My kenmore is 40 years old. It works great, but i cant seem to do free motion quilting on it. It has a darning feature, and i can drop the feed dogs, but i dont have a darning foot. I am thinking of trying to buy a darning foot for it. I've tried it without a darning foot, and wont work. I wonder if i can buy just a darning foot and what they cost? Maybe i wil look online.

I have a new Janome computer etc. and a 50 year old Pfaff. I love the Pfaff because it has more power and is not stuck on thickness on my quilts. they both have needle threaders neither one works. I would love to have the new Pfaff that is coming out but since I just got my Janome a year ago there is very little chance, besides the price not pretty. I think the Jamome is too touchy.

Ha ha, me too!
What model number is it? Mine is a 1774, it came with a little table unit, so it's not really the portale kind. I use that one for most of my sewing, really, but lately I've been sewing at my boyfirend's place and I use his mothers old Singer Genie 354. It's decent, does a couple of different zig-zag stitches, but nothing compared to my other one I have at home. I've mentionned before that there was some water damage in my basement a couple of weeks back and it ruined my 1949 featherweight (GRRRRRR) I SHOULD come out on top with the insurance claim and buy something decent, like possibly something not older that I am, lol!

Ruth, I have an New Home (janome) MX3123, $279. Really like it has 23 stitches, several different feet. I just purchased a walking foot for it and got a 1/4" foot too.

I have 5 old singers. I love them. Its the only thing I use now. I paid $400 for a brand new Necchi and can't even give it away. I only wish the old singers had different stitches.
Judy in Ohio

I have two singers that take cams and do decorative stitches....late 50's :D

My Kenmore is a model 1730 & it is portable. Hope you can find a machine that you like. Too bad about the water damage in your basement. The bright side is you will get to go shopping for a new machine. :D :D :D

When I learned how to sew, I used my moms Singer Touch and Sew. Since she is gone, I now have it and need to get it cleaned so it can be used again. I also have my grandmothers Singer, no clue what model, that she used back in the 20s/30s to sew sails for fishing boats. It's an electric model. Both of those Singers have/are in cabinets. Original cabinets. I was looking for a machine to make clothes for my daughters and my mom and dad bought me a $100 Singer. I used that for a long time and took it in for servicing. The man was going to charge me $125 for cleaning, etc. That's more than what the machine cost! So, I went out looking for something. Wandered into Sears and saw the Kenmore Ergo3 and bought that. I fell in love with the embroidery function.
I got that home and a friend of mine dropped off her portable Kenmore to me saying....she didn't know how to use it, wasn't going to learn and wanted it out of her house. Just wished she had brought it over a few days before! So...I have 2 usable machines and the other 2, I call "decorator" machines.

I have a 40+ year old Singer with all the bells and whistles, at that time. I sewed all my 3 kids clothes on that. Got a Kenmore when I started quilting, 8 years ago. Now I have a viking Designer 2 with the embrodery attachments. Love all of them. I use all of them for something special. Really like the needle down and the sensor foot for quilting on the Viking.

I had a singer (do not know what model) that I got when my daughter was in high school ---quite a few years ago. Loved it, sewn many a stitch on it. When I carried it back in for repair a few years ago the man told me he could not fix it again. I was sick loved that old machine. So I just went to walmart and bought me a Simplicity very basic. At that time I was not into quilting but it has served me well. I have done all my piecing and some machine quilting on it. Sure would like to have a fancy new one and I'm just waiting for DH to buy new golf clubs or golf cart and that will be my time--I do try to keep up with his golf buying. LOL

Beverly