Sewing Machines

Found this little image on the web somewhere today:-

Boy! did it bring back some memories!

Here in England most of these Treadle machines were made by Singer Sewing Company,and my Mother had one just like this one.  It was made from a beautiful wood which she polished and dusted regularly.  She would often spend hours sitting there with her feet going up and down on the treadle.  She kept buttons in the bottom drawer and often took the drawer out and put it on the table so that I could play with the buttons.
Later on she bought a hand sewing machine, just the top and with the same wooden case but with a small handled wheel on the right.  This never had the magic of the treadle but when we moved house in 1957 it was the hand model that came with us.

We often spoke of the poor old treadle and during the 1970s she gave me the hand model and bought a shiny electric machine.  I made most of the girls clothes on this sewing machine as well as curtains, bedlinen etc.

Then my MIL moved out of Birmingham to Ullenhall and offered me a treadle machine, which I did not refuse!  When I got it home, after much moaning from ON, and had a good look at it I found it was in a sad state of repair.  I was not discouraged!
I quickly stripped down as much as I could and cleaned and polished that wood till it shone!  I found a sewing machine repair shop that could supply me with a new belt and bobbins and I was away!  My poor little hand model was relegated to the loft and my 'new' Treadle took pride of place.

When I left that house, I only took the hand model with me.......... my beautiful treadle stood sad and neglected, but I wasn't allowed to take it with me, although it was a gift to me, as ON said he needed it to mend the children's clothes.
I never knew how he would do that as I had the bobbins, the leather strap for the treadle and a couple of the brass drawer handles that had fallen off!!
Years later the Treadle machine was taken along with everything else and was never seen again (another story).

So my little hand model was my lifeline again, making dresses, curtains and covers etc during my life in my flat.
Then it moved with me to my present house and, sadly, is relegated to the loft again.



 I bought a new electric sewing machine about 15 years ago.




It is only the Treadle that stirs up such warm memories ............