Foot Pedal Wire Too Short
 

I did my first project on my new(old) Sovereign machine. Very odd but the foot pedal doesn't reach the floor because the cord isn't long enough. So I put the pedal on top of an inverted trash can and used it anyway. I guess I need a new foot pedal with a longer wire. I decided to take my time looking for a case and for right now, I just cover the machine with a plastic bag.

All I did was put a sharp tipped needle on the machine and she went through 8 layers of Crypton upholstery fabric like it was nothing. Perfect stitching. In no time at all the zipper was in and I had a new dog bed. I do think I need to buy one of those teflon roller feet for heavy fabric. That might make it easier. My next project will be a denim quilt.

When I was researching buying a vintage machine, all roads seemed to lead here so I joined. All I was looking for was a reasonably priced machine that would sew upholstery fabric. I had looked at a lot of new machines that I knew wouldn't hold up even though the price tags were outrageous. I ended up with a Singer(Lotus) treadle and the Sovereign. They are both amazing machines. You can't beat the modern machines for decorative stitches and special applications but for straight sewing, you can't beat the old metal machines. Now that I know I can restore an old machine, it's hard to resist buying more. I understand how you end up with a 'stable' of vintage machines. I love the challenge of making them work again and redoing the finish. It was a lot of fun.

Thanks for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you! It never would have occurred to me that I could turn one of those old rusty hulks into a working machine.

Yes, it is fun to find them, buy them, clean them, fix them, and sew on them. I am not stopping yet and I have 16 machines total and 14 are vintage/antique. It is not a very expensive hobby for me to collect machines but it sure does take a lot of room to house those treadles which are my favorites. Let us know if you are able to stop at two!

Patty,

I've bought machines with too short foot controller cords. There are several ways to fix that.

One:
If the cords are in good condition you can splice in an extension piece. I've done it, it's safe and works good. Solder the splices together and use heat shrink to insulate them. Then I put connectors on the ends so I have a good strong connection inside the controller.

Two:
If the cords are questionable, replace the cord block, or rewire it.

Either way you won't need to replace the foot controller unless it's got a problem too.

Joe

i found this site and fell into the addiction too! once you realize how great these vintage machines are, not to mention cheap, it's hard to resist rescuing them!

Perhaps the pedal could be rigged for knee operating?

i was thinking about this and wondering if the too-short-to-reach-the-floor cord is because it's meant to go in a cabinet with a knee lever. there are lots of cabinets around on craigslist, at least around here, if you wanted to try that. i love a knee lever.