Hi
all,
If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know I have a large soft spot for vintage sewing machines. Particularly Singers.
Other
brands have made it into my collection over the years. A Mundlos, a
Vigorelli and a Necchi.
None of them stay long though. I just don’t have the same affinity for them as I do for Singers.
The Singers I have are all hand cranks, except the Singer Stylist from the 1970s.
My obsession with Singers started when I was trying to replace one that belonged to my Mom, lost in a house move a few years ago. It was a 128 hand crank. I ended up getting quite a few in my search to replace it. None are quite right. So I kept looking until I found this one. It's close enough.
It’s incredibly tricky to sew with a hand crank. With one hand spinning the wheel, there is only one hand left to hold the fabric straight. So, I don’t sew with them that often.
For some time I have been yearning for a treadle. Because working the machine with your feet is so much easier, right?
After years of looking, I finally found a Singer 27 from 1912 with Sphinx decals. And here she is:
This is before the clean-up.
She has a few scuff marks from frequent sewing. Her decals are badly worn and her moving parts were… well, not moving as well as they should. When you consider she’s 108 years old, being stiff is expected. I’m nowhere near her age and my joints groan and creak and take a while to get moving, so I know how she feels.
All her moving parts are present though so I knew there would be a very good chance she would work again.
The
background to this Singer is she was owned by the seller’s beloved
grandmother. So that will be her name. To honor the previous owner,
she will be known as Grandma.
I
had to remove the strap of fabric from the arm as soon as I got this
beauty home.
All those pins are on the inside of the fabric!
Why this practice of sticking pins into fabric tied to the machine became a thing, I really don’t know. It looks hideous and damages the paintwork.
You can see where the metal pins have scratched the protective lacquer and decals away.
The next job was to oil her. It was pretty evident she hasn’t been used in years and hadn’t seen an oil can never mind any oil. Grabbing my trusty bottle of sewing machine oil. I set to work. I oiled all Grandma’s moving parts. From the treadle wheel all the way up to the needle lever at the back.
It’s safe to say Grandma is now well-oiled.
She always did like a wee dram of lubrication from time to time.
Now Grandma was moving freely again, I put my foot to pedal and fired her up. Or rather discovered how to make a treadle pedal bounce. It turns out treadles can be as tricky to work as hand cranks. Who knew?
Well, apart from all the expert treadlers out there!
Is that even a word? Treadlers? Treadlees?
Anyway, whatever you call people who treadle, their hand and foot coordination skills are world class!
Getting your feet in sync with the treadle wheel is essential to good treadling. Otherwise, you will be sewing backwards.
The key is to spin the hand wheel towards you until you get the treadle mechanism at the top and then, using either your toes or your heel, tilt the pedal to tip it over the edge. Or so I’ve been told. It’s kind of like learning how to drive a manual car. The combination of clutch and accelerator has to be at the biting point for the car to move smoothly without kangaroo jumps. Just like with the car, you need to learn the feel of the treadle’s biting point. Otherwise your treadle pedal will be bunny-hopping.
It takes patience and experimentation.
I have a video on Instragram showing the treadle in action. Sorry it’s so dark. Filming isn’t one of my strong points.
Once I mastered the technique, she was purring like a kitten. Until I put fabric and thread in the mix. Then it was more like Angry Bird making bird nests.
I think I need a bit more practice!
After all the bouncing pedal work, Grandma was looking tired and grubby. Taking a break from getting my treadle in a twist, I turned my attention to treating her to a Spa day. A massage and some soothing body balm should revitalize her weary joints.
Making sure to use the softest brush I could find, I gave her a dusting. Then, using some cotton wool. I wiped sewing machine oil all over the bed, arm and pillar. No vigorous rubbing on this old lady. She may be built from iron but she’s getting on in years and needed a gentle touch.
Sewing machine oil will slowly remove dirt, grime and any old oil from the surface. Designed specifically for sewing machines, it won’t damage the decals or the protective layer of lacquer covering them. It’s a slow process though. Here is Grandma after a few coats of oil. Just look at the grime on those cotton wool pads.
If you are thinking about cleaning your own vintage machine, steer clear of household cleaners, car cleaners or hand cleaners. Lock the WD40 and the 3-in-1 oil in the garage. Anything rough or abrasive will destroy your decals. So no chemical cleaners or wood polish anywhere near the paintwork! And definitely no wire wool or wire brushes. The safest bet really is sewing machine oil and cotton wool pads!
Check out the decals further over from the pin damage. At some point in Grandma’s past someone used a chemical or abrasive cleaner on her. You see how the decals have been eaten away?
All in all, Grandma is in great condition. The damage to the decals and paintwork adds to the history of the machine and shows she was active and hard-working. She’s probably made a few quilts in her time. Maybe even a shirt or two.
Today, she’s making a welcome addition to my ever-growing collection of vintage sewing machines, notions and patterns. Tomorrow, she’ll help me make some of the items on my sewing to-do list.
Until then, I’m going back to practicing my treadler skills.
Bye for now
Olly
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