Singer Treadle Sewing Machine Restoration

So, I love sewing, and this 100 year old (exactly) beauty caught my eye on preloved:

Now, I doesn't look much now, but I could see it's potential.  Whilst I would love to use the machine itself, I also fancied the table as a possible desk or dressing table.  So I set to work. I disassembled EVERYTHING - taking lots of photos on the way so I could remember how it all went together! 

I then sugar soaped all the wood work and gave it all a good clean.  Next up was a lick of wood primer.  1 coat and it was ready for the good paint :) I chose a Laura Ashley Eggshell paint in Biscuit, a really lovely cream colour.  It took two coats, three in some places like the worktop.

Next up, the iron base.  I issued some Hammerite rust remover gel (available from Halfords) as the base was in a right mess.  I also had used a wire brush prior to this to try and get rid of some of the looser rust. Quickly after I had washed the gel off, I set it out in the sun before getting on with some spray painting so as no flash rust could develop.  It was amazing the difference that even one thin coat of black paint did! Lots of thin coats was definitely the way forward as opposed to one thick coat so it didn't run.

It took me a long time to find some nice drawer knobs that I thought would look right as all but one of the original handles were missing.  I thought I wanted some black cast iron ones to match the base but  in the even I settled for some jazzy gold ones from Wilkinsons (much cheaper than the cast iron ones too!) 

And here is the finished project :) I'm so happy with how it has turned out. I know it's probably a crime to paint these original pieces but the old wood veneer just didn't do it for me.

I also think the machine is beautiful, which is fully functional:

Can't wait to try it out!