On Friday, February 12, 2010 at 8:55:36 PM UTC-5, Sunny wrote:
I went to my fav junk store today looking for old postcards and came
home short $27 but carrying a Kenmore 117.812 (circa 1948) in its
original carrying case. http://www.pbase.com/kuby/vintage_sewing_machines
Obviously this isn't my photo, but it's the same model and gives you
an idea of how it looks. Original manual in the case, all the feet
any person could possibly dream up, four bobbins, a couple needles. I
cleaned it up and gave it an oiling and she runs like a dream. It's
light enough to carry to classes and I may keep it and sell one of my
other 'extra' sewing machines. I looked on ebay and the price for this
machine is either $50 or $165. Take your pick.

I'm not a collector. I have never had a collection of anything (except
that in the pst 6 months I've been gifted by a number of people with
no connections with the beginnings of a little glass pig collection --
go figure) and I really don't like collecting because it means you
have things around that are of no use. Okay, so I have mountains
(really more like little hills) of fabric, but I could use any piece
of it at any moment that the spirit so moves me. but now I have an
embarrassing number of sewing machines, all of which work really
well.

This new puppy has a really pretty straight stitch, forward or
backward, and the feed dogs can be lowered. It's sturdy as heck. Needs
a lot, lot, lot more oiling before any real sewing. I'm headed out
tomorrow to buy a new can and a tube of machine grease for the gears.
The manual calls for daily oiling.

I know I'm not the only one with this sickness that commands one to
bring home stray sewing machines. Does anybody have more than ..... 6?
I have six SMs. I have space to use 2 of them. Four of them are
redundant. Groan.

Sunny
(buying sewing machines to avoid chewing my fingers off from stress)

I have my mom's 1948 Kenmore 117.812, it is the machine I created the most on. I learned to sew on a Singer Treadle - my dad got rid of that because it was in his way. Now I have my mother in laws 1948 Singer, I have a 1956 Singer and I have a newer Kenmore from the 60's I believe, have not figured that one out yet.