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Posted by Bobbie Sews More on August 29, 2009, 7:54 pm
I have a 1960's Kenmore that I sew with and it makes a pretty stitch and has
many decorative cams to go with it. I may put it in a yard sale in a few
months for $30 or less. I recently got a machine that has the stitches
built in and is much easier to use.
Barbara in SC
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Posted by Emily Bengston on August 30, 2009, 12:23 pm
In 1986, I bought a basic little Kenmore for $89 to leave at one DD's house
for me to use when visiting her. She didn't want me to leave it, she
insisted I take it with me the day I left.
Since I was on my way to New Orleans from her home. I took it to one of my
sister's home. She immediately asked to "borrow" it for a few months, since
her old one, bought at Western Auto in 1959, was not working well.
To make a long story short, she was still using the Kenmore till her recent
accidents. That's 23-years; although she doesn't sew as much as I do, she
has quilted, put appliques on costumes, and sewed so many things.
Now one of her DGD's has moved into her home to care for her, and she told
me this week, if she could use the machine to make her children's some
clothes. She has a 2-YO and one due in mid-January. "I'll take good care
of it." When I said, she could, she replied, "I'm so tickled to be able to
use it, you gave it to Granny when I was a baby and she made me lots of
things."
I told her I'd taught her older sister and a cousin to sew when they were
very young, using it as well. She is thrilled about it, so that is one
good, inexpensive Kenmore.
But I have forgotten which company made them in the '80s; I want to say
Janome, but I am not certain.
-- Emily
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Posted by Sharon Hays on August 31, 2009, 9:31 am
Emily Bengston wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> In 1986, I bought a basic little Kenmore for $89 to leave at one DD's
> house
> for me to use when visiting her. She didn't want me to leave it, she
> insisted I take it with me the day I left.
>
> Since I was on my way to New Orleans from her home. I took it to one of my
> sister's home. She immediately asked to "borrow" it for a few months,
> since her old one, bought at Western Auto in 1959, was not working well.
>
> To make a long story short, she was still using the Kenmore till her
> recent
> accidents. That's 23-years; although she doesn't sew as much as I do, she
> has quilted, put appliques on costumes, and sewed so many things.
>
> Now one of her DGD's has moved into her home to care for her, and she told
> me this week, if she could use the machine to make her children's some
> clothes. She has a 2-YO and one due in mid-January. "I'll take good care
> of it." When I said, she could, she replied, "I'm so tickled to be able
> to
> use it, you gave it to Granny when I was a baby and she made me lots of
> things."
>
> I told her I'd taught her older sister and a cousin to sew when they were
> very young, using it as well. She is thrilled about it, so that is one
> good, inexpensive Kenmore.
> But I have forgotten which company made them in the '80s; I want to say
> Janome, but I am not certain.
>
> -- Emily
That's one priceless little $89 sewing machine. :) Marvelous story, Emily.
Thank you for sharing it.
Sharon
--
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of time and just annoys the
pig.
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Posted by Sparafucile on August 30, 2009, 12:50 pm
On Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:54:00 -0700, Samatha Hill
-- take out TRASH to reply wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Just because it doesn't hold a resale value doesn't mean that it
> wouldn't be a good-quality machine to use.
>
> The little Kenmore I bought for $115 in 1979 when I came back from Guam
> and gave to my daughter a number of years ago is still going strong and
> is a little work horse.
First, I do have a very nice modern, electronic
machine that I love. I wanted a portable as a
backup or to do topstitching while my main machine
was set up for something else.
Ok, this one isn't it. Not only is it only a
six-stitch machine, it has been lying in a box,
uncovered and unused for 15 to 20 years, and all
of the accessories have disappeared.
Since the oil has turned to gum, it would take an
enormous amount of dirty work to clean and oil,
and then I'd have to find feet (etc) for it.
Considering that Ron said that the build quality
on it is just "fair" for Kenmores of that vintage,
and that I've just learned that clean ones sell on
craigslist for about $20, it's not worth the
trouble. Not all old mechanical machines are
worthwhile, IMO.
--
Ciao,
Serge
ŽI love cats because I take pleasure in my home;
and little by little, the cats become its visible
soul.¡
Jean Cocteau, 1889-1963
8/30/2009 12:43:26 PM
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Posted by Samatha Hill -- take out TRASH on August 30, 2009, 5:51 pm
Sparafucile wrote:
show/hide quoted text
>
> First, I do have a very nice modern, electronic
> machine that I love. I wanted a portable as a
> backup or to do topstitching while my main machine
> was set up for something else.
>
> Ok, this one isn't it. Not only is it only a
> six-stitch machine, it has been lying in a box,
> uncovered and unused for 15 to 20 years, and all
> of the accessories have disappeared.
>
> Since the oil has turned to gum, it would take an
> enormous amount of dirty work to clean and oil,
> and then I'd have to find feet (etc) for it.
You are right that this would not exactly be a good choice, that there
are lots of no-name brand machines made in the 50s that run wonderfully
that it's not worth the time to spend on fixing one up that is in bad
shape. But I didn't know that when I said what I did before.
show/hide quoted text
> Considering that Ron said that the build quality
> on it is just "fair" for Kenmores of that vintage,
> and that I've just learned that clean ones sell on
> craigslist for about $20, it's not worth the
> trouble. Not all old mechanical machines are
> worthwhile, IMO.
Yeah, you can just get yourself one of the $20 ones (and check thrift
stores, too -- I have found lots of lovely machines there) that works
fine and it will be grateful for life.
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> house
> for me to use when visiting her. She didn't want me to leave it, she
> insisted I take it with me the day I left.
>
> Since I was on my way to New Orleans from her home. I took it to one of my
> sister's home. She immediately asked to "borrow" it for a few months,
> since her old one, bought at Western Auto in 1959, was not working well.
>
> To make a long story short, she was still using the Kenmore till her
> recent
> accidents. That's 23-years; although she doesn't sew as much as I do, she
> has quilted, put appliques on costumes, and sewed so many things.
>
> Now one of her DGD's has moved into her home to care for her, and she told
> me this week, if she could use the machine to make her children's some
> clothes. She has a 2-YO and one due in mid-January. "I'll take good care
> of it." When I said, she could, she replied, "I'm so tickled to be able
> to
> use it, you gave it to Granny when I was a baby and she made me lots of
> things."
>
> I told her I'd taught her older sister and a cousin to sew when they were
> very young, using it as well. She is thrilled about it, so that is one
> good, inexpensive Kenmore.
> But I have forgotten which company made them in the '80s; I want to say
> Janome, but I am not certain.
>
> -- Emily