Blackberry

We were looking at a Martha Washington Sewing Machine Cabinet that we needed for my White Rotary Electric Machine. We noticed that the knee bar lever for the knee control was on the left side of the cabinet. We have never seen anything like this. It just doesn't seem right. I don't know if it was made that way or someone changed the location of the knee control. Does anyone here have any thoughts as to why it is on the left. Was originally built that way or has it been modified.

Barb in Louisiana

Wow! That is odd looking. I don't know anything about these tables. Through the years I have sewed on several different knee control desks and all have been on the other side, which if you are looking at the machine, it would be on my right.

Kitsie

Maybe some left-handers are left-knee'ers too!

QuiltE

............ exactly where my mind went!
(maybe because my sister is a leftie?)


I will say, I learned to sew on a knee-pedal machine.
It was a huge learning curve when I had a foot pedal, and added in the knee-lift-lever.
Needless to say ... I soon became a leftie for the foot pedal. Rightie for the knee-lift!

suern3

I had a Pencrest machine in a cabinet that I got in the 60's. The knee control was on the left. I could still feel it when I looked at the picture. Seems normal to me.

JustAbitCrazy

I remember lots of machines in the 50's had a left side knee lever (to lift the presser foot, I think). I think those in my home-economics class had them, because I remember using them and you pushed the lever to the outside. The only machine we had at home was a grandmother's non-electric sewing machine, so it must have been the machines in home-ec that I remember using.

Macybaby

I have the same cabinet, will have to go look at what side mine is on. based on the bar coming from the right side, I expect it was made to go on the right side, but could be flipped on mounted to the left if the owner preferred that.

I've got quite a few White cabinets, and all those I've checked have had the control lever mounted to the right side.

Macybaby

Ran out and looked - mine has the exact same setup as yours -mounted to the left side. It's connected to the motor controller.

lindaschipper

I've only seen the Martha Washington cabinets with the 3 drawers in the middle and the 2 end storage units. Seeing one for a sewing machine is new to me.....gott look for one of these when I antique hunt!

Macybaby

Linda, they are quite a bit larger than the storage cabinets. They are really neat as one side drops down when you open the top flap.









I bought the cabinet with plans of putting the old White we found when cleaning out the attic of the family farmhouse after my Mom died. None of my siblings had a clue where the machine came from, but we are pretty sure it was the original machine that came in the cabinet my Mom had her fancy new zig zag machine in (back in the 60's) that she would not let any of us kids use until we learned to sew on the old straight stitch Singer.