Found the floor!
 

I got tired of tripping over sewing machines in the hall, den, library . . . and I needed to get things cleaned up around the quilt frame so I could use it.

That ans realizing DH isn't going to get the building done any time soon . . .

So last weekend I got started arranging things. I didn't do much put find better places to put things - mostly by double stacking my attachment boxes.


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Want to guess how many sewing machines are in there (not counting the three plastic toys)?

I'll help to say that one of the coffin tops and one of the parlor cabinets do not have machines with them. The W &G case and the Featherweight case barely peaking out in the first/second picture are also empty - but the rest of the cases/cabinets have a machine in them.

Envy is all I have to say.

My guess is that you have more than me. My count is 31!

this reminds me of last summer talking to a guy. Who said he use to collect irons ( as his wife gets a huge smile) he says well over 500, which he kept upstrairs

until ...

his wife notice the ceiling bowing down !!

lets guess on the machines, I guess 4 1/2 tons. The upside is when the wind blows, the house will still be there

I'm gonna guess...99 or 128....two of my favorite models. :D
10X you are toooo funny! But yikes on the ceiling bowing! I bet that is a real danger. Lol.

I'm not even going to try. At least you didn't ask how many attachments instead.
It looks good in there though. Everything is nice & neat.
Rodney

Looks really good. Would love to come see them all up close and personal. I love the vacuum cleaner brush on one of them!

Dang that's a lot of machines!

Are you planning on opening a store?..........:)

Where is S.D are you? I stayed in Winner for a few months, then over near Gregory.

This was around 14 yrs ago.

I love that wall of machines...so pretty!

What a great display of your wonderful collection. I'm guessing at least 41 machines.

There are 56. Two are hard to see - just the edge of a white case in the closet, and just the very tip of the head is showing on another that is under one of the treadles.

My jaw just hit the ground. What an awesome collection. Quiet a history in all these beauties.
peace

Awesome...and I get somewhat overwhelmed with 10 in my sewing room, but don't we love them all.

love your machine all I can say is wow my husband thought 3 was to many

Cathy, I counted 54 from just looking at the photos! Wow! I would be in serious trouble if I had that many -- I not only wouldn't be able to see the floor, I couldn't find my bed! That would NEVER work! LOL!

Jeanette

you have a fantastic collection... Beautiful machines .. I would not want to guess....

That's fantastic, tho it is not nice to make me drool all over my computer.

I look at that and all I think is that I would be a horrible guest because I would want to turn every wheel, look under every top, and open every box of attachments. And probably ask about 10,000 questions. Essentially, I'd turn into a 5 year old. LOL

Candy for the candy lover.

You have an amazing collection! And I'll bet you love every one of them too.

Love it! I need a set of shelves for my few. I now have 7 old ones. Six in the last 4 months. I am not a sewing machine collector. I'm not. I'm NOT.

I'm pointing and laughing. :D
It's really easy to get hooked on these old girls. They have an appeal a new machine can never match.
Rodney

So how long before you open your museum? Will there be campsites close by? Can I spend the whole day? I promise to bring my own drooling bibs.

I want to come and play at your house!!!!! What gorgeous machines and cabinets.

What sewing machines? I don't see any sewing machines!! Lol!! Color me green with envy!

Great idea for a summer outing.

I live less than 15 minutes from Mitchell SD, where there are several campgrounds and hotels. Just don't expect to get a room during hunting season unless you reserve way ahead.

And if you really want to go rustic, you can set up out back. This place was a working farm at one time- so lots of room and easy turnaround for large vehicles.

Those last few photos made me think of the All Saints stores particularly the one in Seattle that someone on the board posted photos of a couple of years back. All looks nice and neat and tidy now. I am thinking that will make it easier when you finally get to move them into the new building ..... which by the way it turning out very nicely!

I love it all. You are so collected and precise. I was in Texas last week, and the GS took us on a day trip to Wimberly, a little antique-y town with all kinds of little "stop in and browse" places; and I saw an old machine up high on a shelf in a closet and forgot to ask if I could see it. Cannot believe that I did that. I am kicking myself all the way to Texas and back, now that I am back on the board and reading all these things everyone was doing while I was gone. It would have made a perfect hand-crank, but we had a whining 5-year old with us, and we were being urged to "let's get to the car"......

Eventually all the treadle machines on the "wall" will have bases that fit into my converted parlor cabinet. Then no matter which one someone wants to try out, there will be a treadle it fits into. I also plan on making a universal hand crank that will mount to the same base for each machine.

Then - on to make a few collapsible treadle bases for traveling . . .

Fantastic! I love the idea of the "which one would you like to try?" setup. That is brilliant.

I am in awe of anyone with more than a 12. When I see more in a personal collection than I see in an antique store, it's like I just don't have the time I would like to have. Beautiful!

Am wondering.....when will you have time to USE any of the machines? Sounds like a lot of work down the road to get all that done. Thanks for sharing, and good luck with the completion of your building.

Sharon, this is a long term project. It is mostly for education. My Singer collection (there are only a few Singers in that group) is my "personal" collection. The others are for the Museum. They are mostly top clamp machines or the older style where the foot goes directly on the bar instead of the adapter going on the bar and the foot to the adapter.

The true goal is the attachments. Detailed measurements of what each machine takes (I think I'm up to near 20 variations). And also shuttles/bobbins. A resource for those with machines so they can more easily figure out what will fit it.

For the collection- it's "High Arm" style machines, so late 1800's to mid 1940's.

I wanted one machine for each of the 12 Boye shuttle styles (still missing one). Boye researched machines and came up with these 12 to fit most US made machines available at the time (early 1900's). It does not include them ALL, only the more common. Though some of them went out of business around the same time frame

Older round bobbin machines

3/4 size machines of the same time period.

Chain Stitch machines of the same time period.

Post WW2 Japanese made "dash board" machines - just because they look so neat!


As to sewing, I like sewing more than I like sewing machines, so I make sure to find plenty of time for that! However most of the machines I use regularly aren't super old.

So, do you have an Eldredge Two Spool? I didn't see one in the pictures, but it's pretty hard to see what's there.

Maviskw, less than half the machines I own are in that room. Technically the two spool belongs to my husband, it's in a treadle cabinet in the bedroom.

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*** Nice
*** If only I had theat much room.
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I am green with envy! I don't have many vintage or antique machines...but someday! Would love to place them on the shelves in my sewing room window. Never open that window so it would be something really special for me. Besides...what a great security system...no one in their right mind would attempt to get in that window.