Joining the Vintage Club!
 

I am really not sure why I haven't joined the Vintage club before,as I have been here over a year!! I must admit to being somewhat obsessed (actually totally obsessed), with finding a Featherweight.. so much so that I didn't think about posting one of my most beloved treasures!!! :D
Soooo I decided today was the day to showcase my beloved Gram's 1924 Singer Treadle machine that was given to me by my mother in the late 1990's.... bless her heart!!! It's a Model 66 set in her original cabinet. My Gram bought her 2nd hand in about 1926 or 27 as close as my mom can remember. I know she looks pretty rough as cleaning wasn't one of the things Grandma worried about, she was too busy sewing!! The cabinet has some light stains where Gram would set her hot cup of coffee, but those are memories for me! This machine means sooooo much to me because every time I look at it I see my beloved grandmother sitting there sewing away, happy as can be! Today,"Mary" named after my gram, proudly sits in my sewing room! Grandma made her entire wardrobe every year on this treadle. She made everything from Lingerie to Leisure Suits and everything in between!! She didn't need or want any other machine her entire life!! She was a whiz at sewing and an incredible Seamstress! Nothing ever stopped her from creating the most beautiful clothing and all without fancy stitches!! She loved her machine so much, and I am so deeply appreciative that I have it now and love it just as much!!
My uncle put a light and motor on it in the 70's or so, Gram didn't want any of it, but he insisted. The first thing I did when I got her was have my hubby take off that darned ol' motor and light. I am positive I heard a sigh of happiness from my Gram from up in heaven! lol
I am interested in getting the machine cleaned up as much as possible. I know there are tutorials here on how to accomplish that. I have done quite a bit of research on my precious little treadle and have printed out everything, I plan to make a little book of information on it.
As you can see from the photos I have the original manual and quite a few different feet for her and tons of bobbins. I even have an oil can which isn't shown.
If you look at my Avatar you will see that one of my kitties (R.I.P) loved sitting right in the middle of the machine... as my grandmother hated cats.. I am sure she was looking down very disapprovingly!! lol..
I hope you enjoy the pics!

Very nice, such a treasure! I have that same table, and with Singer 66 inside, but a redeye. I wish it was my grandmothers..I bought mine a month ago at a consignment shop. I just love her!

A Red Eye is one very beautiful machine!!! These old machines are soooo very easy to love!!

Really beautiful!!!!

What great memories!!! Follow Muv's tutorials unless you are planning to send it out for repaint - the videos are on the sticky at the top of the Vintage & Antique machine Enthusiasts section. Nice machine - you can't buy a new one that will sew that consistently and last out the next 100 years - use and enjoy.

I love your story behind your machine!! How lucky you are to have a family machine, and such a nice one at that! :)

I love your story, too! Check out Treadle Lady's website:

http://treadlelady.com/

She has some great YouTube videos.

What a treasure to have your grandmother's treadle. I had my great grandmother's Red Eye, but have let my daughter take it. It's just a showpiece at her house.

Thanks for all the great websites to follow and the welcome! That machine is totally precious to me for sure!! I am planning on polishing her up myself, or maybe a good project for my hubby... He would like to refinish the cabinet also, afraid it got a bit too much sunshine here in OR....yes we do have nice sunny, dry spots in OR. contrary to popular belief! lol

Got to love those treadles. I have one that has a box made to cover it as it can not fold down. Need to research it one day soon

What a treasure you have in that machine and wonderful memories of your gram because of it

Divokittysmom,

You've maybe discovered this when you read through the manual but I thought I'd show you any way. And maybe it will help others that look at some of these accessories and say: that don't look right, is something wrong with this?

I borrowed your photo and marked it up a bit.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...hments_web.jpg
The parts in blue are the hem guide ( not sure that's the right name).
The parts in read are the adjustable hemmer. I've seen a bunch of them disassembled. Not sure why. The next pic is how it should look assembled.
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ablehemmer.jpg


Your machine could use some gentle cleaning and TLC and the cabinet, well I'd use the method described here:
http://www.treadleon.net/woodshop/re...ingfinish.html
rather than an all out refinishing.

I've got two 66 Red Eye treadles. One that's 100% original and one that had been electrified and the treadle parts removed that I restored back to a treadle. Great machines.
My cats like them too.

Joe

Welcome, and thanks for sharing such a nice story!

Joe; Thank you so much for identifying all those parts for me. I really appreciate it very much!! I did think that some of them needed to be re-assembled as the parts were so tiny!
I don't want to completely restore it, like repainting or anything, just clean it up as much as possible. For me, with this being my grandmother's part of the charm is all those little imperfections, because it feels like it is still hers, If that makes sense...
thanks again!

Glad to be of help.

Joe

That piece you called the hem guide is a seam guide, and you turn it over (from position shown) and secure it to the bed in one of the holes with one of the little screws with the "finger twist" top. (don't know the proper name - not a screw driver top). You can adjust it to give you a consistent width seam...a lot of quilters with vintage machines use them for the 1/4" seam, because it is nice and broad to move your fabric against.

I have a 66 treadle too, and just love that machine. Your story is so sweet...wish I had a family machine, but my mom didn't sew much after we got into school, and she didn't save any of her machines. Don't know what happened to my grandmother's treadle, as they llived in Missouri, and us in CA, so when they passed away, others in the family divided their household goods.

jljack,

That little screw is called a "thumb screw". So I learned something, or had something I already knew but forgot reinforced in my pea brain.

Joe

You have a wonderful machine and story to go with it. It would really be nice to document that story to go with the machine. :)

I have one just like yours but without the family connection/love/known history. I am yet to get her cleaned up and running and I have to replace knobs and touch up the cabinet/treadle. Currently I have got a 50's Pinnock in use and my grand old lady is hidden underneath. Thank you for sharing with us....and telling it's story.

I have my Grannys 1909 singer treadle and 2 others a red eye and I forget what the other one is, Grannys is my favorite. As she was also very happy when sewing have lots of memories of her and that machine. She would also let me sew on it making potholders. Your machine is a nice one. Love the story about it.

Thank you sew much everyone, I feel so warmly welcomed!! I feel so blessed to have my gram's treadle! It truly is a special treasure in my life.
Thanks for all the great information too! I am learning so much from all of you!