{"id":6143,"date":"2025-07-10T14:54:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T14:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denimupcyclers.com\/?p=6143"},"modified":"2025-07-22T01:38:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T01:38:43","slug":"my-vintage-sewing-machine-collection-kathleen-resnick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denimupcyclers.com\/en\/2025\/07\/10\/my-vintage-sewing-machine-collection-kathleen-resnick\/","title":{"rendered":"MY VINTAGE SEWING MACHINE COLLECTION | by Kathleen Resnick"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kathleen Resnick<\/strong> Resnick is the moderator of my Facebook group Denim Upcyclers<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/span>, and a passionate vintage sewing machine collector. One evening, as we were chatting about our favorite machines, the idea came up: why not share her insights in a guest post on the blog? I\u2019m thrilled to feature her here today, sharing the gems from her collection and her experience sewing denim with them. I hope you enjoy her article as much as I did!
Hope you will like the article as much as I did!<\/p>\n

Ariane xo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AUTEUR : KATHLEEN RESNICK<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

WHAT'S THE BEST SEWING MACHINE FOR DENIM?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n
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One of Kat's favorites<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

VSM are machines that were manufactured prior to 1970. These machines were generally made of all metal, are very heavy, and are almost indestructible with some routine maintenance. They were manufactured in Japan, Taiwan, or Europe mostly, and sold under many different \u201cbadges\u201d or brand names. For instance, Kenmore never manufactured their own machines, they were all built overseas and imported here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970\u2019s, changes came about as sewing machines were made with nylon gears, plastic parts, and other changes to produce them more cheaply. People started sewing with knit and other fabrics that led to the addition of stretch stitches. Circuit boards and other enhancements made the machines more functional, but also meant that they can fail and are more costly to repair. The old Kenmores came with a thirty-year warranty. Maybe Sears figured out that if machines lasted that long, they wouldn\u2019t sell many of them, so they focused less on quality and more on fancy features that wouldn\u2019t stand the test of time.\nAround 1970, stretch fabrics became available and machines were engineered with special stretch stitches. I rarely sew stretch fabrics, but I do use the triple stretch stitch frequently. It is an extremely durable seam and almost impossible to rip out, even with a seam ripper. I use it for topstitching. Denim won\u2019t fray past this seam. If you don\u2019t use this stitch, give it a try. I find it very useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DO YOU NEED A VINTAGE SEWING MACHINE TO SEW DENIM?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to have a VSM to sew denim, but they are generally stronger and more robust than modern ones and they are widely available, used, for very little money. I\u2019ve paid $50 or less for several machines, some I didn\u2019t even know if they would run. I cleaned and oiled them and they run like a new machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHERE TO BUY A VINTAGE SEWING MACHINE?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I bought all my VSM on Facebook Marketplace, and in each case, the sellers had no knowledge of VSM. Sometimes the pedal or other important parts were missing. At first I was intimidated, but I watched a lot of videos and then just jumped in and started working on them. Cleaning, oiling, and packing the gearbox with grease is all you need to do in most cases.VSM were meant to be serviced by their owner; the manuals tell you where to put a drop of oil. I learned everything I know from watching videos; my favorite channel is Randy Your Sewing Machine Man. My favorite Facebook group is Mr. Kenmore\u2019s Neighborhood, where everyone is friendly and helpful. (However, they are a bunch of enablers who like to encourage me to search out more interesting sewing machines and I already have enough!) Randy Your Sewing Machine Man<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. My favorite Facebook group is Mr. Kenmore\u2019s Neighborhood<\/a><\/span><\/strong>,<\/span>where everyone is friendly and helpful. (However, they are a bunch of enablers who like to encourage me to search out more interesting sewing machines and I already have enough!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketplace prices are often negotiable, and many wonderful machines are priced at $50 or less. Many VSM sellers don\u2019t know what they have, or what it\u2019s worth. Mostly they don\u2019t know if the machine even runs, or if it has the accessories that it should come with, i.e., foot pedal, presser feet, manual. If you ever buy a VSM, it is imperative that you oil it first before running it. Old machines can get dry and frozen, and if you run the motor in that state, you can burn it up. Some people bring screwdrivers and take the top off the machine to inspect before buying. I have not done that, but I do bring scrap fabric so I can test the machine. If you are lucky, you will find a machine that only had one owner, was loved and well maintained, and all the pieces were kept together so you get a case, manual, pedal, and accessories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MY TOP 5 GO TO SEWING MACHINES\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My friend Pennie and I compared some features of my five most used machines. I love each one of them.<\/p>\n

The tested models were:<\/strong><\/p>\n