1980 Kenmore 385.1284180 Sewing Machine Owner's Manual (P/N 649800133)

This owner's manual covers the 1980 Kenmore 385.1284180 center-needle, low-bar zigzag sewing machine. Published by Sears, Roebuck and Co. as Part No. 649800133, the original booklet was printed in Taiwan.

Printable PDF, Text Search and Index

Search and navigation: OCR text search is available across the operating and care sections, but recognition errors and omissions can prevent exact matches. The model number on the cover is not searchable. The printed table of contents and alphabetical index provide navigation; there are no embedded PDF bookmarks.

The single printable English PDF contains 52 pages, including 48 numbered pages and four unnumbered pages: the front cover, introductory/model-record page, original warranty page, and back cover.

Threading, Stitch Setup and Machine Care

These selected topics outline the main operating and maintenance coverage. The booklet also explains lace work and turning square corners.

• Machine setup: Power connections, spool pins, foot-control operation and the removable extension table for flat-bed and free-arm sewing.

• Thread preparation: Bobbin winding, bobbin-case installation, upper threading and bobbin-thread pickup, supported by illustrated threading checks.

• Stitch adjustment: Straight- and zigzag-stitch tension, stitch selection, stitch length, reverse stitching and stretch-stitch balance, with needle and thread charts.

• Sewing applications: Buttonholes, zipper installation, darning and blind hemming, with application-specific presser-foot guidance for utility, decorative and stretch stitches.

• Routine maintenance: Feed-dog cleaning, shuttle removal and reinstallation, lubrication diagrams and step-by-step instructions for light bulb replacement.

• Troubleshooting and parts: A Performance Problems Chart for sewing faults, jamming and knocking, plus an illustrated 29-entry parts list for identifying repair parts.

The illustrated explanations of threading and controls make this manual suited to owners learning to operate the machine and handle its routine care.

Machine Setup and Stitch Adjustment

The removable extension table provides access around sleeves, waistbands and other circular garment areas. Setup coverage also explains the presser-foot lever and changing presser feet.

Thread tension and stitch balance: Illustrations compare correct, loose and tight tension on both sides of the fabric. Stretch-stitch adjustment addresses the relationship between forward and reverse stitches.

The Fabric, Needle, Thread and Stitch Length Chart matches fabric types with the color-coded Kenmore needle system, thread choices and stitch settings, from stretch fabrics to heavy canvas.

The needle guidance warns that an incorrect replacement length can cause needle breakage, while a damaged point can permanently snag delicate fabrics. A separate stitch-selector warning identifies the risk of needle or fabric damage when the control is moved with the needle still in the material.

Stitch Applications and Presser Feet

The Practical Stitch Chart connects each stitch with its foot, accessories and control settings. Presser-foot instructions distinguish the straight stitch foot's center-needle use from the zigzag foot required for left-needle-position sewing.

Application sections explain three-step zigzag, satin stitching, applique and bar tacking. Edge-finishing coverage includes overcasting, rick-rack stretch and serging, also called pine leaf stretch stitching. Shell stitching, smocking, elastic stretch and box stitching have their own setup illustrations.

Buttonholes and garment work: Coverage includes buttonhole stitch-density adjustment, button sewing with the darning plate, and separate blind-hem applications for woven and stretch fabrics.

Standard zipper insertion has illustrated instructions. The invisible zipper guidance refers to the zipper manufacturer's instructions and specifies optional Low Bar Sewing Machine Zipper Foot 6757 for invisible zipper and cording work. The parts list identifies this foot as an accessory not originally furnished with the machine.

Troubleshooting, Maintenance and Repair Coverage

The Performance Problems Chart supports routine maintenance and repair planning by linking symptoms to probable causes and corrections. It distinguishes threading and tension problems from conditions such as burrs on the needle plate or shuttle.

Shuttle and feed system: Step-by-step cleaning instructions cover needle-plate removal for feed-dog access and shuttle removal and reinstallation. The Clean the Shuttle Race illustrations identify the shuttle driver, retaining levers, pointed hook and race cover.

Lubrication diagrams identify points behind the face cover plate, under the top cover and along the machine's underside. The instructions specify good quality sewing machine oil and caution against excess oil staining fabric.

Always disconnect the machine from power before inspecting mechanical parts to avoid accidental injury.

The illustrated parts list identifies the shuttle, bobbin case, needle clamp, motor belts and sewing accessories. This is an owner's operating and routine-care manual; motor repair, internal timing adjustments and electrical wiring diagrams are outside its scope.

A Preview of Straight-Stitch Control Settings

The straight-stitch setup panel lists an upper-thread tension setting of 2–6 and a stitch-length control setting of 6–12. These are dial-scale references. The control description also explains that higher numbers on the stitch-length dial produce shorter stitches.