Repaired, tuned, and the cabinet painted, this old Kenmore sewing machine sat unused for many years.
I needed a sewing machine and was researching some sales on new machines both on-line and in-store. There were sales for Singers and Brothers, and more, on various websites and in fabric and craft shops.
Just as my choices - and my confusion - reached critical max, I happened on a site recommending, "don't buy a new machine, get an old Singer or Kenmore and refurbish it".
Wow! That advice fit right into my lifestyle choice of Elective Frugality! Cool.
In a dark corner of a downstairs room was an old Kenmore sewing machine, in-cabinet, that hadn't been used in decades.
Lucky for me, down inside the cabinet was the sewing machine and its instruction booklet (these can also be purchased from eBay or downloaded off the Internet).
The old Kenmore cabinet awaits prepping and painting.
First, the machine was removed from the cabinet and taken to a repair shop. Then, I vacuumed the cabinet of years of dust, fabric lint, and rusted pins.
The inside of the cabinet needed a good cleaning.
I gave the cabinet a thorough sanding to remove dirt, a cracked finish, and to add "tooth" so my paint/primer combo would adhere.
After using a damp rag to remove the dust from sanding, I applied a Behr painter/primer combo in a warm off-white, with pale yellow undertones called, "Spinning Silk". The paint is an interior eggshell finish.
Of course, I had to add my "shabby-chic" touches to the cabinet so I used a serrated spatula-knife to achieve the "aged" affect I wanted.
This spatula-knife (used to spread and groove icing, I think) is a dandy tool for faux-aging painted furniture.
The chipped, vintage look I was going for!
Happy, happy, happy with how the cabinet and the repaired, tuned, and cleaned Kenmore turned out.
When the cabinet is closed with the machine resting inside, the painted cabinet makes a nice side table for both a slip-covered sofa and tapestry French-style armchair. The cabinet's work surface folds out over the tapestry chair.
A standard office chair slip-covered in black and white toile makes a comfy seat for sewing. To see how I slipcovered the office chair
go to...
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Notes: Researching the old Kenmore's model number on line I discovered it was built in Japan for the Sears, Roebuck and Co., during 1976-1977. The fellow who tuned up and cleaned the sewing machine said, "This old Kenmore will last you forever." Suits me just fine!
Having the machine repaired cost me $59.00 A quart of tinted Behr paint - about $15.00. All other materials were already on hand.
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