Going in Reverse

It seems I have several sewing machines that have the same problem: they only want to sew in reverse. It might sound funny, thinking about a car that would only go in reverse, but it's really anoying. The first one was a Viking 6020 that I had fallen in love with. I found out that was common with this model and it was stuck in the buttonhole making process. When sewing machines make a semi-automatic buttonhole, one of the steps is to go backwards. Sometimes this is the first step or the third step but when the 6020 doesn't get used much or at least the buttonhole mechanism doesn't, it gets "rusty" or more likely, sluggie. It took quite a bit of work but I got it unstuck using Bill Holman's methods and great explanations. She sews beautifully!

Viking 6020

Next up is a sewing machine with the opposite problem: it would not sew in reverse. I had it for many months, trying to sell it, but when I showed it off last month it wouldn't sew backwards. I had to wonder if I had even tried out the backstitch and couldn't recall. New parts were ordered but I'm not optimistic:

Kenmore 22 Stitch

Now I have the Centennial I was bragging about in an earlier post and when it goes past a certain point on the dial for stitch selection it goes in reverse:

Centennial in blue!

And now the free White sewing machine that I was all ready to give away, since it had a cracked part, has given me this same disappointment. I went back to sew with it, thinking it would not make the stretch stitches, only to find it would only sew in reverse! It feels like a curse!

Donated White

Not to ever be permanently discouraged (never mind the Touch and Sew fiasco) I did find a solution to the Viking, have parts for the Kenmore, still have hope for the Centennial (the problem is after the buttonhole settings), and have figured the White is up for parts since it has a cracked part. But still...reverse? And so many? I hope this is not a sign of things to come but just maybe fixing sewing machines has helped me reverse my own aging process. I think it's been proven that an active mind helps keep us young, sorta like the Viking buttonholer: use it or lose it!