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My 1956 Singer 99k treadle sewing machine

Kwaaked

Re: My 1956 Singer 99k treadle sewing machine
« Reply #30 on: February 27, 2023, 21:41:50 PM »
Noice!

3/4 treadles are hard to come by in the States (I've only seen a few in my life, and I hang out with people powered aficionados) and it looks to be in wonderful shape.  Nice thing about these, they can usually be refurbished to working.

@Lowena I would have an industrial treadle at my alteration shop if I could find one.  As it is, I'm stuck with the Juki 5500 one.  I have one at my cabin (and a handcrank) because I am off grid, but I work with them AND charge a lot of money to do so.

My 66 makes bespoke shirts.  It is the only one I own with a 20spi (known as a tailor stitch according to my grandma and the tailor I apprenticed with).  Because of the nature of those shirts, the slower speed is helpful (although I can get that puppy going let me tell you)

My Davis even feed is a pre-walking foot machine.  Fussy, baby hems and crap that won't sew well will sew on this.  I sew about a quarter of the bridal alts on that...and it is from 1888.

My Singer 15 parlor is in my office.  I work on it to do lace work, veils, power mesh (install and alterations) and anything needing super concentrated detail work.  The stitch is finer and the slower speed doesn't damage very fine and fragile fabrics.

All of these machines are in use in a modern day business and all of them do something a modern machine cannot do in some way.  Granted, I do this from a garment maker's perspective, but there is very valid reasons these machines are still in use a hundred years or so on.

Also: I use sad irons, Victorian fluting irons and a steam box I got the plans for from 1850 for pleats so my opinion may be a leeeeeeetle skewed.