# 1891 New Domestic has been fixed! Pics!~



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

This is quite a story. I had sat down in December with a budget in mind, kind of a ridiculous deal with myself but I keep my word..... Sometimes life may delay my best of intentions though.  My deal was if I found one for $50, I would allow myself that gift for Christmas. When I found the Domestic Lady for $40, imagine my excitement! No pictures with the ad did not sway me, I called and was told the house was sold. I waited anxiously to find out we could pick her up on the day before the new owners took possession of the house! I was also told someone had offered money for the cabinet only and she preferred to sell it to me! Hubby picked her up and in tears I met him by the door. She is so beautiful and more than I could have hoped for. I have posted pics of her before but I need to tell you why she means so much to me. Now she is fixed and I can sew on her by tomorrow! I have to install a few more hard ware pieces and then we can re install the head into the cabinet!

I had wanted a treadle for many years. When my Grandmother was elderly, I was offered something of hers to remember her by my Aunt and told to choose. I loved my Grandmother dearly so I thought of something I felt little more comfortable about. Up in the attic sat her Mothers Treadle Singer sewing machine with the faded decals that had been stored for many years. I went upstairs and saw it out in the living area there. The mice had really eaten away the wood and ruined the cabinet but all I could see was a beauty of the past that made all my Grandmas clothes by her Mom and surviving world wars and the history this treasure had seen. To me she was priceless and I walked downstairs to ask my Aunt if I could have her. I would have restored her but my Aunt said no. I was allowed a few glasses she did not want and I left happy to have those glasses as they were from my Grandmothers wedding, I have them still. I never forgot that sad Treadle that I know was not saved...I was determined to find one that needed me to save it. I would also use one to help keep my leg circulation doing better as I tend to enjoy crafting for hours at a time. Saving an inanimate object like a sewing machine regardless of age or quality sounds a little silly but it was personal....

The 1891 New Domestic Lady came with a broken frame piece that is not part of the cabinet. It is a removeable piece that I brought to my amazing SIL and left with him. He has a cabinet maker friend and they spent many hours reconstructing this piece, they used 100 yr old wood, they had to put it together in layers like the original piece to keep it intact in design. I would not have minded a solid piece of wood but they wanted it to be an exact duplicate and it is! Not only did they re create a new frame piece, they repaired the original so it could stay with the machine! 

This is the original piece that they fixed...it was barely holding together!










This is a corner of the new frame piece installed into the cabinet..look how flush this is!










Now the varnish on the new piece is shiny so it is reflecting lighter than it is.....It looks great in it! This one piece has to hold 40 lbs of machine!










I was able to get needles and an extra shuttle by trading but she has all the attachments they made for her with lots of bobbins. I will post a picture tomorrow of her together with the machine, belt and all....it took some months to get this together as I had to drop it off and they live a distance but my hubby met my daughter today...oh yes tears again! I can't believe she is mine after all these years....I wonder why I did not look sooner..some things are just meant to be!

Remember this pic? I will post new ones tomorrow of a running treadle machine!!:banana::banana::banana:


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

I bet she's glad to be home!


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

The cabinet is beautiful. Looking forward to seeing it with the machine in place. So wonderful to find these joys at the point in life when we lose so many things.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

You have made me happy as well. I've done one treadle refurbish and am working on the second one. I hope to have it finished before summer this year.

I'm looking forward to seeing your completed and running machine.

Joe


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

I left the island right after I got that framing piece to get our sons to CO for college classes. I have stored her in our home without the machine mounted inside since. I won't be back to our home til next year. It was hard to leave her there but I didn't want to risk taking her states away...

For those who wondered, she worked perfectly and the framing piece was the only thing she needed! She came with 12 copper bobbins so that was a major plus! She is easy to use, the irons with treadle were perfectly quiet and the attachments available for the year she was made..every single one was in the two drawers! I hope to be able to sew with her when I go back to Washington...gosh..I think of her often.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Lovely cabinet. Can't wait to see the machine.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Do you have the chain stitch adapter? that is my favorite thing about my New Domestic. Not that I've used it yet, but I know someone how has ( I sent him my extra one) and he says it's really neat.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Macybaby said:


> Do you have the chain stitch adapter? that is my favorite thing about my New Domestic. Not that I've used it yet, but I know someone how has ( I sent him my extra one) and he says it's really neat.


I have every attachment they made for her that year.  I don't have any duplicates though. I was surprised to see so many bobbins..how wonderful that is. The winder was an extra add on for that year, I looked up the ad for 1891. She is a workhorse and must have been used a lot. Her decals are faded but her stitch is very even and the case is a piece of elegant furniture.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I suppose I'll have to wait until you are back with the machine for some of these answers 

What style of attachments did the machine come with? I've got several different types and it's neat to be able to get them sorted out a bit as to the time frame they were available.

I had one of the very early Domestic machines, but it was pre-chainstitch so after I get the New Domestic, I gave that one to someone who collects earlier machines than I do. That one was in a cabinet, but I do not have one for my newer machine. 

I've heard there is a long underbraider attachmnet (I've got the 5-6" one, heard the other is about a foot long) and my favorite is the ACME bed mount buttonholer.

Here are some of my attachments for the Domestic machine. I know I don't have them all yet, but I keep looking LOL!!

The bed mount ruffler and the later adapter mount ruffler. 










This is the older machine I no longer have - showing how the buttonholer mounts.










This is the chain stitch adapter - it fits into the shuttle carrier in place of the shuttle. There are three different styles of these - depending on age. 

The Domestic is one of my favorite machines, so I get pretty excited to learn more about them.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Can&#8217;t wait to see it. I have a 1901 Singer treadle and just love it.


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