Originally Posted by
GreyQ
....there are charities which place treadles and other vintage machines in places with few resources.....
It appears that modernization is changing the need for treadle and handcrank sewing machines in remote places that have little or no electrical grid. They are turning to solar power at those sites, so treadles are on their way out even in those places.
I spend a little time scouring YouTube for videos of sewing in remote locations, and have been finding videos showing the benefit of using solar panels to power electric machines for sewing centers in remote villages. The village may not have electrical power, but the sewing room does. No electrical power is used for lighting, only for machine power. They have a few models of electric machines that they prefer to use because of the combination of a durable machine and low energy requirements. Plus, they get all of the stitch types that they want.
Who knows, maybe in the not-too-distant future, overseas charity organizations may begin sending treadle sewing machines to needy quilters in the USA....
CD in Oklahoma