Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love classic sewing machines, and in fact do most of my sewing on a Singer 401 from the late 1950's. I also have a number of other vintage machines, and until now, my oldest had been my Singer 99 from 1928:
I had been lamenting that the one thing that my collection lacked was a treadle. But I didn't want just any treadle...I didn't want a Red Eye...because everyone had a Red Eye. Red Eyes popped up on Craig's List every day. And I wanted a coffin-top cabinet or something really nice, not just any old thing. So, needless to say, I had been perusing Craig's List for about a year with no luck, until this week.
This week I saw it...the one I wanted...so I sent the link to my husband. Who pointedly ignored it for two days. Dork. So I simply called him and informed him that I had called the flea market where it was, they still had it, and if he wanted an idea for a Christmas gift for me, Saturday at 8 am we would be departing for Clarksville. Seriously, why do boys have to be so dense?
Anyway, it turned out to be a fun adventure. I had my niece and nephew with me this weekend, so we all piled into the Jeep and drove the 70 miles to Clarksville for a little adventure. Clarksville is up the Mississippi River from St. Louis and is a super-cute town. We hit the Blue Rose flea market, which is a bit outside town and benefits adults with disabilities. There is both a flea market and a really nice antique shop, as well as a restaurant that overlooks the river. The sewing machine was marked "$150.00, OBO" so I asked if they would take $100.00 thinking they would bargain. Except they said "Sure." Well, then! We'll take it! And also all the rest of this stuff the kids have found that they want....
The machine is a Singer 66, which was the full-size equivalent of the 99. Based on the serial number, it was manufactured in 1908, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It also uses the Lotus decal. The Lotus and the Sphinx decals were two designs that had distinctive Egyptian motifs. As an archaeologist who worked in the near east, these two designs were particularly attractive to me. The one thing that I did not get was my coffin top. This one is in a "parlor cabinet," so the treadle mechanism is completely hidden away. Overall, the machine is in very good repair, needing only a treadle belt, a small rubber ring for the bobbin winding mechanism (these things always disintegrate with age) and one screw needs tightening on the bobbin winding mechanism to hold the thread guide. Other than that, the machine is clean and runs smoothly. It is not locked up, and just needs a little oil.
Here are some photos:
In the cabinet, with the cabinet closed:
Cabinet open and treadle mechanism visible:
Two little drawers attached to door:
Machine head:
Thread guide needs repair, and rubber ring needs replaced:
Some wear to decals on the bed of the machine:
Even the faceplate is decorated with a lotus motif:
From the back:
The little drawer inside the case was full of all sorts of stuff, including hundreds of vintage buttons. Here are just a few:
After picking up the machine, we took the kids to lunch, and then headed back to St. Louis. All in all, a great day, and I would say that the machine is definitely a great find. I can't wait to get it back into working order.
16 comments:
Wooo Hoooo! Congrats on the find! It looks lovely, and I'm eager to see what you whip up with her. I'm sure you already know, but the Treadle On website is dedicated to treadle owners and a fabulous resource for those needed parts. Good luck!
Wow, that is a beautiful machine! Congratulations. Nice work with the hubby, too. Sometimes they just need a little gentle prodding to get things right. ;-)
What a beautiful machine... Wow you are giving me ideas - I would love to have a vintage amongst my newer models... off to talk to my guy about what I would like for x-mas.
It's gorgeous! Sounds like a fun day. You're quite the bargain hunter.
Wow--she's beautiful! Great find. Enjoy!
She's beautiful! I'll bet you're so excited to get her gently cleaned and purring. Merry Christmas!
What a treasure! Is that Clarksville, TN? My college suite mates were from there. I've been there quite a few times.
Thank you, everyone! Julia, we were in Clarksville, MO, just north of St. Louis. But, you know how machine repair shops would put a little sticker on machines with their contact information? There is one of those on it, and THAT is from Tennessee! And it is so old, the phone number doesn't even have 7 numbers!
What a great present. It looks so lovely. Are you going to sew on it too?
Very cool! Enjoy the new machine. :)
What a great find!
Ohhh, you lucky!!!!!! I want a treadle too. I don't really have the room. I USED to have a treadle, a plain old Jones, but gave it to the opshop when we moved house... kick myself every time I think of it, it was such a great workhorse I should have kept it! I know you will enjoy using yours!
That's awesome! It reminds me of the old sewing machine my mom had when I was little. Of course she never used it and I don't know the story behind it, but of course she no longer has it (long story). I'm glad a link to your blog was posted on IG. I'm loving the group so far!
I have one just like that! I bought it in Sweden when I lived there. It's not a treadle but is in a carrying case which is pretty funny since it's so heavy I almost can't pick it up. I'm glad you found one you love - it's beautiful.
We sew on the two exact same sewing machines. I love them both. The only difference is my treadle was converted to a electric machine by my grandmother. It is my favorite of the two because 1. it belonged to my grandmother, my mother and then me 2. the stitch is so amazingly beautiful on it.
We must be soul sisters on another planet or something. Best regards, J.
Love it! Lucky you :) .
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