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my mom and sisters - who are all amazing seamstresses - swear by Bernina, but I picked up my Husquavarna 'Lilly - 555' in Germany about 12 years ago for around $1000. I hear they don't make this model anymore, but mine can handle 4-5 layers of leather with a #8 needle without a blink. it has lots of buttons and way more stitches than I could possibly ever use, but I just ignore those. my mom did buy a Lilly 545 - the next model down, and she said it was terrible to use and got rid of it very fast, so I guess there's no telling.
I also have an entire collection of vintage Singer machines and attachments - a featherweight, a 301, a 402, a 50's Rocketeer, a 1928 handcrank, and a few more, and while I know there are those who swear by their featherweight, I'm here to say that I've never had a thread jam with my Viking, but I've had jams on my vintage Singers that took me hours to joggle loose. I love 'em to death, but I haven't sewed on them since I bought my viking.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)LV my 42 yo Husky - PLS don't speak too loudly of these disasters in its hearing as I don't ever count on purchasing another sewing machine in this lifetime!
I did buy a Featherweight from Cathy Lynn Forcino (sp?) right here on Teddy Talk, who has a business of rehabbing the vintage machines and posting about her offerings. I don't use it often but one of my many collections is antique/vintage needle work tools & accessories—and what collection would be complete w/o one?? It's very good at what it does: straight line stitching, nothing fancy. Every quilter needs one!
My Viking came with multiple cams for different fancy stitches it can produce but I rarely use those, just plain stitching and about 5 different ones (e.g., used in hemming ) in the Cam A works for everything I need.
... the best ever is the Bernina 910, who is waiting at my mom's home and as often I ask her to give me this machine, as often she tells me, that I will get the maschine, when she isn't there anymore ....... why have I to wait for her pass away to get this maschine, she isn't able to do a single stich there anymore, she has Alzheimer and won't give it to me
I'm really very sad, I will have to buy a new maschine for my own ..... mine is a no-name-maschine and don't works anymore ..... what can I do to convince her to give me this treasure????
PennsylvaniaIt's the same reason my mother-in-law refused to leave home even as she was lying on the floor in a puddle of her own p*** because she was unable to get up off the floor and go to the bathroom.
The sewing machine represents the familiarity and security of old times gone by and memories of the way things were.
It sounds ironic to say that somebody with Alzheimer's Disease can keep her memories but that object, somehow, forms a root from which other memories still cling. If she loses that machine she looses her root. If she loses her root she feels like she's losing all of her memories.
Is there any way you can go to her house and sew on the machine with her still being there?
Don't contrive the situation but act like she is teaching you or, better, like she is your "Chief Technical Advisor." ;)
What's important, here, is that you show her that your interest lies in her and not in the machine.
If you play your cards right, she might just give you the machine.
With people who have Alzheimer's, it's all about the PEOPLE in their lives more than the things.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Having worked with 2 parents who lived with spiraling dementias until the end of their lives - this is very sound advice Randy gives!! They are so easily confused, but the moment you can reassure them that they are doing 'no wrong' in any situation (at least while they are still in the stages of comprehending speech—and I'd guess so if your MIL is capable of letting you know of her wishes for the disposal of her machine, Andrea) you can divert her attention away from 'taking' into 'Giving', similar to what is suggested here.
It sounds like a Win-Win idea, if you can present it in the right way... "My machine isn't working out and I wondered if you could show me how you would handle this situation if it were you working with your own machine...."
When it comes right down to it, you may find that she truly has gone past the point of actually being able to work her machine properly: my DH said just today that he was really worried about dementia due to not remembering a fact/name/recipe/etc for more than a nansecond.
I had to remind him that dementia isn't just the forgetting bit, but that individuals forget Cause-and-Effect: that if you do X, then Y will be the result. E.g., if you turn the knob on the radio, you'll hear your favorite station - or that that's how you do get your favorite station to come on. That's a 180° difference in just forgetting things on a list.... you forget what a list is for - or how to make one!
So your MIL may not wish to give up that 'root', that memory of what pleasure she had in her sewing past, but she might share it with you, depending on your relationship with her, and how much she can deal with now in the process Cause & Effect.
PennsylvaniaI've been thinking about this overnight.
Maybe your Mom wants you to come over to her house to sew.
I have known elderly people who refuse to get computers, not because they don't know how to use them, but because they would rather have people call them on the phone and come to visit their house. They believe that, when they get e-mail, people will just send a message instead of coming to visit. There is some unfortunate truth to this belief.
I am guessing that your mother doesn't give up her machine because of two reasons.
1) Her memories like we talked about above.
2) She wants you to come visit her. If she gives away the machine you will have no reason to visit anymore. If you don't visit anymore, she WILL lose her memories.
I think I'm going to double down on my suggestion. Ask your Mom if you can come over to her place to sew a Bear.
Tell her that you might like some "help." This doesn't mean she has to actually sew anything. She would be your "adviser."
You do all the sewing but, when you finish a section, hold it up and ask, "How does this look?"
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Excellent suggestions, Randy. Maybe all 'Moms' might just like this Together-Time, whether they have memory problems or not!
This discussion must have sent out very strong vibes today - our DD gave us a call at noon today from AZ, just as we were leaving the house. Good bonding was done; we don't talk often enough - who cares if I missed half of my T'ai Chi class - it was worth it catching up on their busy busy lives!!
Plum Cottage BearsI bought a Singer Featherweight from Cathy Forcino last year but have yet to take it out of its case, put it together and sew. Life and school interfere, I guess. (I am completing requirements for certificates in general accounting, bookkeeping and taxation.) I want to start using the machine. Could someone give me hints on how to get started with my little dream machine? Thank you.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Didn't your machine come with Cathy's own booklet of Hints & Tips? I'm pretty sure that's included with all of her sales.
If possible she also includes a reprinted (and if available—the original) Owner's Manual.
She had a machine for the very month and year we were married, but it was in Celery Green and I thought at least my first (should I ever be inclined towards a second!) should be the standard Black.
Perhaps you'll find one and/or both inside the case when you open it....
Plum Cottage BearsThank you. I'll look tomorrow and report back!
i am sorry if i missed the link to her page 
you all mentiond her name the last few posts... and finaly i found the link again
http://www.cathylynnforcino.com/sewing% … bookmark10
i really think this machines are daunting one to get one
