My grandmother beat a guy seriously with her cane. The partner kept grandpa *busy* in the back yard while one entered the front. They thought grandpa lived alone because grandma had serious spinal problems (hence the cane) and couldn't go down the stairs to go outside. Boy was he surprised when he took a couple whacks over the head while being cursed in Italian. Grandpa said the guys screams are what brought him and the neighbors running.
I probably wouldn't use my sewing machine unless it was the handiest item. I can well imagine how much damage I could do with my Singer 66 Treadle, or even my Janome 6600.
Or ... I could just let the dogs have a crack at him :)