I was meeting up with a woman who I exercise with on a daily basis, and on this particular Monday she was unusually quiet and distant. I asked her if something was wrong. She replied, “Oh nothing at all. I’ve been sewing all day and I’m feeling content and quiet.”

It’s even better if you have a treadle sewing machine. The hum of a motor is missing and the rhythm of your foot is like a mantra as you guide your fabric under the needle. Watching your hands. Watching the stitches … hundreds of them in and out … joining, stitching.

When I was in high school, one hour every day was devoted to sewing. That means I spent more than 700 hours sewing while at school. I don’t think it’s that way any more. Probably the kids walk into a room full of computers instead of sewing machines. It was great because it was a way to supply oneself with new, exciting customized clothes on a regular basis.

Since fabric could be purchased for around 25 cents a yard, it was actually economical. I spent even more hours browsing fabric stores on weekends. Since then, I’ve met men who sew, but during my school years, there was never a boy in any of my sewing classes.

Over the years, I’ve become a collector of treadle sewing machines. If I see a good one in a secondhand store, I can’t resist bringing it home and putting it on layaway for that special someone I know, who someday will need one. When Lahde left my farm for a small farm of her own, I gave her one of my machines as a wedding gift. Home now with little Owen, she stitches and mends, nurtures and tends.

If you see a treadle machine for sale, you can check its “mileage” by how much decorative Egyptian-style ink is left on the body of the machine. I’ve even purchased a “new” old-style treadle from the Lehman’s Amish mail order catalog. The cabinet is plain, simply designed and adequate. However, actual antique cabinets are prettier and more decorative. The new machine itself was made in China bearing the usual Egyptian-style decorations. Lehman’s also sells replacement leather belts, etc. on the Web at www.lehmans.com or by phone, 1-888-438-5346.

A couple of local women have asked me if I could show them how to thread their antique Singer treadle sewing machines. Gabe agreed to draw the details of my machine. I actually think his drawings are worthy of framing, so we’ve designed our page layout for that purpose. Here is an online sample of some of his drawings: Threading the Bobbin and Threading the Machine.

(See MaryJanesFarm magazine Backcountry Food Issue for the complete set of Gabe's drawings, including Adjusting Tension and Machine Maintenance.)