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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / November 2005OTP: sewing machine
well, i had an ancient singer that died in a flood in my laundry room a few years ago. i hate sewing and hadn't planned to buy another machine, but now that i'm in the new house, i need/want to make some things and really do need a machine, even tho i'm not sure if i can remember how to thread one. :-) i have no idea what to get. i don't need fancy, but i do want something that's easy to use, has variable stitch sizes, a removable thingy so you can sew sleeves, etc. can any of you recommend a brand/model? thanks! diane What did you do with the singer and how ancient was it? DianeW it was about twenty-five years old, replacing my even older black singer. i didn't realize it had flooded until i lifted it up for the move and heard the water sloshing inside! it had taken on an aroma, too. i pitched it. diane Dear Diane, I have a Kenmore. It was twenty years old when it was given to me, I've had it almost 29 years. A few years back, I taught my sons to sew and on the first day of class we took it apart and oiled it. It still sews! I'd hate to replace it! Good luck, Vickie B. Ouch ---!! Iove my old black singer Featherweight! It just breaks my heart to hear of one dying! Do you know how much those old black singers sell for? last time I checked on ebay they were going for around $1000! I had a repairman come to my house to clean and oil mine and he tried to get me to sell it to him for $300. I just had to laugh! All it does is sew front and back but I love it. I also have a 1940-ish Elna Free Arm which has cams to do decorative stitching. I had it dragged out of the attic last Saturday and cleaned it up to do some zig zagging. Another oldy but goodie. My sister who sews a lot says that one of the important thing to look for in a machine is the type of material it is made out of. She had a newer singer which broke frequently because of the type of plastic it was made out of. I think Viking is what she prefers now. Do you ever watch DIY Network? They feature a lot of different sewing machines in some of their craft projects that might give you an idea of what to look for as well! Have fun! I have my Elna set up on the kitchen table as we speak. Of course, being so old, it's too heavy for me to move it! LOL DianeW Check out the sewing machine shops. Most have used machines. Find a salesperson who will listen to what you want to do and show you what used machines will handle the job. Make sure the salesperson will show you all you need to know about the machine. I always bought Singers but think they went downhill some time ago. The last three machines I bought were Viking. Nice machines but not simple. BettyB >well, i had an ancient singer that died in a flood in my laundry room a >few years ago. i hate sewing and hadn't planned to buy another machine, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >diane -- BettyB -- www.flamingo-code.com "A pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun" Robert A. Heinlein - Time Enough For Love > Check out the sewing machine shops. Most have used machines. Find a > salesperson who will listen to what you want to do and show you what [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > BettyB Betty has excellent suggestions here. I currently have a Kenmore, but their machines are made by different companies at different times so you have to be a bit picky with buying them. Bernina is one quality brand that I know also makes good basic machines. You might google sewing machines on the alt.sewing group. It's a question people pop in with a lot and you could pick up more info than you want!  SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare I have a Brother that does everything you are looking for. My Mom bought it for me for Christmas back in around 94. It's very simple. I does forward, backward, and a few fancy stitches, It came with a regular foot and a zipper foot. We got it in Sears and back then it was around $129, if I remember right. And it has the removable thingee :) It's great and I love it. It's one of the few things that came out to Washington with me in the car :) Carole > well, i had an ancient singer that died in a flood in my laundry room a > few years ago. i hate sewing and hadn't planned to buy another machine, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > diane > i don't need fancy, >but i do want something that's easy to use, has variable stitch sizes, >a removable thingy so you can sew sleeves, etc. can any of you >recommend a brand/model? I just bought a new machine and went with a Janome. The LE 4623 is a good one (mechanical) it has been around for years, and has a DC motor. I bought the Janome 6260 which is more expensive because it is an electronic version. They both use the same DC motor and I have been sewing webbing and heavy duty material for rafting gear. Janome has good prices and is an excellent value the place I purchased sells many different brands and services just about every brand and they like the Janome for overall value. You will spend a fortune on Bernina, and the low end Bernette is actually made by Janome. Janome makes many machines for other companies. Mechanical machines use cams and electronic has a computer board to select the stitches. LE4623 has an excellent selection of stitches and runs about $310 - $400. I need a little heavier duty machine. My sister in law has a lower priced kenmore which works well for lighter fabrics but was challenged by multiple layers of heavy fabric. My machine just cruises through jean hems, but I don't think my SIL's machine could handle the spots where there are 6 layers of folded denim. You might try some out and be sure to try some really sheer fabric sometimes that is more of a challenge than the heavy material. -- MZ Visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com i was responding here and it disappeared, so if i repeat myself, sorry. all this info is reminding me how much i hate sewing. when i was young, i sewed all my clothes and some of my husband's shirts and a couple of his caftans, which he wore to parties and out on the street. that sounds so crazy in 2005! but then i started getting impatient and that just doesn't work with sewing. anyhow, in listening to you guys and doing some research, i realize there are automatic threaders and you don't have to adjust the tension on the wheel thingy and i am so pysched. maybe i could find a machine i don't want to toss across the room. (like i could). i also feel guilty that i come here and ask for advice on things to get and then never report on what i got. so, i should tell you that i ended up with a self-propelled hoover windtunnel and i LOVE it. and i got a select comfort 500 king size mattress and love it too. when you call select comfort, say the prices are too high and then they'll tell you about ones they have in the warehouse that are last year's model. that's what we got and it was 1500, way less than the market price. diane good choice on the bed! That's the one I've been sleeping on for a few years now. We just got a new vac also and I thought about that one cause it was self propelled but bought the Dyson Ball instead. I'm not the one that usually does the vacuuming anyway! LOL I bet that self propelled is nice. I can operate this one but my back felt it after one room We had a 25 year old Rainbow which was terrific as far as pickup but annoying to use. This upright is soooo easy! I asked my sister about a sewing machine when I spoke to her yesterday and she suggested you go to Joanne Fabrics and have them show you the variety of machines in person. She said that they have a lot of variety there and it will help you choose. Plus do you know about the discount code sites for buying online? Go to dealhunting.com or currentcodes.com and check for discount codes before you buy. You have to buy online but some of the discounts are huge! It's my first stop before I shop these days. Every little bit helps! DianeW great sites, diane! thanks for sending. the joanne's in this area sells machines supplied by another store called sew unique. . . and sew unique is around the corner from me, so i'm going there tomorrow. diane pfaff is doing this special truck sale at a store in my neighborhood so i got a $420 pfaff for $298. it's probably pretty basic for you mega sewers, but i think it's going to be perfect for me. they have a free class next week. thanks for all the advice! diane Nothing wrong with a pfaff at all diane. Kelly > pfaff is doing this special truck sale at a store in my neighborhood so > i got a $420 pfaff for $298. it's probably pretty basic for you mega > sewers, but i think it's going to be perfect for me. they have a free > class next week. thanks for all the advice! > > diane > pfaff is doing this special truck sale at a store in my neighborhood so > i got a $420 pfaff for $298. it's probably pretty basic for you mega > sewers, but i think it's going to be perfect for me. they have a free > class next week. thanks for all the advice! > > diane Cool! I'm envious! I'm been thinking I'll have to give up and get another machine one day. Mine has no precise markings or presser feet for 1/4" seams. That's making me nuts on my current project - had to buy some 1/4" tape! But my options for machine shopping are limited here. If I do it one day I'll have to go down state, I believe. SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Simply the thing I am shall make me live --- William Shakespeare What kind of machine do you have Nann? I thought the universal 1/4" pressure feet were made for all kinds. I would go crazy if I didn't have my foot for quilting. Kelly >> pfaff is doing this special truck sale at a store in my neighborhood so >> i got a $420 pfaff for $298. it's probably pretty basic for you mega [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > one > day I'll have to go down state, I believe. Have a Pfaff and really like it. It is the only machine I could find that didn't have the drop-in bobbin. With my hand problems I couldn't get the bobbin out even using a pair of tweezers. I was lucky that I got to try them out at a dealer that carried Pfaff, Bernina, Singer, and Viking. She was very good to me as she knew I was only looking at the time and wasn't even from her area. She told me the good and bad points of each one. That sold me on the Pfaff and I had a Viking before and had thought I would be getting another Viking. I bought locally and haven't even been able to go for the first lesson (health problems) and I got it in Feb 2003. Fortunately, it came with a demo tape so I can do quilting even if it is only no longer than 20 min sessions. Sure beats the 10 minute ones of 4 years ago. NO, I didn't get the top of the line as I really am not into embroidery. HTH Butterfly > pfaff is doing this special truck sale at a store in my neighborhood so > i got a $420 pfaff for $298. it's probably pretty basic for you mega > sewers, but i think it's going to be perfect for me. they have a free > class next week. thanks for all the advice! > > diane |
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