Candace

http://www.google.com/search?q=elna+...ml%3B300%3B253

The manual for it lists the flatbed as Plana but the free arm as simply "Elna Automatic". It's hard to see if it has the door from cams or not in the photo. Looks like yours was the base model, with no frills?

Jennifer23

Interesting machine. I know this probably won't help, but I think someone on the main board here has a picture like this as their avatar. I've seen it in the last week, so if you just look at every post in the first ten or so pages of the main section, you might be able to find someone else that has one? Yeah, definitely not helpful... sorry about that.

It is a cool machine, though.

Mrs. SewNSew

I've seen the avatar...someone who was frustrated with a pink lady? a white lady? It's a recent thread.

ArchaicArcane

Feels like it's more than a featherweight. I don't have a scale around here that does more than 11 lbs so I can't throw it on

That one looks like it has the door to me, and the second lever to the left for adjusting stitch width.
It's definitely no frills! If I had to guess, I'd say it was the base base model for this one: http://rifferaff.typepad.com/make_it...pulse_buy.html

Of course that post doesn't enlighten much

Thanks Jennifer23! I will poke around later this week. Right now I'm getting ready to leave for a trip to the next province over to do some training, and my hair is pretty much on fire. I always leave things to the last minute, and now I'm paying for it. I will definitely poke around when I get back though, because if someone's identified it, I'd love to read about it.

LOL! As someone who's listening to the Outlander audiobooks, I know what a White lady is, and she's not a sewing machine... not sure what it is in this context at the moment.

miriam

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...c-t244939.html
Is this the one? Not the same.

wolph33

so cute,I have never seen one like that

Jennifer23

Thanks, Miriam - http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...r-u146026.html (onthebrinkofdisaster) in that thread is the user with a similar Elna as her avatar. You're right, it isn't quite the same; I had just remembered the general shape and vertical ELNA on the pillar, but she says hers takes cams, so definitely not the same. She might be able to tell you a little bit about it, though, if it came with one of those multi-model manuals.

mfoss

If you go to the heirloom Elna yahoo group they have an advertisement in their files section that shows your machine and talks about its attributes.

manicmike

Straight stitch only machines usually have awesome stitch quality, and this is why they still sold well long after zig-zag machines were introduced. The obvious example is the Singer 201 (SS) Vs Singer 319. The 201 still sold in the millions more than a decade after the 319 was introduced, and it cost more!

ArchaicArcane

mfoss, thanks for that information. I looked at the advertisement and I might be even more confused now. The advertisement says that it can do shaded embroidery, a pearl stitch and a small cord stitch. I'm at a loss as to how that can happen with the lack of control that the machine had. I re-homed this machine close to a year ago so I can't investigate it further.

True! Part of what made them superior straight stitchers though is the stationary needlebar. A swing needle that you can't control seems to defeat the purpose.