Practicing on the Treadle Sewing Machine

This is my grandmother's sewing machine. My mom had the cabinet restored and I am very fortunate to have it in my home. Recently, mom and I decided to use this machine to sew together a quilt top with blocks made by my great grandmother.

Before Mom and I get too far into putting together the blocks from my great grandmother, we wanted to get some practice in on the treadle machine. Fortunately, my husband knows a lot about sewing machine care so he put the belt on, oiled it up in all the right places and made sure it was ready for us. She came over on Sunday for lunch and then we got started with our sewing.

Thank goodness for YouTube. The bobbin is a long bobbin set inside a shuttle, similar to this one.

We were able to thread the bobbin and the machine, and insert the bobbin in the shuttle, but could not figure out how to put the shuttle in the machine. These videos saved the day:

• How to Wind a Singer Sewing Machine Long Bobbin and Load the Shuttle the Correct Way
• How to Load the Bobbin, Thread, and Start Sewing on a Treadle Machine
• Installing a Long Shuttle

Once set up was complete, the sewing worked fabulously.

After a while, the light through the window was a bit much so we turned the machine to the side. I love watching my mom sew. She remembers making clothes on this machine as a teenager. I used a piece of painters tape to mark the 1/4" seam allowance for her.

I was really impressed with the stitches. They are a bit small but very even and the tension is just right.

Every now and then, a little bit of thread would bunch up on the back, but it never impeded sewing and still holds the seam together just fine. It may be happening on stops and starts so we'll check that out next time we sew.

This is the uncropped version of mom sewing. I love the contrast of my youngest son in the background playing computer games. There have been just a few technology changes over the two generations.

The sewing machine is set up right in the spot where our Christmas tree usually stands. I told mom we had until the end of November to get that quilt top put together. I believe we will share a number of Sunday afternoon sewing sessions over the next few weeks.

Related posts:
Treadling Away
Works in Progress - Treadle Piecing and Machine Quilting 
Quilt Blocks from my Great Grandmother

Five Most Important Tools for New Quilters

You have decided that you want to make a quilt. That's great! Now what? Where should you begin? It is so easy to get overwhelmed by all the resources out there for quilt making. Choosing the right tools is one of the most important decisions you will make as a new quilter. This list certainly doesn't encompass all the tools you need to get started but will definitely help you get a positive start to your quilt making adventure.

1. Sewing Machine

The sewing machine can be the thing that makes or breaks your love of quilt making. There is no greater quilt making frustration than bad tension, breaking threads, or locked up machines. There is no greater quilting bliss than a machine that operates smoothly and consistently every time you use it.

What features should you consider?

For piecing a quilt top, a good straight stitch is all that is required. Other features to look for that will allow you to quilt the quilt and expand your quilt making beyond basic piecing include:
- zig zag stitch for machine applique
- ability to keep the needle in either the up or down position
- ability to cover or lower the feed dogs
- additional feet - walking foot and free motion or darning foot
There are many more features available. Be sure and do lots of reading and research to determine which extras are important to you.

How will you know which machine is for you?

I highly recommend you purchase a sewing machine from a dealer rather than straight off the shelf. A dealer can answer questions after purchase, help you maintain your machine properly, and be a resource for repairs should you ever need them. Ask for a demo then ask for a test drive. Sitting down and using a machine, no matter how skilled or not you are, will help you know your comfort level with the machine. It is sort of like test driving a car. It might be a great car but if the blind spot is in just the wrong place, then it is not the car for you. Be sure and test drive more than one machine to help you compare features and comfort.

How much should you spend?

The most important thing to note with a sewing machine is that it is not necessary to spend a bazillion dollars on a super fancy sewing machine made especially for quilting. It is equally important to make sure you have a quality sewing machine, so you probably don't want to purchase the least expensive one either. A quality basic sewing machine generally costs in the $300-$400 range and should last a long, long time, so it really is an investment in your sewing and quilting future. Also, if you purchase your sewing machine from a sewing machine dealer, they often have a program to allow trade ins if you decide quilting is your thing and you want to upgrade to a nicer sewing machine.

2. Scissors

Fabric cutting scissors are critical to any sewer and quilt making falls into that category as well. My personal favorite is classic Gingher scissors (8-inch knife edge dressmakers shears). Mine were given to me as a gift when I graduated from high school. That was more than thirty years ago. If you have issues with hand strength there are several spring action options available. The most important thing with your scissors is that they are sharp and comfortable to use. Save these scissors for fabric cutting only. Using them for other purposes such as cutting paper will dull them in a hurry.

3. Cutting Mat

One of the keys to success for any quilter is accurate cutting. For quilting, these next three items are essential to success. A cutting mat protects your cutting surface and allows you to cut directly on it. There are many sizes of cutting mats, and for a new quilter, I recommend 18" x 24". It is big enough to hold fabric cut straight off the bolt and small enough to maneuver and move as needed as you are cutting fabric for your quilt. My experience has been primarily with Omnigrid mats, although there are several other quality brands available.

Once you have your cutting mat, the most important thing to remember is to store it flat and never leave it in your car. These mats warp fairly easily, especially with a little heat from staying inside your car, and once warped, there is no going back. The mat is ruined.

4. Ruler

Acrylic rulers are a must for accurate measuring. There are literally hundreds of sizes and shapes available and also several great brands. If you can only own one ruler, consider an 8 1/2" x 24 1/2" rectangle ruler. After that, add a few square rulers, then move on to other specialty rulers. There are four ruler sizes that I use 95% of the time in my quilt making. They are the 8 1/2" x 24 1/2" rectangle, the 9 1/2" square, the 15 1/2" square, and the 2 1/2" square. All other rulers are just gravy for me. My go to brand for rulers is Creative Grids. As mentioned earlier, there are several great brands. When shopping for rulers, make sure the numbers and markings are easy for you to read on both dark and light fabric. Many quilters like to stay brand consistent with their rulers so make sure you really like your ruler and seek out the same brand when adding to your ruler collection.

5. Rotary Cutter

This is another fantastic tool and a must for accurate cutting. A rotary cutter allows you to cut fabric in the same manner you slice your pizza. There are three primary sizes for rotary cutters, 60mm, 45mm, and 28mm. Your first, and primary rotary cutter should be 45mm. There are many good brands available. I have used both Olfa and Fiskars with success. The basic model of each of these works great but they offer a number of ergonomic, decorative, safety, and luxury models. This is something you want to hold to see how it fits in your hand. If you like piecing quilts, you will be spending a lot of time using your rotary cutter. It is also a good idea to buy extra blades for your cutter, too. It is a good practice to change out the blade every few projects. Working with a dull blade can be quite frustrating.

Note that all of the information in this post is purely my opinion from years of quilt making experience. There are no sponsored products or affiliate links included.

Experienced quilters, what else would you add to or change about this list?

Do you have additional questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you!

 

Treadling Away

Many years ago, my mom became the caretaker for my grandmother's treadle sewing machine. She invested in refinishing the cabinet, and as a piece of furniture, it makes a beautiful show piece. Somewhere along the way, my mom decided that it would become mine and it could go ahead and move to my house.

Recently, I became more interested in this machine. We had always said that it would work great if it just had a belt installed. I wanted to know if a belt really was all that it needed. We had a new belt, and Duane installed it fairly easily. Then it sat for a little while longer, because it was going to take some effort to figure out how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine.

A few YouTube videos later, the bobbin was wound, and the machine was successfully threaded. It was time to sew. One of the things I was worried about is how I would look using this machine. My hand-eye coordination isn't the greatest, so I had this fear of my head bobbing like a chicken while my feet went up and down on the treadle. No, I did not record myself sewing on it, and I'm fairly certain that it wasn't an overly embarrassing experience.

The really exciting thing is that it sews a fairly good stitch. For a machine that hasn't been sewn on in probably thirty or more years, it works great. I've got to figure out a good way to mark a 1/4" seam allowance. This machine is going to get used.

I love the contrast of the old machine with the modern thread. This machine deserves all the tender loving care it can get, and Aurifil thread will help keep it going long and strong.

With the excitement of being able to sew on this machine, I decided to see if I could find out more about its history. A quick search for the serial number shows that this machine was manufactured in 1911. Wow, 102 years old and still sewing strong. They just don't make them like they used to.

My grandmother was born in 1915. She and her husband raised a family of three daughters in McDonough, Georgia. They were a farming family, which meant it was often a challenge just to meet basic day to day needs. This machine was purchased as a used machine from a newly married couple in the community that had fallen on hard times and needed money more than they needed this sewing machine. My grandmother told me that she remembers how sad the new bride was when they picked up the machine from her home.

My mom told me that she used this machine often growing up and that she could make it go a hundred miles an hour. I can't wait to see her give it a try next time she visits.

Check out the decal detail. A winged sphinx on a Singer sewing machine. An interesting combination. I'm going to do some research to see how to clean this machine up. It has a good bit of rust that I want to try to clean off, but certainly don't want to cause any further damage. I'm also going to figure out a project to make exclusively on this machine. It will be something small that can sit in a basket next to it so that I can work on it a little along. It's fun to think that I am sewing on the same machine as my mother, my aunts, my grandmother, and maybe even my great grandmother.