Truly is it said that sewing machines attract more sewing machines, once you get past two or three...

At the last count, we had - oh, about 11, lurking about in various states of repair, most almost ready to go on to their new homes, and one waiting to be fetched; it's a long way away, but I would go a long way for a free treadle, in good condition! I found an old but respectable machine table for "Tiffany," the Janome/New Home that has a very brittle plastic box and base, at the tip this weekend. Nearby was a tempting plastic box... I peered inside, but it was a fairly modern Alfa with integral motor and stitch patterns. Not a hope; I am not a qualified electrician, so I am not allowed to take anything with a power supply from our tip. But suffice to say, an everyday miracle occurred, and the machine ended up in the back of my car! I got it home, vacuumed & oiled it and tried it out - perfect! It has that lovely solid purr of a machine that has been well-used & cared for, and a sticker that shows it has been regularly serviced.

There's a good home lined up for it already; I knew someone who will use it to the full, only having an elderly but reliable zigzag machine. Even that is being passed on, to someone who has no machine at all & needs one for her Textiles GCSE. So although it's not a human-powered machine, I feel at least I've saved something worthwhile from an early landfill grave!