Zigzaggers

Bernard Stoewer treadle

by Tammy, who collects beautiful old machines and sews up a storm -- her blog is here, and on this page you can read even more about this gorgeous antique (and see loads of amazing photographs!)

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I absolutely love this machine. It is fabulous piece of furniture to just look at as well as being a great, fully functioning tool. The gold lion sunburst decals are simply stunning and the cabinet is lovely.

When did you buy this sewing machine? About three years ago.

When was it manufactured? 1910 in Germany

Where did you buy it? Locally, in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. A lady posted it for sale on ebrandon, which is an electronic garage sale site similar to Craiglist or Kijiji.

How much did you pay for it? The seller wanted $100 Canadian, but I negotiated the price down to $80. I had to replace the treadle belt ($13.99) and the bobbin tire ($2.75), since both were rotten.

How many projects have you done on this machine? About 50.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. Most treadles sew only a forward straight stitch, but Bernice has a reverse! I hem unbleached cotton tea-towels with mitered corners, piece patchwork quilts, hem denim jeans, sew leather dog boots, and upholster cushions with welting string on Bernice. I also use her to teach others how to sew, because treadling gives the operator complete control of the needle motion. Some even say that treadling is good for varicose veins and blood circulation in your legs! Plus, it's environmentally friendly.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? There is nothing I hate about Bernice. In fact, she sews perfect seams no matter what kind of fabric, needles, or thread I use. Bernice is a vibrating shuttle machine. I love everything about her, especially the way she looks. I think she is a real piece of art.  Unfortunately, she does not have a manual or accessories. However, the thread pattern for the Singer 127 VS machine is identical and my Stoewer uses standard short shank feet.

Singer 401

by James, who doesn't keep a personal website, but does keep a collection of vintage sewing machines (and will hopefully be reviewing more for zigzaggers in the near future)

Love it, hate it, or something in between? The 401 is easy to love. As Singer's top-of-the-line machine, it was thoughtfully and handsomely designed; the quality is evident.
 
When did you buy this sewing machine? I have two, an "S" badge (NB576595) and a shuttle badge (NA714780). The shuttle-badge machine has "The Singer Manufacturing Co." stenciled on the cam lid, and its two-tone colors appear to have slightly more contrast than the S. I bought them both in the summer of '08.

When was it manufactured? I don't believe Singer has accurate production information for this model. I think they were sold around 1957-1959, but don't quote me.
 
Where did you buy it? From a nice little old lady who doesn't sew anymore, and whose son put it on Craigslist for her. Isn't that where all vintage machines come from?

How much did you pay for it? One was $20 and the other $125; they both came in cabinets that were in excellent condition. The $125 machine had a stool, a manual, and a complete attachment box; the $20 machine didn't. I don't regret either purchase, and consider them both good deals.

How many projects have you done on this machine? Lots. I sometimes don't start a project on this machine, but wind up using it for the zigzag or blind stitch features.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. Draperies, quilts, shirts, jackets, dog coats, slipcovers, cushions, tote bags, and pajamas.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? The drop-in bobbin, bobbin winder, and stitch length lever with "Fine" area are easy to use and operate. I find the plain zigzag and blind stitch (cam) settings useful. The combination of the machine's light color and well-focused lamp provide good visibility.
 
I've heard this model referred to as the Brown Hen, and it's an apt description -- it's chunky, dependable, and just a little bit dowdy. As much as I like the sleek and campy streamlining of the 500 ('Rocketeer') series, I prefer the 401 for its more honest and straightforward design, and it doesn't have the fragile-hinge problem that plagues the 500s. A small thing, but I also like that you don't have to open the lid to operate the machine.
 
At first I was overwhelmed by the decorative stitch knobs and their functions, but soon realized that it's a novelty feature -- a frill on an otherwise sensible machine. The knobs are a bit awkward to adjust, and the idea of so many nearly identical variations of the zigzag stitch is as silly today as it was 50 years ago.

Necchi BU

by Virginia, who blogs about her sewing projects (dresses!) at A Sewing Life

Love it, hate it, or something in between?
Oh, I certainly love it, but that's no great endorsement, since I seem to love all of my machines. I first got interested in trying out a vintage Necchi when the circuit board on my Bernina 160 failed. I surfed the internet reading various reviews and just happened across a couple of glowing accounts of vintage Necchis on Pattern Review. Their enthusiasm led me to the Vintage Necchis Yahoo Group. After reading along on this group for a couple of months, I had to have one. What they said is true, there is a quality to this massive chunk of Italian machinery that is quite unlike any other sewing machine I had used before.

When did you buy this sewing machine?
Summer of 2008. I had to wait until the fall to actually try it out. Read on...

When was it manufactured?
According to the Vintage Necchis Yahoo Group, this model was manufactured in Italy between 1948 and 1953. The easy-to-spot differences between this model (BU) and its successor, the BU Nova, are the VN (for Vittorio Necchi) logo on the machine bed, and the plain chrome face of the tension assembly. The later model had the newer cartoon-style N logo and a black face on its tension assembly.
    The BU is a flat bed machine with an oscillating hook and manual zig zag (which I believe means you select zig zag by shifting the stitch width lever rather than pushing a button). Necchis designated as BC, BCJ or BF are straight stitch only. The BU was manufactured in black or green. It is a very simple, very heavy cast iron machine with no plastic parts whatsoever.

     

Where did you buy it?
I had been watching eBay for a vintage Necchi for several weeks. This machine was listed by a damaged freight company. As far as I could tell from the very indistinct photo, its spool pins were bent, and the plastic modern case it had been shipped in was cracked, but otherwise things looked okay. It turned out that it came with no power cord or foot pedal, or attachments other than the bobbin case, one bobbin, and the all-purpose presser foot. I had ambitions of resolving the power situation myself, but in the end I took it to a local sewing machine mechanic who was backed up for seven weeks! The replacement foot control he provided is okay, but it does have a tendency to race. Since I sew clothing, I like to go slowly much of the time, and I find that I don't have the control I would like. I've heard of others with similar problems with replacement foot pedals. When the perfect treadle table comes along, I plan to convert this machine to treadle operation.
    I don't have a base or a cabinet with hinge pins for it. As a heavy machine that generates some vibration, it could really use the extra stability of one of those.

How much did you pay for it?
I paid $55, plus $30 shipping, which was a good deal, but then I spent around $100 for the mechanic's services and the foot pedal, and $40 for a set of attachments belonging to a BU Mira. My total cost was higher, and my gratification much more delayed, than if I had bought a complete outfit to begin with.
    In hindsight, I would not recommend buying a machine over eBay in unknown condition as one of your first vintage sewing machine purchases! A complete setup from a local source or a well-established eBay seller might have been a better way to go. In the year that I've been on the hunt, I've only seen two Necchis in my state (North Carolina). One had a broken part that is no longer available, and the other was the same machine I have, but after I had already bought this one.

How many projects have you done on this machine?
Quite a few, but other machines have happened along since, so it hasn't been my only machine. I pieced a twin quilt top and made my son a pair of jeans as the first pair of projects. I have made a couple of denim skirts for myself, several cotton blouses, a rayon dress with piping, and six very wide and long sheer curtain panels.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it.
This machine is wonderfully well-suited to a wide variety of woven fabrics. It handles light fabrics just as beautifully as very firm and heavy fabrics. I am not sure, in all honesty, that it pierces heavier fabrics any better than my modern Bernina 160 (which I did have repaired, to the tune of $250!). And I have not had great luck at all using it on lighter weight knits, such as jersey.

What do you like and what do you hate about it?
The sewing experience on this machine is fantastic. The BU gives me the feeling that together we can push right through nearly any project. It handles thick topstitching or upholstery thread in the needle and the bobbin much, much better than my Bernina. I love that it has an adjustable needle position (left, center and right). My Bernina probably has 10 different positions from left to right, but I love the simplicity of the three, which turns out to be plenty for any need. I like that it has adjustable presser foot pressure, which two older Berninas I used to own did not. I like that the feed dogs can be dropped for free motion work, though I haven't explored that much yet. This machine is a high shank model, so it can use many industrial presser feet. These feet are rugged, very specific to a purpose and cost between $5-$10 per foot. Compare that to between $30-$60 per Bernina foot!
    Somehow the visibility of the sewing surface and the ease of reaching it on this machine are both great. The "head" of my Bernina seems to be higher and come forward more, and I feel like I hunch over more when using it. The ergonomics of the Necchi are terrific for me. It's awesome to set the levers in one position and know that they will stay put until I change them. On the other hand, it isn't so easy to change back and forth between different settings on the fly.
    I wish it handled knits better, and sometimes I wish it was a pink and cream Supernova with the circular needle plate and a full set of cams! This machine does straight stitch and zig zag, forward and back, and free motion work. That's all. That's enough.
    I haven't seen a lot of discussion about the way the needle mounts on these vintage machines versus the more modern arrangement, but it presents an issue for me. The needle mounts with the flat side to the right. Threading goes left to right. This is not just Necchis, but actually all of my vintage machines. It's easy enough to thread, and easy to insert the needle once you learn which way the flat side goes, but it doesn't make two parallel rows of stitching with a twin needle. Instead the twin needle makes a sort of a shadow effect vertically. I like to use a twin needle for hemming knits, so I have to hold onto a modern machine for this purpose.

Singer 221 -- the Featherweight

by Robbie Brewington, a Texan collector/repairer of vintage machines, whose brand-new sewing blog (complete with rhyming poetry!) is here

Love them, hate them, or something in between? I absolutely love my Singer Featherweights! I have two of them -- one from 1951 that I bought (in the rear in the photograph), and the other, made in 1953, that was my mom’s machine (in front). I learned to sew on my mom’s Featherweight. They are 57 and 55 years old, respectively, and still going strong!


When did you get these sewing machines? I bought the 1951 Featherweight about 6 years ago (2003).  I inherited the 1953 Featherweight when my mom passed away in 1991. 


Where did you buy them? I bought the 1951 machine on eBay. We were living on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, when Mom got her machine, so she likely purchased it in Dayton (unless she got it on a visit home, which was in Houston, Texas). I was only 4 at the time, so I sure don’t remember, and dad said she’d always had it.  

How much did you pay for them? I paid around $175 for the 1951 machine, plus about $35.00 for shipping. It came with the basic attachments (zipper, hemmer, binder feet, and a Singer buttonholer).  

According to the information here, mom would have paid around $150 for hers (1953 dollars, of course). 


How many projects have you done on this machine? Lots and lots and lots!


Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I’m going to include what I know Mom made with her Featherweight, just to give an idea of how versatile they are. Besides clothing, I remember her doing a bit of embroidery with her Featherweight (personalizing several of Dad’s shirts) and using it to make lined pinch-pleated drapes for our house in New Mexico. While we were still in Ohio, she made sails for a little dinghy-style sailboat Dad built and sail covers for a larger sailboat we bought. After we moved to New Mexico, she made another set of sail covers (different boat!) and cushion covers. When we moved to California, she made her third set of sail covers (boat #4) and second set of cushion covers. (When I hear that some people only use their Featherweights for piecing quilts, I have to laugh!) My dad ended his Air Force career by spending 3 years in Lima, Peru, and the little Featherweight came along. We had a seamstress who came to the house and had her choice of using the Featherweight or an up-to-date Read’s Sailmaker (which I’ll review later), and she much preferred the little Singer. She wanted to buy the machine, but it wasn’t for sale. 

Since I’ve owned the machines, I’ve mostly used them for clothing and purse construction, but I did make two canvas generator covers on the 1953 machine and have to say that that baby hadn’t lost her touch!

What do you like and what do you hate about it? I guess it’s pretty easy to understand how I feel about Featherweights!

 Here are the things I like: They're easy to use; easy to maintain & do your own repairs on; easy to carry with you; easy to understand the workings of; easy to get parts for; lots of accessories are available; and it makes the greatest buttonholes ever. There’s a reverse lever, so you don’t have to hold a button in with one hand while you are sewing in reverse

Plus, it’s so cute!

There are lots of websites dedicated to the Featherweights, like Gaileee's Featherweight 221 Resource Page, Singer Featherweights, and Featherweight Fanatics.

Buttonholers!

The following is a special contribution from EmilyKate, a loyal friend-of-Zigzaggers (see her sewing machine reviews here, here, and here). This wonderful and helpful bit of information will be particularly useful for owners of vintage sewing machines that only sew a straight stitch. Find EmilyKate at her blog; and if I may be so bold, I'd like to particularly recommend a lovely post about her grandmother, here -- it's not sewing-machine-related, but her thoughts about the aesthetic traditions that are passed down in families are relevant and touching. Herewith, EmilyKate introduces buttonholers:

Many sewers who use vintage straight-stitch only machines believe they can't use them for making buttonholes -- the needle has to be able to zigzag for that, right?

Actually, it doesn't! Back in the day, sewing machine companies invented clever little gadgets that attach to straight-stitch machines: They clamp onto the garment fabric and wiggle it back-and-forth and side-to-side under the needle, creating the buttonhole. The gadgets, which were called automatic buttonholers, are readily available on eBay and sometimes show up in thrift stores. Some of the brand names they were marketed under were Greist, Singer, White, and Famous. Kenmore also made one for their machines.

There are two types -- one type uses interchangeable templates for different sizes and shapes of buttonholes (straight or keyhole-shaped); the other makes only straight buttonholes the length and width of which are adjusted with levers and knobs. You can pick up either type pretty cheaply on eBay -- expect to pay anything from $5 to $25. 

It's important to make sure you buy an attachment that has the correct shank type for your machine. Most vintage machines take low-shank, side attaching attachments, but there are slant-shank variations (for slant-shank Singers, obvisously), and if you have a vintage Japanese-made machine you may need a high-shank attachment. (ed note: See Ed Lamoureux's blog here for more information about shank types.)

If you want to see a buttonholer in action, check out this video I posted on BurdaStyle!

Manuals!

by Krista

I've been getting lots of comments and emails from people who need manuals for secondhand machines that have come into their possession without instructions. Let me just say up front that I, personally, don't have any spare manuals for anything! (Though if you need to know something about a White 614, I'll happily look it up in my manual and try to answer your question.)

But other people do! It's really funny to me that one of the things the internet is so great for is finding out about old stuff. If you'd wanted a manual for an Elna Grasshopper twenty years ago, you'd have been hard-pressed to dig one up, but now, it should be very possible. I'm documenting my search for this Grasshopper manual to determine just how easy or hard it will be.

I start with the most obvious source -- a website called Sew USA sells copies of manuals for hundreds of sewing machines. I could get the Elna Supermatic or Elna Lotus books for $10 apiece, plus $5.75 shipping, but there's no Grasshopper on the list. Shucks.

Sew USA also has free threading diagrams for hundred of machines on the site. No Grasshopper, but if you need to get started with an old Kenmore or Singer, you'll have a great chance of finding your machine or a similar model. Also, a tip: If you have a store-brand machine, such as a JCPenney or Montgomery Ward, and you don't see your exact model number in the selection, take a peek at the threading diagrams for similar-era White and Kenmore machines, because there's a good chance they were made by the same manufacturers.

Since I haven't had any luck at Sew USA, I decide to send an email to Elna's customer service, which I find in a flash at Elna.com -- they should have these manuals in a file cabinet somewhere, and if anybody gets around to reading my note, I'm sure they'll be able to offer some kind of help.

Meanwhile, I'm off to eBay! After first checking on the digital pianos (doesn't this seem like the sort of thing one ought to be able to find for a good price used online? Like sewing machines? So far, no luck, but I persevere...), I wend my way through the categories to "sewing manuals & instruction" and search for Elna. For most machines, I'd search for the full model number, but since the Grasshopper is officially "model #1" I worry that my search might either turn up every Elna with "1" in its model number, or else it won't find a book that the seller has listed under Grasshopper. There are more than 60 Elna manuals on the site, but -- boo hoo -- not the one I seek!

Now I'm going to generalize a bit and head out to the miraculous Google. A search for "Elna Grasshopper manual" turns up -- hey! Zigzaggers! We're number one! Of course, we don't yet know where that manual is, so we're not helpful at this point... Then comes a site that's all about someone named Amy's gorgeous, shiny, green Grasshopper (can you tell that this is a machine I covet?), but there's no information on finding manuals. And third... what do you know! It's another sewing machine manual site. Sewingmanuals.net sells a photocopy of the Grasshopper manual for $14.99, plus $2.50 shipping. I'm not vouching personally for this site (never heard of it before, and haven't purchased anything from it), but it takes PayPal, which offers some security.

If I had a Grasshopper (sniff!) without a manual, I would certainly buy this photocopy -- $17 seems like a very reasonable price for the book that's going to let you get all the use and pleasure possible out of your green sweetie. In a perfect world, manuals would stay safe and sound with their machines, but alas, this world is obviously far from perfect. Still, it's less than twenty bucks and about half an hour of trolling the web! Hooray for technology, old and new!

Please add your manual-finding stories and strategies in the comments section, so that we'll have all the tips in one place for those Googlers who happen upon this site during their searches!

Edited to add: The nice people at Elna customer service emailed me back to say that, surprisingly, they don't have any Grasshopper manuals; BUT she said a Supermatic manual would be the closest, and she included a pdf of it in the email, for free! Definitely worth trying before you spend the big bucks...

Edited again (2/22) to add: I only just realized that the brilliant and prolific Melissa Fehr actually has a pdf of the manual for her Jo-Ann Sonata 540 (a machine a few different commenters have asked about) posted on her lovely website, here. This woman sews nonstop, and her blog is packed with pattern reviews, tips, and lovely pictures of gorgeous clothes -- check it out even if you don't want to borrow her virtual sewing machine manual!

Singer 301-A Long Bed

by Arizona Lagousakos, who blogs about her sewing, knitting, and crafting at The Craftivist -- look there, too, for pictures of the gorgeous "greenery" quilt she's been sewing on this long-bed!

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I love this machine. It has all metal parts and most parts are still easy to find online if something should break (though that's not likely unless one abuses the machine).

When and where did you buy this sewing machine, and how much did you pay for it? I bought it at an estate sale for $25 in October 2008. These machines, in the condition I bought it in, easily sell for $200 or more on eBay, so I got a great deal. A briefcase full of attachments also came with the machine (zig zagger, buttonholer, lots of feet, a few other items) -- there's a photo of them on my blog, here.

When was it manufactured? Singer 301s were manufactured in the late 1940s and 1950s. They are very tough machines and have excellent stitch quality. In addition to sewing, you can also do embroidery and quilting with it (including free-motion quilting).

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I mostly use my 301 for quilting (both for piecing and quilting), but I have also used it for garment sewing. I have a Viking 936 serger and a Viking Diamond, so when I sew garments I tend to use those since they don't require an attachment in order to change the type of stitch used.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? Overall, I absolutely love this machine. The only negative thing about it is that if you want to zig zag or do any other stitch besides a straight stitch you must use an attachment. I don't like taking time to put on an attachment for zig zagging; that's why I tend to use my Viking machines if I am sewing a garment. However, I talked to a woman who is a costumer and she urged me to get to know and use the Singer 301 buttonholer. She says it makes the most beautiful buttonholes she has ever seen. I haven't taken the time to do that yet, but I will since there's nothing like a well constructed buttonhole!

Even though I already have a Singer 301-A, if I ever saw another one at a reasonable price I'd buy it, too. I highly recommend them!

Singer 15-90

and ANOTHER gorgeous treasure from EmilyKate, whose collection I really wish I could see in person.

Love it, hate it, or something in between? Definitely love at first sight. This is a simple but utterly reliable machine that runs beautifully and smoothly. I can service it myself and expect that with proper care it will last until the next century as it is all metal, inside and out. The motor would conk out long before any of the gears or parts wear out, and it can even be converted to a treadle machine if what they say about the world's energy all running out is true.

When did you buy this sewing machine? About five years ago.

When was it manufactured? It's a Centennial-model 15-90 Singer, which means it came out to commemorate the hundredth year of business for the Singer sewing machine company. I believe they had been making this particular model since the 20s but this actual machine would have been first sold in 1950. It has a little commemorative badge on the front and is somewhat collectable to those in the know, but certainly does not command super-high prices on eBay or at antique stores.

Where did you buy it? An opshop in South Yarra, Melbourne (Australia), that I was always finding fantastic haberdashery bargains at -- it has sadly now closed.

How much did you pay for it? $50 Australian. It was in perfect condition, with its bentwood cover unscratched and undented. Its original accessory box was tucked inside with a few feet and bobbins.

How many projects have you done on this machine? I bought this little beauty mainly for her looks, but thought she'd also come in handy as a backup if my regular machine was in for repairs for a long period. I soon discovered that her beautiful straight stitch and strong motor make her an indispensable little workhorse in her own right! I have sewn denim, shirts, skirts, and home dec projects -- pretty much everything. Nowadays, since I have picked up several mechanical buttonhole-making attachments, I keep her pretty much permanently set up as a buttonhole machine.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. ALL my buttonholes get done on this machine, obviously using one of the buttonhole attachments I've collected. Many sewists agree that buttonholes made on these vintage machines using the old-school buttonhole attachments are superior to the buttonholes that can be made with newer machines, and they are without a doubt more consistent in size and shape; but I'll tell you about the buttonhole attachments in another review!

Singer machines of this era are sought-after by quilters because their narrow feed-dogs and narrow straight-stitching foot make it easy to sew perfect quarter-inch seams. I haven't made any quilts on mine but I might in future.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? It's very large, and being all-metal is slightly heavier than the average boat anchor. But she's not going anywhere so that doesn't matter.

HG Palmer Princess

by EmilyKate, who recently reviewed her gorgeous Husqvarna 21, and is now sharing another of her beauties!

Love it or hate it, or something in between? Ooooh, who could catch a glimpse of this beauty and not fall instantly in love? My sister snagged it at a seaside opshop, and I know she must love me because she then gave it to me! It looks like something Elvis would have DRIVEN, rather than something to sew with; but it's not just good-looking -- it operates beautifully.

When did you buy this sewing machine? My sister got it about six months ago, photographed it artfully, and then turned it over to me.

When was it manufactured? Going by the styling, I think around late fifties to late sixties. It's been difficult to find anything out about this machine, as it is what they call 'badged'-- basically, back in the days of the big department stores, a store would order generic machines from a (usually Japanese) manufacturer, and then put their store logo on it and sell it as their own brand. HG Palmer's was a Sydney, Australia, department store. I managed to find a manual online that a person in Sydney had scanned after finding an identical machine. "Princess" is quite similar in many ways to a Janome machine I have from the seventies, but I believe the HG Palmer stores folded sometime in the late sixties. 

Where did you buy it? Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia!  The seaside opshops always seem to have the best scores!

How much did you pay for it? I think my sister paid around $15 Australian.

How many projects have you done on this machine? I sewed a shirt, and I've tried out the embroidery stitches on other projects. It came with a set of cams that are like no cams I've ever seen for other machines -- Princess's cams look like... well, they look like little nipples! A little door opens on the top of the machine and you stick them over a little knob. It's all a bit rude!

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I've used the embroidery stitches to embellish projects. I've tried it on denim and the stitches stayed straight and true, with no strain on the motor.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? Well there's nothing I hate, but it is HUGE and heavy. Definitely not a portable. It doesn't have a buttonhole. One of its funny little features that I love is that the light shines though a little grille, which has a kind of fly-screen installed in it to stop any curious moths from getting inside and gumming up the works!

Singer 247

by Karencilla, who has such a fun blog at Little Sweet Hearts -- her mix of sewing projects, photography, and pop culture criticism is really unique.

Love it, hate it, or something in between? It's my first love and always will be. It is my first sewing machine, and without a doubt my favorite. I kind of rescued it from obscurity and weather inclemency. Sometimes she (I like to think it is a she) is little bit stubborn but most of the time, sweetness.

When did you buy this sewing machine? Actually, it belongs to my mom. She doesn't use it as much as I do; usually, she uses it for repairs and fitting. She lent it to my sister and me when we began sewing classes. My sister stopped sewing, so now I'm almost the only one using it.

When was it manufactured? Sometime between 1974 to 1980.

Where did you buy it? I asked her and she can't remember -- oh, well.

How much did you pay for it? She paid around $100 in 1979. Now, if you are lucky you can buy one for $50.

How many projects have you done on this machine? A LOT! All my creations were made with this beauty. The only things I haven't sewn are jeans, coats, and knit sweaters. Originally, this machine series was not made to sew stretchy or thick fabrics. It was made to sew lighter fabrics.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I have made dresses, blouses, skirts, home décor accessories, bags, and done repairs.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? I like how easy it is to use -- no complications. I love that it has a dial that adjusts the pressure of the presser foot, and I like the configuration of the thread tension dial because it uses numbers (better than + and - symbols). The best thing about this machine is the durability; the metal body makes it almost indestructible. I couldn't believe it when my mom told me that she bought it in 1979-1980 -- it's 28 years old, and still working wonderfully. I just need to oil it once in a while. The few things that bother me are not having a zipper foot, which makes it almost impossible to sew a zipper; and the weight.