I still own the same sewing machine that once belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. The small black Singer machine assisted me with making childhood clothes, my wedding dress, and curtains hanging today in one of our rooms. In the past, when people saw my machine, they often asked, “Is it a toy?” No, it’s a sentimental gift I inherited from my great-grandmother—an old, small, reliable machine with a lot of miles on its motor that still works—a little like me.

But for the past two de...