Kenmore 10 Model 385.12490 Sewing Machine Video Demo

The Kenmore 10 sewing machine is the one that made me eat my words. It was so gross when found it and I didn’t understand why Paul wanted it. It had so much gummy dust on it that you could barely tell what color the machine was. Well, when he got the layer of grime off of it there was a virtually brand-new sewing machine. The presser foot didn’t have any wear marks on it.

Then I used it and I kind of fell in love with the machine. Now every time I pull that sewing machine out Paul has to remind me that I didn’t want the sewing machine to begin with but it has never let me down. I’ll eat my words for this machine. My Kenmore 10 is a 385.12490 sewing machine and might be slightly different from your machine but from my research, they all function very similarly.

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When was my Kenmore 10 sewing machine made?

This machine was made late 60s to early 70s. Unlike Singer sewing machines most other sewing machine companies did not keep meticulous records of when they made their sewing machines. We can use an educated guess on when the sewing machine was made because of some of the features. This machine LOVES to sew knit fabrics so if we look at when knit fabrics really came into fashion we can assume this machine was made in that same time period.

What can I sew on my Kenmore 10?

This machine was made for garment construction. I loaded a bobbin with elastic thread for shirring and it’s the only machine that I tried that loved doing shirring. It wound the bobbin for me, none of that winding by hand like you have to do with other machines. It handles knits and stretchy fabric like a champ. Some of our older machines don’t do so well with those fabrics. The Kenmore 385.12490 was made when those fabrics were at the height of fashion so it was designed to sew knits and stretchy fabrics. It is my go-to machine any time I need to sew clothing.

It’s not a fast machine and that’s the reason I don’t like it for piecing quilts. The Kenmore 10 Model 385.12490 has a 1 AMP motor but because of how it is geared the power is at the needle not in speed. I swear it would sew through a 2×4 if you could get it under the needle. It was a champ when we were making masks though. It sewed those elastic earpieces in like they were nothing.