Can this patient be saved?

So, I get a call from a friend -- this and that, and "Oh, by the way, I saw a treadle at a local junk store for $25" -- isn't it great to have such caring friends? I rushed over to check it out, and, well, what do you know? -- there were 2 treadles for $25! Not sure my friend even noticed the one in the back, but I sure did. And, despite the owners entreaty that I could have them both for $40, I came home with this:

I'm not sure why, but for some reason it really spoke to me. It's probably in the worst shape of any of the vintage machines I have, and I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to get it into working order, but I thought it was worth bringing home. The cabinet is in fairly rough shape too, but I like the Craftsman type styling of it. The machine head is raised from inside the cabinet by lifting the cabinet leaf -- there's a chain lift mechanism underneath (rusty as all get out). I do have the drawer knob that appears to be missing, and it has a few (rusty) rotary style attachments in one of the drawers. I managed to open the sliding plate, and there is an intact shuttle inside, and presumably a long bobbin, as there is a bunch of thread emerging from the shuttle. So, looks like my next project is all lined up!

And totally changing subjects -- how about a little old vs. new technology?




The new should be apparent -- the old is represented by the little sewn case. Yes, I am silly enough to spend a bundle on the Kindle, and too 'thrifty' to pay extra for a little case. So I took some scraps and cranked (literally) one out on my wee little Singer 99. Works just fine, used up some scraps, and you can't beat the price!