Here's a great story from Laurie:   
      
   "In the late 1970's to early 1980's, I lived with my Grandparents. In their   
   basement was a treadle sewing machine.  It's belt was missing and the actual   
   machine was under a cover that we dared not remove.  But to three little   
   girls, it's treadle base was everything from a rocket taking off to a time   
   machine.  We loved it not for what it was but what we thought it was.    
   Amazing!!   
      
   My Grandparents had both passed away by 2000, my Aunts were cleaning out the   
   house we all loved and grew up in.  It was an incredibly sad time for us all.    
   They asked if I wanted the old Treadle machine.  By that time I knew it had   
   been my Grandfather's Mother, Maude's, sewing machine.  She had died when my   
   Grandfather was very young and if was one of the few things he had of hers.    
   My Aunts had learned to sew on it.  At that point, I loved it for who it   
   belonged to at what that meant to me.  Family!!   
      
   However, years of being in a damp basement had taken a toll on it. It was   
   rusting, the machine cover was broken, drawers were missing, veneer was ruined   
   and separated all over.  I took it home with no idea what to do with it.  I   
   had my own children and was actually afraid they would hurt it or themselves   
   so it was tucked away.  Years passed.  When we moved and it went with us.  It   
   was always it too poor of condition to use or even have in the open.  It was   
   Ugly!!   
      
   After my Mother died, I started a project of finding out about our ancestry.    
   I made a tree and spent countless hours researching.  I found out all I could   
   about who Maude was and her mother, Keziah, and her Mother, Juliana.  People   
   who I had never met or even heard of but felt intensely for.  Generations of   
   Mothers!!  When I had done all I could on my family tree, my mind returned to   
   the old Treadle Machine in the basement all but forgotten for another 14   
   years....waiting for it's time to come.  So as a tribute to all the Mothers in   
   my Tree, I started trying to figure out what to do with this forgotten relic.    
   I asked all over Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for estimates. No one   
   would touch it.  Yes, it is that bad!!   
      
   So, I decided it was up to me and I couldn't make it any worse.  I started   
   with finding out it was an Eldredge Treadle Machine built around 1890.  Maude   
   was born in 1889 so was it Keziah's or Juliana's machine first?  I scoured the   
   internet for information and pictures of what it should have looked like.  My   
   husband offered to buy me a "new" one or to buy a whole machine and raid it   
   for the parts I needed but I couldn't bare to part with this machine or ruin   
   another machine raiding it for parts.  I would find what I needed with out   
   doing either!!   
      
   I began looking for parts.  I had one loose drawer with a flower and leaf   
   motif.  I decided I had waited this long, I would wait for the exact   
   parts.....nothing else would do.  But I didn't have to wait more than a week!    
   To my amazement, I found a set of 3 drawers with the same motif in Washington   
   state.  It had all the brackets and parts to reattach them to the top.  It was   
   a complete set except one of the three drawers were broken.  It was the very   
   drawer I had.....Can you believe it???  I had them shipped to Maryland.   
      
   I found someone else parting out a Boyle display of vintage sewing machine   
   needles, bobbins, and shuttles in Indiana.  They were brand new in their   
   original wooden packaging with prices still marked on them in amazingly   
   perfect condition.  I found an original key and oil cover in Ohio.  I found   
   plates in Pennsylvania.  One thing after the next.....Unbelievable luck!!    
   Packages arrived everyday for a week. I have everything I need except the belt   
   but that will be easy to find.  I just need to figure out the right diameter.   
      
   This is where I am now.  This winter, during the off season, my husband will   
   redo the metal base.  Did I mention he paints bridges? He works with metal all   
   day long.  He does amazing work for other people during his off season.  So my   
   turn is coming soon.   
      
   The wood top and cover leaves me slightly concerned but I am researching how   
   to replace veneer.  I feel confidant that I can do it.  A friend said it was   
   originally done in Chestnut.  Sadly, Chestnut is unavailable now so I will   
   have to choose a different wood veneer.  So wish me luck!!  If anyone has any   
   advise before I actually begin.  Please feel free to send me a note.   
   lauriekate@msn.com   
      
   When it's finished, I will send another email detailing the project with   
   pictures of the finished Sewing machine.  "   
      
   You can view her pictures here:   
   https://www.facebook.com/TIASAntiques/posts/10152669076408656   
      
   Laurie, be sure to send pictures when you're done!   
      
      
   And thank you, Carmen, for this sweet note. We're so happy that you enjoy our   
   Newsletter, and we wish you the best!   
      
   " HI KIDDO.. I WANTED TO TELL YOU.. JUST SO YOU WOULD KNOW..... I   
    HAVEN'T BEEN ON A LOT, I LOST MY BELOVED HUSBAND IN DECEMBER..  AND   
    I JUST CAN'T DO LOTS A THINGS LIKE BEFORE...  I DON'T HAVE THE   
    HEART..  BUT...  I AM SLOWLY COMING AROUND..  AND I ALWAYS READ YOUR   
    NEWS LETTERS....  THANKS FOR KEEPING.  CARMEN"   
      
      
   WE NEED YOUR STORY ABOUT COLLECTING. DO YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY TO   
   TELL?  SEND IT TO newsletter@tias.com.   
      
   If you have a story you'd like to share, tell us about it and if you have any   
   photos, we'd love to see them!  Send us an email to newsletter@tias.com so we   
   can share your story with the rest of our readers.   
      
   Thanks to those of you who have been responding! We really enjoy, and   
   appreciate, the feedback!   
      
      
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