Originally Posted by vintagemotif
I own a Free No.5 too. The treadle is broken and I haven't gotten around to fixing that yet. I'm slowly cleaning and fixing the broken machines/treadles. I love the decals on the Free No. 5. I really should bring that machine into the house and have it also decorate my bookcase along with my other machines, since I can't use it right now.
Nancy, owns a Free No.5 that she treadles.
Yes, I have done a lot of piecing with my Free #5 pictured here on page 627. Trish has one on page 780, 111, and 816. Nana on page 774, Monica (Vintagemotif) on page 782, Kitzone on page 816, Lauren has one, Playswithcolor has one, Debbie, Rajean on page 1236, and Buslady on page 1209. These are the ones I noted. The Free #5 is a very easy machine to treadle and sew with. The Free Sewing Machine Co. was in business from 1910 to about 1958, although, some report that the company had started even earlier. The Free #5 takes normal 15X1 needles so it is an easy machine to use/own.
My piecing machine now is my National Two Spools, though! The Two Spools runs so much longer with the 'two' spools of thread as opposed to a bobbin, plus the regular foot of the Two Spools is exactly 1/4"!
Nancy