Means to the End

With all the stitching by hand I did, I found a reason to get my great grandmother's Damascus treadle sewing machine working.

The best I can guess the old Montgomery Wards machine is 70 or 80 years old and had been sitting in my mother's damp basement for nearly 40 years. I wasn't sure I could make it work again but I dove into the project with both feet.

As you can see, there was rust and grime covering it. I gave the wheel a spin and determined I needed only a belt and needle clamp. I found a man here in town who restores old machines. I bought a belt, a needle clamp and special oil from him. I removed the machine from its cabinet and cleaned and oiled the rods housed beneath the machine. Then I removed the end plate and cleaned and oiled everything I could find in there.

It took an entire day but the ancient sewing machine works like a champ now.

To my great surprise the original manual was in one of the cabinet drawers. I found the illustration to thread it and have been sewing with the newly restored Damascus ever since.

Another example of dreaming and doing.