Sewing on a Treadle Sewing Machine is like Patting your Head and Rubbing your Stomach at the Same Time.

Learning to sew on a vintage, human-powered sewing machine takes lots of practice and a bit of coordination. I started learning on my White Rotary treadle machine during the quarantine of 2020. It was often frustrating, as I would try and work the foot pedal and the wheel would like to go backward. But once I got the hang of it, what a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction to work with a vintage machine. And now I can’t get enough of hearing the clickety clack sound; the control it affords; the heavy-duty capability, and working the treadle-to-hand motion.

So, maybe you’ve found a vintage machine and want to get it going. Start without the machine threaded and practice keeping the wheel rotating in the right direction. My machine has the wheel going forward, which is opposite from the direction of my commercial machines. I like to place my feet on the treadle pedal slightly up and down, so that I’m having the pedal motion go all the way forward and all the way back.

I find that I like to keep my right hand free to give the wheel a forward push, until I’ve got it going - hence the feeling like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time!

There are some limitations to using a vintage machine - mine only does straight stitch and there is no back-stitch feature. Finding spare parts and getting it serviced may also be challenging. However, finding a true vintage gem and bringing it to life is immensely rewarding - and who knows? - you may find yourself learning how to sew leather.