My Sewing Machines

I began sewing over 20 years ago with my mom showing me some basics on her Bernina.  When I first became ill in high school and was home all day I picked up quilting.  I used my mom's machine and made a few quilts with it.

My grandmother bought me my own machine, a Pfaff 6091, as a graduation gift.  Despite not having attended the last 1 1/2 years of HS I graduated in the top 5%, as a National Merit Scholar.  I'd worked very hard before the illness.  /bragging

Pfaff 6091: She's no beauty queen but I love her!

I saw a sewing cabinet and machine at a local thrift store and bought it, approx 2002.  It sewed but the wires were chewed up.  Not knowing how to clean it, much less thread it!, I used the cabinet as a table for about 7 years.  Then I found some great Singer resources online and cleaned her up.  I took apart as many moving parts as possible, cleaned and oiled them, and put them back together.   The machine had been well cared for but I like knowing how it works and that everything's lubricated and functioning correctly.

I bought a few replacement parts: new power cord, bobbin slide plate, belt, bobbin winder tires and bobbins.  That's it!  It also came with the original box of accessories and Ziz Zag and Buttonholer attachments.

Singer 66-16

Two years ago I bought a Babylock serger, BL400, off cragslist.  It's identical to the BL450 Lauren, only cheaper ;)  I'd been looking for an affordable serger for over a year.  It's a great reliable serger so far.  Tension settings sometimes get the best of me but only on tricky fabrics.

BL 400 serger

I like that all my machines are mechanical and I can maintain them myself.  The help found online makes this possible and I'm grateful to everyone who shares their knowledge to help others.