Old and New Again

We are going to get to the New Home MC 7500 in this post but I have a very happy update regarding the last post about the White Vibrating Shuttle. Katie Farmer and I sent emails and photos back and forth to get down to the exact model I had as well as the components of the tension mechanism. The serial number that was on the back slide plate was not an original for that particular machine, probably on loan from another model, but Katie deduced it was a White VS-IV due to the photo I sent. It pays to consult an expert! Once she found out which model, she could find one of her own and see what parts were in the tension unit:

White VS-IV with tension assembly on side

This was perfect because those parts looked familiar: I found them in one of the drawers earlier but didn't know what they were for. I keep everything so I found them on a workbench, put them back in order as per the photo and Katie's instructions, and with only a little tweaking she sews! I even tried out a hemmer foot with great success so now I'm more than satisfied with this lovely treadle. Just to think that I already had the parts but didn't know what they even were makes me shake my head. A very big thanks to Katie Farmer who is a delight to work with and is a true expert with White sewing machines.

And now onto the much more modern New Home Memory Craft 7500 sewing machine. Sometimes New Home are labeled Janome but this one is a NH, an early computer model that I was skeptical about. I have other early computerized models and there certainly can be problems so it was a risk to bid and win this baby:

New Home Memory Craft 7500

She came clean as a whistle with the exception for the hard plastic cover but it cleaned up great with TR3 car polish.

Hard case with manual

The machine itself came with nearly all of its attachments in a top storage compartment

All those feet!

with extras in the removable front box.

Storage compartment removes for free arm sewing

 The manual was a free download and I needed to consult it while I put her through her paces. This is one very nice sewing machine and received good reviews on Pattern Review.com (It's not just for patterns but other items related to sewing, too). Besides the wide variety of stitches, including block and script letters, upper and lower case, there are some nice features to make sewing easier: needle up/down, lock stitch, programing and memory features. Really, as nice as the computer enhancements are, it's things like needle up/down as well as the lock stitch for beginning and ending your stitches that win me over.

I made up some bentwood case straps on it and found it made a nice stitch with a fine end result.

Straps under construction

 This is one nice machine. Here's a sampling of the quality of the stitches:

Sample stitches

This is going to make someone a very happy sewer; it is not a beginners machine but a great step-up for someone ready to take their sewing to the next level and to have a machine capable of increased skills.