I'm on an acreage near a very sprawling "city" where it takes 20 minutes to get from the west side to the east. We have not explored the small towns nearby as possible places to live (the commute, ugh). My mom's hometown is now a ghost town. It's really sad to see how towns have declined all over America. Some small towns manage to thrive even in the 21st Century. But the small town with its own grocery store, cafe, theater, etc, is almost extinct.
I hope you get your antique sewing machine repaired and that you can resume another one of your many many talents!
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Our theater, which not long ago was one of only two that had been in operation for some length of time, has recently closed. Most of the small stores are closed, but we do have two large supermarkets, a couple of cafes, a big fancy country club. Curiously, there are very few bars. I think the drinkers must be at the clubs (american legion, VFW, Elk's etc) to socialize in the evenings. Those few bars we do have close very early, except for one. As the largest town in the county, this one is a veritable metropolis for people. Before the big stores and fast food joints opened on the outskirts of town (Runnings, Tractor Supply, Mcdonalds) out main street was very busy, all storefronts full and bustling. Now, half of them are empty. We had a great shoe store until the covid con hit. I would buy shoes there nearly every time I came to town. It's still a great place to live though. Lots of artists in the hills, where they can get a spectacular studio and home for the price of one square meter in Manhattan.
America needs a revival of the small town!
Less of the big box stores.
Less of Amazon.
More of the mom-and-pop stores and cafes and repair shops.
We need more apprenticeships, too, and less of the university style of "education."
Maybe you and I should run for president, LOL.