Treadle Sewing Machines

For the past several years, I have been displaying my collection of Singer machines, mostly electrics and mostly Centennials. With the recent opening of the Treadle On list, for active users of treadle and hand crank sewing machines, it seemed appropriate to update these pages. I am now showcasing treadle sewing machines on this page, and hand cranks on another. Hope you enjoy them, and if you have an interest in actively using these machines, by all means, go to the Treadle On page and subscribe to the list.

This is my primary treadle, a 201K Centennial, set into a 30" x 60" oak table top, mounted on a wide Singer industrial treadle. I had to make my own pittman rod, which I did with oil impregnated oak. This turned out to produce a totally silent treadle… all you hear when working is the purr of the rotary 201.

Singer Model 103 Industrial treadle. This is a really big, powerful treadle machine. It has a 15 class action , full rotary. Produced in Scotland, it was sold in Holland and I bought it in Canada… who knows how all that came about. It is also a Centennial. Recently acquired, I hope that this will become my primary machine quilting unit.

The famous Singer Model 66 Redhead. This head will fit into the big table pictured above.

Singer Vibratory Shuttle or VS #2… 1885. This machine will also go into my main table.

Necchi Drawing Room or Parlor treadle, 1940, a very, very smooth treadling machine

A closer view of the very beautiful Art Deco head of the Necchi machine. Made in Italy during the Facist years, this machine has the decal indicating approval for manufacture by the government. I also got the manual… in Italian.

This is my very special Model 15-88… a special badge commemorative for the Canadian National Exposition of 1939. The modern style Singer treadle for it is in storage, but, again, it fits into my big table if I want to use it. This was the machine that produced "Rainbow Crossing", see Quilt pages…

Close up view of the special badge on the Model 15-88

1917 White Family Rotary treadle in the Mission or Arts and Crafts style cabinet. One of my favorite machines to use, which is odd. This cabinet style gives up one of the main advantages of a White treadle… extra width in the frame. However, I just love the appearance of the cabinet.

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1924 Pfaff treadle. A lovely little 2/3 size head that came to Canada from Germany before WW II and was used by the owner to work as a seamstress though the 1960's, when she apparently got an electric Pfaff (I found the paperwork in this machine). This is a basic vibrating shuttle mechanism.

 

this is an excellent example of the late Singer 201 treadle (post 1954). These were most commonly sold in England. The head could be either cast iron or aluminum. The cabinet was parlor style, but rather plain, a simple box-style with opening doors that provided the support for the flip top. There was usually no decoration on the front.