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Singer Sewing Machine
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DescriptionWho remembers these. My Grandmother had a small electric motor attached to the right hand side of her one to replace the treadle footplate.Map[1] Contributor Brian McIntyre
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Location (city or town)GreymouthEventSinger Sewing Machine
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Category TagHousehold
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CommentsSue Scott
used those at Blaketown school and for short time at high school. Found them so frustrating as mum had already taught me to sew on an electric one, but now as peice of furniture Iove them
June Griggs
Loved sewing on these machines.
Helen Brennan
Beautiful stitching
Carol Phillipps
Best stitching for a home sewing machine still use mine
Glenn Johnston
The Hokitika Industrial Heritage Park has quite a collection of sewing machines including Singer "tredles" in working order.
May be an image of indoor
Anne Honey
My grandmother had one. Stayed with singer still using mine 60 yrs old this year
Mary Hood
My mum had and made all our clothes on it
Pam Englefield-Absolum
I learnt to sew dolls clothes on one of these when I was 9 yrs old.
Wendy Bruce
Mum had 1 (we didn’t have electricity) and we’d ‘stand next to her watching’ then reach down while she was trundling away and flick the belt off. Then run
Linda Dooley
Mum's was the same one!
Pat Dooley
Linda Dooley My mum's was the same or very similar
Mata Holliday
My Mum had one then had an electric motor attached to it so you didn't need to use the treadle. I remember trying to use it but kept going backwards and forewards.
Dorothy Wills
I have one of those my one has 3 drawers on each side, but I don’t use it anymore, I did a lot of sewing on it back in 1960-70 before we had electricity and I got an electric one
Kaylene Wright
Dorothy Wills they were great to sew on i made lots of things on mums one. They make lovely tables out of them too
Raylene Smith
GRANDIEPRESSCOTT HADONE
Nina Townsend
Caught my fingers in mums many times
Lynette Havill
I have my grandmas
Lauren Macdonald-Parker
My grandmother Venie Sheehan had one if these old Singers, or a similar model.
Nana Sheehan was an absolutely amazing dressmaker. I have great memories of her taking me to Millers in Tainui Greymouth when I was about 10yrs, studying their window display. When we returned to her home in Harper St, Blackball, she just spread out newspaper over the table & started cutting out patterns then set to work with her Singer Treadle, making me 2 of the most beautiful velvet dress’s....just like the ones we'd seen in Miller's window
JeffJanet Curtin
Wow Lauren, she must have been so talented to be able to do that, wonderful memories.
Lauren Macdonald-Parker
JeffJanet Curtin, Yes Nana Sheehan, was a Brilliant seamstress, I'm sure she made mum’s wedding dress-Janet, you may remember staying at Nana’s S’s house in Blackball when we were about 10. I Have vivid memories of You & I walking from Harper St, ac… See more
Shona Ratana
Learned to sew on Mums. Had my own during 60s 70s Great sewing machines.
Irene Joyce Cassidy
i have one that has been handed down has 3 drawers on each side
Hellen Morris
My mum had one of these,many hours were spent making all our clothes
Chris Mathieson
Still have one
Annie Swain
There were many different models of Singer and some of the treadle models had production runs of over 50 years. There is a site with all of the serial numbers from which you can date machines. https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/seria… See more
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
ISMACS.NET
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
Di Bundy
I learned to sew on one of those, best machines EVER
Peter Leversedge
My mother had one of these on our farm at Motunau back in the day. We had no mains power so was ideal
Jude Blance
This sewing machine looks exactly like my grandmothers.
Carol Brown
My grandmother had one that I learnt to sew on
Les Holmes Germanicus
I bought one in the 70s and I found an old Art Union lottery ticket in one of the drawers.
David Grundy
Leah Burrowes a piece of cake.
Tony Warner
Nana had one used to sit and treadle away with the belt taken off
Jill Adams
Mum was a great sewer and taught meElaine Matthews
Have one. It still works really well. Was the first machine I learnt on.
Rita Koenig
German technology... unbeatable.
Alison Oliver
Everyone's mum had one of these...wish I had kept it!!
Heather Christensen
Alison Oliver same here !
Sue Dixon
My mum had one of these.I learnt to so on it.I made all my dresses on it.Mum also made her grandchildrens dresses too.
Dulcie Symmers
Sue Dixon I remember seeing on 1 of these, can't remember if Mum had 1 I know my Nana did she used to make us girls dresses.
Marilyn Hill
Leant to sew on one like that
Louise Irvine
I have the same one!
Raewyn Taylor
I'm still using one !!
Bryan Woodill
oh yes, and used them, awesome little machine.
Arlene Hutcheon
My grandmother had a treadle sewing machine, she did all thr mending and alterations from the various shops, on it
Johnrobert Coburn
yup Mum had one of these not the whole table setup just the machine possibly a newer portable model that came out later on xD
Glenda O'Donnell
Yes I remember it
Don Allen
I started sewing on one & my mother-in-law had a “portable one” where you pressed ur knee to a bar
Maree Lewis
My mum treadled us to sleep for many years.
Kay Hall
I learned to sew on one of these and had one before buying a beautiful electric Singer. More than being a fabulous mechanical invention it was a visually attractive utilitarian piece of furniture.
Chris Jacobs
Me too, learned to sew
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
My Cousin, Clarice Smith(nee Mackie) worked in Singer Sewing shop, in Greymouth, (next to Norcasa fish and chip shop, mackay street and the n shop moved to Tainui Street, opp ABC, in 50 s Jack White was manager,
Caroline Dunlop
I learned to sew on one of those. I can still remember my grandmother turning sheets using Mum's machine. Cutting the worn sheet down the middle, and rejoining it by bringing the sides in and sewing them together.
Rosey Calder
Best sewing machines ever
Liz Alefosio
I learnt to sew on one then a few years later became a machinist
Josephine Morehu
Mum had one exactly like that, a memory from 'littlehood'
Sandra Rooney
So did my grandmother, I used it quite a lot.
Diana Margaret Gilchrist
I had one.
Paul Chats
This is what they are doing with them nowadays - They call it re - purposing.
May be an image of text
Carolyne Teasdale Jones
Made my daughter's first tutu on one of these lol.
Gae Galway
My Mum made my lovely dresses on a treadle machine like this and I learned to sew on it.
Yvonne Grant
I have one still belonged to my husband's aunty rose
Jackie Breach
Sure do my Grandma had one
Anne Clarkson
Yes my mum had one
Joyce Pitura
I learned to sew on one of those great times
used those at Blaketown school and for short time at high school. Found them so frustrating as mum had already taught me to sew on an electric one, but now as peice of furniture Iove them
June Griggs
Loved sewing on these machines.
Helen Brennan
Beautiful stitching
Carol Phillipps
Best stitching for a home sewing machine still use mine
Glenn Johnston
The Hokitika Industrial Heritage Park has quite a collection of sewing machines including Singer "tredles" in working order.
May be an image of indoor
Anne Honey
My grandmother had one. Stayed with singer still using mine 60 yrs old this year
Mary Hood
My mum had and made all our clothes on it
Pam Englefield-Absolum
I learnt to sew dolls clothes on one of these when I was 9 yrs old.
Wendy Bruce
Mum had 1 (we didn’t have electricity) and we’d ‘stand next to her watching’ then reach down while she was trundling away and flick the belt off. Then run
Linda Dooley
Mum's was the same one!
Pat Dooley
Linda Dooley My mum's was the same or very similar
Mata Holliday
My Mum had one then had an electric motor attached to it so you didn't need to use the treadle. I remember trying to use it but kept going backwards and forewards.
Dorothy Wills
I have one of those my one has 3 drawers on each side, but I don’t use it anymore, I did a lot of sewing on it back in 1960-70 before we had electricity and I got an electric one
Kaylene Wright
Dorothy Wills they were great to sew on i made lots of things on mums one. They make lovely tables out of them too
Raylene Smith
GRANDIEPRESSCOTT HADONE
Nina Townsend
Caught my fingers in mums many times
Lynette Havill
I have my grandmas
Lauren Macdonald-Parker
My grandmother Venie Sheehan had one if these old Singers, or a similar model.
Nana Sheehan was an absolutely amazing dressmaker. I have great memories of her taking me to Millers in Tainui Greymouth when I was about 10yrs, studying their window display. When we returned to her home in Harper St, Blackball, she just spread out newspaper over the table & started cutting out patterns then set to work with her Singer Treadle, making me 2 of the most beautiful velvet dress’s....just like the ones we'd seen in Miller's window
JeffJanet Curtin
Wow Lauren, she must have been so talented to be able to do that, wonderful memories.
Lauren Macdonald-Parker
JeffJanet Curtin, Yes Nana Sheehan, was a Brilliant seamstress, I'm sure she made mum’s wedding dress-Janet, you may remember staying at Nana’s S’s house in Blackball when we were about 10. I Have vivid memories of You & I walking from Harper St, ac… See more
Shona Ratana
Learned to sew on Mums. Had my own during 60s 70s Great sewing machines.
Irene Joyce Cassidy
i have one that has been handed down has 3 drawers on each side
Hellen Morris
My mum had one of these,many hours were spent making all our clothes
Chris Mathieson
Still have one
Annie Swain
There were many different models of Singer and some of the treadle models had production runs of over 50 years. There is a site with all of the serial numbers from which you can date machines. https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/seria… See more
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
ISMACS.NET
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
Singer Sewing Machine Company Serial Numbers
Di Bundy
I learned to sew on one of those, best machines EVER
Peter Leversedge
My mother had one of these on our farm at Motunau back in the day. We had no mains power so was ideal
Jude Blance
This sewing machine looks exactly like my grandmothers.
Carol Brown
My grandmother had one that I learnt to sew on
Les Holmes Germanicus
I bought one in the 70s and I found an old Art Union lottery ticket in one of the drawers.
David Grundy
Leah Burrowes a piece of cake.
Tony Warner
Nana had one used to sit and treadle away with the belt taken off
Jill Adams
Mum was a great sewer and taught meElaine Matthews
Have one. It still works really well. Was the first machine I learnt on.
Rita Koenig
German technology... unbeatable.
Alison Oliver
Everyone's mum had one of these...wish I had kept it!!
Heather Christensen
Alison Oliver same here !
Sue Dixon
My mum had one of these.I learnt to so on it.I made all my dresses on it.Mum also made her grandchildrens dresses too.
Dulcie Symmers
Sue Dixon I remember seeing on 1 of these, can't remember if Mum had 1 I know my Nana did she used to make us girls dresses.
Marilyn Hill
Leant to sew on one like that
Louise Irvine
I have the same one!
Raewyn Taylor
I'm still using one !!
Bryan Woodill
oh yes, and used them, awesome little machine.
Arlene Hutcheon
My grandmother had a treadle sewing machine, she did all thr mending and alterations from the various shops, on it
Johnrobert Coburn
yup Mum had one of these not the whole table setup just the machine possibly a newer portable model that came out later on xD
Glenda O'Donnell
Yes I remember it
Don Allen
I started sewing on one & my mother-in-law had a “portable one” where you pressed ur knee to a bar
Maree Lewis
My mum treadled us to sleep for many years.
Kay Hall
I learned to sew on one of these and had one before buying a beautiful electric Singer. More than being a fabulous mechanical invention it was a visually attractive utilitarian piece of furniture.
Chris Jacobs
Me too, learned to sew
Glenys Elizabeth Martin
My Cousin, Clarice Smith(nee Mackie) worked in Singer Sewing shop, in Greymouth, (next to Norcasa fish and chip shop, mackay street and the n shop moved to Tainui Street, opp ABC, in 50 s Jack White was manager,
Caroline Dunlop
I learned to sew on one of those. I can still remember my grandmother turning sheets using Mum's machine. Cutting the worn sheet down the middle, and rejoining it by bringing the sides in and sewing them together.
Rosey Calder
Best sewing machines ever
Liz Alefosio
I learnt to sew on one then a few years later became a machinist
Josephine Morehu
Mum had one exactly like that, a memory from 'littlehood'
Sandra Rooney
So did my grandmother, I used it quite a lot.
Diana Margaret Gilchrist
I had one.
Paul Chats
This is what they are doing with them nowadays - They call it re - purposing.
May be an image of text
Carolyne Teasdale Jones
Made my daughter's first tutu on one of these lol.
Gae Galway
My Mum made my lovely dresses on a treadle machine like this and I learned to sew on it.
Yvonne Grant
I have one still belonged to my husband's aunty rose
Jackie Breach
Sure do my Grandma had one
Anne Clarkson
Yes my mum had one
Joyce Pitura
I learned to sew on one of those great times
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West Coast New Zealand History (4th Dec 2023). Singer Sewing Machine. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 3rd Apr 2026 14:32, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11730