update on new machine for spouse

if nobody here has information for you (either not having researched these machines or owning any of them), you might want to try

They have a section where different machines have been reviewed by members - you can look based on the manufacturer and model #...I used this to help me decide what serger I was going to get for Christmas.

Larisa

Much thanks Larisa. Its a good start in a good direction.

Much regards

Do ***NOT*** buy a Huskystar. It's a cheap machine with a Viking label slapped on it.

Is your wife not able to travel? If she is PLEASE get her out there looking at these. No one should get a new machine without having some input into which one it is -- after all who is going to use it, you or her?

-Irene

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Any ideas on the machines put forth?

Much regards Jerry

Thank you Irene for taking the time to respond. In previous posts to this, I stated that I was just doing a little advance looking for a very , very, busy spouse. I have a list of her needs and wants and a price range. I am just doing the required access of data and information, and narrowing it down to a few machines, that fit into her idea. The third week of February , when she is on holiday, I will drive her to the shop, where she will do her hands on, and hopefully make the decision. I am not so busy anymore, so I devote myself, to trying to find her time in her life. She is dedicating this summer, (she is on holiday this entire summer), to becomming proficient on a sewing machine, and doing a lot of jobs that have been neglected for awhile in our home. Such as draperies, slip covers, mending of a lot of denim, and whatever else she has in mind. Any suggestions on the three machines shown so far?

Much regards Jerry

I'm by no means as qualified to comment as some of the ladies here. My sewing is strictly as a hobby, largely for doll clothes, smaller versions of full sized garments. They can be quite intricate, given that we tend to dress our dolls in period costumes - my latest is to be an elaborate Edwardian bridal gown, complete with all the layers of undergarments.

I think what I would be asking, is this to be a start for what might become semi-professional, is she really just wanting to be able to say 'I can use a machine', is she likely to continue with it as a hobby.

Experience taught me one thing, look for a machine that has decent speed control, that will let your wife stitch nice and slowly if she needs.

I had an old Singer that had a very coarse foot control. I tried every way I know to get the machine to operate smoothly across the entire speed range, all to no avail. It was fine for nice straight seams, but anything fiddly, when I wanted to stitch nice and slowly, and I always found it used to have a tendency to race away too fast.

I upgraded to a Pfaff a while back, and I love it. It's computer controlled, with lots of built in stitches, and also excellent and very easy to use needle control functions, it also has superb speed control, which coupled with a half-speed button, allows me to stitch really slow, sort of down to one stitch a second. No, I don't normally stitch at that speed, but it goes at *my* speed, not *its* speed. Does everything I want of it, and in the end, that's the bottom line of the equation.

I know some posters here are a little skeptical about computer controlled machines, and I can understand why, given that they are probably using their machines far more than me, but it's worked without any problems for about three years now - and if that ain't tempting fate, then I don't know what is!

One or two other things I'd be looking for, I can select so the needle either stays in the work if I just lift my foot and stop stitching, or it can be set to lift clear of the work when I stop. I find that quite useful. It also can be set to 'lock off' the stitching, by taking two or three stitches forward, two or three back then continuing forward again. Works at start and finish of the stitching. I'm guessing others will have the same functions. Like I say, they're things I like and use a great deal.

And obviously you didn't notice I tried to be polite in my question.

I've been on this group for several years and I'm very sorry but no I have not been able to follow this thread because my computer crashed before Thanksgiving and I've just recently been able to get back onto newsgroups, steadily, just this week as the router died just as I got my new computer running.

However haveing sewed since I was 6, and now am 55, I felt your wife should have some input into the machine she is going to use. Sorry for trying to help.

-Irene

Miss Irene: I too am 55, and sent you a very polite response to your email, and asked you for further assistance if you had anything to tell me. Please do not take anything personally. Perhaps you should reread my last response to you please, and If in any way you feel offended by my response to you, I do apologize. BELOW, please find another copy of my response towards you.

Much regards Jerry

-Irene

Thank you Irene for taking the time to respond. In previous posts to this, I stated that I was just doing a little advance looking for a very , very, busy spouse. I have a list of her needs and wants and a price range. I am just doing the required access of data and information, and narrowing it down to a few machines, that fit into her idea. The third week of February , when she is on holiday, I will drive her to the shop, where she will do her hands on, and hopefully make the decision. I am not so busy anymore, so I devote myself, to trying to find her time in her life. She is dedicating this summer, (she is on holiday this entire summer), to becomming proficient on a sewing machine, and doing a lot of jobs that have been neglected for awhile in our home. Such as draperies, slip covers, mending of a lot of denim, and whatever else she has in mind. Any suggestions on the three machines shown so far?

Much regards Jerry

Irene, you have mixed up the attributions, the person who posted the bit you quoted above was "The Wanderer" AKA Richard, not the OP "J.Lef". Jerry was quite polite, IMHO.

Part of the problem is that Jerry started a new thread, his original request had the subject line "Looking for machine for better half" and that's where a lot of additional information was provided.

Beverly

That was a fairly good-humoured comment from me. I'm sorry that you've chosen to be so defensive.

If you want to vent your ire, make sure it's at the right person, the comment you quoted was from me, not the OP. The first post from you was excusable. That closing shot wasn't.

Have I understood what the other person is saying? Have I said what I mean? Have I meant what I said?

I sometimes find it helpful to read and think about what I've written before I hit the send button.

If nothing else, I quite often spot my typos that way. :-)

Two years ago for my 50th birthday, I bought myself a new sewing machine. I bought a Bernette, the Bernina second tier. There were 4 machines and I bought second from the best.

I looked at the Janome's and they were noisy - not a good sign to me.

My two criteria were one-step buttonhole maker and that the machine did not bunch up the thread underneath when using the zig-zag stitch.

The "new-fangled" items on the machine were: needle threader - it's cool, governor for stitching slowly, 1/4" foot - for quilting. Don't do much of that, but every now and then it's fun to make a small quilt-block project.

One of my friends has a Baby-Lock machine and is quite pleased with it.

By all means take the sewer along with you. More money does not make a more efficient machine. Good luck

Janice

J.Lef wrote:

I am a big fan of the Husqvarna Viking line and have three of their top of the line sewing machines (one from the early 80s, the two others much more recent, which also do embroidery) and I also have a Viking 936 serger. One of my primary reasons for going with Viking is there is a local dealer who is very supportive an offers technical help, classes, etc. The manager is very tuned into user support and maintains a wonderful web site and email list which she regularly sends out notices for classes, specials, etc.

We have a Pfaff dealer locally also, and I looked into their machines as well.

The Vikings were a better 'fit' for me in terms of feel, whether or not the machine is intuitive, does it handle what type of sewing I wanted to do, the quality of the machine, could I do the routine maintenance, the options available in terms of add-ons (feet, embroidery designs, etc), as well as the training and classes available. And of course service...I wanted to pick up the phone or be able to take my machine to a local dealer and have them help me if I had a problem.

This is why I am encouraging your wife to try them out and talk to the salespeople at the dealerships, especially if she has never sewed before, prior to the sale.

-Irene