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Singer the song of my peoples
Welp.
I am now the proud owner of a brand-old spanking Singer Sphinx treadle sewing machine from 1901.
It's in fantastic shape - the previous owner never used it, but there's some receipts in the drawers and lots of extra new leather treadle band, and a dozen bobbins. The wood could use a little tlc, but the sewing action is butter-smooth. I have a feeling it hasn't been used much as a sewing machine, but was cared enough to not deteriorate. There's a full accessories case in one of the drawers just chock full of all the original bits and bobs.
It'll be a small project, to do a full restoration (refinish the wood, take apart the machinery, clean and oil it, put it back together, and repaint the iron base) but in the meantime it's beautiful and functional as is. (I also forsee many Youtube restoration videos in my future.)
The seller and her twin brother carried it down a flight of stairs to the car, and I managed to luck out on a passing neighbor offering her assistance. I had opened the back of the car to sort of assess how heavy it might be and maybe take a picture, and she offered up her strapping son home from college to carry it to the elevator and into my condo.
I had painted the low wall between the kitchen and living room yesterday - she's sitting against it opposite the dining table (that is really the home of my modern sewing machine and serger.)
I am now the proud owner of a brand-old spanking Singer Sphinx treadle sewing machine from 1901.
It's in fantastic shape - the previous owner never used it, but there's some receipts in the drawers and lots of extra new leather treadle band, and a dozen bobbins. The wood could use a little tlc, but the sewing action is butter-smooth. I have a feeling it hasn't been used much as a sewing machine, but was cared enough to not deteriorate. There's a full accessories case in one of the drawers just chock full of all the original bits and bobs.
It'll be a small project, to do a full restoration (refinish the wood, take apart the machinery, clean and oil it, put it back together, and repaint the iron base) but in the meantime it's beautiful and functional as is. (I also forsee many Youtube restoration videos in my future.)
The seller and her twin brother carried it down a flight of stairs to the car, and I managed to luck out on a passing neighbor offering her assistance. I had opened the back of the car to sort of assess how heavy it might be and maybe take a picture, and she offered up her strapping son home from college to carry it to the elevator and into my condo.
I had painted the low wall between the kitchen and living room yesterday - she's sitting against it opposite the dining table (that is really the home of my modern sewing machine and serger.)