So the Janome was out.Īfter several weeks of waiting, a new ad appeared on Craiglist. I found an old treadle stand on Craigslist for $65 (most of them seem to be turned into tables), but discussion on sewing forums indicated that not all old treadle cabinets will accommodate the Janome. Treadle cabinets to fit the Janome are available elsewhere for somewhere around $1000. The main obstacle, however, was that it doesn't come with a treadle stand. It was also more than my Christmas funds, but it was tempting since it can do zig-zag and buttonholes stitches that most antique treadle machines can't. I checked Craigslist frequently, but also took a look at a modern treadle machine - the Janome 712T. Finally, the response came back, 'already sold.' I wasn't surprised I just put on my patience hat and kept looking. From browsing sewing forums and the websites of treadle enthusiasts, I concluded that White had made a sewing machine of excellent quality. But I shot off an email inquiry anyway and then started researching this particular machine. The listing was a month old so I didn't expect it to still be available. That was more than I had to spend, so I kept scrolling through the listings until I found one for a White Rotary Treadle sewing machine for $100. There were a number of treadle sewing machines on Craigslist with prices ranging from $350 to $600. So I have some treadle sewing experience under my belt, even though I wasn't going to fool myself into thinking I still have the same dexterity as I did back then! But maybe it will be like riding a bike. That's how living off the land was done back then. Solar panels as we know them now were still being developed, so when it came to electricity we simply lived without. We didn't have electricity although we didn't refer to it as being off-grid. In my back-to-the-land days, I used to use a treadle sewing machine. But I didn't want another electric one, I wanted a treadle machine. For a number of years now, I've wanted to replace my old sewing machine. I pondered what to do with it for a bit and then started a search on Craigslist. For Christmas, I received an unexpected and rather generous gift of cash.

Treadle cabinet for janome machine