This is my Serata Vibrating Shuttle hand machine, the twin of my treadle. Unfortunately it had already lost its original case and base before I bought it, so it lives in an old Singer base. A shame really. The bobbin winder is wonderfully efficient and easy to use. This is how it works:-
First the thread goes through the hook at the top of the faceplate. There is a little wire thread guide next to it, possibly originally intended to take the thread to the bobbin winder if you were winding a bobbin and sewing at the same time. However the thread has a tendency to jump out of the wire thread guide so I don't use it.
Next, the thread goes over to the little tension discs at the top of the upright bar above the winder. It needs to go between the tension discs, then through the hole at the top of the bar, and then down the back of the bar.
The bobbin has to be put in with the thread coming from the back.
The winder pivots on a large screw underneath.
To engage the winder against the balance wheel, just push it into place.
The winder is now ready to fill the bobbin. The little steel plate that rests against the bobbin will automatically release the bobbin winder once the bobbin is full.
If you want to take out the bobbin before the release mechanism is activated, just press gently on the steel plate. Welcome to three new members today, Jaylee Miguel, Edsmum and Jessie Cunliffe. Thank you for joining!
This is the quilt that I made for Mary, my April partner in the Doll Quilters Monthly swap. The theme was birthdays to celebrate the fact that the swap is now one year old. I decided to add a couple of noughts and celebrate the fact that my beautiful Serata treadle is 100 years old this year, so I used it to piece the top, a 100 square chequerboard.
For the straight line quilting I used my star machine, the Singer 99K because I know it never lets me down.
In the pale floral panels in the border I used the Singer 15K treadle for a bit of free motion quilting, and then changed back to the 99K to do the binding. The backing is from a piece of lightweight cotton that I have had for at least thirty years and never quite known what to do with it. It was perfect for this little quilt. Because all the cottons were dressmaking rather than craft weight cottons, the finished quilt was very light and yielding - just right for wrapping around a doll, like a real old fashioned doll quilt. This quilt was a joy to make - I am so glad you like it, Mary! This post is being linked with Fresh Sewing Day at Lily's Quilts so you can visit other blogs to admire lots of wonderful creations. Also linking up to Leah Day's blog for Free Motion Friday. Welcome to two new followers today, Crafty.one and Sara Serfaty Garzon. Thank you for joining!
When I bought my Serata treadle I found this in one of the drawers, a tiny little tin, two and a half by one and a half inches. It is the ideal size for keeping the bobbins in, and takes you straight back to the time when invalids were nursed back to health with beef tea.
Like all the best brands, it is by appointment... it reads "By Appointment, Purveyors to His Majesty the King." George V, probably. Edward VII at a pinch.
When treadling, you spend 99.99 percent of the time looking straight ahead and concentrating on the stitching. However, for the occasional split second you need to cast a quick glance at the wheel. When pausing or starting you need to make sure the wheel never turns in the wrong direction. You can't always guarantee you can get your right hand to the wheel quick enough, so looking out of the corner of your eye is essential.
Keeping your feet dead still when not stitching is pretty important too. It's all on the video!
This intriguing figure is on the bed of the Serata Treadle.
He also appears on the front and back of the machine. When I posted pictures of this machine on the Quilting Board forum I asked for suggestions as to who it might be. The best answer was Hammurabi. After that I spent ages looking through pictures on the internet of Assyrian kings. I ended up deciding that it was Sargon II. It's as good a guess as any. Whoever he is he must be very wise, sitting on that owl. I emailed the Stoewer Museum to see if they knew. Unfortunately they didn't, but I did find out that this decal doesn't crop up much in Germany, so it seems that they may have put this design on machines intended for export. The Egyptian sphinxes were a very popular design, appearing on Singer and Frister and Rossmann machines, and are very sought after today, but I prefer the Assyrian style on this machine. Update 30th April 2013 - I was delighted today to receive a comment from Assyria, who has identified the king as Ashurnasirpal II . Although both relief portraits are highly stylised, the king on the machine bears more similarities to Ashurnasirpal II than he does to Sargon II. I knew that someone, somewhere, would recognise the king, but it came as a great surprise to receive the message today. Thank you Assyria!
A beautiful treadle, manufactured in 1913 by Bernhard Stoewer in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland).
It has a lovely dainty look about it.
Even with the cover on it looks pretty. When I bought it I emailed the Stoewer Museum and they confirmed that the serial number dated the machine to 1913. But of course, I don't love it just because it's a delight to look at, but also because it runs like a train. A big welcome to Meg, the first new follower for the New Year!
