Yeah sewing forum!!! :) & Sewing Machine Survey

[PatchyMama]

hey mamas.. ive been lurking... not really posting much cause .... im not very "crafty" ROFL! But now that its sewing too.... woooohooooo watch out!!! :LOL

anyway just saying hi! I'm tiffany.. mama to kyla (24 months).. been sewing professionally for about 5 years.... but have sewn since i was a little girl with my mom !


so what machine(s) do you have???
here is mine:
Type of Machine (Year) - 2003 Babylock Ellure
Price Paid (if you remember) - $1000 on sale (retail $2000-2400 i think)
Likes - everything! has an automatic button hole.. thread cutter, lots of decorative stitches. If i leave it sewing it still keeps going straight.... also doubles as an embroidery machine.. embroiders up to 5 *7 hoop. Computerized

Dislikes - can skip stitches if going through THICK stuff
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 8

Type of Machine (Year) - 1998 Singer
Price Paid (if you remember) - $190
Likes - Workhorse.. will sew through ANYTHING...
Dislikes - not enough decorative stitches.. requires special needles....tension is touchy
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 5

Type of Machine (Year) - 2002 New Home 534D MyLock II 4 thread serger
Price Paid (if you remember) - $228 including shipping
Likes - EVERYTHING! Sews through THICK stuff without even choking slightly... cuts edges great... isnt loud.
Dislikes - tensions can be cranky if you arent using the correct needles or didnt thread it exactly right.
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 8

[mrzmeg]

I'll play

Type of Machine (Year) - 2002 Pfaff Tiptronic 2020
Price Paid (if you remember) - $1000 on sale
Likes - Built-in walking foot makes it easy to sew very thick fabric, needle automatically lifts up when you finish sewing, performs all basic sewing really well.
Dislikes - I haven't figured out a way to get the buttonholer to make holes for very large buttons. D'oh! And sometimes the computerized stitch selector is finicky and will choose the wrong stitch (it will choose a single digit stitch sometimes when I want a double digit stitch, if that makes sense).
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 9

[Sandra Dee]

Type of Machine (Year) - 2003 Brother Wal-Mart Special
Price Paid (if you remember) - $100 - Mother's Day present from DH
Likes - purple floral decor on the front
Dislikes - it doesn't serge! :LOL
Rank (1-10) 8

It's not expensive, but it's a great little machine and does a lot - I was rather impressed after using an industrial Singer for years.

It may not last forever (although, it came with a 50 year warranty) so, maybe it will?

[pinky]

type of machine: 1960's Singer "Graduate"
price paid: $0! It was a hand-me-down from my MIL
likes: very reliable, has a 3-step zig-zag, easy to control speed.
dislikes: heavy! and sometimes I would like more bells and whistles
Rating: 8 or more. Can't beat the value!!

type of machine: Pfaff Hobbylock 4752
price paid: $450 (birthday present from dh!)
likes: it's such a luxury to have a serger! It is so fast and works so well.
dislikes: a little tricky to thread, but I'm getting better at that. I'd love to be able to do coverstich, too, but I wasn't willing (or able) to shell out the big $$.
Rating: 8

[stafl]

Okay, I'm game. I'm also getting jealous of your fancy machines!!

I have a 1974 Singer Fashion Mate. You know, that weird 1970's golden yellow color. Must have been top of the line back then. Has quite a few fancy stitches, you put a special disk in the machine (obviously not computerized). It can also be used to embroider, but I'd never be able to figure that out without seeing someone else do it. It has automatic button holer. Lots of bells and whistles. Price paid $0 - MIL gave it to me when I was preg with #1 and wanting to make baby clothes. I had asked if I could come over to her house and use one of her sewing machines. In true MIL style, she justified the gift by saying "well, my girls don't sew anyway" :
Besides owing MIL for it, the only thing I don't like is that the pressure foot is crooked. I'm sure that can be easily fixed, but I've tried taking it apart and when I put it all back together, it's still crooked.

I also have a 1950's (40's?) Singer - the little black one. It only does straight stitch, but works just fine if I had a new belt for it. Paid $50 for it and some houseplants at my best friend's mother's estate sale. She made all her own clothes for forty some years on the thing, and kept it in very good working condition. I think it is the prettiest sewing machine I've ever seen, and use it as an art object in my home.

I also have a very very old Franklin. Don't know the age, don't know if it works, but I suspect it does (It's hard to break those old machines). Just afraid of that cloth-wrapped cord KWIM? It came with the house. So price paid?
My grandparents collect sewing machines, and it's one they don't have, so I'll probably give it to them next time we drive up to Virginia.

[Charmie981]

Type of Machine (Year) - 2000 Bernina Virtuosa 150 QE (Quilter's Edition)
Price Paid - $1800 on sale
Likes - Computerized so when it's off, Samuel can touch all he wants and nothing gets messed up. My absolute favorite features are the "automatic reverse" stitch (you don't have to push the reverse button...it just DOES IT!) and the choice of ending your seams with your needle up or down. There are tons of other features on this machine, but I just haven't used them a lot. Sewing has become kinda touch and go since Samuel arrived.
Dislikes - All the quilting stitches. I don't really quilt, and would rather have decorative stitches. I can take it to the store and have them hook it up to a computer and choose my stitches, but just haven't really bothered to do that yet...

Type of Machine (Year) - 2000 Bernette 900D Serger
Price Paid - either $599 or $699...can't remember
Likes - it's a serger
Dislikes - doesn't like thick stuff (more than 3 layers of hemp fleece); it's a serger (meaning it has two needles and four threads and tons of tension knobs!!); not computerized so Samuel can really mess it up if I'm not watching him like a hawk

[BabyPie]

Brother ULT2001 $2500

Likes: Sews and embroiders. Computerized touchscreen with instructions so I don't have to look in huge manual. Automatic threader, cutter, lots of stitches, can download designs. Don't have to use footpedal.

Dislikes: Weighs a ton.

I haven't had a chance to embroider much and not much time to sew anymore. It came with digitizing software but I haven't figured it out yet.

[Ms.Doula]

Mine is a Singer Merritt 8734

I have NO CLUE what year it is... It was given to me when my grandmother passed away. (I was 14) So, I paid $0.00 for it. It was hers. I JUST used it for the firt time yesterday! I am a VIRGIN. LOL. and I made a Bib(?) LOL. It looks ok I guess. My other grandma was here trying to help me, learn a couple things. She said it was pretty good for a FIRST time! LOL.

I look forward to asking you all LOTTS of sewing questions! Hope Ya'll don't mind teaching a young mom how to sew!

[rubelin]

ooh, I love talking about my machines I've got my "collection" down to my favorite machines now, after over a year of buying and selling to find the right ones.

Type of Machine (Year) - 1961 Singer Slatn-O-Matic 503a (Rocketeer) This is my basic machine, for straight and zig-zag, though I have all the cams for the fancy stuff
Price Paid - nada - Grandma gave it to me in college, it had been in her closet since I was a baby
Likes - Reliable, very nice stitches, it's my grandma's
Dislikes - tension gets funny when the thread gets twisted, it's taken me years to figure out the problem and I haven't found a good answer to it yet.
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 9

Type of Machine (Year) - 1960 - something Singer 431G This is my fancy stitcher, German-made machine. Does all the cool stuff plus takes cams, has a great fold down long bed that comes off to make a free arm
Price Paid - $257 plus shipping (Ebay)
Likes - Great stitches, love the free arm
Dislikes - a little beat up cosmetically from previous owners, also does the funny tension thing
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 9

Type of Machine (Year) - 1969 Singer Golden Touch & Sew 750
Price Paid - $210 plus shipping (Ebay)
Likes - makes cool stitches (both built-in and w/ cams) has built-in basting stitch that I love
Dislikes - had a couple of worn out parts when I got it, so I've been working on repairing it for about 6 mo (on and off) I really want to get it running well again so I can use it!!
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 6

I also have a monogrammer nad a buttonholer that fit all my Singers.

Type of Machine (Year) - 1980-something Babylock BL3-418 My extra 3-thread overlock machine
Price Paid - $200 plus shipping (Ebay)
Likes - SUPER quiet, beautiful stitch quality, easy to use, holds tension perfectly.
Dislikes - no differential (but I mostly use it for finishing edges and it's great for that)
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 9

Type of Machine (Year) - 2001 Babylock Evolve, My fancy-schmancy overlock/coverstitch machine
Price Paid - $2200 with a bunch of accessories
Likes - great stitches, VERY easy to use, jet-air threading, a serious no-brainer machine
Dislikes - no top coverstitch looper
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 9


I really want an embroidery machine, but that will have to wait a few more years, I don;t have time for it now anyway

[stafl]

Hey Robin, I get that twisted thread problem with my Singer too, but only when I use cotton-wrapped polyester thread. If I use 100% cotton I don't have that problem at all.:

[rubelin]

Originally posted by stafl
Hey Robin, I get that twisted thread problem with my Singer too, but only when I use cotton-wrapped polyester thread. If I use 100% cotton I don't have that problem at all.:

Yeah, I get it the worst w/ Gutermann, a little less with Coats cotton wrapped poly. I've been thinking of switching to the nicer 100% cotton threads, but I still like using Gutermann for dipes and training pants (which I sew for my biz) and I have a lot to use up, so I just deal with it At least now that I know what is happening (the twist makes the thread jump right out of the tension disks) I can cathc it a lot better than I used to. It drove me MAD when I was sewing my wedding dress, as if I needed the extra stress, lol!

[rwikene]

ok, well I'm pathetic:

I have a cheapo brother machine from walmart, works good...didn't cost much $130? so it's good for a first timer like me.

there is no way that I'd get a machine if we had to pay $500+ for it, we just don't have that kind of money laying around. Plus, there is no way that I would ever recoup my costs on one. I just sew for DD and our small family for gifts and such, no big time stuff.

oh well...

[BelovedBird]

I have a late '80s Singer. We bought it used here- for over 1000 shekel (the shekel is 4.? to the dollar now).

I am a new sewer. I am learning by trying- so far I sewed two skirts and a vest.

-BelovedBird

[PatchyMama]

I have a cheapo brother machine from walmart, works good...didn't cost much $130? so it's good for a first timer like me.

Hey... thats where i got my singer! LOL.. i love it.. its a real work horse there is nothing wrong with having a good starter machine ! If I didnt do this for a business I would have been happy with just my singer ...

[LdyBluNH@aol]

i have the singer fashion mate too!!! right around the same age as yours - 78'ish

i've never met anyone that has it

but i dont use it - i'm keeing it for sentimental reasons and potential future use by my dd



as for what i do sew with...

i have a used viking 1+
it's supposed to tell me when i'm out of bobbin and doesnt and its heavy; otherwise does it does everything i ask of it

i have an elna 704dex serger that is AWESOME!!!


i have a singer i bought myself in '96 that i never used that i am (hopefully!!) selling!!! i don't need it with my viking and my dd has preschool this fall and we don't have any $ for it


i'm half-dreaming about two machines - one is the janome jem gold because it weighs 12 lbs and can go to classes/seminars easily; the other is the brother pq 1500 because i've heard such incredibly good things about it. not looking to actually buy either, just daydreaming.

[LdyBluNH@aol]

fyi - the local repair shop says never to use coat's thread

it used to be a good one but now they use short fibers for making it and it fuzzes up the machines horribly!!!

[panda]

I have a kenmore that I bought as is for $15 at a garage sale. I don't know the year, I'd guess 70's. It didn't work at all when I first started it up, but I replaced a few parts, oiled it up and ran it through scrap fabric for a long time. Now it works pretty well, though I'm still working out the tension adjustment. I should probably get it tuned up.

I don't sew very much. I want to make baby clothes, and I bought some patterns for layette items. I have little pants cut out and I may get my machine out tonight.

[Miss Kitty]

Singer Golden Touch & Sew 750

I learned to sew on that machine rubelin!!! I loved it, Mom still has it!

I have a Singer 9410 that I got on clearance when one of the fabric stores went out of business. I think it was $190 which was less than half price if I remember correctly.
I love the buttonhold feature. It is super easy.
It has all the fancy stitches which I rarely use. I use French seams to finish most things. (trick my mom taught me on the Touch & Sew)

The tension is very, very touchy. Tension has always been my nemesis.

[BonaDea]

Howdy,

Just a newbie cheking in.

Type of Machine (Year) - Bernett for Bernina Fun Loc 004D Serger (1995)
Price Paid (if you remember) - Wedding gift.
Likes - it will serge through almost anything. Works harder than the other sergers we know.
Dislikes - non
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 8-9

Type of Machine (Year) - White 1440 (I think) (1991)
Price Paid (if you remember) - $130 ? :
Likes - Sews though everything I've ever thrown at it.
Dislikes - It is tired. If I could buy this machine new again I would. It is on the loud side.
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 8

Type of Machine (Year) - Kenmore (vintage 60's?)
Price Paid (if you remember) - $40
Likes - nothing
Dislikes - too heavy, won't sew through think material without belt slipping. I need to part with it.
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 2

Type of Machine (Year) - Euro Pro Delux (5/2003)
Price Paid (if you remember) - $190
Likes - so far every thing. Still working on the learning curve with it. Like needle placement option.
Dislikes - Unable to open area where light is. And I don't like self threaders... yet. Not sure I like the laying down thread option or the top loading bobbin. And my quilting table doesn't fit it. Not a shocker since it was made for the White. Oh, it's biggest problem is that it isn't my White.
Rank (1-10) 10 being the best - 8-9

[PatchyMama]

Oh, it's biggest problem is that it isn't my White.

:LOL