Elna Supermatic

A watershed in sewing machine innovation, the Elna Supermatic is a core component of any collection.  I've owned this machine for just a few days and despite two issues that are eminently fixable, this Supermatic has won a place of honor in my house.

This is an example of the two-toned models that were several years later than the all-green Supermatic -- the Elna 2 -- that followed the Grasshopper model, the Elna 1.  Despite its obvious vintage look and appeal, it's quite a modern machine in that it takes single- and double-layered cams in a clever mechanism whereupon the following arms adjust for both length and width, a remarkable innovation in the 1950s.  There is no food pedal; rather, the machine is operated via knee bar and the light switch is not an interlock, allowing for operation without the use of the built-in light.

The bobbin/needle area is interesting.  There is no bobbin case for the drop-in design: just drop it in under the door behind the needle, threading upwards to the needle.  A low shank design, feet and other attachments are easily and inexpensively found.  Feed dogs surround the needle area, so the feed is unusually steady.

The tension dial is above and slightly left of the needle area, as the thread path is from behind.  Not only does the 1 - 9 dial offer a lot of variation in tension, the discs are large so that surface area provides superior tension control on all types of threads.

There are controls for needle position, width, length, etc. and an Automatic setting for buttonhole sewing.  My machine has two issues: the small knob on the end of the width lever has snapped off and the seller kept the knob; also, the needle clamp is hitting the edge of the nose plate door in the widest zig-zag setting.  The first problem involves repairing with the old knob or finding a replacement part -- easy.  I haven't figure out what is causing the second issue.  It doesn't appear to be timing but rather an alignment adjustment.  I'm guessing the home position of the needle bar has vibrated out of alignment over the years and a screw needs tightening.

The machine runs like a top.  It was extremely dirty but I've mostly cleaned in up on the outside and am in the process of getting the insides in better shape.  The smoothness and low humming sound it makes is such a pleasure, particularly at the speeds it achieves.  (Rotary hook, natch.)

I love this machine and am looking forward to adding more Supermatics to the collection.
 

Kenmore 158.13413

I was up north, innocently purchasing a sewing machine of all things.  How innocuous, right?

I dropped by the local Value Village to shop for a few things and just happened to walk through the furniture aisle.  You never know what you'll find, AM I RIGHT?  Now, I love a good formica end table with one end of the handle falling off, a side strip of the laminate coming unglued, and a water stain from a houseplant.  Don't you?

OK, let's cut the crap.  I went in that store determined to find a sewing machine -- hoping and praying for a Kenmore -- and lo and behold, this 8-stitch beauty was sitting fat and sassy, ready for my greedy mitts.  Perhaps that water stain was my drool, I'm not sure.

It was filthy and still has a fair amount of dirt in the crevices and seams.  I'm going to be cleaning this one every time I run it, seeing little lines of dirt and old oil between every panel.  Ah, the price we collectors must pay for our indulgences.

It's one of the lower-end Jaguar/Maruzen Kenmores built in Taiwan in the late '70s, probably 1977 or '78.  (No wonder the transition to Janome was so uneventful.)  I'm happy to report that it is as smooth and heavy as its Japanese counterparts.

It has plenty of small dings and fine scratches but all the knobs, spool pins, thread guides, etc. are present and in good working order.  It's been sitting in the sun, as it has a light case of UV on several of the plastic panels.  No attachments or manual were included -- not even the power cord/pedal.  Fortunately, I have an extra cord/pedal that I believe will work, once I dig it out and see if it has the proper plug configuration.

The model tag states 'Simpsons-Sears, LTD. (LTEE.) - Canada.'  It's possible this machine was purchased in Canada and brought south, as I found it near the Canadian border.  I haven't seen many of these 8-stitch models; perhaps these were made primarily for non-U.S. markets.  Once I get it fully oiled and running, I'll update this post and hopefully give two thumbs up.

This is exactly the kind of machine I love to find and the $4.99 price tag makes it all the sweeter.

Bernina 807 Minimatic

Now here's a cute little machine.

I like Berninas but I'm not too fond of the prices they fetch, so I only own machines that I can find at low prices.  I found this one on CL, drove up north to pick it up, and stopped by a Value Village where I found some patterns, a box of Kenmore accessories, and, yes, another Kenmore.  This Bernina is a slightly smaller machine, perhaps a 3/4 and has its own extension table, case, pedal/cord, and sewing table.

I haven't opened it up to take a look but I did open the lamp cover on the machine's nose and oiled all the usual suspects.  It runs and sews beautifully, especially for a machine that has been in storage for quite a while.  I didn't run it for very long, though, as I don't want to stress any parts that need lubrication.  All the dials and controls seem to work perfectly.

There is a total of 7 stitches including straight.  The top-most dial on the face controls width (outer) and needle position (inner).  The center lever controls length and reverse with a dial limiter.  The lower knob controls the feed dogs and the switch at the very bottom is a much-appreciated speed override switch: Max and Min settings.  This machine is pretty quick, so the slower speed is good for concentrating on one's project rather than feathering the pedal speed as well as everything going on with the needle.

Cosmetically, it's very good.  There are some very small paint dings and hairline scratches here and there and two slightly larger paint dings near the back of the free arm (probably caused by careless wielding of the bed extension).

As you can see, the motor housing, plate below the hand wheel, and the spool pin platform all suffer from UV suntan.  Were I more retentive than I already am, I'd take those pieces and apply hair salon peroxide cream to bring them back to the original off-white.  It's an easy process but since I probably won't keep this machine very long, I'll let the next owner have the honor.

I don't want to step on any toes as I mount my soapbox.  We collectors all have our preferences and I am not nearly enough of an expert at any of this to question the judgment of anyone.  However, I don't really understand the Singer Featherweight (221/222) fixation.  They seem like nice little machines but $300 - $500 (or $1000 for a 222) buys several excellent machines that may arguably be superior at what its devotees claim it does.  Here is a beautiful, lightweight, and extremely capable machine that offers multiple built-in patterns, plenty of power, and a sleek, modern design.  When even a small Bernina can be used as a comparison against such price inflation, I'm given pause to reflect on the conception of value.  I'm all about cheap machines and I understand that others may not be.  But if my blog pages illustrate at least one thing successfully -- I believe, it is that quantity and quality are far from exclusive.  I'm not a quilter.  In fact, I'm not much of a sewer at all, so take my words with all the salt you can carry.

What do you think?   

Me: shop around.  Great deals can be had.

   

Pfaff 360

Today was a stressful but productive day, overall.

I was squeezing work into a bunch of other errands.  (Was it the other way around?)  Some of you may know that I'm looking for a new house, as I'm seriously in need of downsizing (but my sewing machine purchases have sadly kept apace); I have to sell a condo, a Volvo, about 30 sewing machines (at least), some other items, start boxing up/selling/storing/throwing/donating/etc. a bunch of stuff, and on top of it all, I have to take care of my mother who fairly recently suffered a heart attack.  I am my mother's caregiver because the rest of my family will not step in to help.  I love my mom but having her live with me has been a difficult adjustment.

Today I looked at a house.  It was a decent house -- mid-century modern, a good design -- and I liked it but thought it had cheap finishes and would require at least 100K to make it 'nice'.  Adding that to the price of the home and I think I'm better off looking at more expensive houses to begin with; basically, I'm in the process of:

• Finding the sweet spot in the current real estate market, which is very hot right now
• Figuring out what I can afford
• Figuring out what I am willing to spend
• Deciding on which new neighborhoods and communities I would like
• Packing and throwing 
• Thinking about how much house I need vs. how much I would like vs. how much is available
• Doing a lot of driving and stressing
• Refusing to put my mother in a nursing home while wondering about my sanity

In addition to the above, I found a very nice machine, a Pfaff 360:

I love Pfaffs and I've wanted a free arm (360 or, preferably, a 362) so I bought this one.  The seller realized it didn't have a power cord or pedal, so lowered the price to $45.  I think that's reasonable, as it's in excellent shape and I already have the cord/pedal from my 260, my 230, etc.

What's important about these Pfaff Automatic machines is that you have to have the levers in the exact positions to achieve the stitches you want and you have to follow the sequence of lever positioning.  So, you need the handy dandy Pfaff stitch wheel, which I don't have.  (There are full-color downloads and I can run those through a laminating machine, then insert a brass brad in the middle to spin it.  An easy hack.)

These machines are exceptional sewers but one of the best features is the shallowness of the arm itself.  This will likely be my free arm machine in a future sewing atelier with a Kenmore as a back up, as this machine cannot do several stretch utility stitches that are very useful on cuffs, for example.

OK, gotta go look at house listings and swallow hard.  This weekend is a busy one.

Elna SU 62C No. 2

I spotted another Elna SU on CL last night without a price. Intrigued, I contacted the seller and he responded that he thought $40 was fair. I agreed and this morning I met him (great guy -- a fisherman who had no idea how to operate the machine) and I tried it out. It works beautifully. These are some really nice stitches and the machine is quiet and smooth, just like my first Elna SU that still needs a hook pinion gear replacement.

I really like this machine. However, with its plastic parts, it's prone to breakage and so I only recommend it with qualification: 1) if it's cheap; 2) if it's in good condition; 3) if you don't mind getting under the hood; 4) if you need a lighter weight free arm machine. This would be a great machine for sewing lightweight wovens, particularly sleeves, cuffs, collars, etc. The straight stitch is impressive for a zig-zag machine and the built-in patterns as well as the cam patterns are very attractive. But a Kenmore, this ain't. It just isn't reliable/durable and powerful enough for me; that the feed dogs can't be dropped and the pressure can't be adjusted are two more demerits.  It's a shame, as it's otherwise a smooth, quiet, superlative sewing machine.