VINTAGE SEARS KENMORE SEWING MACHINES SNAP ON FEET & ACCESSORIES & MORE

Because my first sewing machine was a Sears Kenmore, a Japanese manufactured zigzag sewing machine, I thought that the only feet & attachments available, were the ones that came with the Sears Kenmore 158.1560, the model shown here. It came with a straight stitch foot, a zigzag foot, a buttonhole foot (to use with the built in buttonhole program), & the basic set of feet & accessories shown in the third photo, but the ones with the less expensive machines, didn't all come in the colorized version.

 

In addition to the presser feet which have their shank already attached, Sears included a multi purpose foot, to which you could attach a variety of sizes of rolled hemmers, an edgestitcher, based upon the old Singer model, & a multi sized binder attachment, the cardboard box they came in included a large & small flat head screwdriver, a ruffler, a narrow rolled hemmer foot, a sliding buttonhole foot, to be used with the built in 4 step buttonhole stitch, as well as a adjustable zipper foot/cording foot, & a seam guide & a thumbscrew, which could be attached to the bed of the machine, to help you sew straight seams, & last, a button sewing foot. I never knew how to use most of them, even though we had the manual, I tried the button sewing foot, but didn’t figure out how to properly lock the stitch, so they always pulled apart easily, so I went back to hand sewing buttons. (You just take 2 or 3 stitches in the same place, with the feed dogs down, in one side of the buttonhole, then zigzag stitch in place, when you have enough stitches, repeat the 2 to 3 stitches in the same place, & it locks the stitches in place, like tying a knot.
Sears Kenmore model 148.1560 built in stitch cams, including some stretch stitches, a 4 step buttonhole program, feed dog control for darning & freehand embroidery, reverse, auto shut off bobbin winder, free arm, with extension bed, with easy flip up door access to the bobbin. Class 15 vertical front loading bobbin system, with quick release, for easy jam removal, if necessary. Light must be turned on, for machine to sew, lightweight, portable, but sturdy cast aluminum body, motor & belt are built into the machine, so no safety worries about fingers, hair, or anything else getting caught in them, while sewing. Cost 178.99 in 1978, at Sears. My sister, Michelle, & I went together to buy it new, using money from raising a calf & pig.

Sears Kenmore SEW BY COLOR kit, showing the basic attachments which were included with each Sears Kenmore sewing machine, in a more colorful version, with even the least expensive models. If you wanted the Sew by Color set, it could be purchased separately.The pieces aren't all in their correct locations, the seam guide is in with the adjustable zipper foot, & there appears to be an extra adjustable zipper foot in there, too, lol! I didn't double check before taking my photo. This also included a set of very well illustrated descriptions of how to use each foot or accessory.

Low shank Kenmore machines are easy to find feet for, since low shank sewing machines are the most commonly sold sewing machines, worldwide, but for the luxury Sears Kenmore sewing machines, a proprietary specialized, super high shank foot was required, in the same way that Bernina, & Viking Husqvarna manufactured their own shanks, so to use their machines, you needed to use their presser feet, though Bernina did also sell an adapter shank, to allow a low shank binder foot, & a ruffler to be used with their machines. 

For their top of the line machines, Sears Kenmore even followed Bernina's "quick change foot" system, idea, using the same kind of a lever, to allow approximately a "3 second" quick change from one Kenmore shank to another, but unfortunately, not all Kenmore feet shanks, work with their quick change system, requiring the frustrating situation of needing to remove the lever (which screws the opposite direction of what you expect), then the screw for the presser foot quick change system, before being able to use the adjustable zipper presser foot, & some binders, rufflers.
I confess, I really dislike the Sears Kenmore “quick change” presser foot system, not because it doesn’t work at all, it does work great for the majority of the Sears Kenmore Super High Shank presser feet, but because the majority of those feet are the cheap, easy to break, clear acrylic type of plastic, they just don’t last! That is only part of the problem, though, because the high shank adjustable zipper & cording foot that comes with the top of the line machines, do not function with the quick change system, so to use them, you have to unscrew the quick change presser foot lever, by unscrewing it from it’s reverse thread section of the presser foot screw, & you cannot remove the presser foot screw, unless you CAN get that lever off!
 Many of those levers are firmly rusted in place, & are almost impossible to remove. If you can get it off, then you can unscrew the presser foot screw, so you can put the zipper foot on. In the meantime, you stab yourself with the needle, unless you remove it, & having to remove the lever, the needle, & the screw, you have wasted all of your sewing time, & still haven’t sewn a stitch!

Some Sears Kenmore machines may actually have had the quick change lever setup on so long, or tight, that you cannot remove it, sometimes requiring someone stronger, to help remove the lever, so you can unscrew that presser foot screw, otherwise you cannot use the presser foot screw to attach other presser feet that will not go on, without completely removing the screw, first. This has been my number one pet peeve, about the Sears Kenmore luxury machine models, which all required the super high shank presser foot system. 

A Sears Kenmore Extra High Shank Presser Foot Adapter can be used to allow a low shank snap on adapter, making it MUCH easier to change presser feet quickly!

One of the most important presser feet to have, is the adjustable zipper & cording foot. It is extremely important, that this foot can be properly adjusted, to ensure it works well, with both the needle & the feed dogs. While most low shank presser feet will fit the Sears Kenmore sewing machines, there are some feet which have their needle hole just a hair too far forward, or backwards, from what the Kenmore machines require, so when you get a new presser foot, before you start to sew,  first, install the foot, & turn the handwheel slowly, by hand, while you watch the needle, & if the foot will work, the needle will be able to go all of the way down, but if the needle hits the presser foot, at any point during the stitch (particularly check to be sure that the needle doesn’t hit the sides of the needle opening of the presser foot, before trying to sew with the pedal or controller.

While Sears did include a good assortment of presser feet for their sewing machines, their top of the line “luxury” models, all require their proprietary “Super High Shank” presser feet, & they do not have a very wide selection, & when they did include a wide variety of feet with those machines, the majority of them have the narrow steel shank, but have the presser foot itself,  in a clear plastic, possibly acrylic, which cracks & ages with time, even if they have never been used.
The Sears Kenmore Super High Shank Presser feet are available regularly, on eBay, but prices can be pretty high, unless you purchase a box or the organizer accessory cases, & most savvy eBay sellers list each case or box separately,  actually charging more than these attachments & parts cost when new! Particularly since you usually have to pay shipping, too!

The Sears Kenmore Super High Shank acrylic, or plastic, presser feet which I have owned & used, include a cording foot, an embroidery foot (wide angled groove on underside of presser foot, allows either satin stitching, or you can feed ribbon under it, as you stitch it to the fabric), an open embroidery foot (has no front bar, in front of the needle, but has a wide, rectangular groove, same use as previous embroidery foot, but better visibility), a blind hemmer foot (white plastic for the foot, with a steel screw & nut, which allows you to adjust the bite of the needle, so it catches & stitches just a thread or two, on the wrong side of the project hem), a 3 hole cording foot (has a clear foot, but a thin steel strap covers 3 little grooves where decorative cords can be fed, under the foot, as you use a decorative zigzag stitch, to secure them)

Because I also have had the joy & excitement of Bernina, Necchi, Viking Husqvarna, & Elna sewing machines, I learned how fabulous it is, to have a wide variety of very sturdy, well designed, & high quality presser feet & attachments, which make an enormous variety of sewing tasks so much easier, & FASTER! Then, I discovered SNAP ON PRESSER FEET!

One of the joys of the internet, is that it makes it possible for us to share our hobbies, as well as information, with strangers, as well as family & friends, through the internet, & photos, as well as blogs & tutorials. When I discovered snap on presser feet, I thought I died & went to heaven! Not all snap on presser feet will fit every sewing machine, you really do have to match the presser feet to the feed dog configuration, & the needle opening of your machine. Many vintage sewing machines have narrower needle openings, & consequently, a narrower zigzag stitch, & require narrower feet.

This Sears Kenmore top of the line zigzag sewing machine is the same basic machine, but you will discover it is nearly identical to many other model numbers of Kenmore sewing machines, the only changes were in the decorative details on the faceplate & the front of the machine, one machine will be 158. 18081, another 158.1703, or others, beginning with 158.xxxxx  with the other numbers which indicate the decor scheme to be used, as well as the accessory kits to be sold with the machine. Sometimes the control dials are slightly different, the reverse lever is a different color, sometimes the feed dog raise & lower control is a button, like here, sometimes it is a lever, or a knob, if it is the expensive version, it will have a cam lid on top, which flips up, to allow you to change the cams, to sew more stitches than those printed on the lower front knob. The needle plate has either a long, narrow reversible straight stitch & zigzag stitch plate inserted, or a wider, changeable snap in rectangular needle plate, & a separate straight stitch plate will be in the kit of accessories, as will a needleplate with the same shape, but with the chainstitch configuration, which plate will be in a small yellow plastic box, with a clear plastic lid, & a bobbin insert, which looks like a boat propeller, with only 1 prop, which allows this lockstitch sewing machine to sew a chainstitch!

Some of the 385.xxxx models of Sears Kenmore sewing machines did come with a snap on presser foot shank, & it’s own snap on feet. Unfortunately, this super high shank snap on presser foot shank, does NOT fit onto the presser foot bar of the older Sears Kenmore Super High Shank Sewing Machines, so while I thought I would use that shank on all of my super high shank sewing machines, I couldn’t use it on any machines, except the one it came on. BUMMER!
There are several Super High Shank Presser Foot Adapter Shanks available online, for the high end Sears Kenmore vintage sewing machines, but I have not yet heard anyone recommend any of them, other than a few who said they do NOT work! I finally broke down, & purchased one of the metal versions, planning on determining if it would actually work, & if it did, I wanted to share that information, so others won’t have to waste the many hours, & days, that I have spent testing various feet & attachments, so these heavy duty, sturdy vintage Sears Kenmore sewing machines, don’t go to waste! Obviously, if you can’t get good feet for them, they are worthless!

I ordered the metal Super High Shank Presser Foot Adapter Shank, from 231Terry, on eBay, for $11.90 + $2.67 S&H, & at first, I was terribly disappointed, because the first snap on shank I tried to use it with, just would NOT attach to the lower shank of the adapter. I found 2 more of my low shank snap on presser foot adapters, & these two DID work! After excitedly trying snap on presser feet, & testing to see if they would work on my super high shank Kenmore sewing machine, I got brave enough to test the first snap on foot again, & realized that the reason it didn’t fit, wasn’t that the adapter’s shank was too thick, (which is what I first thought), it was because the little tiny screw for holding a metal seam guide, in the top back hole of the snap on shank, was just a hair too wide, blocking the snap on shank from fitting onto the adapter! I removed that screw, & tried again, & after testing a huge variety of feet & the 3 different styles of low shank adapters, I have declared 231Terry on eBay’s Sears Kenmore Super High Shank Presser Foot Adapter, as WINNER!!!! IT works FANTASTIC!!!!

231Terry eBay seller’s KENMORE SEWING MACHINE SUPER HIGH SHANK ADAPTER TO LOW SHANK # P60666 DOES WORK!!!!  Note, the paper towel has some snap on feet below the NO, they are center needle position straight stitch feet, & a zigzag foot, which CANNOT be used on these Kenmore super high shank models, because the needle would hit the metal foot.  NOTE- the snap on adapter with the red button, has moved to the YES section, with the silver screw removed, & placed on the paper towel ( Note- scissors are pointing to the screw which as been removed), now all 3 adapters shown, DO fit on 231Terry eBay’s Super High Shank Adapter #P60666 !!!

at May 27, 2017 No comments:

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