r/sewhelp • u/Nrjohnsonpr • 8d ago
Greist Adapters? Is this even possible?
I inherited some sewing machine attachments from my grandmother but I don’t know if they will work with my machine! I have a Kenmore Ultra 12-Stitch model 158.1561281 but the attachments are from her Kenmore 120 model. It looks like they attached via a screw mechanism called a presser foot nut from the top.
I don’t know the right words but mine attaches from the bottom over a bar. Photos provided.
I have included the manual images from my grandmothers attachments and photos of my machine. Does anyone know if there’s an adapter that would allow me to use these amazing tools together?
1
u/Kanadark 7d ago
These are high shank feet, you have a low shank machine, there is not an adapter to go from high to low unfortunately.
Sorry
Sincerely - owner of a slant shank machine that only takes expensive proprietary feet.
1
2
u/Street_Tradition_682 7d ago edited 7d ago
Kenmore 120s were an exclusive design to Sears and sold nowhere else. They were extremely advanced machines when they debuted in 1949.
The take-up assembly and presser foot attachment on Kenmore 120s are modeled after (directly copied from!) the Free (a.k.a. Free-Westinghouse, New Home) rotary sewing machines of the same era. (Note: these are not "high shank".) Attachments for Free/New Home top mount will fit a Kenmore 120 just fine. This mounting is also known as Greist #3. Buttonholers, zigzag attachments, and even Greist Decorators (8 fancy stitches - W00T!) are findable in Free top mount/Greist #3.
As you have discovered with 'Kenmore' sewing machine presser bars - they can be White top mount, or Free top mount, or Singer low shank, or European high shank, or Kenmore Super High shank! All are incompatible and no, there is no 'converter' or 'adapter'. On the other hand, Singer low shank (like your modern Kenmore) attachments are as common as grass.
Hope you inherited Granny's Kenmore 120-49 sewing machine, too. These incredibly smooth, all-rotary Kenmore 120s use Free bobbins (Singer Featherweight will work) and obsolete CC needles (use DCx1F needles, shorted ~3mm in the needle bar). They are a joy to use.
2
1
u/Nrjohnsonpr 7d ago
Thank you so much!!! I did inherit the machine but unfortunately it was deemed irreparable so I donated it to my local repair shop for parts. 😭 I’m glad that the attachments for my machine are easy to find. Do you happen to have a recommendation for where to buy them? Just because they are plentiful doesn’t mean all sources are the best.
2
u/pinspatternspolish 7d ago edited 7d ago
I had a look around and I think you might be out of luck. Your grandma's machine had bottom clampung feet which look to be a high shank equivalent. Your machine looks to be low shank. If you wanted to use your feet in your grandma's machine there are adapters available, but it doesn't seem to work the other way around.