Sewing machines
Kenmore 117.841 Automatic Sewing Machine — User manual
User manual for Kenmore 117.841 Automatic Sewing Machine. 67 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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- Brand
- Kenmore
- Model / document
- Kenmore 117.841 Automatic Sewing Machine
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 67
- File size
- 32.2 MB
- Category
- Sewing machines
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 2 · Read text
/ / 7.841
Sears, Roebuck and model
Dear Homemaker:
Thisyou usebookletand enjoyhas fullybeenyourwrittenKENMOREfor you,Automaticto help
Zigzag Sewing Machine.
The following
This section explains the operation We urge you to read pp. 2-18 before using your
machine.
of the special controls that allow you to do
many tedious tasks automatically.
pages offer suggestions and instructions for
specific ornamental and time saving operations. SeezigzagWe feelp. 11stitch.thebeforeKENMOREusingAutomaticthe automaticZigzagpatternsSewing or
Nachinehave regardingis the finestthe machine.of its kind and we are
happy to offer help withSincerely,any questions you may
Director Jean Economics817 Laboratory
HomeDepartmentSears, Roebuck and Co.
Chicago 7, IllinoisView original page 2Page 6 · Read text
STANDARD SATIN STITCH APPLIQUE BUTTONHOLE BUTTON
FOOT FOOT FOOT FOOT FOOT
used for most used for zigzag used for most tech- used for buttonholes, used to sew on
buttons. straight and zigzag stitching when stitch niques with a filler plain andwith
stitching. length control is thread. filler thread.
near O.
4View original page 6Page 7 · Read text
INSTALLING MACHINE HEAD
1 Loosenof the themachinetwo hingebed. screws under holes in the rear edge
2 Raise hinge pins in the cabinet cutout. Slip machine head
onto the pins and tighten hinge screws securely.
3 Lower machine head to front cabinet flap.
CONNECTING MACHINE
Push the plug onto three-prong connector under the ma-
chine motor. Plug machine cord into any 110-120V wall
outlet.
MACHINE LIGHT
Light bulb is located under spool pins on therear of
machine arm. It may be turned on or off by pushing the
button switch on the light shade..
To remove bulb, stand at rear of the machine. Twist bulb
toward you and pull from socket. To replace, push it into
socket and twist away from you.
5View original page 7Page 8 · Read text
Needle and Thread
SETTING THE NEEDLE-Refer to Chart, p. 7, when choosing the cor-
rect needle for the stitching to be done.
1 Turn the hand wheel toward you until the take-up lever is at its
highest point.
2 Hold the needle with flat side away from you.
3 Slip the needle as far as it will go into the needle clamp, and
tighten the thumb screw.
SETTING NEEDLE POSITION-The needle bar should be at its highest
point when adjusting needle position to avoid twistingor tearing
the fabric. Set the needle position control to right, center or left
for corresponding needle positions. When using a right or left
needle position, check to see that needle enters the needle hole
without touching the presser foot at both extremes of the zigzag stitch.
USE ONLY CENTER POSITION WITH DOUBLE NEEDLE. SEE PAGE30
THREAD SELECTION
Use only top quality mercerized cotton, silk, nylon, or machine embroidery thread
on your KENMORE. MERCERIZED MACHINE EMBROIDERY THREAD
makes a much finer decorative stitch than mercerized sewing thread.
The size of thread you use depends on the fabric to be sewn. See the NEEDLE
AND THREAD CHART, P. 7, for thread size to use for different weight fabrics.
6View original page 8Page 10 · Read text
REMOVING AND REPLACING THE BOBBIN CASE
Raise needle to its highest point by turning hand wheel toward
you. Grasp bobbin case latch as illustrated, and lift case
and bobbin out. Release latch and bobbin may be removed.
To replace bobbin case, reverse this process. Holdbobbin
case by the latch, with thread coming from the top, and slip
case onto center pin until it snaps into position.
THREADING THE BOBBIN CASE
1 Hold bobbin case with open side toward you.
2 Slip bobbin into case with thread coming from left to right
over top of bobbin.
3 Draw bobbin thread into the slot, under the tension spring
and out through the small hole in the case, as illustrated.
4 Allow 4 inches of thread to hang free.View original page 10Page 11 · Read text
Winding the Bobbin
1 theHoldclutchthe handreleasewheeltowardwith youryouleftwithhandyourandrightturn
hand.
2, Slip the bobbin on the bobbin winder shaft.
Place thread on the base spool pin. Draw thread
from back to front under the bobbin winder guide3
and tension discs. Bring thread up and wind the
end around the bobbin several times from front
to back.
Snap bobbin winder lever down to hold bobbin.
Press foot control to start winding action. When4 the bobbin is full, winding mechanism will release
automatically.
5 Cur the thread and remove bobbin from the shaft.
Tighten clutch release by holding hand wheel with
the left hand and turning knob away from you.View original page 11Page 12 · Read text
Upper Threading To thread the upper part of your machine, presser foot
must be up, take-up lever at its highest point, and thread
on either spool pin.
1 Draw thread from back to front through slot in
guide 1.
2 Bring thread forward on the right of thread
guide 2. Slip thread under guide into upper slot
from left side and into lower slot from right.
3 Pass thread from right to left under tension mecha-
nism. Place thread either in front or in back of
the center tension disc.
4 Pull thread against tension spring and thread
from right to left through hole in take-up lever.
5 Draw thread down behind guide on needle clamp.
6 Thread needle from front to back. Pull several
inches of thread through needle.
10View original page 12Page 14 · Read text
PICKING UP BOBBIN THREAD
1. Set stitch width control on 0 and hold end of needle
thread loosely in left hand. Turn hand wheel toward you so
needle enters the needle plate hole andreturns to its highest
point.
2. Draw bobbin thread loop through needle plate, by pulling
up on needle thread.
3. Place both threads back under presser foot.
TURNING A CORNER
Stop machine with needle still in fabric. Raise presser foot.
Turn fabric to desired direction. Lower presser foot and con-
tinue stitching.
REMOVING FABRIC
When you finish stitching, turn hand wheel toward you until
take-up lever reaches its highest point. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
Raise presser foot and draw fabric away from you. Cut thread
on rear edge of presser bar.
PATTERN SELECTOR
The pattern selector has five settings and turns from right
2 to left. The zig zag setting is used on all operations except
straight stitching, automatic pattern stitching and the
curve stitch.
*Thereand ex an edghteen patterns (two on each of nine discs) illustrated
on pages32 and 33.
12View original page 14Page 15 · Read text
Unscrew stitch length lock.
Move stitch length control lever to the desired position be-
tween 0 and F on the lower half of the stitch length indicator
SETTING plate. The F setting is the longest stitch. The size stitch you
STITCH select will depend on the fabric you are sewing. See chart on
LENGTH page 7. Recommendedstitch lengths are given in numbers
which refer to the markings between "O" and "F" as illus-
trated here. Tighten stitch length lock so that forward and
reverse stitches will be the same setting.
REVERSE Move lever up until it stops. Move lever down to original
STITCHING position for forward stitching.
It is best to begin and end most seams with reverse stitching,
often called back tacking.
STITCH
Be sure both threads are drawn back under the presser foot.
Lower needle into fabric about ½ inch from beginning of LENGTH
seam.Push stitch length regulator up for reverse stitching.
FASTENING Stitch in reverse until needle reaches beginning of seam.
A SEAM
Move stitch length regulator down for forward stitching
and complete seam. When you reach the end, raise the stitch
length regulator and sew back over ½ inch of completed seam.
Set the stitch length regulator at F for the longest possible
stitch. Basting is easily removed by pulling one thread.
If you prefer to use pins for basting, your KENMORE BASTING
will sew over the pins. Be sure to keep the pins at right
angles to the seam and the head of the pin away from the
presser foot. 13View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
H
SETTING STITCH WIDTH LOCKING STITCH WIDTH
Move stitch width control to the desired position The stitch width lock has six positions-0, 1, 2,
between 0 and 4 on the stitch width indicator 3, 4, and buttonholes. Turn the lock to the desired
plate. Zigzag stitch width increases from 1 to 4. stitch width setting. This limits the maximum
Straight stitching is possible only with control width so that the regulator may only be moved
on 0. between 0 and the number selected.
Buttonhole setting locks the stitch width at 4
and provides a partial stop at 2.
14View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
CHANGING THE PRESSER FOOT
Loosen presser foot screw with the large screw driver. Slip presser
foot to the left and forward until it is free. Reverse procedure to
replace presser foot. Tighten screw with the screw driver.
CHANGING PRESSURE ON PRESSER FOOT
It is rarely necessary to change the pressure on the presser foot. For
those operations that require it, screw the foot pressure knob down
for increased pressure and up for reduced pressure. There should
be just enough pressure on the foot to allow the fabric to move
along easily, and to prevent it from rising with the needle. If one
or both plies of fabric ripple, increase the foot pressure. If foot
marks the fabric, decrease the foot pressure.
DROPPING THE FEED DOG
The feed dog control at the right front corner of the machine
bed has three positions, as illustrated.
Position 1 is for general stitching with the feed dog in operation.
Position 2 lowers and holds the feed dog down until you reset
the control to position 1. Position 2 may be used for darning
and buttons.
Position 3 lowers the feed dog temporarily, while you press on
the control. This position is sometimes used for decorative stitch-
ing, and for locking stitches.
15View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
perfect stitch will have threads locked When upper thread lays on top of fabric in
between the two layers of fabric with no loops a straightline,upper tensionis tighterthan fabricWhen bobbin threadstraightlays en the bottom of the
on top or bottom. lower tension. Loosen upper thread tension. Tightentensionupperis
tighterthread tension.upper tension.
When stitching is unsatisfactory as in figures 2 and 3, adjust the upper
thread tension. Lower thread tension is pre-set, and rarely requires adjust-
ment for general sewing. However, if stitch is satisfactory, as in Fig. 1 and
seam is badly puckered, the cause may be tight tensions, and both must be
adjusted.
CHANGING UPPER THREAD TENSION
To tighten or increase the tension on the upper thread,
turn tension knob to the right. To reduce tension, turn
knob to the left. The tension knob has a range of 10
revolutions.
CHANGING BOBBIN THREAD TENSION
Remove bobbin case as described on Page 8. To in-
crease bobbin thread tension turn spring screw to the
right with small screw driver. To decrease bobbin ten-
sion turn spring screw to the left. Any adjustment of
the bobbin tension should be slight as the tension spring
is very sensitive.View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
If you should get the bobbin case far out of adjustment, the following method
will help you reset the correct tension.
1 Begin with a full bobbin of #50 mercerized sewing thread, properly threaded
into the case, and a loose bobbin thread tension.
Tighten the spring screw gradually until bobbin case and full bobbin can be
lifted from your hand by the end of the bobbin thread.
3 Make a row of bias stitching on a double thickness of fabric. If fabric puckers
—both tensions are too tight.
RESETTING
BOBBIN THREAD
Hold row of stitching taut between thumb and forefinger of each hand.
TENSION Pull evenly with both hands until one or both threads break.
a. If both threads break-tensions are in proper balance.
b. If neither thread breaks-both tensions are too loose.
c. If only upper thread breaks-upper tension is too tight.
d. If only lower thread breaks-upper tension is too loose.
17View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
Your KENMORE will sew all the new fabrics of synthetic fibers,
such as nylon, *Orlon, * *Dacron, rayon, acetate, blends of these,
and combinations of synthetic and natural fibers. When stitching
a fabric of blended or combined fibers, handle it as you would a
material of the fiber present in the largest percentage. For example,
a fabric woven of 60% Orlon and 40% silk should be handled as
one made entirely of Orlon.
When stitching a fabric that is over 50% synthetic fiber, re-
member:
Select patterns of the loose fitting type with cap or kimono sleeves,Synthetics a because most synthetic fiber fabrics cannot be eased with steam
pressing, and are not absorbent.
b Use a synthetic thread.
C Use a fine needle as recommended in chart on page 7.
d Wind the bobbin in the usual way, but do not pass thread between tension discs. Guide thread by hand for a smoothly wound bobbin.
Set the stitch length as recommended for a similar weight cotton e (page 7). Also, try some longer and shorter stitches. Choose the
stitch length that gives the most satisfactory seam.
f Check thread tensions by sewing on a double thickness of the fabric
to be used. Usually the upper thread tension must be loosened.
Sometimes both bobbin and upper thread tension must be loosened.
(page 16)
SEWING ON Set the machine with normal thread tensions and a large size stitch.
Use a fine needle and mercerized thread. Hold plastic pieces to-
PLASTIC FILMS gether with cellophane tape or paper clips rather than pins. Sew
corners slightly rounded rather than square.
18 *Trademark for DuPont's Acrylic fiber. **Trademark for DuPont's Polyester fiber.View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
0
- 0
AND OILING ....
Keep the moving parts free from dust and threads for
quiet and efficient operation. Cleaning should be done
with a small brush; never with a sharp or pointed tool.
When machine runs hard or makes excessive noise,
place a drop of KENMORE sewing machine oil at the
Figure A points indicated in figs. a, b, c.
Swing hinged face cover plate open to
oil points indicated at end of machine
head.
19View original page 21Page 22 · Read text
0 00 000
Remove two retaining screws
and left arm cover plate off
to oil points indicated at top
of machine head.
Figure B
It may be necessary to clean the shuttle area occasionally.
1. Raise the takeup lever to its highest point 3. Brush, remove lint and threads from
and remove bobbin case. shuttle race.
2. Press lever (1) to release race cover. Lift 4. Put a drop of oil on center pin, on back of
out hook by center pin. shuttle and on front of shuttle race. I-Shuttle Assembly
20View original page 22Page 24 · Read text
PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE CORRECTION What
Incorrect size needle. Choose correct size needle for thread and fabric (page 7).
Improper threading. Rethread machine (page 8 and page 10).
Loose upper thread tension. Tighten upper thread tension (page 16).
Irregular
Pulling fabric. Do not pull fabric; guide it gently. Stitches
Light pressure on presser foot. Increase pressure on presser foot (page 15).
Loose presser foot. Reset presser foot (page 15).
Unevenly wound bobbin. Rewind bobbin (page 9).
Pulling fabric. Do not pull fabric; guide it gently.
Incorrect size needle. Choose correct size needle for thread and fabric (page 7).
Incorrect setting of needle. Reset needle (page 6).
Breaking Loose presser foot. Reset presser foot (page 15).
Needles
Incorrect needle position
Reset needle position to center (page 6). (with double needle only).
Too wide stitch width.
Check needle drop (with double needle only).
Upper and lower threads not
Bunching of Draw both threads back under presser foot (page 12). drawn back under presser foot.
Thread
Feed dog down. Raise feed dog (page 15).
Incorrect thread tension(s). Reset thread tension(s) (page 16 and page 17).
Light pressure on presser foot. Increase pressure on presser foot (page 15).
Using two differentsizes or
Puckering kinds of thread. Upper thread and bobbin thread should be same size and kind.
Bent or blunt needle. Insert new needle (page 6).
Loose presser foot. Reset presser foot (page 15).
Fabric too sheer or too soft. Use underlay of tissue paper or tarleton when stitching.View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
PROBLEM PROBABLE CAUSE CORRECTION
Incorrect size needle. Choose correct size needle for thread and fabric. (See page 7).
Bent or blunt needle. Insert new needle (page 6).
Skipping Incorrect setting of needle. Reset needle (page 6).
Stitches
Tight upper thread tension. Loosen upper thread tension (page 16).
Light pressure on presser foot. Increase pressure on presser foot (page 15).
Starting with take-up lever in Take-up lever must be in highest position when starting to sew.
low position.
Starting to stitch too fast. Start to stitch at a medium speed.
Improper threading. Rethread machine (page 8 andpage 10).
Breaking Upper Tight upper thread tension. Loosen upper thread tension (page 16).
Thread Incorrect size needle. Choose correct size needle for thread and fabric (page 7).
Sharp eye in needle. Insertnew needle (page 6).
Wide stitch width setting Set stitch width regulator at 0 when picking up bobbin thread
(when picking up bobbin (page 12).
thread only).
Improper bobbin case thread- Check bobbin case threading (page 8).
ing.
Breaking Bobbin
Thread Tight bobbin thread tension. Loosen bobbin threadtension (page 16).
Lint in bobbin case or shuttle. Clean bobbin case and shuttle (pages 20-21).
Feed dog down. Reset control to "]" (page 15).
Fabric not Light pressure on presser foot. Increase pressure on presser foot (page 15).
Moving Place both threads back under presser foot before beginning
Threads knotted under fabric. to stitch.
Machine Thread caught in shuttle. Disassemble and clean shuttle (pages 20-21).
Jamming
Note: See summary of proper control settings for straight or zigzag stitching-page11. 23View original page 25Page 27 · Read text
Sewing Elastic
Applique foot
Stitch width
SHIRRING WITH Stitch length
ELASTIC THREAD Needle position Center
Draw elastic thread through small hole in center of foot.
Zigzag stitch over elastic.Adjust fullness by pulling edge
of elastic. To fasten elastic thread, straight stitch a small
tuck across each end, on the wrong side.
Standard foot LINGERIE
Stitch width 2 to 3
ELASTIC Stitch length 1
Needle position Center
Stretch elastic while zigzag stitching to fabric.
SHAPING DARTS IN INTERFACINGS
Standard foot 90 Stitch width
Stitch length ½
Needle position Center
Cut interfacing down center between dart lines. Overlap cut edges,
matching dart lines. Zigzag stitch along marking line from point to
wide end of dart. Trim both raw edges close to stitching.
25View original page 27Page 28 · Read text
Standard foot
Stitch width 2-3
Stitch length 1-1½
Needle position LeftHemstitching
Draw two threads from fabric, on each side of desired
depth of hemstitching. Zigzag stitch along drawn thread
line so needle enters fabric on one side of Zigzag stitch
and drawn thread line on the other. When one edge of
the hemstitching is sewn, turn fabric and stitch second
side similarly. Match lines of stitching, as illustrated.
Draw threads between the two rows of stitching to com-
plete the hemstitching.
WritingFREE HAND and Fringe Set machine controls as for hemstitching. Stitch width 0 to 4
Feed Dog Position 2
Decide on fringe length and draw one thread
Draw initials or words to be
that distance from the raw edge of the fabric. sewn, on fabric and fit fabric
Lower needle and stitch along the drawn into embroidery hoops.Writ-
ing is done with either zigzag thread line, as for hemstitching. Unravel all or straight stitching.
threads from the raw edge to the line stitching. Remove presser foot. Set stitch
width for straight or zigzag
stitches, as desired. Slip hoop
and fabric under the needle,
lower presser bar and take one stitch to raise bobbin
thread through fabric. Using a medium speed, stitch
along marked outline, guiding fabric carefully by hand.
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PDF verified 2026-10-11.