Sewing Machines

[Edwood]

OK, I know this is probably the last place I should post this question, but how many avid sewers are there here?

I have recently bought a rather expensive piece of test equipment, and feeling a little guilty and with my wife's brithday coming up (oh, and did I mention that our wedding anniversary falls on the same day as well? Doh! Could be twice the trouble if I forgot.) I figured I should upgrade her POS Singer 9410 with a much much better one.

She has a love/hate relationship with sewing. Coming from the fashion industry, she loves to design and make apparel, but she hates sewing (or so she says), but I am pretty sure it has to do with her sewing machine eating a lot of her fabric.

Her favorite brand is Bernina. She has always mentioned that particular brand.

I think I should go with an older more industrial unit, as many new ones use too much plastic and break very easy. Not to mention she has absolutely no need for the fancy computerized embroidery features of all the high end machines out there now.
I have talked to her about it, and she doesn't like the newer models out there. She seems to like the simplier, more industrial machines.

So any advice? Is there an obsessed sewing machine forum out there? Best one I could find is http://www.sewingworld.com/cgi-bin/bbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi

Or would it be a big mistake to have my wife register there? Nah. She's not nearly prone to obsessive compulsive behavior like me. In fact, I think I might be getting more obsessed about sewing machines than her.

and I don't even know how to use a sewing machine.

-Ed

 

[lextek]

My wife swears by Berninas.

 

[KYTGuy]

Hi ED...

Look at my profile - I make and compete with kites - I have several sewing machines.

I have the last all-metal Singer (early 50's), and love my all-metal #1222 PFAFF (Late 60's) machine, The Singer has a pretty good variety of stitches built in, and the PFAFF has about 12 different stitches.

More importantly, the PFAFF has a "Walking Foot" that makes it very much easier to handle materials with dissimilar thicknesses/slicknesses. It is for that reason that I use the P machine for most of my kite sewing. Almost all of the work I do on kites is with either Straight stitch, or Zigzag.

When I sew clothing, I do as much as possible on a Serger (not mentioned above), general sewing with either the S or the P (depending on whether there is a lot of dissimilar/difficult materials), and the remainder (buttonholes, "embroidered" edges/hems, interest details, with the Singer.

Ask her if she likes a kneepaddle/leg lever to lift the foot - if she likes that feature, it will steer your choice. I would recommend the walking foot in either case.

Anyway, sewing machines are just like automobiles or head amps - they can be cheap and straightforward/expensive with all the bells and whistles, fast/powerful, or slow and weak...as usual, you vote with your dollars, and more dollars roughly corresponds with capability/speed/durability.

Plan on spending about $400 - $1000 for a good used machine, and $600 - $4000 for shiny new high tech ones that do Embroidery and are computer driven...

Among all my Master Kitebuilder friends, it is a near-even split between PFAFF and Bernina, with a smattering of Elna, Singer, Brother, and sew on.

There are a few who use Commercial grade machines (35 Quart oil changes!!/ barely fit in a pickup bed!!) Those people are either nuts, or they have mini-production businesses, and they need the blinding speed a commercial machine can provide.

I will be happy to answer any questions you might have, and refer the ones I am unsure of to those who know more.

Hope this helps..

Regards,

Guy

 

[KYTGuy]

Oh yeah, ED -

The most common single machine in the kiting community is the PFAFF 1222E - It features the same chassis and mechanism of the one I have, with the added feature of an SCR "choppper" drive, for extra torque and controllability at slow speeds...I avoided this model, because it makes more noise of the electrical sort, upsetting my Shortwave listening or my Headphone listening that I often do concurrently...

-G-

 

[cpw]

My wife is Swiss and as such was drawn to the Berninas which enjoy a great reputation. When it came down to it, she opted for a Viking (Husqvarna-Swedish) machine that offered some automation and embroidery stitches, etc.
I also bought her a serger which she has yet to use- oh well.
I'd say you got some pretty informed advice from KYTGuy.
CPW

 

[Glod]

I like building things. Repairing cloths is equally fun. I use the old Husqvarna, cast iron machine which once belonged to my mother, and now I use it weekly to repair the clothes of our rascals...

One thing to look out for IMHO is, through how thick garment can a particular standard machine sew through? Several layers thick jeans or canvas can be too much for some machines.

 

[KYTGuy]

Hi again ED - thought of a few more notes after rereading your post:

If her machine is eating her fabric, take it in to the service!! It is "Knackered" - a term for out of time between the dogs that advance the fabric between needle strokes and the rest of the mechanism, or it needs cleaning, or some tuning/replacement parts. She might be happy with a tune-up. If it has not been serviced at least once a year, it will be a PAIN to sew with. Just like a car, there are critical tolerances, cams, whizzy things that like oil, and suchlike within the sewing machine. Might be all she needs to love her machine again. Many people sew with their machine twice a year, and seven to ten years on, they sell it because it "doesn't work so well"...and we get the machines, change the needle, oil the gears and cams (for the first time since new), put in new lights and belts, and have a "new" machine! MANY,MANY times we get machines that only needed a good cleaning and oiling, along with new needle, and they are good for years. The fact that most of my friends use our machines for 200 - 500 hours a year, for tens of years, should show you that most machines are underused and underserviced by their retail owners. Many is the time that when we are all in the lounge playing "top this" that we get into the great deals we find at swap meets...one of my friends has a fantastic little ELNA that comes in a green crackle finish fitted metal case, with every accessory that they made for the machine, chrome still bright, everything perfect, for $5.00!! It was from the 1940s! Still trucking.

-G-

Also, on that note, if you buy a used machine (or even a new one), INSIST on a period of time during which you can return it for complete credit. If you take your SO with you to shop, have her bring some of the fabrics that she will sew with, for test pieces, and use the heck out of the machine(s) you are considering before you ever start to talk about taking it.

 

[KYTGuy]

BLEAGH!! I hope you don't mind this sort of segmented memory dump, ED - thought of more:

At most "sewing center" places, they have reduced fee/free courses, on their pretty new machines...have your SO go to those, and sit in on each center's courses - she will get a real quick idea of what she wants...

DANGER! DANGER! : Just like at a new car dealership, they will be subtly (and not so subtly) steering her towards the "JUKI Diamond, limited signed racing edition, turbo and intercooled model" that will make even your (ED) sewing a masterpiece....blah, blah...
-G-

EDIT: Gotta go watch INDY (Sound off) while sewing a kite, with the Ham radio on the phones... who sez men can't multitask?

 

[Edwood]

Wow.

Thanks for the replies. Again, I have underestimated the range of interests and skills here.

My wife is definitely leaning towards an older all metal model. She used to have an old metal Singer (I called it the Green Monster, it was heavy!) when she was in school.

She definitely wants to avoid the new computerized plasticy machines. She wants a powerful and reliable machine.

As for her current machine, I am surprised it even works at all. It was dropped by movers a couple of years ago, the light cover part does not stay on, and it just sounds horrible when sewing. Considering she got it for about $100, I am pretty sure it would cost more than that to have it fixed. So I'm thinking it's time for a major upgrade.

I'm not sure which stores would have older "antiques" that she could try out.

Seems that eBay or classified is the only way to go to find those......

-Ed

 

[Genetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood OK, I know this is probably the last place I should post this question, but how many avid sewers are there here?

http://www.amok.ch/bilder/titel_bilder/surf.jpg

You guys are killing me.....

Amicalement

 

[KYTGuy]

Edwood -

Most sewing centers also deal in used machines, but it is always a grab bag what they have in stock at any time...they do this to get the new ones out there...they take in one that "doesn't work so good" and give the owner $100 for it on the new $1495 one, then service the old one, and sell it with a limited warranty, for $495...

If your main squeeze wants a New One, nothing will satisfy but a NEW ONE, but if the issue is the light cover, "it eats my fabric", or "the darn thing sounds bad", these can all be fixed (in most cases) for LESS than the cost of a suitable replacement. The service departments carry parts back into antiquity. My 1960s era Pfaff broke the power switch recently, and they had the exact replacement for it just last year.

Plastic is good for the outside of the machines because it makes them lighter - they are surprisingly heavy, and if you have to take them with you to events, like I do, then twenty pounds is nicer than fourty. If it will stay in the craft room, then the weight is not an issue. Metal, however is sturdy, and can be custom painted - one of my friends has painted his like a hot rod - pinstriping, kandy colors, ghost flames, etc...

 

[Edwood]

Yeah, I'm trying to find a local shop that is good at servicing Berninas.

My wife does not really care for a new one. She doesn't want any computerized stuff. She really likes the older all metal ones. She has used many industrial sewers before.

Funny thing is that she is saying I am getting more obsessed about hunting for a sewing machine than she is.

She's probably right......

-Ed

 

[mbriant]

I just searched Bernina on e-bay and there were 10 pages of hits.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...195650734&rd=1

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbriant I just searched Bernina on e-bay and there were 10 pages of hits. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...195650734&rd=1

Looks like my wife is set on the Bernina Record 930. A friend of ours has one, and man, it's built like a tank. Nearly all metal. They just don't build them like they used to.

I think I may have better luck at a local shop. One local one said that they might have an 830 or 930 in.

As for eBay......
I can't believe a Record 930 went for over $1000 !?!?!

My wife wanted a knitting machine more. So I got her a Singer 700 Memo-matic knitting machine for her upcoming birthday.

I'm going to keep searching for the Bernina........

-Ed