Bernina 117L

The universe has smiled upon me.

When browsing CL, I often widen my searches to include areas I wouldn't normally visit just to see what's out there.  To be honest, most machines are just not worth driving great distances.  However, I had been watching a listing for a Bernina sewing machine for about a year.  It was originally listed at $500.  After about two months, the price descended to $400, then $300 some time after that.  It stayed at that price; not surprisingly, the price's descent had an inverse relationship with my interest.  Then the listing disappeared and I assumed it sold.  A very old Bernina is a very rare machine in these parts and they don't stay listed long at all.  Ask me how I know.

I happened to be browsing just two months ago prior to Christmas and there it was again, an ad for a Bernina treadle machine.  Only this time, there was more information.  It's a 117L, a model I don't own (I have a 117K that I acquired almost by complete accident) and is extremely hard to find.  The price was $200.  I contacted the seller immediately and told her that I doubted I could make it over the mountain pass right away, that I would have to wait for somewhat warmer weather.  (The passes were experiencing a deluge of snow and thick ice on the roads.  Washington Dept. of Transportation was advising no travel over the passes if it wasn't necessary.  This was certainly necessary but not worth risking my life.)  She responded -- very nicely -- that she couldn't hold it, that she wanted to sell it.  I wrote back that I understood.  I sobbed uncontrollably.  (Not really, but I was sad.)

The ad disappeared again.  I suspected it might appear again and sure enough, about a week ago it reappeared at $150.  I called her and made plans to visit her the next day.  She was surprised I was so intent on purchasing it but she was glad I was interested enough to make the trip.  She lives in a part of Washington that is remote and the road one mile beyond her house is dirt.  Her driveway is dirt.  And the machine was being stored in an unheated shed.

She was very, very nice and apologized for all the snow and ice on the driveway, for her dog excitedly jumping on me (I love when dogs jump on me), and she offered the machine for $100.  I accepted, put the machine in my car, fell flat on my ass, and chatted with her for about 30 minutes.  What a lovely person.  She's the kind of woman I'd love as a neighbor.

So after a total of 5.5 hours of driving and about 4 hours of cleaning, here it is -- the one I've been waiting for:

As you can see, this is set up for treadling.  However, the motor (and brace -- not pictured), a Swiss Scintilla made for Bernina, was included and so I can change the configuration if I choose.  The table's a Bernina table and it obviously needs refinishing but the machine's in remarkable condition considering that it was shipped to the Pacific Northwest from Switzerland via a farm in Ukraine.  Here in remote Washington State it was used on an orchard, so it was very dirty but it cleaned up rather nicely, I think.  The brightwork is very shiny, all the parts work perfectly (if a little tight with old oil), and the sewing action is about as quiet and smooth as I could ever want.  This is such a great machine.  It has lots of oil ports.  Lots.

The 117L was made beginning in 1938 and this is a fairly early one.  One of the first domestic zig-zag machines ever produced, it is surprisingly modern: pressure control knob, feed dog drop, huge throws in the length and width control, automatic bobbin winding, knee lift (this is a very cool feature allowing the user to keep both their hands on their project), and a very sensitive, incremented tension control.  Needle position (L, C, R) is a feature my 117K doesn't include and works like a charm.  I haven't hooked up the motor so I can't comment on the electrical feature (motor, light).  It's a friction drive, so it will be interesting to see how the 117L runs compared to the 117K which is set up for electric sewing (though if I do decide to try out this motor, I hope its voltage is commensurate with American domestic electrical standards).  The maximum SPM for this machine is reputedly over 2K.

So there it is, my exciting treadle story.  I'm not a treadler so this will take some getting used to but I think I'll leave the machine as-is, grateful though I am for the original motor.