Well here are the stitch pattern felt pics for the Alden.

I think my favorite is the flower pattern at the left side of the presser foot.

To make sure I had enough thread I used the big spool of serger thread and my custom made widget. I also used a bobbin full of the same thread. Well almost full it ran out on me before I was finished. I hate it when that happens.

Joe

That is one cool looking machine! And what pretty stitches

dublb,
Take the spring out of a clothes pin, cut a piece of 3/8" dowel rod, drill a hole lengthwise in the dowel rod for the spool pin, drill two holes cross wise at the top for the ends of the spring and ... there you are. A thread widget.

Joe

Bev,

I've made a bunch of thread spool adapters too. Many of the threads my wife has bought has 1/2" or bigger holes in the spool. So I've used the 3/8" dowel rod to made fillers so the big hole threads don't wobble and tangle the thread. Then I've drilled holes in bottle caps to put the little long and narrow Sulky thread spools on. Those spools tend to let the thread drop off the bottom and wrap around the spool pin. The cap turned open side up prevents that.

Maybe I'll do a post on thread widgets.

Joe

Caroline S,

Here's something else we just found out about the Aldon today. If you move the needle position lever it changed the direction some of the stitches point. If you leave it centered they form opposite what the picture is on the control knob.
So there is something to check out on your Universal Super ZZ Mdl AZZ.

Sorry about the delay on the thread widget thread. I just haven't been able to get to them.
I will some day.

Joe

Interesting Joe. I have been so busy getting my garden in that I forgot about the widget thread. I will try to play with my Super ZZ a little bit more and see if mine does the same thing.

I made several widgets and we've used them on so many machines I've had a heck of a time corralling them in one place to take new pics of them. My old computer crashed and all the pics of them are on it. We're on a used machine we bought but no pics.
So I've basically got to start over unless the techs can pull the files and data off the dead hard drive and we don't have the dollars for that yet.

Joe

Boo to your wife's boss- telling someone they're unemployed over the phone is cowardly. The sewing machine is lovely- reminds me of the Jetsons for some reason. I like older machines, but some of the vintage ones I've seen are growing on me!

Monroe,

Wifes "ex" boss was a piece of work not to be admired.

We've got mostly vintage to antique machines but also have a couple of more up to date ones. Neither of us has any interest in computerized machines so those we have stop just short of then.

I thing the newest ones we have were made in the mid 80s.

Joe

The machine is gorgeous. I love my New Home 556, it too has an odd single stitch foot, hole is on one side, wider to the inside of the machine. Now I know why, that's the configuration on the feed dogs. Thanks.

I Love the looks of that machine. She is very lucky that you found her and gave her a great home.