Saturday, 30 September 2023

Singer ... and the Rag and Bone Man

 


I just had to share this image isn't it gorgeous ... although if it were in my home the walls would be that lovely retro green.

But isn't it a good use of an old Singer sewing machine table.  My Mum had exactly the same one and used to treadle away in the early days of her marriage making baby clothes and things for the house.  Then Dad, who was always nifty with adapting things got a conversion kit and turned her machine electric and made it a handy little box to sit in.

Of course he claimed all the drawers for his shed to keep his 'important' things in, and although I don't know for sure, I should imagine the metal base went to the rag and bone man who came down our street every Monday.





Sue xx



12 comments:

  1. Oh, that rang huge bells in my memory! I am sure Mum had something very similar in my childhood - and made some gorgeous things on it too. xx

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  2. I still have a vintage Jones machine, in perfect working order which I'm trying to sell for a friend. Nobody wants it, and I really don't have the room.

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  3. There used to be a man who came around collecting old clothes, paper, and bottles when I was a child. I don't think he collected bones, though. But, it was a good way to recycle things!

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  4. Ah, yes - there is nothing new about recycling! Our parents/grandparents generations could have taught us a lot about recycling and reusing. And some local authorities as well - where my parents lived in Sussex 60+ years ago the council bin men had trailer towed behind the truck for collecting waste paper and cardboard.

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  5. I learned to sew on an old Singer machine and I love the vintage table! I well remember the rag and bone man coming up the street when I was really little. Him, along with so many other street traders, made the day very interesting! 😁

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  6. It made me smile to think of your dad converting that old Singer to electric. I was surprised when an Amish friend snapped up an old electric sewing machine. I asked her where she would plug that in at. (Amish don't use electricity). Turns out that a craftsman in their community turns them all into treadle machines.

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  7. Wow. Such a fab idea for the sewing machine, so beautiful.

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  8. I found an iron sewing machine base, complete with treadle in an antique store. I managed to get into my car trunk, and located a sand blasting business who stripped it of all its rust. Then I spray painted it black. I went to a local lumber dealer who specialized in beautiful and exotic woods. I chose a quarter-sawn oak slab. My son-in-law who has woodworking equipment fashioned a tabletop for me with a lovely edge. I then stained it and used 3 or 4 coats of marine varnish to finish it. SIL then mounted it on the table base for me. I use it to keep my printer on. I love it because of its origins and the fact that I contributed so much to its creation.

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  9. I have the treadle part of my grandmother’s machine in the garden with a beautiful piece of wood on top and it holds pots of plants. Catriona

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  10. Those old Singer machines are wonderful for fixing jeans. My MIL used hers for that purpose for many years after getting a new electric machine.

    God bless.

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  11. Beautiful! I would love one of those Singers, but I don't need it, so there's that.

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  12. Our friends made one of these years ago, such a great way to repurpose those treadle machines, they're as cheap as chips to pick up! xxx

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