Kenmore Elite Ergo 3 19010

Here is yet another departure.

I love Kenmore sewing machines.  Over the decades they were manufactured/badged, Sears did a phenomenal job of quality control via choosing its manufacturers, testing their products, and listening to their customers.  The vintage all-metal machines particularly from the 1960s to the early 1980s built in Japan are some of the finest sewing machines I've ever had the pleasure of using -- especially the 158 series Jaguar/Maruzen models with multiple functions including stretch stitches and cam assemblies.

I've recently become more familiar with Kenmore machines built a little later, specifically from the mid-'80s to recent years.  (Sadly, the Kenmore name will no longer be appearing on sewing machines made by any manufacturer.)  Most of these machines are made by the Japanese giant Janome and their quality overall is very high, especially the mid- to high-priced models, full-featured, and designed with the latest sewing gadgetry.  As a vintage enthusiast, some of the plastic-clad machines strike me as dubious but Janome's Kenmore machines (twins or stand-alone models made for Sears) are very fine.

I found a simple, straightforward model several days ago, one built in the 1980s and I'm pleasantly surprised with how good it is. Here is a much newer machine, a combination sewing/embroidery machine that until recently was at the top of Kenmore's lineup and almost the top of Janome's (MC 9700):

I just got it home about an hour ago and I haven't had much time to even look at it.  I found it on CL and the seller was getting rid of it, as he bought it as a gift for his now ex-wife.

This machine has literally never been used.  It was taken out of the box and plugged in to make sure it works but it has absolutely zero hours on it.  It is utterly pristine except some slight dust near the base.  It's virtually brand new.  It was never threaded, never run.  It came with all kinds of stock equipment and bonus accessories that were part of a package deal:

I won't list all of the items but the entire sale includes the machine, digitizing software (for manipulating and designing from scratch), CF card, card reader, presser feet and other tools, three boxes of embroidery thread, pedal, manuals, dust cover, needles, and a few other things.  It's quite a package -- certainly the most complete sewing machine purchase I've ever made.  Not being an embroiderer, I'm not quite sure where to begin except to open the manuals and dive in.

It's odd how these things happen.  A few days ago at Peter Lappin's Male Pattern Boldness blog, Peter blogged about sewing labels, i.e. how they're made, what they should look like, what they should say.  He asked for ideas for his own labels and I suggested he purchase an embroidery machine so that he can make his own.  The next day I saw this for sale on CL: $200 for the entire package.  I remember shopping for my first Janome machine.  I bought it used and really enjoyed it; in my search, however, I read reviews for many Janome computerized models including the 9700, this Kenmore Ergo 3's twin machine and I lusted, wishing I could afford the then-$3500 price tag.  The price eventually came down to $3000 but I don't think they're made any longer, so 'new' models are NOS, floor models, returns, or refurbished being sold as 'new' or 'like new.'

I didn't think I'd be owning this type of machine and I'm not sure if I'll ever have a need to embroider but I'm excited to give it a try.  I've applied for membership in the Yahoo! group dedicated to this model so I expect I'll be posting some questions there.

Kenmore, Janome, embroidery, and sewing were/are all part of my conscious and/or subconscious mind.  Did I immediately key into the CL listing because my subconscious triggered an immediate response to my eyes glancing past the ad?  Or is there perhaps a more mysterious, spiritual dimension at work?  That I would have been looking at this type of machine about 2.5 years ago and suggested such a machine a few days ago, then finding one in this kind of condition at this price is kind of staggering.  I'm not sure what it all means.