Another addition

This weekend was my sixth wedding anniversary.  My husband and I went out to lunch and then went thrifting, which is what we did on our first date.

I was amazed when I saw this at Goodwill.

It's a badged National brand sewing machine, apparently made for the Montgomery Ward company.

The flowers were pretty a hundred years ago, and might be pretty again when I'm done cleaning it.

I usually don't buy non-Singer treadles because it can be tricky to find parts if things are missing.  But this one came with a bunch of attachments, a spare shuttle and several spare bobbins.  I think it'll work once I get a belt on.  It came with a long piece of wire that was being used as a belt.  It's so cool to see evidence that the previous owners used it.

I need to find a manual for it...that metal part on the top is the tension mechanism, and I have no idea how to thread through it.  I can't wait to try it out. 

However, this is my ninth treadle and my third that is complete in its cabinet.  I love getting them, cleaning them up, researching them and discovering their stories, but I don't have space to warehouse them.  I emailed a museum to see if they'd be interested in some of my non-functioning machine heads.  It would be nice for them to go somewhere where they'd be appreciated and admired.  There just aren't that many people out there who want them.