Restoring a Singer 66 Sewing Machine

1 Comment

Before I painted the Singer treadle sewing machine table, it looked like this.

The Singer Treadle Table in Original ConditionAnd it contained this sewing machine.

First Picture, Original Singer 66 Treadle in TableI’d already purchased a Singer 66 sewing machine head that I wanted to use in the table, so now there are two.

UntitledThe original machine is pretty rough looking, but runs very smoothly.

Singer 66 Treadle Table BeforeShe’s beautiful, even with the worn decals and rust, and I think she could be useful again.  The first step was cleaning her inside and out, then trying to get rid of as much of the rust as possible.  The chrome parts started out like this:

Chrome Singer 66 Parts BeforeAnd after a soak and scrub in hot water and Oxy-clean, they look like this.  Better.

Chrome Singer 66 Parts AfterSo at this point, she looks like this.

Singer 66 After Clean UpMy Mom, who happens to have amazing carpentry skills, is going to build a base for it following the directions I found at TreadleOn.net.  (That site is a wonderful resource for working with these machines!) Treadle sewing machines don’t sit flat unless they’re in a table or a base, so this part is a must.  I’m going to try to add a hand crank so this will still be a non-electric, but completely useable, sewing machine.

Hopefully I’ll have more to share with you soon!

sarahsigres

WIP: Treadle Sewing Machine Table Makeover

5 Comments

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

Transferring a Design from The Graphics Fairy with Carbon Paper

Tracing Graphics Fairy Design

WIP: Treadle Sewing Machine Table Makeover

WIP: Letting the Paint Cure

It’s still a work in progress, but I love it already!  I’m waiting for the paint to cure so that I can seal it and begin getting to know the treadle sewing machine.  (I’ve named her Mildred Nell, after my Grandma who used a treadle machine.)

The paint color is Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Eulalie’s Sky.  As you can see, in different lighting the color can look like a pale blue or more of a mint green.  It’s a lovely vintage shade that looks right at home with the spools of green and blue thread found in one of the drawers.  Don’t hate me for painting an antique!  For much of it’s life, this table wasn’t stored in ideal conditions.  It was a perfect candidate for paint.

The graphics are from The Graphics Fairy.  Check out her section on Transfer Methods for tips on resizing and getting your design on your surface.

I’ll share more photos once it’s done!

sarahsigres