It's been awhile since I have been on here and just reading the comments regarding the 15-91. I have one that a dear friend gave me last October. Martha is 81 years old and had this machine since she was 12 years old. Her parents gave it to her for a birthday present. It's in the original cabinet when she got it, all attachments, manual, stool and it's got the knee bar. I haven't used the machine yet since it's in need of a new power cord and foot control. This is a cherished gift and I will pass this onto my great granddaughter. Plan on getting this back to working by spring of this year (2019). The machine itself looks like it has been rarely used but Martha made her clothes and daughters for many years.

It's been awhile since I have been on here and just reading the comments regarding the 15-91. I have one that a dear friend gave me last October. Martha is 81 years old and had this machine since she was 12 years old. Her parents gave it to her for a birthday present. It's in the original cabinet when she got it, all attachments, manual, stool and it's got the knee bar. I haven't used the machine yet since it's in need of a new power cord and foot control. This is a cherished gift and I will pass this onto my great granddaughter. Plan on getting this back to working by spring of this year (2019). The machine itself looks like it has been rarely used but Martha made her clothes and daughters for many years.

What a wonderful gift you have. New cords are available, and controllers too, but if yours has the button controller in the bracket for the knee lever, it may just need cleaned and adjusted.

Cari

Hello! New here, and very excited to quilt my second quilt on my 15-91.

Ran into a bit of a learning curve with thread. Advice on the internet is all over the place, so i read something somewhere that said use 30 weight thread. Read somewhere else to use ten stitches per inch. Couldn't figure out why i had bobbin thread showing on top AND upper theead showing underneath.

I finally found information somewhere that indicated lighter weight thread in the bobbin if using a heavier thread on top, or balanced 40 (or 50) weight thread.

In the meantime, i learned how to take apart the tension assembly, so that was fun!

My 20 year old Sears Kenmore either likes a particular thread or it doesn't, so while i never do know why, i know to abandon thread that is being spit out.

Looking forward to getting the new theead in the mail and chugging forward. I love the feel of this machine, purchased from a local man who loves fixing them up but needed to clear out some restored ones so he could make room for more projects.

No FMQ on this one. I'm using a walking foot and straight lines diagonally across. FMQ wiil be the next project.

On your 15 you should be able to quilt with most type of thread, very little fuzz with basic top stitching (in other words not free motion). Good quality is important though. Very important too is matching needle size to thread weight, up the size when in doubt, it can solve a lot of problems when there's layers of fabric and batting. Going for large eye needles can help, but a larger size needle shaft in general will help with tension and thread passing through the fabric. Model 15 is one of the better models when it comes to this, so don't give up on fine tuning and adjusting. It should give perfect results. Do the drop test on the bobbin case, set the top tensioner between 4 and 5, the same thread for bobbin and upper thread; test sew and fine tune bobbin tension until it's right.

The old straight stitchers generally accepts various thread weights and adjust easily; Husqvarna CB, Singer 15, 66, 201, Pfaff 30. It's usually not about the model but getting things right. On model 15 is a favorite for FM work (not to exclude any other model). Another factor is cleaning and oiling the machine, general maintanance can solve a lot of diffuse problems.

I agree with Mickey, you should be able to use just about any thread in your 15-91. The key is fine tuning the tension to the particular thread(after matching the thread weight to the needle). These older machines are generally far less thread picky than newer machines. I do almost all of my sewing with vintage 50s and 60s machines and have yet to find a thread that my machines don't like. Coats N Clark, Connecting Threads cotton and poly, Mettler, Gutterman, Madeira, everything from the cheapest crap thread to solid gold spiderweb lol. I use a thread stand for cones, the spool pin on the machine for straight or stack wound. I also adjust my bobbin tension first, then my upper tension. I have no tension fears.:)
Now, all that being said, I know that sometimes a particular machine just doesn't like a particular thread. Darker threads seem to be more of an issue.

Cari

That's so strange about darker threads being more problematic! I don't really know what's going on. Machine is cleaned and oiled, i tried different needle sizes, adjusted bobbin thread and top thread, even taking apart the tension assembly to see if anything changed. I can't figure it out so i'm switching thread. I've heard that 15 machines are very forgiving so I really don't understand why 30 weight thread should be a problem. I spent an entire day on it and nothing doing. So now I'll just wait for the new thread to show up.

I don't understand this my 15 will use any thread I give it.

I agree with Glenn, none of my vintage Singers is thread-picky.

John Thomas in NC

I’m trying to sew the thin cotton fabric with the 15-91 it was doing great with thicker thread. I switched to some all purpose thread on top and bottom and I get a wrinkly stitch. I can smooth out the wrinkles. I tried the same thread in my Walmart 3116 same result.