1901 New Home Sewing Machine | Restore this 123-year-old machine with me

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

Hi Colleen! It’s possible to sharpen blunted needles with very fine emery paper. You have to be careful to hold the needle at the correct angle for the point, and you twirl it gently on the emery paper. A drop of oil on the paper can help!

[@ColleenMarble]

That's awesome! I actually didn't know that. I have two machines - this one and a Free-Westinghouse from the 40s - that take odd needles. I'll keep this in mind! Thanks for sharing.

[@BellaLyric]

​@@ColleenMarbleHello Ms. Colleen! My name is Bella and I'm messaging you on behalf of my mother in law who is almost 81 years old she has a sewing machine that has the date Aug 9th 1887 and she would really like information on it if you have any. It looks like the one in the bideo but doesn't have any designs or anything just almost like a matte black . Any info would be wonderful to share with her.

[@tiredoftrolls2629]

This is lovely!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks!

[@CherDele]

What an excellent job you did on that restoration. Pure beauty. And thanks for the history.❤

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks! I do love the history of these old machines. Sewing machines in general have a fascinating history - the Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines was eye-opening for sure!

[@mdksailormoon]

It's a beauty!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thank you so much!

[@DavidCollinsRivera]

What sweet job! Great work, and such a beautiful machine!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thank you! I really enjoyed the project.

[@jeannegreeneyes1319]

Fabulous find! Thank you for sharing you process, tips, and lessons learned. 💖

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks for watching and taking time to comment!

[@carmenm.4091]

What a beauty!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks! I really love these old machines. They are works of art.

[@maryschiff9580]

That came out great!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks!

[@nellieolguin-davis1519]

Hello awesome machine I also have a few old machines I have one outside I pray hasn't totally hasn't ruined I need to sand the cabinet down badly and I couldn't find any one to help me move it inside so I kept it covered with a tarp keeping my fingers crossed tomorrows the uncovering so I can refinish it !!!God Bless ❤

[@ColleenMarble]

Good luck! If you can bring it inside that would be best. Humidity can take a toll on the machine (rust etc) even if you cover the wood.

[@meacadwell]

Whenever I clean an antique like this, I always wonder how much is the old resin coating and how much is dirt and finger grime. I got a little too enthusiastic on my Singer 27 and some of the silvering came off the decal. Oops.

[@ColleenMarble]

It's easy to go too far, for sure. I've done three treadles so far. This was the only one I damaged, but it was also, by far, the dirtiest. Looking back, I'm pretty sure the back and base were covered in varnish because you can see the brush strokes as I cleaned. I think trying to get that off is what caused the damage on the back.

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

This is beautiful! You did an amazing job! I love the look of vintage machines. I have a few but haven’t been brave enough yet to try resorting them.

[@ColleenMarble]

Thank you so much. I love them too. Go for it! It's hard to really destroy them.

[@percyparaiso7231]

Hi Colleen! I am so happy to find your video. You have done such a wonderful restoration. I recently bought One Home sewing machine serial no 3486630 not working. But you have inspire me to restore it. Watching you do it will help me definitely. The cabinet lid that brings the machine up is missing. May I kindly ask you to show a picture of how it looks like on your sewing cabinet. Your help is much appreciated.

[@ColleenMarble]

Hi - thanks for watching and commenting! I can't share photos here but if you would like to send me a private message on instagram I can share photos with you there. My instagram page is @crmarble.

[@MyPaloma2023]

Very interesting watching this process. I loved the history story of the company & the ephemera ads & old photos. 🙂🧵

[@ColleenMarble]

The history of these old sewing brands is fascinating to me. In fact, the history of the sewing machine in general is SUPER interesting. It was pretty cutthroat at times! and yes, the ephemera is such a great connection to the past.

[@becmckinlay5073]

I bought a Singer 66 treadle which came with a complete box of New Home feet, huh😂? So of course I looked for a New Home. Not easy in Western Australia and I was amazed to find a cupboard type treadle in less than a month of looking. A bit expensive as everything here is but it was so pretty, dainty even and once I turned the washer around on the flywheel and reengaged the stuck pin bit, it sewed straight away. I named it after the original owner Gertrude who was Polish, adding more intrigue as to how during WW1 she bought a brand new USA machine. She then took it with her when evacuated to the UK in WWII, which is even more impressive and then Australia. I now also have a hand crank New Home that comes with me to markets. It's far lighter than my Singer 99k and the quirky, devil horn look always draws a crowd. Sadly I don't know it's history barring being a migrant as most of us are here. I think the simple tension assembly for ease of use is superior to Singer's but the stitch length is smaller and being lighter it does struggle with heavier material. As for the needles, I successfully use modern ones but I don't fully insert it, instead using the zen method of....keep reseating it until it works, then DON'T TOUCH IT 😂 I have thought of putting a nano cm of magnet at the top of the needle shaft but yet to try. Whoops, I'm banging on again about sewing machines but you did ask and my family zone out at the slightest mention of my obssession and quietly I don't blame them 😂. Thanks for your video. I envy your table, so much nicer than a cupboard and your decals are far more colourful but I have a complete set of feet, a handcrank and a buttonholer so we're even 😂🥰

[@ColleenMarble]

Oh thanks so much for sharing your story! I love to hear from other people who love sewing and old machines. I've heard of the hack you mention about not putting the needle all the way in. That's a good trick. Some people even glue a spacer on the end before inserting it so they can remove it and reinsert without having to fiddle with it. And yes, we're even! The handcrank would be so great to have. :-)

[@mvrooks]

Colleen, this restoration turned out really well! I live about 45 minutes away from Orange Massachusetts and may take a trip up there to see if the building still stands.

[@ColleenMarble]

That sounds fun! It looks like a really cute town. If you go, let me know what you find out about the building. :-)

[@carmencolon3520]

I just found this video. and have gave me a piece of mind learning to understand the functions of this machine. I wish we can find a manual for this machine. My is a National Raymond and it looks almost similar at yours. Thanks so much for making the video . Will watch the others .

[@ColleenMarble]

Hey! I'm glad you found my video helpful! You should definitely look at my video about my National Paveway machine. National machines are all pretty much identical from the same general area - they were just badged differently. I bet my video on that machine will be helpful to you.

[@carmencolon3520]

@@ColleenMarble Yes, did watched both twice each. Sorry cleaning the machine and watching videos at the same time isn't longer good for my memory 😅. I hope you can find a bit extra time to make more videos. We all understand life can be hard sometimes. By the way looking for a manual for my National Richmond no Raymond; I was able to find one for my Western Electric on ISMACS. I have several attachments that aren't Singer. Hopefully I can use them on my national.

[@ColleenMarble]

@@carmencolon3520 I miss making videos - but I do have several in the works - three completed historical projects that have been filmed, plus another antique sewing machine cleaning video. I just have been having a difficult time carving out space in my schedule to edit the footage. It's very time consuming, unfortunately.

[@auntdello5286]

What a lovely machine! Nice job on fixing her up. You may be able to find the proper needles for her at central michigan sewing supply.

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks for the comment and the tip! I'll look into that!

[@samanthafederico8278]

Your video is very inspiring and your machine is gorgeous. I have a Singer table and hope to get a machine for it someday (and also find out what my parents did to the treadle foot and bars and reattached them!) I've dreamed of getting an operational machine in the table since I was a girl. There is even a full set of Singer attachments in a wooden box that has been with the table since the first owner had it!

[@ColleenMarble]

I do hope you find a machine someday! They are plentiful on craigslist and marketplace - I actually have a machine without a table at the moment, but it needs a ton of work.

[@kimberlyreinauer2638]

Your work is incredible! We have a New Home cabinet and sewing machine that was my husband's grandmother's. The cabinet and machine need a lot of love to bring them back to life. We are currently restoring the cabinet and machine. The rope that is attached to the cabinet lid that brings the machine up is broken. May I please ask you how the rope attaches to the cabinet to raise the machine? Thank you!

[@ColleenMarble]

Thanks for watching and commenting! On my table, it's a metal cable that goes over a pulley. On the end connected to the lid, the cable has a metal 'eye' and it's attached to the lid with a screw. On the other end, the cable has a threaded metal end that is connected to a metal bracket with a nut. If you go to my instagram account (@crmarble) and send me a dm, I can send you photos. Hope that helps!

[@BritInvLvr]

Wow. What a beautiful machine. To think of how people back then would take a practical item and make it look so gorgeous. I look at our modern machines and they look so sterile and boring.

[@ColleenMarble]

I do love the old machines. They are works of art! And yes, practical items used to be beautiful too. Not so much anymore.

[@katwitanruna]

That looks like my grandmother’s sewing macbjbr

[@ColleenMarble]

That's neat! My grandma always had updated machines, so when she passed it was just a modern machine, nothing too sentimental. I'd love to have one of the earlier ones that she learned to sew on, or better yet, HER mom's machine. I do have some of her sewing tools, though!

[@creamofthecrop2789]

Also There is a treadle belt cover for the belt so it doesn’t pop out of place when putting the machine up and down

[@ColleenMarble]

Oh I'll have to look to see if I missed something. Thanks!

[@beverlydetwiler1246]

This is a wonderful video! I have a New Home rescued from a thrift store, and alas, the shuttle is GONE! It doesn't take the typical "Long" shuttle, but needs a shorter one (like 1/32" shorter!) I've been told they are almost impossible to locate - do you have any suggestions?

[@beverlydetwiler1246]

I tried my shuttle from a Minnesota A and Merrell - nope, they're a hair too long :(

[@ColleenMarble]

I'm sorry I don't know where to source shuttles, other than buying another New Home machine that has one! I hope you can find one!

[@glitterclaws4717]

Hey where do you find the serial number on these vintage new home machines? I just got one and I'm not sure where to look

[@ColleenMarble]

It should be on the cover over the shuttle area, near the front of the machine. That's where mine is. Sometimes those plates get lost over time and they are replaced with plates that don't have serial numbers.

[@mourningwarblers5863]

Mine is in a cabinet. Trying to determine when it was built.

[@ColleenMarble]

There should be a serial number stamped on the plate that covers the bobbin area. Then you can look that up!

[@tacompton09]

I sent a message to your instagram asking for a picture of how the cable attaches under machine on a New Home treadle. My husband got me one at an estate sale that is missing the cable

[@DeidresStuff]

I have a 1904 that I just purchased. How much did these machines vary? There are some manuals on ebay from that general era. Would they be helpful at all?

[@ColleenMarble]

I don't think they varied much at all. Any manual from the general era should do the trick.

[@TheWoodburningWarrior]

So I'm confused, do you turn the hand wheel towards you when you're sewing because at timestamp 11:15 you were turning it away from you so that was confusing me.

[@ColleenMarble]

Hi - good question and great catch! Yes, I turned it away at 11:15 because that was more natural for the manual cleaning I was doing at the time. But treadle machines sew the way I showed later in the video - pull the wheel toward you to get the treadle started. Thanks for asking!

[@tylerdenham4447]

I have this exact same machine in immaculate condition! I don’t know anything about it, or what to do with it

[@ColleenMarble]

I hope my video will help you use it! Treadle machines are a lot of fun!

[@alisonmartin8119]

Hi Colleen. I have a sewing machine needle ( unused) marked N Home. It is longer than my sewing machine needles so I never used it. I have inherited my grandmothers and great aunts sewing boxes etc so I am assuming that is where it came from. If you can use this I will happily mail it to you or wherever you feel safe. I live in Florida Alison

[@ColleenMarble]

That's very kind of you! I don't have a P.O. box set up or anything, and I don't know how to send a private message to you via KZbin with my address. But thank you so much for the offer! It's much appreciated.

[@BellaLyric]

Hello Ms. Colleen, my name is Bella, and I am writing to you on behalf of my 80 year old mother in law who found an August 9th 1887 vintage sewing machine it looks just like yours in the video but there isnt any gold foil or anything. Just all black .She's been wanting some info on it. Any information that you have on it would be wonderful. Thank you for your time and help. Bella and Sarah

[@ColleenMarble]

Hi Ms. Bella and Ms. Sarah! Thanks for writing! I would love to have a machine from before 1900! A lot of the old machines used to have the pretty gold decals, but they're delicate and sometimes are lost or damaged due to use or are removed during a restoration. I'm glad you were able to date the machine! If it looks just like mine, it should be threaded as demonstrated in the video. I have another video on a National Paveway machine that is similar and it shows how to thread that one, so you can take a look at that as well. As long as all the parts are there and everything is moving freely it should sew! I'm afraid I don't have any other info besides what I've given here and in that other video, and without a name on the machine it's hard to know if it's the same brand. But I hope my videos will help you get it threaded and sewing again!

[@BellaLyric]

​@ColleenMarble Thank you, it says Domestic on it. We opened the drawer and it has tools and thread dates on the some of the tools as well

[@ColleenMarble]

@@BellaLyric Oh that helps! look here for info: www.kelsew.info/domestic/domesticmodels.html Also some of those dates, especially on the tools, are probably patent dates. Look for a plate that has stamped numbers on it - that is the serial number. It might be one of the ones covering the bobbin area. The numbers should look like they were stamped vs. engraved. A great resource for info on old machines is the Vintage Sewing Machines group on Facebook. The members of that group are extremely knowledgable and can point you in the right direction for more information, such as where to look up the serial number to get a date of manufacture (if it's available online) and troubleshooting when you try to get it working. Good luck!

[@BellaLyric]

@@ColleenMarble Thank you so much! Tremendous help

[@JacobGolds]

How do i find out which year my new home machine was made? The serial number is 575238

[@ColleenMarble]

Hi - you can look it up here: ismacs.net/newhome/manufacture_dates.html. Make sure you're looking at the stamped serial number, not the patent number. Based on the number you provided, your machine is c. 1883-1885.

[@CarleithaHughley]

How much is that sewing machine worth

[@ColleenMarble]

Good question! Antique sewing machines generally aren't worth much because they were made by the millions, literally, so the market is full of them. I bought the machine for $10, the table for $100 (which actually was too much but it was the only one I found to match the size needed for the machine). So I invested $110 plus labor. I doubt I could sell it for what I paid for it. Most treadles go for $40-50. As the vintage sewing machine community says, it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay. NOW -- that said -- some very early sewing machines are worth $1000s because they are extremely rare. Vintage toy machines can sell for $150-200+ easily. And Singer Featherweights are in their own special category and sell for $450-600. But old treadles are easy to buy for very little money, and they are easy to restore.

[@lindatower6437]

How did you know it was 1901?

[@ColleenMarble]

You can look up the serial number here: ismacs.net/newhome/manufacture_dates.html -- it's a great resource!