HUNTINGTON -- When Sandy Skidmore uses a treadle sewing machine, it takes her back. She's a young girl in the 1940s, watching her mother and her aunt using the old-fashioned, non-electric machine.

Family heirlooms are hard to part with, especially if they've been passed down for generations. On the other hand, some heirlooms are difficult to maintain and may be worth letting go — particularly ...

The craftsmanship of the machines and the intricate woodwork and scrolling on the stands and cabinets that house them make vintage sewing machines, like this one owned by Marenthia Lagarde of New ...

Black, cast iron, sewing machine treadle stand; two foot-shaped pedals at bottom; top is flat with square hole cut into it for sewing machine; cross brace at back; sides are ivy leaf design; treadle ...

Many of the stories that I share in this biweekly column are suggested by readers. These are related to a place or event I remember from growing up during the early baby boom years in the Berkshires.

I remember the first time I used a sewing machine to make clothing. I was a freshman in high school, 1969-70, taking a home economics class. My classmates and I were instructed on how to use a sewing ...