Sewing Machine Makeover

Several years ago I got a second hand John Lewis mini sewing machine from a well-known online auction site and I used to take it along to Sewing Club. The machine was fine but I struggled with the chunky combined foot and finger guard design on the mini machine. After years of sewing on Husqvarna machines, I have got used to their standard foot with its simple, but oh so useful, step design.

Fast forward to the present day, and I am again wanting to take this machine to Sewing Club so that I can do some patchwork piecing. I had read that the mini machines can take a standard low shank screw on foot, but when I tried this I found the needle was off centre. Looking at other presser bars, most have a flat side to which the foot attaches whereas my mini machine has a curved presser bar which prevented the foot from fitting properly.  As I had spare Husqvarna feet, including a quarter inch foot, I decided to buy a Husqvarna ankle and “adapt” the mini machine. One needle file and a couple of hours of filing later, the presser bar now has a flat side and my mini machine can take Husqvarna clip on feet and stitch a perfect ¼” seam.

As the mini machine does not have a light, the new white ankle makes it much easier to thread the needle as there is now greater contrast between the eye of the needle and the background (again something I have got used to on Husqvarna machines, but a feature that does not appear on all machines). 

Even though threading the needle is easier, I thought it would still be nice to add a light. I had wondered about the stick-on LED lights that can be used in cupboards, but these were far too big for my mini machine. Luckily in Clas Ohlson I found a tiny LED lamp designed to attach to screwdrivers which turned out to be the ideal size for the mini machine. It is currently attached to the machine with a blob of blu-tack, but only time will tell if a better fixing is required.

I’m so pleased that for a little over £10 I’ve managed to give this mini sewing machine a new lease of life and will be able to use it for hours of patchwork piecing at Sewing Club.