Side Quest: Finding A Vintage Sewing Machine For My Mom
When my mom immigrated to the United States, she sewed a lot. Many of my childhood dresses were made by her. I even have many of the patterns that she used for them today. She dropped actively sewing when she got deep into her profession. Now that she’s retired and loves clothes, she’s picked up sewing again. She recently called me and said that she wanted a new machine.
I believe she’s sewing on a late 1980s / early 1990s Kenmore. After hearing what she wants to do, it honestly sounds like she just needs some attachments. Like a ruffler for example. However, she mentioned that she sewed some denim and when you into the heavier materials it’s best to have a strong motor on your machine. While I’ll get her some attachments for her current machine, I did poke around my collection to see what might work for her.
I asked my friends over on Instagram what would they offer up if they were me. I had some good suggestions, two actually mentioned a Singer 401A. Which was one I did consider. However, after thinking about it for a bit I think my mom would have some trouble changing the fashion discs. Not that it’s hard to do, I just know that my mom isn’t in tune with machines and I can see her getting frustrated with changing discs.
She needs:
A straight and zigzag stitch.
A couple decorative stitches would be nice.
A strong motor for sewing heavier fabrics.
Easy dial and setting adjustments without any removable parts.
As a collector, I have an assortment of machines that would fit her needs. One machine I am considering is this Viking.
It's a mid to late 1980s Husqvarna Viking 990 S. I paid $15 USD for it at a thrift store. It has ton of attachments and the largest foot pedal for a sewing machine that I’ve seen. I am a little weary of Vikings, since my first experience with them was a bit “hot”. Also, there’s a lot of buttons on this rig and I’m not sure how easy it is to use. I wish I had a PFAFF Hobby line to part with because I think that would be a great fit.
So, lots of testing is going to happen with this one before I give it to my mom. I plan to do an overview video on it, so stay tuned for that.
xo - Thea
