 Treadle
sewing machines were a common item in
many homes. This is a New Royal A sewing
machine that was manufactured in the
late 1890’s to early 1910’s
by the Illinois Sewing Machine Company
located in Chicago IL.
 Because
sewing machines were often left sitting
in a main room of the home, they were
enclosed in functional casings. Frequently
they would be manufactured to resemble
desks. The New Royal A is in enclosed
in a 32 inch high, 24 inch wide, 19
inch deep cabinet. When not in use,
it could function as an end table, a
serving table, or a display table.
Instead
of electricity, the sewing machine ran
on foot power. To use it, the top covering
would be opened and laid back to sever
as extra work area. The bottom door
would be swung open for access to the
treadle. The operator would then sit
with her feet on the treadle, and rock
it forward and backward. Rocking the
treadle powered the sewing machine by
turning the large flywheel, which turned
the crank on the sewing machine. 
The New Royal A sewing machine came
with an assortment of attachments that
enabled the machine to make different
stitch patterns. Stitch patterns were
often part of the design pattern of
clothes, and were taken very seriously.
The kit fit nicely in the holding compartment
inside the bottom door. A 12-inch ruler
was attached in front of the machine
for measuring while sewing.
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