Singer Stylist 543

Saturday, late morning, I picked up my sisterinlove Polly, and we met my brother for lunch, then we went to Cedar Rapids junkin’! I only found one sewing machine…..a Singer Stylist 543.

Normally, I RUN as far away as I can from this era of machine, because I know there are plastic gears. I checked to see if the zig was zagging, and it appeared to, so I took a chance. I always say, the foot control is worth the purchase price, so I bought it, thinking I could find a good home for it. This is about a 1978 era machine.

I was pleasantly pleased at how good the gears looked, and it stitched just the way it should.

The machine did not come with instructions, so I went to the Singer manual site, and downloaded a manual for it. You can find this manual HERE. Thank you Singer Company! I really didn’t need one for myself, but should it get passed on, someone else might need instructions.

Unfortunately, when I was trying to print this manual, I realized what my printer had been trying to tell me for the past week or so. (Caution! Paper Jam!…except there was no paper jam!) It’s tired, and worn out. The moving parts don’t want to move well anymore. The printer would struggle, then stop halfway through a page, then start up again. What I got when the pages finally emerged, were pages I was unable to use. I finished up on Louie’s printer, which is my OLD printer. It printed ok, once I restarted the computer and unplugged it a couple times to get it go, but it was PAINFULLY SLOW, so I think today I will be shopping for a new printer, or TWO. 

I didn’t realize when I bought the Stylist 543 that the bottom arm cover was missing. That cover protects the gears on the underside of the machine, as in the bobbin area, over to about the middle of the machine. So what does a girl do when she needs a part? She hits the internet with a frenzy and searches until she finds one. I found one for a little bit older model with the same body shape, and it is on it’s way.  The total cost of both the machine and the cover together, was still not a bad price for the machine.

The only problem I am having now, is whether I want to part with it. You see, it looks almost identical to the very first NEW sewing machine that I owned. I think the model I had was a 534. Louie bought a brand new Singer for me right after we were married. It was in a cabinet. Unfortunately, it broke a gear several years later, and I panicked and replaced it with another new machine. The replacement never was as good as the 534. You see, the older sewing machines with all metal gears REALLY are the best, if you want them to last forever.

April 25, 2014~ UPDATE! This machine has now been donated to a local church group. May it sew many quilt tops!

Do you have a hard time parting with items that remind you of a special time in your life?

Today is quilting day at my house!

Have a wonderful weekend.