Any sewists?

[jkbff]

So... a while ago..

I don't know what the hell I was thinking..

I mean.. in my mind, I wanted to make some curtains... No one wanted to service my old Singer Futura that I had... so.. this happened....

I have no freaking idea what I'm doing... ... I am not sure what I have gotten my self into.

Last night, I finally set up both on my table that I am going to convert into a sewing table. I have these pants I've bought several colors of that just seem to last, but the stitching will give and unravel if I strain them just right. Well I finally went through my last pair yesterday and had 10 pairs I needed to stitch the inseam back in.. I figured I better get it done, I put the s25 in the cover stitch position and ran a narrow cover stitch to replace the chain stitch that gave way on the pants..

Oye do I need lessons...

I did find out that I prefer a dining height chair with the machines sitting on a counter height table. Much better working area without straining my back.

Pfaff Creative 1.5 and Husqvarna-Viking S25.

 

[ea56]

If you are only planning on doing simple sewing projects, like mending inseams and making curtains you would be much better off with a simple, basic sewing machine. All you really need is a machine that can straight stitch and basic zig zag. I’ve had a sewing machine of some kind for over 46 years. I made a few shirts back in the early 70’s. I’ve sewn lots of curtains and valances, and done alterations and mending, and never needed all those extra features. Its just more to go wrong.

My favorite aunt was one of the very best seamstresses around, she could sew anything, and did. She used to make all my Mom’s evening and cocktail dresses, and everywhere Mom wore them people wanted to know where she bought them.

For most of her life she just had a basic Singer straight stitch machine in a cabinet, with a button hole attachment, but no zig zag. Finally, in 1972 my uncle bought her a Singer Golden Touch and Sew, because it was top of the line and he thought she deserved it. She hated that machine! It made everything much more complicated. She was so sorry that she gave her trusty old Singer to my cousin and wished she had it back.

If you are going to be sewing lots of heavy material, like denim, get yourself a reconditioned old time Singer with a metal body. They weigh a ton, but they will sew through several layers of heavy fabric and never skip a beat.

Eddie

 

[jkbff]

By the time I realized what I had done, it was too late to take the machines back.

I thought of trading one back in for the mechanical pfaff but I really do like how the pfaff sews.. I'm not too thrilled with the embroidery side of it, and it takes all sorts of hoops and jumps to make my Stitch Era software work with the thing but it sorta fits the bill I guess?

That serger is neat though.

 

[ea56]

Joshua at least you have something you can sew with an if you enjoy learning how to use it thats all that matters. I’m just like you about where I do my machine sewing. I bring the machine downstairs to the dining room table. I have though sometimes used the ironing board, just lowered it to chair height so I can sit at it and thats very convenient too.

I looked on ebay after I made my last reply. Boy, those old Singers have really gone up in price. I bought an old, reconditioned Singer from a sewing machine shop many years ago and I know I didn’t pay more the $50.00. I now have a 4 year old BOL Singer that I use most of the time. Its just lighter and easier to schlep around, but the old Singer is a much better machine.

I’ve never used a serger before, so you know more than we about that.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 8/9/2018-22:47]

 

[launderess]

Have A Bernia (Bernette) Five Thread Serger

Which when it works does wonders and is a treat for running up laundry bags and other things with straight or only slightly curved seams.

However threading the thing correctly is a royal pain. So much so spend far more time swearing at the machine than by it. *LOL*

For normal sewing have an older Elna Supermatic "Plana" and sort of newer Pfaff 1209.

Both will do a double straight seam (providing one uses proper needle holder and threads. This is good for inseams or others that need to be durable and strong.

Don't fret too much about first attempts giving you fits. It sometimes takes awhile getting used to a machine and or in swing of things.

When hauling out my mending basket and a sewing machine, always begin with something small and simple. Like perhaps repairing a seam on a bed sheet or table cloth. This clears my head and lets me get into the frame of mind since don't sew that often.

 

[twintubdexter]

Like people that can play the piano...

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">...I've always admired people that can sew. I have three machines, my late partner's Singer Golden Touch n' Sew, the Singer Touchtronic machine that came in the cabinet I bought and a Bernina electronic unit with a fun little touch screen and an attachment that embroiders. Many years ago I used the Touch n' Sew to embroider ducks on curtains that Dale made for my mom's kitchen. That pretty much sums up my sewing expertise. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I know that the Bernina has a built-in tutorial on how to use it. You start with screen number one and it takes you from there. I have an instruction video for using the embroidery attachment too. One day I'll sit down with a bag or two of Pepperidge Farm cookies and see if I can learn something. Being a natural-born klutz has it's obstacles. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I was so proud when I modified the Singer cabinet so that the Bernina would fit but there it sits perpetually closed up. Fortunately it has a small footprint. </span>

[this post was last edited: 8/10/2018-15:45]

 

[cfz2882]

since 1998

bought a JC Penny,made in Poland in 1984,clone of European singer in 1998 with intent to use it to sew skirting for a hovercraft project I cancelled Started usingthe machine to repair and modify clothes, then later began to create some clothing articles-mostly because of dissatisfaction with commercial products.once I had the patterns established,there was still the problem of different bolts of fabric shrinking at different rates and directions-resulting in "dud"items frumpy,ill-fitting or "out of rig"...Same problem occurs with many commercial products too,but those get out to the racks...I have about 30 other 1940s-80s sewing machines,a fave (that I have not really tried out yet) is 1983 Singer touchtronic 2010-made in USA I have a few of the old worm-drive Singers too-all steel gears and just about bomb-proof

 

[askolover]

I have a pretty basic Brother machine I bought when I was working at Walmart in 1997.  I taught myself to make scrub tops, pillows, curtains, table cloths, and just a few little projects.  I recently was given an old (about 100 yrs) National treadle machine that was falling apart.  Well I salvaged the drawers, re-glued the veneers, re-shellacked them, and just made a simple non-folding top.  I fixed the machine head that was seized and now it sews pretty stitches....but I also bought a 1950's Japanese DeLuxe sewing machine (Singer 15 clone) on eBay.  That basic machine will sew through anything and it's all metal.  I just got a ruffler foot attachment and I've been learning to do machine embroidery on this old treadle because I can control the speed with my foot.  I guess sewing and craftiness is in my blood.  I can tat, crochet, and sew.  My grandmother could make anything.  My sister learned to do smocking and has made several dresses for bridesmaids.  Back in February I bought myself a new Brother serger.  It was $35 less on Walmart.com than in the store, so I did the buy it online and pick it up in store today and got the cheaper price.

 

[cfz2882]

1950s Japanese machines

I have ~6 or 7 of those,one marked "made in occupied japan"and a Mitsubishi emblem on it These all seem to have American motors and electrics until the last couple years of the 1950s when Japanese motors began to be mounted.I have a 1956 wards catalog and there were a few Japanese machines in there with American-looking motors.

 

[askolover]

Yeah for a long time they shipped the machines from Japan without motors to save weight and mounted American motors on them when they arrived here.  I love those Japanese machines, some of them have such pretty chrome and colors.  They were made by Brother, Mitsubishi, Janome, and some other now famous machine makers.

 

[tolivac]

Since IK collect vacuums-sewing machines come next.I can do very basic sewing-have several machines--Bernina,Pfaff,Jukie -slant "rocket" Singer-fount that beauty at a yard sale!!!Stopped and it found its way into my car.Fixed right up at the sew &Vac place where I got my other machines from.Found a Japanese 1950's machine at a yard sale-fixed up nicely.The big problem is space to set up the machines so you can use them.

 

[jkbff]

So I already traded the Creative 1.5 in and got a Creative Vision 5.0 that was used. I like this machine, but it is heavy as heck.

I thought I would try making a king sized quilt as my first true project. I bought some fabric strips from walmart, but I really am not happy with the colors.

I've hit a few road blocks trying to assemble it all but people have been encouraging me to keep going. That is when I decided to cut all of my blocks in half on the bias and assemble them like the big block I've shown.

 

[cuffs054]

What does a "serger" do?

 

[earthling177]

A serger is also known as an overlocker.

It can produce several different kinds of stitches, including chain stitch and a cover stitch. Some stitches are a combination, for example, if it has 5-thread capabilities, it can overlook the raw edge to prevent it from fraying and at the same time put a chain-stitch "safety" seam a quarter inch or so to the left of it (the raw edge is on the right). The machine also has a knife that trims the fabric raw edge as it passes, so it has a uniform freshly cut edge to improve sewing. Sergers/overlockers frequently also have a "differential feed", that is, the feed dogs can feed the fabric at different rates before and after the needle, either to compensate for fabrics like knits (which stretch) or to get special effects, like ruffled or lettuce edges.

Usually, but not always, people in America use a pattern to cut the fabric that has a seam allowance, that is, if you are going to end up with a 2.5 inch fabric strip finished and sewn, it is cut as a 3 inch fabric strip so you can have a 0.25 inch seam allowance on each side. Then you use the raw edge as a guide with the needle one quarter inch from the edge.

But in many places, the pattern is the true size of the quilt or clothing to be sewn, that is, it has the *seam* lines printed, and one marks the seam line on the fabric and is free to cut as far away from that as one wishes, thus having a variable seam allowance. Often, in the industry, when one is making garments, that is what they do and cut the pieces apart with arbitrary cuts that leave a seam allowance that varies, because they know the person "serging" the garments will use the marked line to guide it under the needle, and the knife will cut away the excess fabric as it passes thru.

The "traditional" way people make clothes at home has the fabric cut into the appropriate pieces, they tell you "use a 1/4 inch seam allowance" or "5/8 inch" etc. If necessary, one trims the excess fabric in the next step, say, before turning the collars or in the underarm before setting the sleeves in etc.

This video shows a serger in action:

This video shows how people often use the seam allowance to guide a sewing machine:

This video shows a person using the stitching line to guide the sewing; this is a relatively high speed sewing assembly line; note that on a truly high-speed assembly line, one person would have marked the lines, another cut the fabric and the third person would just sew the re-inforcing seam:

This video shows a few of the reasons why one would need a stitching line to sew the seam in the first place, and a handy gadget to skip that step and just sew the seam:

Hope that helps.

 

[cuffs054]

Thanks Earthling, very interesting.

 

[earthling177]

No problem, I'm glad you liked it!

 

[askolover]

I love my serger but man that thing is fast and seems to have a mind of its own at times!

 

[cfz2882]

patterns

I use posterboard for patterns-just tack down to the workbench(3x 2x12 lumber)with thumbtacks over material and cut out along the edge

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">You can always try the Lucy Ricardo method and cut out your pattern with a razor blade on the floor...</span>

[this post was last edited: 10/21/2018-23:26]