WOW! I still can't believe my luck
 

Only two months ago, I had a 3-year old cheapie Singer that was collecting dust. It was so bad (and I lost all the parts with it in a move) that I started fresh with a cheapie Singer that my husband got me for $20. I had an old Kenmore in a cabinet that was left in our house. The needle on it wouldn't move so it's an awesome (altho ugly - avocado green!)door stop! It weighs about 3 tons. But I kept the cabinet to use as a table.
I caught the sewing/quilting bug and wanted another machine, so I got a 40-year old Elna that I just loved. Then I found a deal on a Juki with the machine frame and carriage and sold the Elna. Then I decided I didn't like the frame and put it on Craigslist (no bites yet) but wanted to keep the Juki. I really don't sew or quilt enough to really justify having a $700 machine, so I've been looking for something else....
I do a LOT of hand quilting, and I have fat fingers. After a while, my thimble starts to dig into my cuticle and hurt and slow me down (or stop me!).
Today, we were out "antique-ing" and I found a whole cabinet full of collectible thimbles. Most of them were porcelain or not useable at all. But I saw 3 of them that intrigued me! I had them open the case and I looked at these that I was drawn to... they are pewter and large! They also have really nice, big "needle holes" and can be used! I don't know the story behind them, but they are plenty big for my giant finger with room to spare! I'll have to pad my finger or the thimble and it was only $5!! It has cool engravings (horses? deer?) on the sides too!
At another store, I found a pretty purple Kenmore sewing machine. It didn't have a price on it. It was in a box-stand-thing. I tried it out, and when you turned the wheel, it wouldn't move the needle :( But then I realized that the bobbin winder was "on", so I turned released it, and it cranked!! I plugged it in and it fired right up so we brought it home. It is in good condition. A bit oily and dusty and has some scratches. However, I'm in love with the color. And it fits perfectly in the cabinet that the avocado monster came out of!
So in two months, I'm on my 6th machine!! Seven, if you include the embroidery machine! I hope I'm done for a while!!

Sounds like you've had some great adventures! Congrats on finding some thimbles you can use, and a machine too! :)

Thanks, I don't know which one to play with first!! I think the thimble, because I don't have to read the booklet for it!!

Aw, nuts, looks like I'll have to go needle shopping for this machine before I can use it. It looks like I need some special needles. Hope I can find them

I think your avacado Kenmore may be like the one I have, but I love mine. Yeah the color sucks but it used to work great. One of these days I will take it in and have it looked at. My late father-in-law was the only one who could keep it running well.
Sounds like you had a productive weekend. Glad you found those thimbles and purple is a great color.

Hey girlie, Are you really going to SEW? I don't believe it. You know you'll have show and tell next time we meet. : )
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a peaceful Black Friday. We all did a pretty good job holding up without Lance. Tell that great son of yours we'l plan our meeting around his schedule, just to see him again. If you come to Halls, look me up. glenda

I think the purple one is older than the green one. The green one says model #158.850 and the purple one is #158.481. I don't really know what that means. The thimble is really cool. Wish I could take a better pic of it!
I can't get the little door that holds the bulb to stay closed,because I think it was used to carry it once or twice too many times :(

I had a very good day, and I needed it. Yesterday, I was ready to start chucking things into the fireplace!

I might ;) I don't really have a good excuse not to now, do I?!
We had a good, quiet Thanksgiving. My husband always had to work on that day and got it off for the first time since he was 16! Son went to his girlfriend's house and we worked on the car (exciting). Still haven't gotten it all on, and it starts this rain today. Oh well. I'm just glad I got a 4-day weekend!
I'm in Halls sometimes. I have to go to Walmart, don't I?! :) Oh, wait until that Aldi's opens up! You'll love it!

I ♥ your purple sewing machine!

Hope the purple machine is exactly what you need!

You sold the Elna??? I'm shocked. I have the purple Kenmore in hiding around here. High shank attachments and needles aren't hard to find. I remember having tension problems with mine. That's what drove me to buy my Elna. I have used the Kenmore for SITD quilting and it behaved then.

Enjoy yours.

Why do you think it takes a special needle? It shouldn't.

You are a shopper and a busy one, you did good.

The flat side is to the right and you thread it from back to front.

Thanks! I told my husband, "I know this is awful, because I see the green one every time I walk in and out of the house, but I want a purple one!"

I did sell Elna. Someone offered to buy it for more than I got it for, and I thought I'd found true love with the Juki... so how could I say no?! She was a great sewer, tho. I hope "Kenny" does as well. No more than I sew, I need to stop collecting!

You don't need a special needle for the purple Kenmore. It takes the same class 15 needle as the other machines you have had.

May I ask why you feel you don't deserve a 700.00 sewing machine? Sew on the Juki. It is a great machine, much better than any other machine you have brought home to date. If you keep neglecting it, I'm going to have to come show you how to use it. Don't make me come down there! :)

Oh please come! Please come!! :) I've offered to help you with your hand-quilting in exchange!

The Juki is a good one. Really good. I made my kid a pair of pants the other day, and it made the process so simple! Usually I'm frustrated and hatin' it, but it did all the work and all I had to do was feed it the fabric.

It's not that I don't deserve it, I just don't use it and don't see me using it anymore than I would use a $20 machine. It would be like having a $2,000 oven to cook my frozen pizzas in haha. Besides, I'm afraid I'd mess it up. I'm not afraid to mess up a machine that I can afford to replace right away.

You are not going to mess it up. Why be frustrated with a 20.00 machine. You yourself said how nice it was to sew the pants and not be frustrated. If a machine is a pleasure to use, you will use it and it won't just sit collecting dust.

I'm thinking your 158. prefix machines were made by Jaguar for Sears. Don't hold me to it though.
I'm searching for the chart of manufacturers prefixes. After the 158. prefix 385. is the next manufacturer prefix which is Janome.

That's not a special needle.

Oh, that's good! I always used a "flat side to the back" needle.

You rotate the needle 90 degrees. The eye of the needle will then be turned to the side. You'll thread it from right to left as you are looking at the machine.

Thanks, I'll try that. I thought that might mess it up while it's sewing. I thought it strange that it said to thread it from back to front.
I was playing with bobbins last night and I only had one that would work with it. It's bigger than the other bobbins I have. Are the bigger ones available? It's no big deal, I can fill one with white and one with black and make do!

Wow, that Kenmore is a beauty!

That Kenmore you will fall in love with. It takes class 15 bobbins and regular needles. You can get those in any Joann's etc. The Kenmore of that style came in two colors. The lavender is the one everyone who collects this sort of machines wants, the beige is much more common. I had one of the beige ones and sold it to someone here. Her son came to pick it up . She PM'd me not too long ago and told me how much she loved the machine. Good thimbles are getting harder to find so congrats on finding ones that work for you. I had a vintage one that I loved and used constantly for applique and quilting. Put a hole right through it and am searching for another like it. I just bought 4 and none fit right. I can't see spending big $ on one since to me I am not going to live long enough to get that much use out of it. lol And the new ones just don't fit right. Enjoy that machine!!!

love the color of the sewing machine. the thimble is nice too. i'm thinking of trying hand quilting but maybe in about 30 years............lol

Thank you. Love at first site for me? Maybe. I'm doubly happy that it fit my cabinet. Altho now where do I put my bread maker?! :)

I've only seen pictures of the beige ones online, looking for information.
Can you tell I'm new at this sewing-stuff? Thanks to all of you for helping me out.
I am considering getting the rest of those thimbles while I can. I put some moleskin in it to pad it and it's like night and day. It's so soft and comfortable! And it's heavy and it really pushes that needle in! Just makes it much more pleasant trip thru Quiltville! I don't know what I'm more excited about: the thimble or the machine?!

Oh, how I love those old girls...they're just so sturdy and all business. Glad you found a great one!

Thanks. I like your bobber. What is it?

Me too! I love antiques (thus the entire day dedicated to it...) and when I thru out that green kenmore, I was advised not to, that the old Kenmores are really good. I hope this one lives up to the reputation!

You got some great items, but I hate to throw cold water on such a hot deal, but if I'm not mistaken, your pewter thimble may have lead in it and you may not want to use it, (lead leaches into your skin) I would hate for you to get sick doing something you love. so if there is a way, try and check if its real pewter, a jewelers maybe? Dee

I will look into this. Thank you. I'd never thought of that!

What a nice day for you! I could be your GM and I have not owned 7 machines in my life and I have been sewing since I was about 4!

Very good finds, congrats. I really love the machine she is beautiful.

Congrats on the thimbles! Now, if you need it a bit tighter, get some moleskin at the pharmacy and stick a strip inside around the edge. It will snug it up and it won't rub your finger nail bed either. I have my husband's mother's and she was very heavy. I took a hammer and bent the top into a concave shape and I wear it on my underneath finger and use the edge of the new "dimple" to catch and redirect the needle. I lined it with moleskin and it makes a comfortable thimble.

Sounds like you had fun and found treasures! Good for you.

There is a great yahoo group for vintage Kenmores. Lots of good help there! I found one on CL and I looked up the SN there. Forget to write it down so will have to search again. LOL My Kenmore is in a pretty nice cabinet.

You never know what you will find out there that is pre loved!