On Stage

I've been trying to clean house so a few of the sewing machines are just going to have to go now. This prompted me to sell the Minnesota A treadle in the very ornate cabinet:

Isn't she pretty? That's why I brought her home in the first place. But then I found out she could only have a Minnesota head unless I wanted to have a new top insert made. Bummer. The Minnesota A was is sorry cosmetic shape but ran good enough:

Most of the decals are missing or silvered and the hand wheel was rusty looking. That prompted me to buy a Minnesota S in a parlor cabinet at an estate sale that was in great condition:

Parlor Cabinet

Minnesota S treadle

 I put the S in the A cabinet thinking it was the best of both worlds but I loved using the A in the S parlor cabinet. After months of practicing with both, I finally switched them back. The A was in it's ornate cabinet and the S was in the parlor cabinet just as they came to me. Why didn't I like the A's cabinet? I did: it was the action of the treadle that just wasn't comfortable for me. It felt like a little too much work. The parlor cabinet had shorter pumps but was easier while the larger treadle was just too much work. It's possible there could have been some adjustments but I knew I couldn't keep that many treadles since I already had a good Singer 66 Red Eye that was great. So the A in the ornate cabinet went on Craigslist.

Several emails later and even one visit, she went this afternoon to a high school drama department. That's right, she's going to be on stage! The man who came to pick her up said they perform Fiddler on the Roof every year  and had been borrowing a treadle but it was getting to be a big hassle. After one donation fell through they saw mine and said it was perfect for the part. They wanted one that would actually work and look good on stage. She even had a short audition to make sure she could actually act (it was no act but her natural state.) Although I think the cosmetic condition of the Minnesota A left much to be desired, it did look like it belonged in a tailors shop.

How exciting for a sad little treadle sewing machine to make it big on the stage. Maybe I'll have to be a stage mom and go see her perform. Nah, she wouldn't recognize me anyway.