Originally Posted by purplefiend
Vintagemotif,
My 201K was originally a hand crank brought over from England, I bought it in 2007. After winding the 1st bobbin, I put it in the Singer straight leg treadle cabinet and have treadled it ever since.
My granddaughters have been using it as a hand crank as they learn to sew. They like the control they have.
I think it is fantastic that your granddaughters are taking an interest in the vintage machines. My son, age 14, only likes to loosen the wheel and then read while treadling. I have asked him if he wishes to learn to sew, make a pillowcase, but all he did was try to run fabric through once to get a feel of the process.
The 201k is still my favorite, and then I think it is my Davis NVF. The shuttle to the Davis doesn't bother me, and the machine is very forgiving to my errors, good workhorse of a machine. My Mr. Two Spools has a quirkiness to him, typical of a cowboy, but he is still fun to sew with. And the 15-90 is great for FM quilting, which I have that machine set up for only that use. Since I have the 201 in the living room (me keeping my husband company while watching tv), the 201 will be used for piecing and sewing clothes. It is fun using different machines for different tasks.