This is the cabinet that started it all. 30 years ago I purchased my first treadle because I wanted to use the cabinet to house my “modern” machine. I took the machine head out, put it in a closet, then threw it away the next time I moved. If I had only known……
Two years ago, I decided to look for the correct machine to go back into the cabinet and found Eva Jean. A Class 27 machine uses a long bobbin in a vibrating shuttle.
I purchased Myrtle in ….. Myrtle Beach! I have a feeling she wasn’t used much. Her decals are in excellent condition, even on the bed where you would normally see at least a little wear. A Class 66 machine uses a round drop-in bobbin. The cabinet has drawers behind the left door and the fly wheel behind the right door. Center doors open to expose the treadle pedal.
I purchased Maria locally. She was an electric machine. I pulled the motor and put her in the Drawing Room Cabinet below. Unlike Myrtle’s cabinet, this drawing room cabinet has a powerful spring inside that “lifts” the machine when the small button near the right hand door is pressed. The cabinet was missing the platform that the machine sits in. I met a wonderful couple online that sent me a lift for the cabinet. I met Roger and Maria in person at a TOGA (Treadle On Gathering and Academy) a few months later.
The 15-90 is my favorite Singer machine, as far as treadles go. It has a rotary bobbin that mounts vertically and the feed dogs drop, so it is a great machine for free-motion quilting. She, too, was an electric machine when I bought her. I placed her in a beautiful 7-drawer treadle cabinet which was originally owned by a woman named Mae Stacy. I recently sold her cabinet. Fortunately, I can swap machines in all of my Singer cabinets.
Japan manufactured a lot of machines based on the Singer 15. They are very heavy and usually have a nice glossy finish. The machines were “badged” with various names. I don’t know where the name Sterling came from, but most likely for a department store or business of some type. I pulled the motor off and added a hand crank. Sterling now lives in North Carolina.
Did you have to add anything or remove for the sterling to be converted? It is also made by singer I have one and just spoke to a repair man and he asked where I found that and I shared and I asked do you know who made it and he said, yes singer-
All Singer machines have a Singer serial number. This is a Japanese knock-off of the Singer 15. Still an excellent machine and will accept Singer parts. They usually have a DeLuxe badge where the Singer badge would normally be. I took off the motor, replaced the solid hand wheel with a Singer spoked wheel, and added the hand crank. There are different types of spoked wheels; you need the one with 9 spokes. The gal I always purchased from has passed away, but I think they can both be found on eBay. Hope that helps.