donnalynett

I thought I wanted a long arm but after seeing how much work it is to load the quilt, the threading and tension problems, etc.....and the lack of space, I've decided I can machine quilt on my sewing machine just fine. I've been painting a kitchen for a disabled lady and she has given me her very old Singer in lieu of pay. I haven't had time to find out what year but I did have it serviced so it is ready. So now I have two unused vintage machines to get set up as soon as my new sewing table gets moved in.

dixiechunk

As the lottery players know, "ya gotta play to win". Going to yard sales and flea markets and such is just more work than it is fun. I think you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. No longer have the time or energy for that.

Grambi

What does IMHO stand for? I have searched abbreviations (there are many posts under that title) but haven't been able to find it. Is there some way to isolate the abbreviations key from all of the other "abbreviations" posts entered so that every time we want to look one up we won't have to go through a gazillion posts? Maybe moderators could create an abbreviations section and members could submit new ones to add as they get created. This gets frustrating at times--I don't mind taking the time to look one up except when it takes a long time. Thanks.

mighty

Hang in there!! I have new fancy machine, but just wouldn't be satisfied untill I got myself an old singer. Never feel yours are not good enough there is nothing like the old machines they really are the best.

FroggyinTexas

How many machines can you all sew on at the same time? Last night I made two potato bags and had my Janome 4800 and my serger plugged in at the same time, but the Kenmore in its cabinet and the Singer in its cabinet just sat there, loved but unused.

I love the old Kenmore, all metal with cams for fancy stitches, but getting it out of the cabinet to a repair shop for routine maintenance requires a winch (well, not quite, but almost) and the Singer makes a wonderful straight stitch, but I don't have room for all four machines in the same room. The Janome goes to classes and all-day sews. It probably weighs more than 9 or 11 pounds, but it also has lots of different stitches and lots of possibilities a FW doesn't have.

But all your talk about FW's has tempted me to look for a piece of equipment that I don't need and probably would never use.

Kindly stop leading me into temptation! froggyintexas

grandma sue

Wouldn't it be nice if we could custom build our own machine? Just put the stuff on it we want? You are right - who needs 250 stitches? Yet, you have to get that on it to get some of the other stuff we use - auto needle threader, thread cutter, even feed, etc. I would still want a few decorative stitches, buttonholes, alphabet, etc but not all the fancy ones. Maybe it could be like a new car - each option would be a certain price.

LivelyLady

Ditto

Mamaw Rose

I so agree, my little ole' Kenmore is good enough for me. I did recently accquire a featherweight from Craigs list but only because I know what a good little machine it is. I don't need all the bells and whistles, just a simple straight stitch.

LivelyLady

You are not alone.......and I don't consider us cheap, we are just frugal :-) :-)

shelburn

I had a great Mother's Day!!!! about 35 years ago, I helped an elderly lady move out of her house into an assisted living apartnemt. She had an old treadle machine and offered it to me for $25. I wasn't in the market for another machine, as my Viking was doing all I needed to do.
But I was fascinated by the drawer pulls and bought it.
Just recently, reading about all the great finds by members of this board, I told my men that, for Mother's Day, they could get this old machine out of the storage shed for me so I could take a good look at it. They did, and I fell in love with the drawer pulls all over again along with the machine itself. It's an old New Home treadle that had pounds of dust and dirt on it. That was my project for Mother's Day!! DH re-attached parts of the cabinet that had fallen off and I washed and scraped and oiled and dusted. It looks pretty good for maybe a hundred years old. And I named her "Cora" after the lady I bought it from. Next is to clean up the throat plate,figure out the thread sequence and put a needle in it. Everyting seems to move easily and smoothly. so we will see. I have had the greatest Mother's Day ever!!!