Kenmore 17920 Owner'S Manual Download Page 1

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Summary of Contents for 17920

Page 1: ...le thread and fabric chart Presser feet 17 Even feed foot Adjustable holder 18 Edgestitcher Quilting guide 19 Needle plates Feed cover plate 20 CARING FOR THE MACHINE Cleaning feed dogs and shuttle 21 Oiling 22 23 Changing light bulb 23 CHECKING PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS 24 25 2 STARTING TO SEW Machine setting chart _ _ 1_11 _26 28 Straight stitching 29 32 Fastening a seam Turning asquare corner Removi...

Page 2: ...ad tension control 11 Threading channel 12 Slotted take up lever 13 Bobbin winder tension disc 14 Built in buttonhole control 1 15 Bobbin winder shaft 16 Bobbin winder latch 17 Stitch width dial 18 Stitch indicator 19 Stitch selector 20 Reverse stitch lever 21 Stitch length dial 22 Needle up down switch 23 Basting switch 24 Maximum speed control 25 Bobbin cover plate 26 Accessory box 27 Buttonhole...

Page 3: ...ll clutch 34 Telescoping spool pin 35 Foldaway carrying handle 36 Rear thread guide 37 Swing away spool pin 38 Presser foot lever 39 Presser foot release lever 40 Thread cutter 41 Foot control 42 Pedal lock knob 43 Cord receptacle 44 Foot pedal 45 Foot control cord 46 Machine plug 47 Power line plug 48 Foot control plug 2 ...

Page 4: ...penetrate through several thicknesses of fabric Faster speeds are also easily controlled Pull out the foot control from its storage position under the free arm Fig 1 Slide pedal lock knob to the right and the foot pedal will pop up to its operating position Push foot control plug into the cord receptacle on the foot control Fig 2 Push machine plug into the cord receptacle at the rear side of the m...

Page 5: ...nd stop with needle in the up position This feature provides an electronically controlled basting or tacking to take the chore out of hand basting MAXIMUM SPEED CONTROL You may want to vary the speed of the machine sewing slowly in special tight places or if you are a new seamstress This control can be moved to the left to slow the sewing of the machine To increase to the maximum speed slide the c...

Page 6: ...l J_ 57976 No 57975 No 57977 Plastic Satin Stitch Zipper Foot Overcasting BlindHem Foot Even Feed Foot No 57978 No 59090 No 57983 No 57986 No 6888 Included in the buttonholer box BUTTONHOLE ACCESSORIES Built in Buttonhole Guide Foot No 43840 Built in Buttonhole Guide Foot No 57984 Buttonhole Cover Plate No 60753 Buttonhole Foot No 41040 Buttonhole Guideplate No 58232 Buttonhole Foot No 57979 B utt...

Page 7: ...rush No 35848 Light Bulb Foot Control Foot Control Cord No 6797 No 57544 No 57543 Large Screw Driver No 55501 Small Screw Driver No 55500 Magnetized Mini Screw Driver No 55499 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES Packet of needles with your machine includes a variety of sizes Replacement needles come in packages of one size only Ruffler Pleater No 6895 Needle Size Part No No 9 6550 No 11 6551 No 14 6552 No 16 655...

Page 8: ...G TO FREE ARM SEWING This machine can be used either as a flatbed or as a freearm model With the accessory box in place the machine is a flatbed model with a large working surface which slopes gently towards you to help the smooth flow of fabric By removing the accessory box the machine converts into a slim freearm model for sewing children s clothes cuffs trouser legs armholes and other awkward p...

Page 9: ...see diagram below Hold end of thread coming from bobbin see above and step on foot control After several rotations of bobbin release thread 4 When bobbin is full winding stops automatically Push in Hand Wheel Remove bobbin from shaft and trim thread end Pull out to disengage Push in to engage _ Treat Hand Wheel as a clutch It controls the needle mechanism so that when pulled out disengaged the res...

Page 10: ...ng up the front 3 Insert bobbin into bobbin case making sure bobbin rotates counter clockwise 5 Pull thread through slot B and leave about 4 inches of thread 6 Replace bobbin cover plate allowing thread to emerge through slot in needle _late 4 Pull thread through slot A and then to the left 9 ...

Page 11: ...oward you Fig 1 2 Draw thread down and around check spring C and up through slotted take up lever D Fig 2 3 Draw thread down into thread guides E and F Thread needle from front to back as shown in Fig 3 THREADING DOUBLE NEEDLE Place second spool of thread on second spool pin and thread machine as you would for a single needle except double thread guides are provided Draw one thread through each of...

Page 12: ...d to the back of the presser foot leaving 3 to 4 inches of thread clear If you can not pick up bottom thread by following above steps then check 1 Is needle threaded 2 Is thread tangled around needle 3 Is bobbin case threaded correctly with thread going through slots A and B as shown on page 9 Fig 4 and 5 4 Is there 4 inches of thread coming from bobbin case and through slot of needle plate as sho...

Page 13: ...bin thread must never appear on the top of the fabric In the case of zigzag stitching the wider the zigzag setting the more chance there is of puckering If this occurs decrease the top tension slightly and or reduce the zigzag width BOBBIN THREAD TENSION The bobbin thread tension has been correctly set at the factory so you do not need to adjust it Under side Top side Decrease tension STRAIGHT STI...

Page 14: ...ced on this machine with the obvious exception of straight stitch can be made narrower or wider by adjusting the stitch width control To decrease or increase the width of a stitch turn the stitch width control dial from 0 4 The higher the number the wider the stitch Recommended setting ranges are indicated and color coded with patterns on the stitch indicator panel When sewing with a double needle...

Page 15: ...itches on the indicator panel The red marking _ between 0 and 24 is the setting used for the shortest stitches such as in satin stitching REVERSE STITCH LEVER It is best to begin and end seams with a few stitches taken in reverse This is called back tacking Back tacking fastens the ends of the seams firmly and prevents raveling When reverse stitching is needed push down the lever and hold there du...

Page 16: ...place heavy fabric under the presser foot or to change the presser foot raise the presser foot lever to its maximum upward position as shown BUTTONHOLE CONTROL This control is used in making bar tacked buttonholes with two control settings Detailed instructions are given on page 51 PRESSURE REGULATOR Presser foot pressure is vital for straight seams uniform stitch length even handling of both laye...

Page 17: ...n Blends Percale Gingham Shantung Pique Seersucker Satin Knits Vinyl Suitings Linen Wool Crepe Leather MEDIUM HEAVYWEIGHT Corduroy Denim Wool Sailcloth Wool Flannel Gabardine Velvets Leather HEAVYWEIGHT Coatings Upholstery Cotton Duck Heavy Twills Canvas Decorative top stitching on sll types of fabric Synthetic Knits and Stretclh Polyester Double Knits Nylon Tricot Jersey Stretch Terry Spandex tir...

Page 18: ...1 Straight stitch foot 2 Metal and plastic satin stitch feet 3 Buttonhole foot 4 Built in buttonhole guide foot 5 Zipper foot 6 Blind hem foot 7 Overcasting foot 8 Q FOOT 9 Even feed foot 10 Narrow hemmer 11 Edge stitcher CHANGING PRESSER FEET Be sure needle is in the up position Raise presser foot lever Snap on presser feet 1 Raise foot release lever to remove the foot Fig 1 2 Place the desired f...

Page 19: ...to needle clamp through fork arm and tighten it Note Attach the foot in exact order of steps as written IMPORTANT To prevent friction and wear put a drop of oil at each point indicated by arrows in Fig 2 and set pressure regulator at 2 or 3 before using this foot Oil after 4 or 5 times usage Be sure to remove excess oil by wiping foot thoroughly and sewing on a scrap of fabric ADJUSTABLE HOLDER Re...

Page 20: ...ay be used as a guide when sewing French seams which are stitched twice once on right side and once on other side This is the classic seam for sheers C Use slots I and 3 to guide fabric with ease diuring blind hemming D 19 A C QUILTING GUIDE This attachment comes in handy whenever you want several rows of stitches an equal diistance apart for garment trim as well as quilts The curved prong is shif...

Page 21: ...he bobbin case stopper until it stops Fig 3 5 Snap desired needle plate into place Fig 4 6 Replace bobbin cover plate NOTE Don t turn hand wheel while needle plate is removed or needle may hit bobbin case and cause needle damage Don t touch screws on the bobbin case stopper If bobbin case is not installed as indicated above it will be damaged when the needle plate is put into position FEED COVER P...

Page 22: ...side Clean the shuttle with small brush and put a drop of oil to the points indicated by arrows Don t over oil Reminder don t use household oil use sewing machine oil Fig 2 21 I Bobbin case Bobbin case stopper Bobbin case Bobbin c _sestopper REPLACING BOBBIN CASE 4 NOTE Insert bobbin case into shuttle from left side aligning red dot on the bobbin case with red dot on the bobbin case stopper Fig 1 ...

Page 23: ...p cover plate by loosening two top screws A and B as shown at left Then place one or two drops of Kenmore sewing machine oil at each point OILING UNDERSIDE Tilt back machine and remove bottom and free arm covers by loosening four screws A B C and D 22 ...

Page 24: ...uld be placed through the hole indicated in the end cover plate CHANGING LIGHT BULB The sewing light is located inside the face cover plate as shown To replace the bulb push switch to off unplug machine and swing the face cover plate open Push up on the bulb slightly and turn bulb to the left Withdraw bulb from socket Push in new bulb and turn to the right 23 ...

Page 25: ...r polish off burrs completely Needle breaks 1 Fabric is being pulled or pushed against machine feeding action Guide it gently 2 Needle size is not correct for thread and fabric See page 16 3 Needle is not all the way up into needle clamp See page 17 4 Presser foot holder is not fastened securely See page 17 Bunching of thread 1 Top and bobbin threads are not drawn back under presser foot before st...

Page 26: ... Eye of needle has sharp edges Replace needle 6i There are nicks or burrs at needleplate opening Replace needleplate or polish off burrs completely Bobbin thread breaks li Bobbin case is not threaded correctly See page 9 2 Lint accumulates in bobbin case or shuttle See page 21 Machine does not feed fabric 1 Presser foot pressure is too light See page 15 2 Thread is knotted under fabric 3 Feed cove...

Page 27: ...machine see that the ends of the threads have been drawn about 3 4 inches to the rear of the machine Hold on to threads during the sewing of the first 3 or 4 stitches of the seam Fasten each seam by back tacking at the beginning and end of the seam 3 Test the machine stitch on a scrap of fabric you plan to use The fabric should be double thickness Adjust the machine for the length of stitch and te...

Page 28: ... i r W_o r n z _ z 0 ori_ 2 t I__ _ II_i 1_ I_ 0 o m Z 0 N 0 r L I ffl v i v r r 0 0 o o m e n U I iii Z Z 0 0 N N r c_ V m _ 1 I _ ua I 11_ m _ r _ c o nn U I Z 0 N iv c 5 5 r _ F _ m _ I F _ z i _ O I z i I I I I z t ...

Page 29: ...f 11 6 J__ _ _ IIIIIII I 0 0 0 LI_ t n _ nn nn _ nn n _ 0 Z Ooo _ RR RRRRR RR _ __ m N 0 G3 Iii ...

Page 30: ...en you reach the end depress the reverse stitch lever and sew back backtack over 1 2 inch of completed seam i TURNING A SQUARE CORNER To turn a square corner 5 8 from the fabric edge stop stitching when reaching the cornering guide and push needle up down switch to lower the needle into the fabric Raise the presser foot and turn fabric New stitching line will align with 5 8 seam guide on side of n...

Page 31: ...rcement TEMPORARY SEWING BY MACHINE Regular basting by machine is easy simply use straight stitching wirth longest available length setting And your machine has a free basting method for very long stitches that sometimes can be used for marking FREE BASTING METHOD SETTINGS Basting switch turn on Pressure regulator 0 DARN or 1 Use feed cover plate Tap the foot control and the machine will take one ...

Page 32: ...your zipper foot is adjustable for use on right Qr left side of needle Adjust foot so needle tears side notch on foot Then proceed CI according to zipper manufacturer s instructions Ylour zipper foot also makes it easy to add _cording to garments as well as slip covers toss pillows bedspreads decorative pieces Cut fabric on bias and wrap around cord Pin fabric in place so seam edges are even With ...

Page 33: ...thread taut while stitching along inside edge of hem Feed fabric gradually into scroll in hemmer guiding edge of fabric as shown i illl QUILTING Attach the quilting guid e to presser foot as shown After completing the first row of stitching place the guiding prong on this stitched line The second row then can be placed at the desired distance from first row Continue working in this way for as many...

Page 34: ... it easily Closely spaced zigzag stitches are called satin stitches This is an attractive stitch used for appliqueing bar tacking Whenever you are using this stitch it is well to remember to loosen the tension of the top thread slightly The wider the stitch you make the looser the tension should be If you are stitching on a very soft fabric use a backing of tissue paper or interfacing for a well f...

Page 35: ...ith interfacing or paper andl draw on the design with tailor s chalk Tuin the stitch width control from 0 4 0 to ftrom each petal and leaf Join the flowers and leaves with straight stretch stitch If usir_g paper carefully remove it when you have finished sewing MONOGRAMMING Settings same as Satin Stitching To sew initials first back the fabric with interfacing or paper Draw the initials on to the ...

Page 36: ...slot of foot and lower foot to hold the button securely Turn hand wheel manually until needle point is just above button Adjust stitch width control so needle will enter right hole of the button Turn hand wheel again by hand so needle enters second hole Readjust stitch width if necessary Stitch a number of times Finish sewing with an extra two inches of thread remaining Draw these threads to rever...

Page 37: ...ely You may want to use seam tape on woven fabrics With knits use a lace seam tape or just use decarative stretch stitch Working on wrong iside of fabric fold hem up Press and pin in place Then fold hem allowance under leaving 1 8 of hem edge extending i Place garment under blind stitch foot with the fold of the g_rment against guide and slide it by turning screw so that the zigzag just catches th...

Page 38: ...y need to adjust this control to match forward stitches O stretch sewing with reverse motion stitches If the stitches are too open turn the control slightly clockwise if the stitches overlap turn the control counter clockwise STRAIGHT STRETCH STITCH ETTINGS _titch Selector _titch Length Stitch Width S S V V Yellow Zone Any number not necessary to adjust 3u may use either a zig zag or straight stit...

Page 39: ...Selector _ Stitch Length Yellow Zone Stitch Width 2 4 This is a good stitch to use with laces on lingerie bra and girdles and to apply bias tape It s great when quilting SMOCKING STRETCH STITCH Stitch Selector Stitch Length YellowZone Stitch Width 2 4 1 Make a straight line of gathers across the fabric that you wish to smock With a narrow strip of fabric directly under the line of gathering stitch...

Page 40: ...TCH STITCH Selector k k k k k Length YellowZone Width 4 ds is the same type stitch used by the rment industry in making sportswear it and finishes the seam in one operation seams of _ to _ 8 It s very effective use in repairing raw or worn edges of garments POINT STRETCH STITCH itch Selector IIIIIIII itch Length 12 itch Width 2 3 cellent for hemstitching table and bed vers with a elegant touch Pic...

Page 41: ...w several stitches and switch to lieft again Step on foot control to form first bartack and left side of buttonhole When you reach end of left side switch the control to the right and complete the buttonhole ADJUSTING STITCH BALANCE Stitch length difference s in forward and reverse stitches of the buttonhole are equalized with the stitch modifier If the reverse stitches areitoo far apart turn the ...

Page 42: ...te _ed Cover Plate uttonhole Foot Raise needle to its highest position and raise presser foot Remove accessory box and bobbin cover plate Insert buttonhole cover plate at 45 degree angle and snap it down into place pressing it against the needle plate Select correct template for type button hole you want Insert template into slot of guide plate Turn template advance knob until desired size appears...

Page 43: ... Wheel Place fabric between presser foot and guideplate Align marked buttonhole with cut out of foot Line up edge of fabric with markings on guideplate If you wish all buttonholes to be 3 4 from edge of garment for example line up fabrilc with 3 4 marking each time you start a buttonhole Now you re ready to stitch the shape you ve selected straight keyhole or eyelet Your template will guide you iu...

Page 44: ...s for regular buttonhole and stitch width control to 1 rop the guide plate over the pinion gear and around the buttonhole once STEP 1 sew wider outer buttonhole lift the guide from the pinion gear and turn the mplate to wider size Adjust stitch width ting to 1 5 and sew around buttonhole STEP 2 DJUSTING STITCH DENSITY upon the fabrics on which you are or your own preference in button _les you may ...

Page 45: ...ength on right side of fabric with pins Place patch of fabric over each button hole and mark ends of buttonhole with chalk or pencil Baste patch into place Using template similar in size to button hole stitch rectangle on patch and garment Do not sew over pins Fig 1 Slash through patch and garment to within 1 4 of ends of rectangle Carefully cut diagonally into corners as shown Fig 2 3 Turn patch ...

Page 46: ...s of buttonhole Press and baste lips together Fig 5 51 Stitch across pleats formed by lips of patch Fig 6 61 After buttonhole has been pressed baste facing of garment around buttonhole and slash opening in facing same length as buttonhole Mark ends of buttonhole with pins for guides Turn under facing edges and hem to buttonhole carefully Fig 7 8 Remove all bastings and press Fig 9 ...

Page 47: ...le of your design Reduce the top thread tension slightly On a very soft fabric you may want to use a tissue paper backing or organdy that can be cut away Decorative designs are very attractive sewn with a double needle and two colors or shades of a color Of thread ADJUSTING STITCH BALANCE OF YELLOW PATTERNS When sewing yellow patterns you may need to make slight adjustment to the stitch modifier t...

Page 48: ... of your Sewingi_achine will be shown on your nomenclature plate on the froii_I side of bedplate of your Sewing Machine See Section 1 Parle 2 for location WHEN ORDERING REPAIR PARTS ALWAYS GIVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MODEL NUMBER NAME OF ITEM PART DESCRIPTION If the parts you need are not stocke_ locally your order will be electronically transmitted to a Seatf_ Repair Parts Distribution Center ...

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Kenmore 17920, Owner'S Manual

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