Free # C249139
 

Aloha
My name is Susan and i am a fibre artist and muscian. I love to sew and quilt! I just picked up my second Free Treadle. I am wondering how I can find out the date of my machine. The serial number is C249139, it is a #5. I plan on piecing a quilt on it just to do it. I am pretty excited about the project, should be fun. Hope someone out there knows how to find these serial numbers. Singer has good resource but I am interested in the Free Sewing Manufacturing Co. out of Rockford, IL
Mahalo for any help
Susan

I found quite a bit of info here https://sewingiscool.com/dating-a-fr...machine-value/ It has a link for the ISMAC site which may give you more info. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your machine.

Welcome to Quilting Board. We have a section here for vintage & antique machines at https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintag...thusiasts-f22/ that you may get more responses if you post there.

I'm thinking that it probably looks similar to one of Leon's machines as seen at https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulle...s-t292096.html. There are videos for the different rotoscillo movements at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHdjd3ejKgs&t=387s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHdjd3ejKg

As you have found out that it is difficult to date non-Singer machines. Since one of Leon's is a Western Electric, probably dated about 1917 or 1918. There was some association between Free and other manufacturers. Free started advertising their rotoscillo movements in 1908. I know Dianne has a Free #5 that she believes is about 1913.

If you do not have a manual, I think that the one found at https://ismacs.net/free/manuals/free...-ce-manual.pdf would be close to what you need.

We like pictures. In order to post pictures on Quilting Board, you will probably need to reduce or compress the picture to a file size that is smaller than 2MB. How to post images can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...020-01-17-.pdf
Don't forget to scroll over to the far right to find and click on the "Upload" button.

I have found that only the big red "Reply" button or "Quote" work to give me the paper clip icon to work for adding pictures.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...p-location.jpg

Some additional info regarding reducing images at post #4 and images for the scroll and upload button can be found at #5 of https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...d-t312607.html

Another way to post pictures can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/showpo...postcount=1143

Or simply - Make sure pictures are smaller than 2MB
Click on red "Reply" button
Click on the paper clip icon
Click browse - choose picture/s. (only 5 allowed per post)
Once they show up as being loaded, Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
After the pictures show up as being attached, you can close that window and go back to the screen to finish posting your post.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

Giggle, I was going to show you my FREEs, but my friend Janey beat me to it. Thanks Janey.

After a brief search for dates, I decided I didn't need them.
Welcome form Kansas, UISA