A bit of Irony --old may trump new sewing machines
 

I have two relatively new machines (10-15 yr range)--One Bernina and one Elna. When the Bernina froze up on me, I switched to the Elna. One day later, the Elna would not get out of bobbin winding mode, so I packed it up and dug our my "newest" machine. I spent my snow day yesterday sewing away on my Featherweight which is over 60 years old and sews beautifully.
I can speed along on it a lot faster than on either of the computer machines and since it is single needle, straight stitch only--that is what it does and my seams are "perfect"--wonderful machine. Here in our town we got a little over 7" of snow, but much of the state and surrounding areas had more like a foot of the white stuff.
I am working through my scrap strips--have all the blues sewn and cut into blocks; most of the lighter strips are done, but still have a day's worth of browns & blacks to work up along with a few lights I will work in with them for the strip piecing. No idea when I'll get them put into quilt tops, but the mood will strike "someday" and I will get them made. Will have more than a hundred 91/2" blocks when I get done. Will be nice to have empty scrap drawers all ready to be filled up again.

Morning Wildcat!! I am in Leavenworth, where we have about 15 inches on the ground and more in the forecast for the end of the weekend!!! The farmers need the moisture but my back is aching from scooping all morning! I don't have a featherweight but my straight stitch Brother 1500 is a workhorse and a half too!!! Not to mention the beautiful control I have when I drop the feed dogs. I just traded my computerized Elna in on a new Baby Lock Jane....exact same as the Brother 1500. My old girl is almost 12 years old and starting to have a few issues, so when I took her into be tuned up, the guys at Missouri Sewing Machine Company, made me a sweet deal on a trade in for the Elna and I said good bye! I just never bonded with that machine........

Sorry to hear about your machines!!! I have featherweights to and I love them!!! They are always around when I need them!!!!

a friend gave me a singer clone in a treadle table. whenever something goes wrong the kenmore messes up or the power goes out I pedal my troubles away! It is so simple to use sometimes I use it just to relieve stress. no thought just pedal away!

I have a back-up Bernina for my Bernina. A back-up Singer clone for my Berninas and if all else fails....a back-up Singer Treadle. A quilter can never have too many back-up machines.:D

I have 3 Janomes that I love. but, now and then I really like to get my Featherweight out and sew with that. They are just sweet machines.

spent the day wishing i could zew. kids and hubby trapped in the house with hubby working from home is not a happoytime. we got a good foot of snow thisside of the boarder.

My backup workhorse is my 1965 Swiss-made, all metal ELNA Supermatic.

It was the top of the line sewing machine when it came out with all the bells & whistles and cams for the then new stretch-stitches. *LOL* Forty-eight years later, it's my "go to" machine when my Husqvarna 875 Q goes in for her yearly servicing. :)

Now if I could just find a Featherweight for when the electricity goes out ........

Here in Poland we've been getting snow as well. Last Thurs evening/Friday early morning we also got 7-8" inches and then a couple days ago another 3-4" plus it's snowing lightly now. I'm mostly staying in and sewing and "playing with" my embroidery machines.

Actually I've been making labels for some charity quilts--...plus working on 4" QAYG squares and 2" QAYG squares. Almost ready to start joining them together.

Love the old machines. I had to downsize so had to get rid of some. But I did keep 2 Singer Slants. A 401 and a 301 along with my Brother and my serger this is the least machines I have had in over ten years. My absolute favorite was one from the 60's/70's called a Household it was a badged Emdeko. It would sew through anything . It went to a young fireman who is sewing equipement bags... I just couldn't lift it anymore, it was 55 lbs...
Yes the old one will hold up for sure..