I just got back from the Bernina Dealer where I have dropped off my favorite Bernina 1008 Mechanical, which I converted to Treadle use. The reason I dropped it off, is that I managed to botch up the innards trying to complete some bags for my wife's charity auction. I got most of them complete, about 10, but the last one caused me to make a grand boo-boo of the innards on my favorite machine. It is going to be fixed but I think my career as a "Bag Man", so to speak, has come to a crashing halt. It seems that to accomplish what I was trying to do with my simple little Bernina should be done on a double walking foot industrial machine. This is a machine that has a walking foot on the top and bottom of the item being sewn and the needle travels back and forth along with the feet so as to remain in alignment with all those layers of canvas and cotton drill and batting. This sort of machine is rather dedicated and special purpose and something that is just not on the acquisition list anywhere that I can find it. I think there are too many zeros in front of the decimal point in the price tag, for me to get that serious about making bags at this stage of my life. So there you have it. Now all 10 of those bags are now rare collectors items, and should be worth untold amounts of money due to my premature withdrawal from the purse making industry. Or at least one would hope that would be the case. Possibly they will just become nice purses that somebody will enjoy and that is satisfaction enough for me. Now if my poor little Bernina 1008 will forgive me, I promise to never do that to her again. John John
No, they were layers of canvas/batting/quilted pattern/cotton drill,doubled. and cotton drill liner. They just barely fit under the pressure foot, when raised, and when the foot was lowered the lever at the rear of the machine did not really make much movement, downward. Suffice to say, it was a bit much, but while treadling slowly I could just manage it. But the potential for disaster was lurking there all the time and finally came to pass. The poor bobbin couldn't take it any more and gave up the ghost. Pierced through the heart with a #16 needle. Even walking it over the worst of it with the handwheel was problematical. I can understand how a compound walking foot would be to my advantage, it is just that my pocket book just doesn't accept the argument, nor does my wife. John
I have been on the lookout for one from all the usual sources, but so far no luck. I did find a 31-15 but it came with a motor and stand, and they wouldn't sell just the head. John
John, my Juki TL98q can handle stuff like this with no probleml; it can apply over 10lbs of pressure on the foot. In fact the walking foot that comes with this machine is a monster, truly 'industrial strength' as Juki publices this machine to be a 'home industrial.' Best part is there are not a lot of '0's' in the price. It is straight stitch only, so may be something to consider unless you need a machine with zig zag capabilities. I would hate to see you out of the bag business :)
I'm working out some ideas on the assembly. Changing some of the ways that they are put together. I have graded the seams and other things that lessen the overall thickness, of the seam area. My problem was I wanted to use really nice heavy weight cotton drill and cotton/canvas for the strap, with a padded center of the strap. When you start layering all of those things together and then fold them into a strong weight-baring seam, it does present a height problem to get under that pressure foot. Not impossible, but certainly troublesome. Anyway. Research continues, and that is half the fun of this whole thing. I was fortunate in that I had another Bernina 1008 as a spare, and I threw it into the breach and so was able to finish the project. I even have another Bernina 1008, a new one, that is used for making clothes. My thought is that you can never have too many Bernina 1008 mechanicals. Or enough of whatever is your machine of choice. John
So sorry to hear that! We all have made mistakes. When I was first learning to sew, I took my machine in because it just wasn't stitching correctly - very uneven and the thread was all gunged up as it sewed. When I went to pick it up from the repair place, I was informed I had the needle backwards.
John, at least you have something to show for your damage. I injured the innards of my Janome 5700 horribly by accidentally using a Singer bobbin. Ouch. I was sewing along (jerkily) and BANG, the bobbin yanked up so hard that it yanked the needle down and bent it inside the feed dogs. I cut the piece I was quilting away. Total loss. I took it to the shop and was lectured rudely about never using the wrong bobbin again. Cost? $150 for fixing the machine -- including a new bobbin race cuz I totally broke the old one, $15 that I'd invested in what I was quilting that was ruined beyond belief, priceless humiliation.
I know you love Bernina machines, but I think Irene is quite right that a Juki TL98q would handle your bags with ease. My new Janome 6600 probably could, but the Juki would do it without breaking a sweat. Perhaps not as elegant as a Bernina, but consider the humble mule and the work it can do that would destroy an aristocratic thoroughbred.
I know that the machines like the Juki and Janome 1600 are good machines for quilting. I have had a Janome 1600 for a couple of years. So I know what they can do. But In my talking to a number of Industrial machine vendors, I have had my eyes opened as to their limitations. There are Industrial machines and then there are Industrial machines. By that I mean that some industrial machines are meant for tailoring and clothing construction and sew at incredibly fast speed. Like 5550 stitches per minute. That same machine is also offered as a medium and heavyweight upholstery machine and and it sews at about 4000 stitches per minute. They are both the same machine but the gearing and feed dogs are completely different as is the purpose of the machine. I talked to 5 different vendors and each one, independently thought that for the purpose I was wanting a machine, I would be best served by acquiring a compound walking foot machine. That is not to say that I could not do the bags using my janome 1600, but if I wanted to do the job with faultless and trouble free precision, and at a faster than snails pace, that would be the best machine for the purpose. I have tried to do these bags, and similar types of projects, with the Janome 1600, and have come up against the same problems that have plagued the Bernina. The thickness of fabric I am confronting, will bend the needle if you are not careful and cause all sorts of mayhem in the bobbin, and that is using the most cautious and careful sewing speed that can be used. With the compound walking foot machine, not only does the walking foot move the fabric in sync with the feed dogs, but the needle itself moves forward toward the person sewing, as the walking foot grabs the fabric. It plunges into the fabric,and then moves to the rear of the machine along with the fabric, until it reaches the end of the cycle and the comes up to the top of it's arc and moves forward to repeat the cycle. All this can be done at speed, without regard to being careful not to overburden the sewing machine. It is built to do just that. This is why I think it is the "Best" solution to this particular sewing requirement. Could I use a Juki, Janome or Brother straight stitch. Of course. I used the Bernina for a large batch of work of this nature without to much of an effort on my part, other than a slow and careful pace, until I tempted fate one to many times. I even caused a similar problem with The Janome 1600 and bent the needle, both a #16 Jeans needle, and #18 Needle. So you see I am well aware of the potential for the limits of those types of machines. They are really not suited to they type of usage I was subjecting them to. I think that by restricting the type of fabrics I use on these bags, and careful use of the machine, either the Bernina, or the Janome, will allow me to continue making some form of these bags and other similar projects. I just won't be able to do it with the speed and ease of use as I might have I I could spring for one of the compound WF machines. Sadly, that is not in my budget for a hobby purchase at this time. If I was going into production on a commercial basis, then of course , I would spring for one, as it would mean the difference between making money or making lots of bent needles, and my machine repairman rich. While the Domestic, High Speed machines like the Janome, Juki, and Brother are wonderful machines. They really are not in the same league as a dedicated purpose industrial machine. At least as far a bag construction is concerned. That is just my, and every one of the 5 vendors opinion. Yours of course might be different, and that is what makes the world go round. But if you think about it, why would they go to the trouble to make all those commercial machines if a high speed domestic machine would do just as well? Something to think about. John
John, What about the machine that is sold to boat owners/people for the repair of sails? I can't remember the name right now, but it wasn't real expensive, came in a "portable case" and could be carried on board the sailing vessel.
Yea. I think it was called Sailrite. It had a couple of versions that sell for between 6-$700. One is as walking foot machine, as that would be certainly needed for sewing dacron sails. I have actually used on and they are really kind of clunky. But might do for occasional use. John
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