Because The Factory Dress is based on 1920s dress designs, I plan to use either my treadle machine or my 1920 hand crank machine. Both would be appropriate for the time period. Even if electrified, they would be fine, unless you didn’t have electricity. I’ll hand sew when necessary.
I think it would be fun to give some background on both machines. The Free No. 5 is not famous, but the Singer 66 is. If you go to eBay and search “The Free Sewing Machine” you will find a lot of them for sale. Anyway, a treadle machine allows you to use both hands as you sew. With a hand crank machine, the right hand provides the power, not your feet. Today, we will explore a bit about the The Free No. 5 treadle machine.
The Free No. 5 Treadle Sewing Machine
The Free No. 5 is a knock-off of a Singer 127 vibrating shuttle machine. It is a full-sized machine, having an 8″ harp and a vibrating shuttle mechanism. ISMACS has a number of brief articles about the No. 5 and other models made by Free.
This video shows you most of the basic functions of The Free No. 5, even though the blurb under the YouTube video says it is NOT a No. 5, for all intents and purposes, it is. The model “No. 5” is not painted on the head, but the decal pattern is the same ans the No. 5, the sewing cabinet is the same, and so on. If you watch the video, listen to the sound of the machine as it sews – I love it!
I bought my No. 5 about 20 years ago from a gentleman in Billings, Montana. He shipped it freight and it arrived on my doorstep in pristine condition. It was beautiful, and still is. Being new to vintage machines, I did not realize it had a long bobbin. In fact, it was the only long bobbin machine I had ever seen. I thought all sewing machine bobbins were round!! Well, eventually they evolved into roundness, but here I was, perplexed and frustrated. Thanks to the internet, and especially YouTube, I finally learned how to use the vibrating shuttle successfully. Interestingly, one of my closest friends told me she had grown up sewing on this same machine, but the Singer 27 version!
The story behind my No. 5 is, to me, so interesting. This man buys and sells household goods as a living, and this household was a prize. The story itself seems rather incredible. He found a household for sale, upstairs, downstairs, and in the basement. The house was ca. 1920 or earlier, but had been seriously remodeled to the point that new flooring was put in, a trap door about 3’x3′ constructed over the former opening to the basement, and forgotten. Only a skinny person could manage the staircase. In he went to find not only my machine, vintage and pristine and barely used, but also antique Stickley furniture in the same condition. How do you get such items out of a 3’x3′ opening? You take it apart and carry it up the stairs. The story, he said, was this machine was bought for the former owner who hated sewing – into the basement it went. And there it stayed until the 1990s.
My machine has proprietary attachments, but it does take a 15×1 sewing needle – at least there I didn’t get a lemon. I have a bunch of attachments, too, and original long bobbins. The original bobbins are longer than the new ones being made and are quite nice to use. Despite the length differences, the new ones work fine with a few tricks.
To be continued . . . .
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
Very interesting. Sewing machines are pretty much the same. More stitches, electric, etc.
Sometimes the simplest machines are the most pleasant to use, I think. In my book, the only things I really think I need are straight stitch in both directions, zig zag, and a good buttonholer. Works for me! Of course, attachments like tuckers and rufflers and hemmers and fellers all work nicely, too. But I don’t mind handwork, so that’s oday.
Hello from Michigan.
Thank you for posting your video. I have the same cabinet and machine. It used to be my grandmothers. I have an agreement to donate the machine to a local museum. After I removed the lid to clean the machine, I misplaced the four-screw plate, part of the lifting mechanism. I can see the plate early in your video. I found someone to make a replacement plate. He’s asked me to provide a photograph of the plate. Do you still have the machine? Would it be possible to email me a photograph of the plate? I’d really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Anne
Hi Anne- send me a photo of the area in question with the missing parts and I will see what I can do. I am not quite sure about the area in question. You could also look at Fred Sanford’s Vintage Sewing Machine Parts on YouTube and on Facebook. I have boughten things from him.
Hi Anne- send me a photo of the area in question with the missing parts and I will see what I can do. I am not quite sure about the area in question. You could also look at Fred Sanford’s Vintage Sewing Machine Parts on YouTube and on Facebook. I have boughten things from him. If you send me the time stamp of the section of the YouTube video, that might also help. BTW, this is not a video I made – click on the YouTube logo in the lower right of the video and that will let you watch it in YT.
I’ve posted two similar comments. Have you seen either one? Thank you.
I replied to you earlier today. The one from yesterday (?) was the first I have seen. I asked if you could give me the time stamp for the part you are looking to repair so I can see it, and then I can figure out what you mean. Your description is a bit vague. Not a problem – glad to help if I can – but I am not clear about what you want specifically.
Hello again-
I suspect my two earlier comments may have gone to a spam folder. Each contained a Facebook link from my page which contains two photos. I don’t see a way to add photos here. How do I do so?
One may glimpse the four-screw plate about 28 seconds into the video as the warranty doc is unfolded, and again, about 43 seconds into the video as the warranty doc is folded. The plate is at the underside of the lid, really close to the inside edge of the lid. What did I miss explaining?
Thank you for your response and your interest to help.
Anne