Marilyn I did exactly what you said. I took off the feed dogs , tighten the Tension on the bobbin on my 201 treadle and the rest of it, for the first time its working for free motion embroidery.I'm really having fun . Thank you so much.
Shan Bartholomew ..............I am so glad that it is working well for you! I will be posting another video soon on some of the stitches you can create.....and I will be doing a video soon on the lace work that can be fun! You will really love that! You will be sewing through thin air and it is amazing how it works!
Marilyn Lee Are you talking about the lace look stitching? Would that sort of be like using the stocking darner and 89294 darning foot and "filling" the open hole in the sock. You just kind of twist the thread and then sew them across? I might have done this by mistake using the sock darner the first time. In the video you have some much larger spans you cross than the little hole in my sock !! Can hardly wait to see that.
I really want to learn this but dang it I have a shuttle bobbin. I just might have to find another machine I can put into my cabinet...lol. I keep watching your videos over and over. Love how you instruct :)
+amiswish ..........Thank you! I am glad you enjoy my videos! It is not entirely impossible to use a shuttle machine for this work but it may be a little more difficult to get your tensions and etc. set just right. I have used a shuttle but not extensively for this embroidery. After the holidays I want to experiment again with one of my shuttles.
Omg! I'm so glad that I came across this video. I'm gonna follow these instructions and hope I won't fail! Thank you very much! Sending you love and prayers. ^-^
+Arif John You are so welcome! Depending on the machine you may have to remove the plate on the top of the machine under the needle to get to them but on others just look underneath and you will see how to remove them.....either just one or two screws depending on the machine! Have fun!! :)
Marilyn.... What is your biggest size hoop that you use comfortably when doing embroidery on the singer machine? Please let me know...I am trying to decide which size or sizes to buy for embroidering the necklines of my nightgowns... Thanks so much!
Hi Marilyn, I just bought a Singer Treadle machine that looks exactly like yours. I'm not sure what kind of needles it takes and the bobbin is missing. Where would I buy both and is there instructions on how to thread the machine and how to wined the bobbin. I am very new to antique sewing machines but have been a quilter for years. I love your beautiful embroidery and mesmerized by your videos. Thank you for your help.
Would my machine have to have zig-zag capability? I have a singer 15-91 (not treadle) that is a straight stitch only. I'm wanting to get a treadle singer and want to get the right one to allow me to learn to free motion embroidery.
Tracy Reid ...Hi Tracy, No your machine does not have to have zig-zag capability. It is the motion of your hands moving the hoop that creates the zig-zag. You can do this work on an electric machine also but it is much easier(especially when you are learning) to have a treadle as you can go so slow with one.....an electric one will be harder to use as it is so much harder to control the speed with one. I believe a 15-91 would convert to treadle use easily....you would just have to find the treadle base.
Marilyn, I've been trying to get started machine embroidering on a New Home Rotary treadle (1911 dated) and cannot figure out why the bobbin and top threads will not catch. I removed the feed dogs, the pressure foot and adjusted tensions. Hooped the fabric and ..... nope. This model of machine has a vertical bobbin with a case not quite any I've seen before. It sews a beautiful stitch when the pressure foot is installed, but once removed it won't (yep, the arm is lowered). Do you think possibly putting some little rice bags or something as weight on the hooped fabric might help? In your years of experience have you ever heard of a type of machine that one can't successfully embroider or thread paint with? Your work is just beautiful, and if could only do half as nice as yours I'd be thrilled! I just need to get my machine working right without the foot. Thanks, in advance, for any ideas.
+Marci Meyer .....What I have found is that the fabric needs to be hooped very tightly which you said you have done....I mean drum tight........and then when you embroidery your fabric and hoop has to be held down on the base of the machine so that it doesn't jump around....even a little bit of jumping will cause the problem you are having. I had that same problem when I first started.....you could try some little weights like rice bags just to see if that helps. Another thing that you might want to consider is an embroidery foot. It will jump as you sew but will hold the fabric down with every rotation of the needle. I know that it may be hard to find one for your machine but you should be able to find a more modern one that will fit your machine....be sure you get a high shaft or a low shaft depending on what your machine has. I use one on my treadle when I sew on un-hooped fabric and for free motion quilting without a hoop. I have modified mine to work on my machine. I hope this has helped you....It can be frustrating at first but once you get it all figured out you will have a lot of fun with it.
+Marilyn Lee thanks, Marilyn. I'll try hooping tighter. The feet on this machine attach by screwing the foot in by a big horizontal round screw and nothing modern would work. But I'm not giving up yet 😉, I'm going to try a different hoop and just a couple little rice bags. I use bigger ones on my longarm sometimes and they help there. Thank you for responding, your work is beautiful!
I've removed my presser foot and feed dogs but I can not get the top thread to pick up the bobbin. I've reduced the top tension and tightened the bottom tension. Do you have any ideas what i'm doing wrong?
+sewobsessedmama ...Have you hooped your fabric very tightly? Like drum tight? If there is any give in the fabric you will have a very hard time picking up the bobbin thread. Also be sure that even tho there is no pressure foot on the machine you still have to lower the pressure foot lever so the top tension works properly.
Marilyn Lee I did hoop my fabric taunt that's why I'm so confused - i did use my machine embroider hoop - maybe that makes a difference. I'll try with a wooden hoop when i can get one
+sewobsessedmama A wooden hoop is definitely better as I find that machine embroidery hoops allow for slipping of the fabric. Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to get the machines set right as far as tension goes.....it can be frustrating but don't give up!
I figured out that my singer 127 (1911) doesn't like the pressor foot off and the feed dogs removed. Since it's a low shank machine i had a darning foot on hand - and I covered the feed dogs with a post it for a trial run. it worked. So now i have to buy a cover plate for my machine. I can't thank you enough - my mother-in-law is a curator and she had no idea the treadle could embroider. I ended up testing my domestic with FME and just from playing around with them both, the treadle is easier. Do you mind me asking what model is your machine?
I'm so glad to hear that you figured it out! I have four different treadles that I use. My favorite is equivalent to a Singer 15-91. The treadle is definitely the better choice for free motion embroidery I believe as you can go very slow if you like and because of that you have more control.
+Ayi Ayicute ..On vintage machines you can not always release the feed dogs. You must manually remove them. There is one screw that holds them in place. Tip your machine up to you can see the bottom and un screw the one screw that holds them in and remove the feed dogs. Keep the screw and the feed dogs in a safe place in case you want to put them back in. You can not mess up these old machines by removing the feed dogs as they go back in exactly the way they came out. No worries at all!
thank you for the info, I want to do embroider with my vintage singer machine the cleopatra type, people says I have to do something to the feed dog,,but i dont know how,,,
+Ayi Ayicute ....Well if you do just what I told you in my previous comment it will be perfect! Good luck and if I can help in any other way please let me know! I will be happy to help!
