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International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

The purpose of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is to foster the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

The Free Sewing Machine Company

  • Good Housekeeping Seal
  • Facts about the Free Head
  • Technical specifications and historical details about the Free sewing machine head, providing collectors and enthusiasts with essential information about these distinctive machines' mechanical features and innovations.
  • Cabinet Model
  • The Free Cabinet Model Treadle combines elegant furniture design with practical sewing technology, showcasing the premium cabinetry that helped distinguish Free machines in the competitive early 20th century sewing machine market.
  • Head
  • Explore close-up views of the Free Sewing Machine treadle heads, showcasing the precision engineering and distinctive design elements that made these machines renowned for their quality and reliability.
  • Long Bobbin Rotary
  • The Free Long Bobbin Rotary represents a technological milestone in sewing machine design, marketed as "The Highest Class and Most Efficient Sewing Machine of the Day" with its innovative long bobbin system providing superior stitching performance.
  • No. 5 Stand
  • The prestigious Number 5 Treadle from Free Sewing Machine Company, boldly advertised as "more beautiful than any other" with its exceptional cabinetry and ornate detailing that exemplified premium domestic sewing machines of the era.
  • No. 255 Stand
  • The innovative Model 255 "Sit Straight" addressed user comfort with its ergonomic design, available in both long shuttle and round bobbin rotary configurations to meet different sewing needs while maintaining proper posture.
  • No. 255A Round Bobbin Rotary
  • The Free Model 255A combined innovative round bobbin rotary technology with the ergonomic "sit-straight" design, featuring a patented rotary hook mechanism that delivered superior stitch quality while reducing user fatigue.
  • No. 255C Long Shuttle
  • The Free Model 255C Long Shuttle features the innovative "rotoscillo" movement, a technological hybrid that combined the reliability of traditional shuttle mechanisms with advanced rotary principles for improved performance and stitch quality.
  • Manuals
  • Digital archive of essential Free Sewing Machine manuals including operating instructions for models C, E, CE, and the Royal Electric, plus specialized guides for attachments like the buttonholer and ruffler.
  • Rockford Sewing Machines
  • A comparative look at Rockford machines in both traditional treadle and modern electric configurations, highlighting the technological transition period when Free Sewing Machine Company offered consumers both power options with the same reliable mechanisms.
  • Rockford Electric Flyer
  • Original promotional materials for Rockford Electric sewing machines, showcasing the Free Sewing Machine Company's embrace of electrification with both table-mounted and portable models designed for the modern household.
  • Rockford Treadles
  • Original marketing materials for Rockford Treadle machines, highlighting their key selling points of running "lighter" and sewing "fast" - engineering improvements that made these Free Sewing Machine Company products particularly appealing to practical home sewers.
  • Rockford Heads
  • Original promotional materials for the New Rockford "L" and "K" models produced by the Free Sewing Machine Company, showcasing these specialty machines that were marketed as affordable yet reliable options for home sewing.
  • Snippet
  • Delve into the legal challenges faced by the Free Sewing Machine Company as they navigated patent conflicts with Norman Wannacott, revealing the complex intersection of innovation and intellectual property in early 20th century manufacturing.
  • Treadle
  • Visual documentation of Free treadle sewing machines through detailed technical diagrams, offering valuable reference material for collectors, restorers, and enthusiasts interested in the mechanical design of these historic machines.
  • Using Your Attachments: The Underbraider
  • The ingenious Underbraider attachment transforms your ordinary sewing machine into a specialized braiding tool, allowing Victorian seamstresses to create elaborate decorative trims and embellishments with precision and ease.
  • Various Models of Free-Westinghouse Sewing Machines
  • A visual collection showcasing the diverse range of Free-Westinghouse sewing machines, celebrated as "America's Finest" and featuring both treadle and electric models that defined an era of domestic sewing excellence.

ISMACS is an organization totally independent of all sewing-machine manufacturers, past or present and is not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in these pages.  Please Note: Do not contact any ISMACS official in an attempt to solicit a valuation - it is not possible other than by hands-on assessment and your request will be ignored.

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