A treasure recovered

In the fall of 1991 a lot of difficult decisions were made. My parents had both died and as an only child the disposal of their property fell to me.  I was 37 years old, married with 2 little kids, and lived in a house much too small to absorb all of the things I really wanted to keep. So I ended up putting things on the estate sale that I wasn’t ready to give up.  Mom’s treadle sewing machine was the thing I missed the most, and regretted selling the most. And this week I have it back!!  My cousin’s wife tracked it down for me since we knew who bought it originally. The niece of the original buyer had it in Fargo, ND and was willing to sell it back to me for $20 - exactly what she paid for it. And it was delivered from Fargo to my hometown in Minnesota over Easter, where it has rested in my cousin’s garage until this weekend.  

Mom had this machine before she got married. It was probably one of the few possessions she had.  And I have lots of memories of her using this machine even though she also had an electric sewing machine. It sat in the dining room most of my life, and she used it when sewing something really heavy duty, like denim or leather. She made all of my clothes until I got into high school and started making my own clothes.  She made our curtains, made very plain quilts, and did a lot of sewing for other people.  I learned to sew on this machine but can’t say that I actually used it much as I preferred the electric machine.

The cabinet is much more elaborate than most others I’ve seen. Even the sides of the 6 drawers have decorative motifs.  I was so surprised to see that it looks just like it did when I sold it in 1991.  No one painted it or even used it. That green piece of cloth was something mom added as a pin cushion, and it’s still there. Even the little box of attachments is still in the drawer. 

These machines are really works of art.  I’ve done a bit of research and the serial number indicates it was made in Elizabeth New Jersey 1904, so it’s even older than I thought it was.  The decal design is called Pheasant and the only ones worn off are right around the presser foot.  Even the metal on the back of the machine is beautiful.  I’m so thrilled to have this machine back in my possession.