World Wide Quilting Page
Question of the Week
Question for the week of April 17, 2000:
Our question this week comes from Milan
I have signed up for a class, and would like to learn to quilt - my sewing machine is an old but working Singer treadle - what are my limitations?
Maria-PA :
My sewing maching dealer still sells new treadle machines, we have an Amish community. I learned to sew on a treadle and although its probably nostalgia, I'd love to have one again. It's the only thing I've asked my Mother to leave me. Ask for a loaner for classes and enjoy the treadle at home!!
kitty in la. :
As long as your machine sews a good
stitch, the sky is the limit for quilting.
Our grandmothers have used your machine
for years. I prefer my new electric machine,
but my grandmothers' treadle is used
from time to time. As far as classes, an
old treadle is not to easy to drag
around. Good luck- you will love
quilting.
Caroline :
I have a Singer treadle sewing machine, and I am very fond of it. When I was 8 years old, I began using my mother's to sew diapers for my sisters and brothers.
not too many doll clothes, tho, as they were a little too small for me to handle, I just hand sewed those. Especially bonnets.I think treadling on the sewing machine helped me to quickly learn how to use a spinning wheel. I still use a treadle machine, sometimes and the one I take to classes (it weighs 75 lbs.) is converted to electricity. I try to park as close to the class as I can! lol. I notice that I am about the only one who can slowly but surely go thru the instructions without having to rethread or fill my bobbin or fix some tension problem. I love my Singers. And most important I can sew an accurate 1/4" seam. I just recently purchased a new Bernina which of course will do anything I want done that a sewing machine will do, but I live where the hydro electricity is not all that dependable. I wonder if most old treadles go to third world countries, or can the owners part with them? A treadle sewing machine is going to make an ardent quilter of you! Cheers!
Janet :
I sew on a treadle all the time, and I prefer it to an electric machine. Some machines can drop their feed dogs so you can machine quilt; otherwise, there are work-arounds (covering the feed dogs with a business card taped to the machine is one)...it isn't a problem for me since I like to hand quilt. If you are really addicted to old sewing machines and to quilt classes, consider buying a hand-crank--they're portable!
Elena :
I love old Singers.... Machine piecing will be as easy as on any other machine. In fact, it may be easier since those Singers make such nice, neat stitches. Quilting will be the problem. My old Singer (Grandma's, from the 1940s) simply cannot handle machine quilting. You can get around that by paying someone else to quilt it, hand quilting it, or tying the quilt. If you can't take the Singer to class, no biggie. Call ahead to make sure they have a loaner and then apply the skills you learned in the class to your own projects. Have fun.
Donna :
You will not be taking the treadle to class
unless you have help unloading, and reloading.
Those treadles are just not portable! I am willing
to bet that the class will have a spare machine for you
to use. I learned on a treadle machine, it makes a very nice
straight stitch. However for the real sewing, I enjoy speed
and the occasional other stitches such the blanket stitch.
It would be fun to sit at the treadle and make a quilt, and
imagining what it would have been like to have no power and just the
treadle moving to power the needle. Have fun with it!
Chris :
since you will be learning to quilt, you will be
able to do simple quilt with your sewing machine.
When you get better at it, you may wish
to purchase a better machine. Good luck
hope you enjoy quilting as much as I do.
Louise :
I hope your class has a loaner machine for you! Seriously, though, many quilters sew on old machines. Your limitations may be that you are unable to machine quilt on it. Also - if you become as "addicted" to quilting as some have, your biggest limitation will be speed! Good luck and keep us posted.
Janie :
There should be no problem with straight pieceing as long as you sew even stitches and stop and start where you should. You won"t be able to do all over stippling but you can stitch in the ditch or top stitch with no problem, Good Luck!
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