What kind of sewing machine do you have? [Archive]

MrsPinecone

08-29-2006, 06:23:00 AM

Just because I am nosy...

I have a Singer sewing machine that is pushing 60 years old. I took it in for service several years ago, and the guy tried to buy it from me!

He told me never to get rid of it because it's a classic old Singer with all solid steel guts. They don't make 'em like that any more!

It's a basic machine, but that's really all I need. The tension is a bit finicky, but since this is the machine I grew up with (literally-- it was my grandmother's) I have become accustomed to it.

3swimmersmom

08-29-2006, 06:51:42 AM

I have a machine just like yours, mine is in a wooden carry case. My DD bought it for my mother when they 1st got married 50 years ago, it wasn't new then either. This was the machine I grew up sewing on. It has a long metal thing that goes in the front and you sew with your knee instead of your foot. I have sewn both ways and definitely prefer the knee because I have more control than with my foot.

BzyBee DH

08-29-2006, 06:53:59 AM

BzyBee has 3 machines

1 - 1890 sewing machine antique
2 - Serger machine for miscellaneous work
3 - 2004 Brother sewing (electronic) machine (replaced a 1992 Singer (mechanical) that seized)

Buying the Brother instead of fixing the Singer was a very hard, emotional decision for BzyBee....It took her a long time to "accept" this newer technology). BzyBee was somewhat like you (but not as attached?) in not wanting to change to a newer, electronic from her solid, steel, mechanical machine.

She is a heavy user, primarily the #3.

MOM2SNOX

08-29-2006, 06:54:51 AM

Let's see.... I got a Sew Easy for Christmas (for crafts) and broke it the first time I tried it! LOL! Then I found a small but reliable one on QVC. It's a Janome Petite. Perfect for those little jobs and scrapping!

BzyBee DH

08-29-2006, 07:08:08 AM

BTW - I learned a lot about my DW, when we went through upgrading/replacing her sewing machine......She felt connected to the older machine, and did not like the newer style machines.....Several emotional scenes....She was used to her old machine, its settings, etc...Somehow the machine was an extension of herself, and SHE did not need to be replaced.

I think it helped when I just hugged her and told her whenever she is ready, I'll buy the new machine...As the piles of projects started to back up, she decided to try the new one

The newer one has much less vibrations, lighter and is much quieter. (We had to have a very solid large oak desk for her old machine).

sewingbea

08-29-2006, 07:23:16 AM

2 Singers & a Janome. Just can't give up the Singer I learned to sew on!

zydeco

08-29-2006, 07:41:41 AM

Janome 4900 and an old Singer. The Singer has the feature of winding the bobbin in the case. Something I wish the manufactures would return to. :RockOn:

Jusk

09-17-2006, 07:11:32 PM

Well I have 5 machines

I have an old singer treadle machine in a cabinet that is from about the 1940's I think. It was a "School Model" so the legs are straight metal and not scrolly like most of the old antiques

I have a Pfaff 1221 which I believe is about 30 years old. I bought it used about 20 years ago. It is a workhorse and I love it. I just put about $200 into fixing it a year ago.

I inherited my mothers Kenmore which is in a cabinet and is barely used. She bought it about 15 years ago and only used it a few times. I have tried it a few times but don't really like it......but my sisters thought they were doing me a huge favor by giving it to me when my mother passed 18 mos ago....I'm basically storing it and there are too many family emotions right now to let it go.

I just inherited my best friends mother's Simplicity Quilter Sewing machine. I'm sure that someone else makes this and labels it Simplicity. I'm not sure who though........She bought it at a quilt shop a few years ago. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet.............

DH and kids are begging me to NOT take up sewing machine collecting!!! I'm not trying to but I am the only one that sews in my family and people just keep giving them to me!!!!

Jusk

09-17-2006, 07:12:49 PM

MrsPinecone

09-18-2006, 06:11:57 AM

LOL

I wouldn't call it a Featherweight--- this thing weighs about 40 lbs. I need to haul it out to make a few things soon. I'll do a little research into exactly what model it is.

BensMomma

09-18-2006, 07:03:25 AM

BzyBee

09-18-2006, 07:20:01 AM

My mom bought me a viking for Christmas last year, and I have to confess that I still haven't even gotten it out of the box. I had such good intentions of trying to teach myself how to sew but now everytime I think about it I just feel overwhelmed. I am trying to convince myself to get it out and try to make some curtains for our new house.
Perhaps the store where she bought it offers instructions or classes?? You could also check out community centers or fabric stores...they sometimes run classes as well. It might help get you motivated and familiar with your new machine. :smile:

BensMomma

09-18-2006, 08:32:43 AM

Thanks thats a great idea!

queenofthehivemomof5

09-18-2006, 09:19:44 AM

I have a singer...nothing fancy bought at Walmart for $90 or so. I dont sew much. So it works. I also have a cheapo little machine that DD 14yo uses to sew patches on her jeans and stuff. its good for quick little mends but is pretty cheesy otherwise. I dont really know how to make anything except for pillows and curtains. Nor do I have the time.

SavingEye

09-18-2006, 09:21:44 AM

2 Brother and 1 singer...

I love the embroidery features and presition of Brother and I love Singer reliability.

PMFan

09-18-2006, 09:25:21 AM

mine has not seen the light of day for many many moons.........i think it's a nothing fancy brother model.

msack3889

07-11-2007, 05:51:49 AM

I have an old Singer (used to be my mom's--can't remember the name of it now...something like "Touch & Sew"?). It's currently my backup machine. I use my Janome 620QC more often, and I also have a BabyLock Imagine serger, which I adore.

kaykwilts

08-19-2007, 05:23:28 PM

I have a Bernina 1230

Merczilla

08-19-2007, 05:34:21 PM

My mom has her Featherweight, a Golden Touch and Swear and her mom's White treadle. I have a Singer 6136 (hate that thing), a Kenmore 385xx(I think),a Bernina 910 (missing the power plug and foot pedal) and my two favorites a Pfaff 130 and my Bernina 930. I also have a "toy" Singer serger that I haven't tried to use yet.

Hubby keeps making me fix his tiestraps (for pulling vehicles and strapping things down) on my Bernina. He's just amazed that it will go through that thick webbing without a hesitation. lol

I keep seeing machines on CL, but they want way too much for them up here. They get found "in the wild" in the lower 48 for $50 or less. Folks keep wanting hundreds for them up here. *sighs*

The Bead Lady

09-21-2007, 07:13:37 AM

I have a New Home 4000 by Janome. Love it!!

DianeScraps

09-21-2007, 07:32:14 AM

I have a Pfaff and a Singer Featherweight, since I really don't do any major sewing anymore my preferred machine is the featherweight

Bargain Brainiac

09-21-2007, 09:49:12 AM

I grew up watching my grandmother, using a treadle sewing machine, those are nice. I own a Bernina and a Singer sewing machine, both I bought back in the 1980's.

LadyDarquesyde

09-29-2007, 09:09:45 PM

I have an old Singer (made in 1963) that was my mom's, she gifted it to me a few years ago when she purchased her pfaff (which she hates... she wants her machine back, but she can't have it!!) and her first long arm quilter... I love this machine! It still purrs like a kitten!!

Q_ponQ

09-29-2007, 09:51:46 PM

I have an almost new Brother, I just love the fact that it thread the needle and cuts thread!!...i love it

I also have my ole stand by Kenmore, steel casing...bought in 1971!!
still workd well, never had service, I always cleaned and oiled it myself, unlike the machine of today...plastic and sealed HAVE to be serviced....

I also own two antiques, that are merely decorations that are in working condition, Singers, a treadle and and portable (wooden cased) electric.

I love to sew, but haven't lately!

lilymaid

10-13-2007, 10:25:50 PM

My parents gave me money for a sewing machine for my wedding, so my mom & I went to Lakeshore Sewing in GR, MI & I picked out a Babylock Xscape. It's still in the box, but I am very excited to open it & start sewing on it! I grew up on my mom's Viking machine, so I was a little nervous switching brands, but this has all the features I'll need, it's lightweight so I can bring it to classes (for me - a must!) + it was on sale. Of course! =)

Jill
lilymaid

quiltingdiva

10-15-2007, 08:46:49 AM

I have an older Singer and a Bernina 155. I grew up on a Singer (one of the old ones with all metal parts), and I made the mistake of sewing on my mom's Bernina one weekend years ago. I was totally spoiled from that point, and saved up for a Bernina.

I sew quite a bit though, and with a new baby on the way I'm trying to get a lot of stuff made right now. Plus, with making quilts my Singer just couldn't handle the load. DD is starting to sew, and she's going to inherit my Singer (which is still in great shape) eventually.

My mom is the sewing machine collector. I think that she has around 7 machines now...all Singers or Berninas and I think that 3 of them are the Featherweight design. I found an old Montegomery Ward one of the first electric machines (same design as a Featherweight) last year at a yard sale in great condition for $30 and gave it to her for Christmas. She loves stuff like that.

billig

10-15-2007, 11:31:25 AM

I have a White Serger, Singer 301, Singer...some plasticky model from 20 years ago and a Bernina Quilters Edition.
At first I loved the Bernina, but I think I was brainwashed.
My friends had told me for years how great Bernina was, that they hadn't had their machines serviced in 10 years and they still worked like a charm, etc. So I finally bought one in 2002 and it's not good. They use a lot of plastic now. It's so precision, that it can't handle any variety of threads, even the littlest bit of dust inside causes it to start clunking and you have to clean it out every hour, and the biggest pooper is that Berninas used to hold their value, and they're selling them cheaper and cheaper now because of the new models with stitch regulators are making typical sewing machines obselete. Two (plastic) parts have already broken, and I've had friends who've had the plastic race break ($100+) because it's not metal any more.
If you have an older Bernina HOLD ONTO IT. If it hasn't already become more valuable, it will as more people like me discover that todays Bernina is no longer a top of the line quality machine.
Some day when I'm feeling really pissy I'm going to write a letter to Bernina.

billig

10-15-2007, 11:41:31 AM

Forgot to add:
Don't be afraid of the tension in your machine...learn about it and you won't have any more problems:

first off, when a stitch is bad, pull out the bobbin and the spool of thread and re-thread EVERYTHING. This can solve many problems. So can getting rid of the dust, which I was good about even before I got the Bernincompoop.

When you rethread your bobbin, and you have the bobbin case, it has the little tension screw on it. When you thread the bobbin in the bobbin case, hold the bobbin in the air just by the thread. You can jiggle it a little bit and the bobbin should unwind a little bit. If it doesn't unwind at all, the bobbin tension is too tight. If the whole thing just unwinds and falls to the floor, it's way too loose.
To change the tension on that little screw...remember righty-tighty, lefty-loosy. Look at the screw like its the minutes of a clock, 60 minutes all around. when adjusting tension only turn "5 minutes" at a time.
When testing your stitch, don't use rock hard cloth like they do at the sewing machine store, use the same fabric that you're sewing the project with.
and...some tension problems occur when you use two different weight threads (one thicker than the other). You can still sew with it, just adjust the tension on top.

Brea

10-15-2007, 02:52:06 PM

I have a newer Singer and a NECCHI supernova Julia 534 in its desk-like/retro thing with draws that was passed on to me. I absolutly love it. I found a new cord/foot peddle on ebay! All I have to do now is find a working tension knob with all the parts in tact and I'll be in. I think I'm addicted to sewing machines, everytime I go to a garage sale I want to rescue the old machines that are there.....I probably would if I had the room......Mine are already crammed in my bedroom right next to my bed.

I do have to say that owning a sewing machine is like owning a truck, once people know you can sew or have a machine, everyone brings you their stuff to fix, like everyone wants you to move stuff for them when you have a truck, so funny. I sewed stuff for like 1 person, now I have 6 people.

Q_ponQ

10-15-2007, 08:49:50 PM

I do have to say that owning a sewing machine is like owning a truck, once people know you can sew or have a machine, everyone brings you their stuff to fix, like everyone wants you to move stuff for them when you have a truck, so funny. I sewed stuff for like 1 person, now I have 6 people.

Oh I hear you there!.....BUT
asking a quilter to mend a pair of pants is like asking Picaso to paint your garage, :hysterical:

j/k.....something I read on another sewing forum....
couldn't resist. :whistle:

Brea

10-16-2007, 06:31:52 AM

LOL.......

jeep.gal

10-16-2007, 06:41:46 AM

I have a babyloc with about 5 hours of use on it... I've owned it for 10 years. I feel guilty that I don't use it sometimes. I just HAD to have it. I do dust it sometimes. lol

I also have (on a related note) an old metal New Home treadle base... I use it for a phone stand. I wonder how old it is.

quiltingdiva

10-17-2007, 12:31:00 PM

Oh I hear you there!.....BUT
asking a quilter to mend a pair of pants is like asking Picaso to paint your garage, :hysterical:

j/k.....something I read on another sewing forum....
couldn't resist. :whistle:

I agree with this quote!:hysterical: My DH wants to know why I can whip out a quilting project in no time flat, but when it comes to repairing his pants/work clothes or sewing on DD's Girl Scout patches it takes at least a month and lots of grumbling from me.

Oh, and Billig I agree that Berninas are getting much cheaper parts-wise. Mine still has the metal parts and such, but my sister's newer one has the plastic parts and she has had several things break on it. The Bernina dealer (my local quilt shop connection) keeps asking why I don't trade mine in for a newer model with the stitch regulator, and I told her exactly what I thought of the newer models, not to mention that the price tag is staggering!