Broken Dreams

The Sewing Machine Garage Sale was a great success but in the process of selling I also bought a few and was given a few sewing machines that "didn't work." Two machines came from one frustrated gentleman who said they just didn't work so I looked at the Riccar with him and we could easily see the broken gear. We both threw up our hands since he knew it was done for and I wasn't willing to replace a gear on a sewing machine that didn't have much resale value. My husband and I stripped it down to its essential parts that same night, counting it a win-win.

The second machine that didn't work was a Brother ES-2000, a beginners machine that is computerized.

Brother ES-2000

I didn't even look at it since we were busy but he said I should take it because it was going in the dumpsters if I didn't. I figured there was at least the carrying case and foot control that was usable so I pulled it into the house for a check-up at a later time. It did power up and seemed to stitch fine but I wondered if there was some hidden problem that I would need to discover before I could sell it. Remember the fiasco of the Singer 132Q, aka The Featherweight? It was a total disaster and I used it to make an entire garment! This time I thought I could find out without a big project to be committed to so I started out using the decorative stitches on the edge of the white satin hanger covers:

Note pink and green decorative stitches instead of lace edging

I was pleased with the ease of use and the end results was pleasing, too. My color choices were based on the silky embroidery thread I had on hand so don't judge me too harshly but I do deserve a call-out on making the stitches upside down on the pink stitched one. Oops. It still looks cute so I hope someone just likes it as it is. That success lead me to make an apron using the Brother ES-2000 and I have to say it turned out fine: good stitches, easy to use, no real issues.

Lots of bias tape for the edge

Granted, it's only sewing two layers of cotton, I think it would be fine as a beginning sewing machine for garment construction. I know it will stall out with anything heavy and probably doesn't like fleece either but if you are taking it to quilting class or doing light sewing, it should perform fine. I suspect it jammed up on something they really wanted to sew and if the Brother couldn't handle that it wasn't going to hang around long. Before he left, the gentleman bought a rather rugged sewing machine that will not balk at denim or fleece

Broken? No. A dream sewing machine? No. But there is a sewing machine for each person that wants to either learn to sew or needs to use one for their own purposes. I love to match sewing machines to people and could have saved this family some grief, and much money I suspect, if they had come to me first but, hey, not everyone thinks about buying vintage. Glad they are now happy with their "new" sewing machine and I will make someone else happy with a beginners Brother ES-2000.