How Important is a Really Big Maximum Stitch Width?

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A loaner? From a friend, or the repair shop? If the shop, please hand me the smelling salts. ;-)

G'day Phae

This is one of the first features I look for when buying a new machine. I make all my own lingerie, as well as for gifts, and like to use 6mm elastic on the leg openings, so a 7mm zigzag means the elastic isn't being punctured by the needle and therefore lasts much longer.

This wider stitch width also means the blind hem stitch gets more fabric on thick fabrics and holds much better....eg polar fleece.

I have been known to bypass a machine 'only' because the max stitch width was 5mm.

Hope this helps? Really depends on the type of sewing you will be doing.

Br> Since my Bernina 931 is still in the shop awaiting a power board repair

Oh, I never thought about making lingerie. Yeah, I have something new to work on now.

Lingerie is fun to make......in a short while you have a great looking item and so much cheaper than RTW.

I use, and recommend, the Kwik Sew book called Making Beautiful Lingerie. If you are buying coloured tricot/laces/ribbons/elastic etc make sure you can get all the same colour when buying as more often than not another store won't have the same colours. That's what I've found anyway. Soon, I'm about to dye some to see how they work out, but from what I've read they are very successful.

Makes you feel good to know you are wearing nice lingerie, even if nobody else knows! LOL

Br> Oh, I never thought about making lingerie. Yeah, I have something new to

Yes, from the shop... a Bernina dealer and quilt shop. No charge for the loaner either. Of course, they've had my 931 for a month now while waiting for Bernina in Chicago to repair and return my power board.

Phae

I've been sewing lingerie including period corsets for many years with my Bernina that has only a 4 mm stitch width. I never missed a wider stitch before because I never had it! So that's nice to know about the elastic though I always encase mine because it often gives me a rash. But that is exactly what I was looking for---> what I might be able to do with such a wide stitch that I can't do now or would not be able to do with an Aurora 440 QE at a 5.5 mm width.

So what kinds of machines have those wider stitch widths? I feel so out of touch now.

There are few things I have not sewn and I'm a reasonably advanced stitcher. My focus is mainly clothing, wearable art, and quilting. Thanks for responding.

Phae

The Pfaff 7560 has a 9mm stitch I think, though I have only used the 7mm. Emily