This past Tuesday I had an AAUW committee meeting in Crystal Lake. On the way home I stopped at the Volo Antique Mall . The last time I was there was in 2012, as chronicled in this post .I did not buy this treadle sewing machine. The spoon-carved cabinet caught my eye.
I had never heard of the brand "Alvah." ISMACS, the source for information about old sewing machines, has this article about Sears, Roebuck machines. Though there is no "Alvah" in the list of Sears models at the end of the ISMACS article, Alvah was Roebuck's first name and the machine badge says Chicago. Surely this is an early Sears machine.
It is fun to read about people's vintage sewing machine collections, but I will maintain my role as an admirer rather than an acquirer.
We bought a Singer 66 at the start of the summer. My husband has been working on it. He was disappointed that the (modern) motor he bought doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteDo you collect hankies, and if so, what do you do with them.
The late Patricia Long Gardner considered handkerchiefs to be small pictures made out of fabric. She made small quilts by adding pieced borders to hankies. I have made ONE wallhanging using the technique and that was in 2000. I have acquired many more hankies in anticipation of making more such wallhangings. Some day.....
DeleteI have a similar if not exact machine but it was redone at some point to say Pennsylvania Singer. Even the plate says Pennsylvania Singer. But if you look at the Paint, you can tell Alvah was it's original. A partial sticker on the base you can see "adelphia". Was there an Alvah Philadelphia too? Perplexed by this machine, no doubt part of the Singer knockoff category. But even the coffin top to mine, looks very similar to yours.
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same sewing machine with the same plaque saying Alvah Mfg Co Chicago il with the exact same cabinet. Is this a rare? I cant seem to find any information about it anywhere.
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