grandmahoney

I have several vintage machine and would like to know how everyone displays them. They are just to pretty to just be stored away and not enjoyed. But the problem is they are so heavy. And I would like a way to show them off but still have the room look nice. Does anyone else have this problem and how did you solve it.

nygal

I have one vintage Singer machine which I love. I keep mine in my studio right where I can see it if I am not using it. I have considered sewing a cover for it but I can't bring myself to cover it up yet! I don't actively seek to find/buy more but if a special one ever crossed my path I'd probably want it and then would have to figure out where to put it.

ThayerRags

I have the same problem, and haven’t come up with a good solution yet. My wife and I have talked about building floor-to-ceiling stand-alone wooden shelving that can be put along one wall. I saw a photo of a built-in one that had cabinets at the floor level and shelves for portables. The shelves were spaced so that the case tops hung on hooks directly above the portable machines. I think it had two shelves for portables, and hooks in the ceiling for the highest case tops. The shelves were deep enough (width of a cabinet) that the portables and their case tops were displayed setting at an angle. I liked it, but it took a lot of room. Seems like they had track lighting on the ceiling out away from the shelving to spotlight the machines.

CD in Oklahoma

Rodney

Our two cabinet machines are in the living room. The 2 portables will probably be stored away when not in use. But then I'm not a sewing machine collector as much as a user. Though I do have collector tendencies there just isn't enough room to store a bunch let alone display them.
Rodney

Sunflowerzz

I thought about this also and decided to use heavy clear plastic for picnic tables they sell at fabric stores and sew covers with a pretty binding that compliments the machine so they can be seen. This would also work for selling a machine so the badging and parts can't so easily be stolen which is a big problem in my neck of the woods right now. I want to put small holes around the bottom in the plastic just above the binding. I will probably use a decorative hole punch like a heart.

J Carol

I have 38 vintage machines and am making covers with clear plastic on the front and cloth on the back and around the sides. To display them I have found some 4 shelf book cases that they fit on and display most of them in the shelves. The ones in cabinets I keep closed unless one wants to see them.

mjhaess

I have all of mine out and I use them all....

purplefiend

I have 5 treadle cabinets so far. Two in the living room, the franken treadle houses a 1914 Singer 115 & the new girl Susie is a 1917 White Rotary. In the treadle room are the 1936 Singer 201K ,1968 Singer 237 in a 1895 coffin top treadle and the 1955 Pfaff 60.I use my treadles more often than the vintage Singer portable electric machines. I have 4 newer electric machines, they think the old ladies are hogging all of the attention.
Sharon

deplaylady

I have the Singer 15 Gingerbread hand crank in my entryway, the 128 La Vincendora hand crank on a Martha Washington cabinet and a White Rotary Treadle in my dining room. I have the rest display and ready to go in my sewing room - a white cabinet that was originally a towel cabinet (I believe) holds my 221 and the Minnesota B with the 99 on top. My sewing desk for the computer machine that also does embroidery and the serger is next to that. the other side of the room has the 201, my Janome, my 401 and my less fancy 218. The Centennial Sew handy is on the self on this wall. Over my desk a self holds the Janome Sew Mini and the rest of the toy machines. Whew - I guess pictures would have been easy than writing! I loved the member that displayed in vintage machines in the old china cabinet painted white. Sorry I can't remember right now who posted it.

Macybaby

Mine are out and about the house.

Library (we almost never watch TV, but we still have one just in case).

The Singer 127 Spinx is in the first cabinet - that is just a case top on top - not sure what I'll do with it, but it was only $5. The other side of the TV is the 28 hand crank and there is a 66 Lotus in the cabinet below.



Far wall has the 27 Tiffany. There is a 66 Redeye side clamp hand crank in the case, and a 66 Red eye back clamp in the cabinet.



The end facing the den has the new Domestic Coffin top Treadle - with the really neat swing out center drawer.



In case you are wondering, that is the addition and the only part of the house with a real basement. We dug down until we hit water, then stopped, so this part is 2' higher than the part of the house that isn't on a basement - some of it is on rocks LOL!!

And the other end of the den - there is a mint condition late model 99K in the cabinet, and my new Kenmore is on top (for now).



Then to the other side of the side of the house (the kitchen is in the middle) - my converted dining room - this cabinet will have the 401 installed, but we have to some more repair on the cabinet to do first.



And in the dining room, besides the quit frame and machine, we have the 15 in my favorite cabinet (this is my bobbin winder machine)



And a 66 Godzilla black side machine is in the small cabinet on the end. I have a full set of black side attachments to go with this one - but I'm missing a black face plate.



Oh, and we have all the machines in cases stored underneath too. Three are empty.



In the bedroom I have the treadle cabinet I refinished - but I don't have a machine in there right now, and the far wall has my new White machine - I love that cabinet!



This is my dressing room. Our old house didn't come with much in the way of closet space -guess folks 130 years ago didn't have near the junk that we have now days!

Along with my Ikea Wardrobe and shelves, I have the cabinet I learned to sew on, with a 201 inside, then a Singer parlor cabinet we are going to modify so we can use it to swap treadle machines in and out (don't worry, we aren't going to do anything that is not easily reversible). Right now it's got the 15 sitting there (the 115 is sitting on the floor) and on the back wall is my New Queen (White VS).



And the other side is the Eldredge Two Spool and the cabinet with the 500. DH is going to make me shelves to go up the wall where the doll is, and I'll be putting other treadle machines there - ones that can go into the parlor cabinet when I want to use them.



Most of my electric machines are upstairs, and I have a lot of work to do







This is my main machine - my 1981 Viking 990 - the first generation electronic machine Viking made. It's the only machine I have with any electronics inside.