Originally Posted by jljack
I just saw this machine on eBay....I have looked and Googled and I can't find a reference to it. It says Free Westinghouse. Anyone know anything about this one?
Hi, I have one of these...i think! I have a Portman that looks exactly like this, it has a case that opens up and slides around the freearm to make a flat sewing surface, similar to some of the vintage Elnas. The Portman was made by the Portman Sewing Machine Company and the company eventually folded. I think I've seen references to these machines in reference to being competitors to the Singer 221, but we all know which machine survived.
Maybe Free-Westinghouse either badged this one or perhaps the were the ones who bought Portman when it was foundering.
It's a cute machine, and sews nicely. The handwheel at the bottom is different, and I get a little mixed up when I sew with it until I get my brain reoriented, as then still reach up when i want the handwheel!
Jane