Help! My sewing machine stopped working!!
 

Long-time lurker here. But now I need some help.

Anyone heard of this?

My sewing machine the past few weeks has been a little weird. It's a 1980-ish Kenmore, electric, zigzags and a few other stitches.

When I first turn it on, the light would quickly turn on/off a few times, but then it would settle down and stay on. Or it wouldn't turn on, but I'd jiggle the plug a few times and it would turn on and stay on. Jiggling on the sewing machine side of things seemed to make no difference, only on the plug end.

Well, you can see this one coming. I got my first accuquilt go die yesterday. I am IN LOVE!!! I quickly cut out a boatload of hexagons. I'm all excited to start sewing.

Yep. The sewing machine is dead. Not a peep out of it.

So....what do y'all think? Did the sewing machine itself die? Or is it just the plug that died?
Is changing the plug something I can learn to do? Better to take it to a repair man?

Help! I'm feeling a little panicked because I'm trying frantically trying to complete a twin sized I Spy quilt for the granddaughter's April birthday.

Sounds like it's time to go to the 'Dr.' Hopefully the diagnosis is not terminal. :(

If you could find a replacement plug, that would be an easy way to check it out and see if that's the problem. Does your local repair shop have one you could try?

It ceratinaly sounds like a plug problem. If your plug is not hard wired into the machine, you might be able to get a replacement plug/cord. If it is hard wired ( the plug can not be detached from the machine) best to get it to the doctor.

When you had the light blinking on/off with jiggling the plug, I would not use the machine for fear of fire. There is a loose connection somewhere & it could short out. You can probably find a replacement plug on line cheaper than a repair shop would charge you. But, it does not hurt to ask at your local shop.

I like the idea of taking the machine to a repair shop to see if a replacement plug will make the machine work. If it does, I would buy the plug there as you are sure of getting the right one. It it doesn't work, then I would leave the machine there to get an estimate of repair cost. (Be sure they understand you want to be called before repairs are actually made, as it could be pricey depending on what the problem is.) At that point I would also buy a new machine. Even if the old one gets fixed, it's a good idea to have two machines so you always have a backup.

Sounds like an electrical problem. First push the plug back into the wall AND into the sewing machine. 2d Check the plug/cord for electrical continuity. If you get continuity part of the time when you move the plug around, replace the plug. If the problem is at the end which plugs into the machine, you'll need a new cord. If the cord is good, but it still doesn't work, you'll need to take it in for service.
Sue

It sounds like the plug to me; I had to tape mine into the machine after the plug started getting loose. After a few years it seems to have fixed itself so I'm good again now...

Does your machine plug attach to a set of posts - either 2 or 3 - coming from the machine?
Did you try another outlet?
Is the wall part of the plug fitting tightly into the wall receptacle?

It sounds like a plug problem to me.