Well, I am raring to go! I have some beautiful fabric, a pattern with instructions, and am more than ready. I even found a Singer 347 which I have oiled well and thoroughly cleaned..bought with maple cabinet for 17.00 U.S.. Even bought an encyclopedia on how to use a sewing machine. Though it gives every conceivable thing you can do with a machine, it doesn't address the basics. I can't do this by hand..at 57 the hands just don't work so well for extended periods on small details, the fingers first cramp and then I have to unsnap them when they lock.

There are two things that I can't identify; on the foot pedal there are two switches...one is for start and stop, but have no idea about the other. On the top, left, back side of the head of the machine there is an adjustable round knob that may to be linked a setting on the left side of the head that is colored plastic with numbers and a sliding guage inside.

The machine seems to be in a mode that allows freehand sewing in any direction rather than just front and back. Then there are all the other settings such as the tension of the thread, length and width. Manual won't be here for a week to ten days. Any idea of the best default settings for simple, plain stiching front to back?