Sewing Machine Suggestions

This will make you just scream. I bought a Bernina from a lady in Washington State. When I asked why she was selling her beautiful new Bernina - she replied that she made tutus for horses and the Bernina couldn't do a zigzag wide enough to cover the elastic. She even sent me pictures of her horses in their Nutcracker Suite costumes. So. Something to consider. If you are going to make tutus, you will want to consider a SM model that does a wider than standard zigzag. Want to see the pictures? Polly

Yes. This might just beat the cow frock and my pod things.

Tutus for horses? Well, I shouldn't laugh. I made 25 santa suits for the shelter dogs to wear inthe Christmas parade last year.

Sherry

Polly, was that Bernina one of the ones with the "standard" feed dogs or the wider ones? If I remember correctly the Berninas with the wide feed dogs can do zigzags as wide as anyone could imagine, since they can be programmed differently from what we can do with the narrower/standard ones. :) Since I'm not making tutus for anyone -- much less for horses

-- this isn't a consideration for me. ;)

Yes, I definitely want to see those pics! LOL!

Too funny...LOL. but as it turns out the Pfaff makes a wide enough zigzag. The current Pfaff I have does great, but it's getting old, and I want something new that will last a while. Does no one have an opinion?

Jenn > This will make you just scream.

of you who own

I have a 7530, probably 8 years old and do love it. Don't make many garments, but it could. Quilting is my passion, so we've done lots and lots of piecing and a fair amount of machine applique. Handles everything nicely, including draperies, but not including tutus. Sorry I can't help with that one. joan p.s. The integrated dual feed mechanism is a life saver. Wouldn't sew without one.

I bought a "Quilt Expressions 2048" a couple of years ago, and am very pleased with it. It has a group of specialty stitches for quilting, a 9mm stitch width, several types of buttonholes and some build in fancy stitches. My previous Pfaff was getting on in years, but was used primarily for dressmaking/tailoring. Since I am "just a quilter" now, I only occasionally do any other type of sewing. I checked the specialty stitches on several models before choosing, and when I bought it, there was a special running that included the "quilters tool box" with the extension table and a few other goodies. I've been very happy with my choice - it does what I want and fitted my budget!

Sorry, Jenn. I certainly do have an opinion but I stepped aside when you added heavy duty fabrics to your needs list. I think nothing sews like a Bernina. I own 4 although there's usually one or two out visiting with kith and kin. The Bernina is quiet, does perfect stitching, the controls make gentle easy sense to me, has the BSR and the knee-lift. But - I could not recommend it for heavy duty. All of mine balk and cuss if I have to hem jeans, and sometimes I do have to. Polly

I have a 7530, probably 8 years old and do love it. Don't make many garments, but it could. Quilting is my passion, so we've done lots and lots of piecing and a fair amount of machine applique. Handles everything nicely, including draperies, but not including tutus. Sorry I can't help with that one. joan p.s. The integrated dual feed mechanism is a life saver. Wouldn't sew without one.

Sorry to hear that; ours (180E) does pretty well with my heavy stuff, but we do have to loosen up the stitch adjustments quite a bit and use appropriate needles. Penetrating thick fabrics - even some leather - or multiple layers of quilt fabric does just fine.

Doc

I'm very surprised that your Bernina doesn't cope with jeans hems. Mine will sail over them with no probem. I do use a hump jumper for abrupt changed in layers, such as going from just two layers to six. I have here a 10 YO Benina 1005, a couple of 40+ YO 707's that were hammered in several schools and a community center before coming to me, and a 30+ year old 807 with a similar history. Nel's Bernina also copes with stuff like this. We sewed silk curtains (dupion silk, cotton bump, curtainlining and curtain tape for the curtains, and lining silk, lining and Velcro for the swags), and it coped admirably.

That's my story and I am sticking to it. Never let it be suspected that I just plain don't Want to hem jeans or stitch window treatments. Shhhhhh. Polly

"Kate XXXXXX"

My 630 also handles heavy stuff quite nicely. Of course, I don't spread that around much, since I prefer regular quilting. ;)

Didn't say it wouldn't, just that I generally like the Pfaff better! Roberta in D