quiltingweb

Friday I was so excited to be going to two more estate sales. Neither one of them had ANYTHING I wanted, no sewing machines, no fabric, no antique quilt tops ready for me to take home and quilt...What? A house with no sewing? Is that even possible? I guess so...I wonder how my kids will handle all my STUFF when I'm gone. I've already told them, my sister and my best friend should get first chance at all the sewing stuff. They'll know what they're looking at...not just a bunch of fabric, but POSSIBILITIES! (There was a dumpster at one of the houses. My 13 year old wouldn't let me look inside. She knows me too well.)

Tink's Mom

If all else fails...check on Ebay for some drawers for your new machine.
I sold some there years ago from a treadle cabinet that was beyond help....the base was fine, with a paint job....the drawers were fine...the top was water damaged and destroyed. So installed a piece of marble to the legs and wa-laaaa.... a new table for me.

Silver Needle

Congratulations to your toe! BEWARE,!! We started with one working treadle in a cabinet (pd too much but sews like dream). We now have 7 different vintage machines! HELP we need a 12 step program for addiction to vintage machines. Luckily or unluckily DH is as addicted as I am. Looks like you have a fun project on your hands.

Charlee

No. Patent dates are only good for saying that the machine was NOT made before that date. Some patented "things" were made years after their original patent dates listed. Seldom is a patent date for an entire machine, most often it's for one feature or another, i.e., the bobbin winder or handwheel, etc..

If you know that your machine was sold by Monkey Wards, try a Google search for old catalogs or newspapers in the "Google Books".....you might be able to get a good line on a date from there.

quiltingweb

No, Charlee, I don't know where my machine came from. I'm just trying to figure it out. If it was a branded machine, made by "Company A" for "Store B"...and it's named Minnehaha...trying to guess what the local stores would have been that would have sold this machine. It's not top end fancy, in fact, it looks like the one "Montgomery Wards does not recommend" that keeps popping up when I do my search. It's charming, but not fancy by any means. Maybe I should concentrate on local department stores of the 1900-1920 era. I found a site that sells a manual for a Brunswick machine that looks very much like my machine.

quiltingweb

I want to be an OSMG! The knowledge they have about these machines is amazing!

quiltingweb

After looking at all the wonderful vintage machines here, I'm going to look at old machines at thrift stores and garage sales differently from now on. And next time I have a box of accessories in my hand, I'm not putting them back, even if I can't use them, someone here probably can!

Caroline S

Good girl Quiltingweb. You are getting good training. Sounds like the vintage bug is biting. Can't wait to see pics of the first vintage machine you find. We all know that should happen soon.

quiltingweb

Oh Caroline, I have a Kenmore that looks like it's from the 60s or 70s and it works great, a singer from 1969 that needs a little attention and my treadle machine, oh and a Singer ( I think it's a 99) that my neighbor GAVE me. It was her grandmother's. It works perfectly. Yes, this bug is biting all right.

xxxxxxxxxx

because of the badge on the upper right side, I'd guess it's made by national.

here 's a list of who made what .. I didn't see a Ha ha in this list ? you see many manufactors were only around 2 to 3 yrs

http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/american%20...ufacturers.htm