I spent some time working in the garden today. I fertilized the lawn, did a bit of weeding and planted a few annuals. Teddy watched .
Things are starting to grow.
Here are a few garden pictures (click pictures to enlarge)
I got another new sewing machine. This one is a Minnesota F.
Minnesota was the brand name for Sears Sewing Machines (other brands used by Sears over the years were Franklin, Acme, June, and Eventually Kenmore) Minnesota Machines were made by The Davis Sewing Machine Company of Dayton, Ohio. With a few exceptions, Davis would become the sole supplier of sewing machines to Sears until about 1912 when Sears began to slowly phased out sales of Davis sewing machines in favor of models made by Domestic, Free, White and other manufacturers. Davis would eventually go out of business about 1924, having become dependent on supplying Sears with sewing machines over the previous twenty years for its main source of income and unable to make up the loss from other sources.
It is a smaller machine. The base measures 12″ x 6″ Here it is in front of a full-sized Singer.
I spent some time cleaning it up and oiling it. (I didn’t get before picture to show how much better it looks ) It is in pretty good shape. I will have to do some modification to one of my treadle bases to fit the smaller size so I haven’t tried it out yet but I can tell it will work great.
It takes huge needles (Davis long needles) that aren’t impossible to find but aren’t made anymore either so they cost a few dollars each. The machine came with a box of attachments and there were 2 extra needle in that.
In this picture the needle on the left is the needle for this machine and the right is the standard Singer needle
Now back to hand quilting
Tim
Wow! Another machine… I was thinking of you this past Sat. Stopped at a fairly new antique shop and picked up a 1917-1918 Western Electric in a wooden case. Pretty good shape, but haven’t had time to see if it works. For $40, couldn’t resist. The garden is looking great.
Western Electric machines were good…..it probably will work with some oil and cleaning…..old machines get pretty stiff when they haven’t been used for years and the old oil dries
Could you make an “extension ” to fit over the shaft of the standard singer needle?
I dont think so…..it cant be made wider or it wont fit into the needle clamp
Gosh, Tim, those needles are like daggers! Your garden looks terrific.
What beautiful decals on that machine. There is a treadle in my future, I just know it! When the time is right, it will show up. Your garden is so beautiful, I want to do some work on mine. Thanks for inspiring me today.
Happy Gardening and hunting for a treadle
Hey Tim, if you keep buying sewing machines you will need a warehouse soon… lololololol.. but this is an amazing machine
I know! they do take up space
Tim just what are you going to do with all of these sewing machines? Will you end up selling them?
Just collecting them…..I use them ….at least one of them a day….and I change them out for variety, mostly just collecting for fun ….they are bigger than stamps or coins but fun
Nice machine. Give Teddy a snuggle for me.
🙂
Teddy looks like me when I “sleep/watch” TV Love the gardens
LOL….teddy is so funny…..and he seems like he cant even see the TV……I point t it sometimes and try to get him to look t it but he casts like it isn’t even there….sometimes he gets excited if he hears a dog bark on the tv…..but he runs to the door and windows to see where it is…..
Wow those are some long needles!
yes they are! dagger like
Your posts seem more personal telling about your machines here on your emails than if they were on FB alone. Thanks, Granny June
🙂 thanks….I am really enjoying learning about the history of sewing machines
Alright! I have a ‘Minnesota E’ machine. In research I’ve done, Sears slapped any decal they wanted on the machines when they came in, so there is plenty of variety in what you actually got. I have no idea who actually made mine. It has a matte finish, and no shiny decals. I did clean it and sew without plugging it in, and it seems operable. Wouldn’t dare plug it in without having someone look at the cord.
http://ismacs.net/sears/sears.html
This machine is great. I enjoy reading about your discoveries. keep it up because it’s so interesting to me. Your garden looks great. We have had rain every day. Can’t mow the lawn for the past week and half..
hi to Teddy.
I have another one coming next week some time 😉
My Gold Hibbard treadle was made by Davis too. I was able to get some long needles on eBay.
I have seen them on eBay as well……I have 3 new ones that I got with the machine so I am set for a bit