When I was a boy, I didn’t know a household that didn’t have a sewing machine, nor did I know anybody’s mother who didn’t sew.
I remember sitting on Grandma’s lap as she tried to teach me how to sew. I’m afraid I never quite caught on, but it was fascinating to watch. I especially liked all the nice sock puppets she made for me and my siblings and my cousins.
What happened to all those sewing machines? Do people still have them? I don’t think my mother kept her sewing machine after she’d moved several times.
It was a nice, cozy sound, though, that humming of the sewing machine. I wish I’d been able to learn how to use one.
I’ve still got my grandmother’s singer. She had electricity added to it without messing up the treadle. I use to play with that treadle all the time when I was little.
My Grandma had a treadle.
I found the old electric sewing machine I remember my mother using, stored in the basement when we moved here. I’m sure it still works. We also had a couple of treadle sewing machines. My sister used one to finish a sewing project for school, when the power went out. That one went to her, and I believe she still has it. The other was designated as mine, and it’s still sitting in the storage house, but doesn’t have the right size bobbin (the bobbin that’s with it is for another machine), so there’s no way to use it.
When packing my parents’ belongings into the warehouse, we found an antique sewing machine in there, too. I have no idea where it came from or why it’s there, but it’s beautiful!