Sears Kenmore 385 Sewing Machine Operation

[@sydneyrogers5102]

As someone who sews very very rarely, this video is an actual life saver and you sir deserve an award for creating this!

[@airslug1]

your bobbin loading instructions are much more helpful than the manual! thank you so much!!

[@gholamazarion7175]

Thanks

[@soapylulu]

Oh my goodness! This has been SO helpful. I've owned this machine for 40 years and I'm just learning how to use it. Thank you so much!

[@towandasassafrasssodeman5484]

My deceased mother used this machine for years. She loved sewing. After she passed in 2018, I kept it packed in closet. Had not a clue how to thread this UNTIL I came across your video...I'm sooo appreciative because I can now hopefully get it up and running and make some curtains and many other items...in honor of my dear mom...I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@spiced_chai]

Same exact reason I’m here, my mom passed in 2020 and I remember her teaching me to use her machine when I was little, but I couldn’t remember anything she taught me about it. I’m so glad to have this video as a resource

[@blancacamacho100]

I just inherited my mom's machine after her passing back in December of 2023. She used it for years and I am so proud to have inherited her sewing skills too, and I agree with the comments about this video being very helpful and informative. Now I can use my mom's machine and feel her next to me showing me how to sew. I can't believe no one ever taught her how to sew or fix machines and she was always able to figure them out while here I am now having to watch instructional videos, lol.❤🥰😊👍

[@cliftonmcnalley8469]

I've owned this machine for 34 years - one of the best purchases of my life. If there is a definite "clunk...clunk...clunk" noise when turning the knob on the right to select the stitches, there is a set of metal gears that needs to be greased at the top of the column. This is not addressed at all in the manual. Hopefully one of his other videos covers this.

[@lashawnlewis2207]

I purchase this machine from a second hand store on yesterday. didn't realize I was missing the piece that hold the spool of thread ( will order a replacement). I am a beginner and found this video to be very helpful. Thank you, Thank you, thank you. I can't wait to get started.

[@cleanermctowel1143]

I got a similar model from a thrift store and have the same problem, whoever sold it either loosened the holder A LOT or replaced it

[@monicagranucci5081]

Thank you so much for this video! I inherited a Kenmore from my late grandmother, it's a workhorse but she's not here to show me how to use it correctly. You saved my evening and my project when I ran into issues loading the bottom bobbin! Now I'm not afraid to change thread color 😂

[@EstrafaDC]

Consider this yet another gratified comment by a long time owner of this Kenmore machine who had long lost the manual! I managed to get by, but having gone through your video I realized I could have saved myself a lot of hassle if a video like this had existed when I first got the machine about 10 plus years ago! Deep and bountiful gratitude for the generosity of having taken the time to painstakingly explain the basic parts of this machine!

[@keilacalles9640]

I have a Kenmore sewing machine for longtime and today Sunday, September 01, 2024. I decided to do something but I didn't even know how to put the thread on or fill the spool with thread, I mean, I didn’t know anything about it! And this gentleman, taught me how to do that! Thank you very much, Sir!😊❤❤❤❤

[@SunderStruck]

Thanks so much for making and sharing this video! I just got this model of sewing machine from a friend's mom. Never used one before, and was at a complete loss looking at tutorials made for more modern machines as I poured over the guide. This made everything so much clearer!

[@bludolfin53]

Wow...I had to watch your video again to closely at the foot where it it gets attached. Boy let me tell you, on this machine I chained the the foot , the bobbin, needle and now it works like a dream. Thank you. Even the decorative stitches. Thank you again.😊

[@ariya2176]

THANK YOU!! I got this sewing machine off a coworker without a manual and I couldn’t figure out where my spool was supposed to go..lol😅this sewing machine is amazing and you helped me figure that out!!! Thank you!!

[@Mega3232323232]

You are a great teacher!! Thank you for this

[@cliftonmcnalley8469]

Great video!. I bought this machine brand new 34 years ago and it is still going strong. To this day, as my brain doesn't memorize simple things well, i can never remember how the thread is supposed to run when its dropped in. When you open the door on the left side, there is a drawing on the door to remind you which direction the bobbin thread is supposed to run.

[@sharithompson9140]

Thank you for a great video. Where can I purchase replacement parts and instructions to replace… most specifically for the spool pins. The rubber casing around both spool pins has dry rotted and the spool pins fell into the body of the machine. I appreciate your assistance.

[@Resie78]

Thank you! I'm getting back into using my machine and was lost until I found this video!

[@olliejohnson5229]

I really appreciate you helping me with this vintage machine I had searched and searched on line but wasn't able to find mines that is a stitch 16 even asked some of the girls at the fabric stores they had no idea so again THANKS!💐

[@rainierodlsc]

I got this same model from a friend a week ago and sent it to the repair shop because it was not reverse stitching. It was not used for eons but I will call her back to duty after overhaul. Love the solid/heavy feel to it as compared to my new brother "Strong and Tough" (AVOID!). These Kenmores/Janomes have a good reputation as workhorses. Wish me luck and thank you for your great video. Greetings from Puerto Rico 🌴

[@tinamcnalley2575]

Very, very good demo of this machine. I also have owned and used the 24 stitch model since the late 80's. Probably the best purchase of my lifetime. I've never needed to have it serviced. I have kept it oiled, per the manual instructions and have sewn numerous garments, including heavy wool coats, upholstered two sofas, made handbags, etc. and the timing has survived it all. (I should knock wood making that timing statement.) Two things. #1 When you open the door on the left to get to the pressure dial (which I use often), there is a diagram showing how to drop the bobbin into place. (One of those tedious tiny things I can never remember - so I use that door often!) Also, I noticed that as you moved the stitch selector dials they sounded a bit clunkety-clunk and stiff. I was aware of mine sounding and moving clunky like this for years, but simply chalked it up to "age" just like creaking knee joints in the morning. All was fine and working one day and then on the next - NONE of the dials would move - At All! Completely frozen! I feared the worst - a broken plastic main gear. With much trepidation and fearing I would have to declare my baby dead and gone, I began to disassemble and uncover the nether regions of the right side of the machine - the area never addressed in the owners manual. (Not like I was voiding any warranty after 30 years!) My mouth dropped open in awe as I laid eyes upon a 100% metal gear assembly with minor amounts of lithium grease showing. Poor baby hadn't had a good lube job in 3 decades! At my BIL's at the time, (gifted mechanical engineer) he had numerous containers of lithium for me to choose from, including a spray with a straw nozzle in case I couldn't reach something with a q-tip. I did need the spray in one spot. As I added small amounts of grease, I carefully began moving all of the knobs until everything was moving as smoothly as brand new. I was careful not to allow a cotton fiber to escape from the q-tip. All of the knobs should move smoothly with little noise and gently click into place on the stitch selector - feeling almost no resistance. The machine in the video definitely needs a lube. The clunkey/choppy sound is a dead giveaway. It's been 3 years and my machine has sat unused for most of the last year and a half, so I will probably go back in shortly and freshen the lithium, only this time I will use a 1/8" to 3/16" wide, high quality 8" to 9" long art brush with short bristles for application making certain it has no loose bristles. This way I will not need the spray lithium at all, as solid lithium is better when it can be used. I hope by lightly freshening the lithium every 3 to 5 years at this point it will avoid the need to have to ever disassemble the gear stack completely. BIL agrees with this thinking. We are both big believers in "if it ain't broke- don't fix it", but ongoing proper lubrication is a must. I'm certain I used less than 1/2 tsp of grease the last time and will probably use less this time. Also if it is necessary to use the spray, remember to be careful not to get any of it on any of the plastic housing of the machine. Oils can play havoc with plastics - especially older plastics - as certain oils and greases will caused chemical reactions if left over time that break down the plastic. Sorry for the long post, but with no instructions and no KZbin video, I managed this successfully all on my own and didn't even need BIL for anything other than deciphering where in his garage his brain had decided to store lithium grease.

[@tinamcnalley2575]

R. Cruz: sorry I meant to post this as a general reply and not just to you, but you may need the info also.

[@reason377]

I have this machine, 24; purchased in March of 1988. Still runs like a brand new machine.

[@Sophie_kent]

I have this machine! It’s my moms and I think she also bought it in 1988. However I can not find a walking foot for it. Anything that is compatible ?

[@wpt650]

Very good tutorial on how to set up the machine. Helps take some of the mystery out of what can be a fairly intimidating process for some of us. Many thx.

[@pettylove86]

I am looking for a good mechanical machine and will keep this model in mind. Thank you for explaining so well how all the dials and threading work.

[@Personalleigh]

Your instructions on how to load a bobbin was phenomenal...thank you for the great tutorial.

[@jeffreyrodriguez7611]

Thanks Paul. I just bought this exact model from a Goodwill. I have never used a sewing machine before. I've always sewn by hand. It was a great walk-thru.

[@sueking6543]

Thanks for this video. I was just gifted this model this evening, without a manual.

[@lukeb1189]

This video saved me, thanks!

[@tburnsmatheny]

Lol I have been sewing for over 60 years and never knew what those holes in the bobbin were for. Wow

[@getalife109]

Thank you SO much. I just started my sewing journey and I have this exact model and I didn’t know where to start. Thank you🥰🥰🥰

[@emmasell3397]

OMGOSH I was stressing because I've been trying to figure this out for like 30mins now and I watched your video and got it to work THANK YOU😭🙏🏿

[@kerigagnon2036]

Thank you for the simplified straight to the point instructions👌

[@micahsilke1]

Thank you Paul! Just picked up on a $50 goodwill run. It seems to be top notch for hemming pants but the foot connection piece is missing I’ll let you know if I can manage to get the part and hem some pants in time for the wedding (before 4pm tomorrow). I guess I am missing the piece that normally holds the thread on top too…. I was hooking it to the bobbin winder! Great lesson. I suppose there are a couple parts you did not cover. 1 a metal plate that raises the bottom but matches the foot profile. And 2 a metal dodad about an inch and a half wide that does not seem to fit any where.

[@sandrafpowell]

Thank you! I have had this machine for thirty years and have never looped the thread around the little tension thingy. I have just gone directly from the thread to the bobbin. 😮

[@mzroz410]

Wow..and it stil sewed ok? normally if theyre not threaded properly, it wont sew. I purchsed one for my son and his GF 2 years ago but it wont reverse.

[@sandrafpowell]

@mzroz410 It sewed, but it never looked "right". I only sewed for myself and my daughter, so no one was really checking. Lol!

[@youjustgotserved8207]

You are a great instructor. Thanks!!

[@ftroop211]

thank you for posting, saved my day today, now if I just had some thread left...

[@martinsmuskokafarm9268]

Brilliant video!! Trying to use our older machine and forgot how...thanks again

[@brandymorgan7553]

Thank you so much for your tutorial. I have had my machine I think for 25 yrs and I have always wondered what the big knob in the head was HA and now I know pressure on foot 😊 I checked and mine was on 2 so put it on 3 and yeah that did make a bit of a difference. Again Thank You

[@bludolfin53]

It would be nice if you'd show how the stitches work. The machine I have is a Kenmore 30. It doesn't have the color code around the knobs. I do appreciate that you shared and demonstrate slowly. Thank you.

[@freeaccount6770]

Great instruction and presentation. Thank you!

[@MaterialsSci]

This was excellent, thanks for the detailed video!

[@lauramiess1095]

Thank you so much, made all the difference in watching your video

[@carolyndillard5106]

Thank you so much for making this I can now use my Machine🥰

[@nhmartin5334]

I'm glad I tan in to your video, it's very informative and easy to follow. I'm subscribing and hope to learn more from you. Thanks

[@73neeraja]

Thank you Paul. I am a beginner...your viedo helped me a lot..you very good teacher.

[@momsedore6807]

Wow I’ve had no idea I’ve been using mine wrong all this time I was actually threatening it wrong and my son showed me how Thank you for the awesome video

[@kevinharel3007]

Marvelous tutorial! Thank you so much!!

[@beatrizsarmiento921]

You’re amazing teacher I love the patient and the simple explanation! Thank you so much 😊

[@BraveBloomsFlowerFarm]

This video was SO helpful! You are a fantastic teacher! Thank you!!!

[@hellbells90]

Thank you for this video. It helped me quite a bit. Straight forward !

[@r9878]

great video, great explanation. super easy to understand and well shown. thank you so much have a nice day 😊

[@missyhorvath235]

well done! love my Kenmore too and I appreciate some of your tips, esp. folding the thread to eye the bobbin when winding!

[@nhmartin5334]

I'm I tan in to your video, it's very informative and easy to follow. I'm subscribing and hope to learn more from you. Thanks

[@Tracy-qs5rk]

Wonderfully demonstrated!! Thank you so much!

[@hopegarza]

I just learned a few new things. Thank you.

[@malayekk6522]

Hi Paul, this video was very helpful. My needle wont pick up the bobbin thread. I have "organ 90/14" needle in the machine

[@mzroz410]

Hi..Has anyone had theirs stop reversing?

[@lisavaniderstine6212]

Thank you for posting!I can’t get my decorative stitches to work

[@LadyDubz99]

Excellent video. I really hope you can help me. I have this exact model. Got it last week from a repair/sales sewing machine store. After some use, (im a beginner) I think the feed dogs dropped because it will no longer pull the fabric through when I sew. I rethreaded the machine like 4 times hoping that would fix it. There’s no switch in the back to raise and lower the feed dogs easily. What the heck am I doing wrong? 😅 thx

[@deeznuts5098]

thank you so much for this video!! super informational

[@MrHelllllloooooo]

This was very helpful, thank you so much!

[@sylviaboucher8683]

Thank you for this video. I have this machine and took it apart at the end to find out why the stitch selector does not change the stitch. Any ideas would be most welcome. Thanks.

[@mayelabadilla3518]

Thank you for the information. Can you do a video on how to use the accessories the machine has? I recently inherit one but didn’t have the manual, thanks

[@sayedaosman9420]

Explained very good 👍

[@cynthiaporter8300]

When you turn from regular stitches to the stretch stitches (yellow) is it difficult to turn the knob to the stretch stitch? Mine is very difficult and I have tried cleaning out the sticky old grease as best as I could without disassembly I’m thinking the problem may be in the linkages. Maybe I’m missing a spot where old sticky grease is still gumming up the mechanism that the knob controls. Any suggestions? I know that when that knob turns to stretch stitch it has to activate the mechanism by the cam right behind the knob and that seems to be a sticking place til you get over the “hump” so to speak. Anyway, help if you can 😊

[@CAUTIOUSone]

You just saved my life, thank you good sir 🫡

[@davedave2109]

Great video. I notice the foot on the machine i have is very different. I would like to get a foot setup like you have? Is this factory part or special order? Where can i get this? I don't know the history of the old machine i have a acquired?? Thank you

[@jcilwcw]

Please kindly advise how to centre the needle ?

[@fabrictwist9180]

Thank you for such a great guide.

[@mexicant407]

I am looking for information on what material it can sew thought. Layer or 2 of denim

[@bludolfin53]

Hi again...could you show how to remove the light bulb in the Kenmore 30 sewing machine? The bulb it has now I believe it's the wrong one. Cause it's burning or melting the cover. Thank you.

[@spencersmith4813]

perfect explanation. Thank you!

[@JazzyScat]

How do modify the stitch lenght on stretch stiches if you have to put the dial on stretch stitch?

[@bernadine8369]

I've had this exact machine for over 40 years. When i use the reverse button now, it stays in reverse. Im wondering what is causing that and if i could somehow fix that problem?

[@thewibb]

Why do you only turn the hand wheel counter clockwise sir?

[@LillyCay.]

Hey Paul! Just got this machine, but there is some thread that is stopping my take up lever from moving in its full motion. Any tips on how to easily unclog it?

[@Joan-j6o]

I have the same machine (Sears Kenmore 385) that I am refurbishing for my Granddaughter . The feed dog does not rise enough to grab the fabric. Settings' are L 2 W 2 Foot pressure 3, Thread tension 4 and straight stitch. What can I do to fix the machine?

[@MsLkaupp]

Hello discovered this video and it was great! I actually rescued a machine out of the recycling bin the other day but it is missing a few parts. Namely the bobbin cover (plastic piece) and the plastic spooners up top for the bobbin. Otherwise it actually works fine.Any suggestion on where to order the parts? I am in bc Canada. Thank you loved the video too!

[@rhondamercado7527]

I’m getting ready to pick me up a 24 stitch and she said that it gets stuck when putting in reverse. Have you heard of such a problem and have any suggestions or recommendations? Thank you.

[@michellesarver1489]

I have a Kenmore sensor sew 70 sewing machine and I cannot read the machine. I know how to do the bobbin I just cannot do the top threading I really can’t find show me good places to go on KZbin to really find the answer. I will appreciate any kind of help I can get as long as it’s demonstrated. Thank you. 😮

[@Faith37637]

Whats size needle does it take?

[@polyestaplaya]

I can't get the thread holder to move to set up the bobbin. Can someone tell me what I am not doing correctly?

[@vysluhvs]

Hi, I’m a beginner. Your video very helpful for me. I need to change the needle, do I need to buy a specific needle for this model or I can buy any kind of sewing machine needle? Thank you!

[@cynthiacasanova4929]

HI Mr. Paul how do you open the FRONT COVER of the Kenmore. I have a Kenmore 30 stitch REVERSE BUTTON I think is lose. I want to check what's going in on. Can you make a video of it. Thanks.

[@mzroz410]

Hi. My reverse stopped working as well..Have you solved your prolem with yours?

[@ОльгаСафонова-ю5о]

Hi Paul, thank you for your explanation. Just a quick question. If this machine does a STRIGHT stitch to the right and left of the center?

[@RebornXRyuXMukuro]

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!❤❤❤

[@marilynsherman4897]

Had a chance of purchasing one like you are demonstrating on. But it had a 24 where yours is a 22. Is that because of the number of zigzag or deco stitches it can make. Also one of the spool spindles was missing. Is that hard to replace?

[@janicemortensen9800]

I am unable to get the decorative stitches to work. Have any suggestions.

[@susancrossette394]

Thank You Paul

[@saracruz2730]

my machine stops backwards can you help me please 😢

[@jmlmjr27]

Very helpful thank you for the video.

[@scottkrumbeck]

I need to find bobbins for my machine 385.1764180....any help?

[@nancybaltinsky4469]

A neighbor put a 358 in trash I'm Living in a low income complex, not wealthy, and needed all the machines I could find, sewing for people. I cleaned it and found it quieter than my other 2 Kenmore. I need to know what the thing is on the right side and what and how to use the wheel inside the machine. I have no Manuel. I took it apart to clean it and can't get it back together. Help. Nancy

[@get2craft]

thank you for the video! what type of bobbin does it take? metal or plastic? thank you :)

[@angelagraniero8843]

A friend gave me a 24 machine and will not let me choose different stitches only straight what could be the problem

[@isthisbetterwell9958Ds]

thank u I got the same saw machine didn't know how to do that thank u

[@camnovak]

very helpful thank you!

[@cxqcxq5176]

great - informative - although my kenmore 385 is different, has the front load bobbin

[@heavenismyhome]

Thank you so much dear one, good video!~ ;) my 385 is different than yours, but you still helped me. I didn't notice the tension numbers with squares around them. mine are different, 6 doesn't have a square around it. God Bless you! ;) † ♥

[@vysluhvs]

Thank you for the video!

[@normawinter5742]

Thank you, good information

[@linda.brotherton1689]

Thanks Paul

[@francismarianne7168]

excellent tutorial

[@urwam-sebastian2999]

I've learned alot txn

[@ossa4772]

Great video, thanks