Back from the beach with a prezzie

I'm happy you got the Kenmore. We have a place in Florida where we go 6 months during the Winter. I was sure happy 6 or 7 years ago when I got a SM to stay down there! When I finally managed to get a better/newer one, I passed the old Singer to someone else who was needing a SM. Since then I have passed along a couple of SM's. Barbara in HOT SC

Thanks Barbara, I hope I can get it going. I always feel like I'm missing a vital part of me when I'm out there. It isn't that I sew that much when there it's more a case of not being able to sew at all. Juno

Yeah, I know what you mean. I always feel better if I can go sew if I want to! Sometimes I just sit at the machine and change the thread on it to get ready for another project. Or maybe I will oil it, just anything! It makes me feel secure. Barbara

Do you think we addicted to sewing machines? Juno

I truly think I just might be addicted! Two years ago I was without a SM for a month or so and I actually had panic attacks! A friend went and bought me one of those $25 things that I promptly took back to the store. Same friend offered to take me to buy a real SM. Nice person, but I was driving everyone nuts. I waited until I got my baby back. Barbara in SC, we just had rain and it cooled down from 99 to 78

The older Kennies were built like tanks! Unless something is broken and it needs a replacement part, it sould be easy to coax back to working order.

-Irene

It's as heavy as a tank. I've cleaned it up and oiled it as best I could. I think I'll have to have a conversation with the SM guy as to the wiring. It looks and feels a bit brittle. I want to let the oil soak in for awhile before I try anything. I also want to be sure DH is home when I do give it a try because of the wiring.The poor baby looks to be suffering from neglect. I think it was probably sitting in some damp garage for awhile. I hope I can get it working, even if it needs professional help. I'm in need of a second machine and I'm willing to spend some money on this one rather than buy a new one for what this would cost to repair. I don't think I could come close to the quality of this one. Juno

Is it this machine?

The 158 machines were made by Jaguar/Maruzen in Japan, and are built well.... Jaguar is primarily known as a serger manufacturer now.

Kay

I am certain I am addicted to not only the machines, but to sewing. It seems if I don't sew something, the day isn't over.

When we bought this house some 9-years ago, I made the 3rd bedroom, my sewiing room. Later, I realized something was missing -- a SM in my bedroom; so I moved one in there. I keep some small project on it, so if I wake up and can't get back to sleep in a reasonable time, I will actually sew for a bit. Thank goodness, my BR is on the opposite side of the house from DS's; he is never disturbed. Sometimes, he says he also wakes up and goes to his office with the door closed and practices a song on the guitar, without an amp, of course. It all works out, we don't disturb one another.

- Emily

I love to use DS's 1975 Kenmore, he inherited from his DA. It has all sorts of feet and discs to make fancy stitches. There was no manual, he googled and found a place in NY that sells them for $15.00; it's the original manual copied and laminated to last a long time. The lady is very nice and polite, and will answer almost any question about the older Kenmores. DS sews and, as I've said before, he says it relaxes him after crunchiing numbers all day.

Emily

LOL Yep. I was just gonna say you get the junkie shakes when you don't have a machine that you Could use if you Wanted to. ;) I'm so glad you found treasure. What a nice neighbor!!! I hope it can be rehabbed without too much trouble. It's certainly found a good home with you. ;)

Sharon

I was flying for days after she gave it to me. Kept telling all my other neighbors about how I got a present, after awhile I noticed a lot of eyes glazing over. The rest of the bunch just don't understand. She's a great neighbor. Not only when i t comes to sewing machines. Just a great person to know. About a year after she bought the house she called us at home to be sure we sere OK because we didn't open our place as early as we usually do and she was concerned. that's just the way she is. I'll probably bring the machine in next week to the sewing machine doctor. After I get it going, see how positive I am, I ask DS to make a frame to sit it on so that I don't have to worry about having it stable for sewing. It's not in a case and I don't want to put it in a cabinet since that would defeat the purpose of taking it back and forth when we go out in the spring and close in the winter. Juno

That's my new baby, the 1302. As Irene said it built like a tank and is certainly heavy as one. I think that it will be a good machine for me. It has all the attachments which makes it even better. Juno

See, all of us sewists have this addiction problem. MAchines, fabric and sewing. Juno

My mom had a Kenmore. I couldn't transport it home when I closed her apartment after she went to a nursing home. I think my my brother took it. He sews far better than I. Juno

Not to mention all of those other things that go with it....all of the sewing machine feet and attachments.... thread (embroidery, serger, sewing, quilting...), needles (topstitch, embroidery, quilting...), sissors, bobbins, thread racks, fabric storage bins, etc..... !!

-Irene

Would there be room at the cottage for a kitchen table? I have my great-aunt's old enameled top kitchen table. It isn't very big. But it's a perfect (for me) sewing table. The enameled top doesn't snag or catch any fabric. But my magnetic pin cushion sure doesn't wander off. ;) There's a drawer in the side of the table that's perfect for odds and ends that I need close at hand. And it's sturdy enough not to jiggle all over when I run the machine. If you could find something like that at a flea market, even if it needed repainted (on the legs) that might be an idea. When you don't have the machine out, you could use the table for other things too. Multi-purpose.

Just a thought.

Sharon

Hi Sharon, I sew on the kitchen table when I'm there. I thought that if my DS could make a frame, or bottomless box, really It would be better. Since it's a machine that should be in a bottom or sewing table it has those funny little feet in strange places. I just want something that about 1 inch high and a tiny bit higher in the back to tilt it slightly forward. I can then put a cushion on the chair if it's a bit higher than I find comfortable. This place is so small I don't have room for one extra piece of furniture. It's less that 800 square feet, has 3 bedrooms and a tiny bathroom. The kitchen is so small I have to move the toaster and coffee pot to the table to have enough room to use the counter for food prep. Thanks for the suggestion though. Juno

Ah ha!!! Gotcha. Sounds like a good plan.

Snug as a bug in a rug. ;)

Sharon