I learned to sew on my mother's black Kenmore. She bought it around 1940. It sat in a wood cabinet and had a knee control instead of a pedal. It was very heavy. It had made multiple sets of slipcovers and most of my clothes from birth to adult. I used to wish that I could have a store-bought dress.
My mother wanted me to learn to sew before I took Home Ec in 7th grade. I balked until the summer before the class. How glad I was that she persisted. I was the star of the class and the hard-nosed teacher seemed very relieved to have a student who actually knew what she was doing. I made a sleeveless dress with a drop waist and a sailor collar and got an "A"!
When I was on my own with money to spend, I purchased a
new Kenmore. What a disappointment! It was so cheaply made
that I stopped sewing for a good many years. Now I have two
Bernina's and will never give them up!