of pocket cash involed, LOL

I really do have a bridge , it's NOT for sale.

As i work with a Women's group that provides treadles for women in rural Kenya, I can speak to this with authority. for 150.00 we buy new treadles in Africa for the village. Nothing as solid as the original Singers etc but they still provide a means for women to support their families making things to sell.
We are a small non-denominational group ( Women of Purpose International) that has outreaches in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Ghana. Education in Sierra Leone, small business set ups in the other countries. Prayer for all. The group in Sierra Leone makes the most amazing Batiks.