New sewing maching purchase for daughter

gary · 2005-04-12T20:33:36+00:00

Hello all,My daughter (13yo) has been saving up for a sewing machine and we are going to match it for her birthday in 2 weeks. Her budget is then about $600US. She is very talented and has been sewing on an older (dilapidated)machine for years. She takes sewing lessons and is becoming quite advanced. I am a guy - sorry I don't know all the terms and stitches she talks about. She want to get her degree in design when she is off to school so she takes her sewing seriously and I want to encourage her in this endeavor.What should we look at for brands and models in this price range? We may go higher$ as she is prepared to hold off on her purchase until there are sales - sales which she says happen every so often and the savings are quite significant.Any advice on a sewing machine purchase would be greatly appreciated because her father - me - doesn't know much (I have learned the difference between a surger and a sewing machine though), and her mother is not domesticated in that area.TIAGary :-)

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Charlotte 21 years ago

Kate Dicey wrote:

The surgeon who removed my wisdom teeth kept me relaxed and comfortable in his chair by describing to me his collection of really antique sewing machines. He said he doesn't sew on them but considers them to be second to the steam engine in changing how the modern world lives. Plus, he says, "they're nifty little machines".

He told me about lots of wild features that the early machines had. I remember being amazed, but now I can't remember much about the whole procedure. He is a very good surgeon!!!

-Charlotte

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twillmon 21 years ago

On 2005-04-13 425d0368$0$5597$ snipped-for-privacy@news.optusnet.com.au said: >Newsgroups: alt.sewing >Viviane wrote: >> OK Kate, I give up. What is CBA? I know it's going to be the >>bleeding obvious when I find out, but right now it has me stumped. >Can't Be Arsed! ;) Huh? I'm still bewildered. That one didn't cross the pond at all well. Can you render it in American please?

Tom Willmon Mountainair, (mid) New Mexico, USA

Ya sai it won't fit? Blimey, Alf, get a bigger 'ammer!

Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered

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Kay Lancaster 21 years ago

Here's what I consider non-negotiable for me:

1) presser foot pressure can be changed (cheapies often can't be adjusted) 2) very good to excellent stitch quality, at least for the stitches I use most (straight, zigzag, three-step zigzag, buttonholes) -- (I could care less about how a row of duckies stitches out ), and a good selection of stitch lengths. 3) controls in the right place for me. Berninas are great machines, but I'm forever feeling all thumbs with them -- the controls just don't work intuitively for me. 4) reasonably priced accessory feet. Generic feet are ok, but the ones made for the machine usually give the best results. Some brands charge $ for their extra feet. Some charge $$$!!!. 5) a motor that doesn't stall, and is easy to control. The electronic or computerized machines have it over the electric mechanicals in that respect, imo. 6) tensions and timing that don't go wonky every fifteen seconds.

Really nice to have, in my opinion:

-- selectable needle positions-- preferably more than 3

-- needle up/down control

-- fairly high speed sewing available

-- "oilless" bearings (usually sintered metal or high quality engineering plastics)

Yes, she's the one who should be looking for a new machine. I second the notion of looking at good used machines -- there can be some real bargains found.

Just to muddy the waters further, if she's got a functional sewing machine that's ok for the basics, she might want to look at sergers. With luck, she could pick up a pretty good used or new basic serger and a pretty good used sewing machine for her $600...

Kay

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Ian 21 years ago

can't be bothered (to shift my 'posterior')

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Pogonip 21 years ago

Ron Anderson has posted that several times. He has had people bring them in for repairs, and been frustrated by not being able to get parts for them.

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gary 21 years ago

Thank you for the in-depth post!

Gary PS My daughter is reading all of this and getting so excited, this morning she said she can't wait for a sale. My wife says she can. LOL

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gary 21 years ago

Thanks!!!

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gary 21 years ago

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dnmgiordano 21 years ago

Let her know she is welcome here! I find it very family friendly, no swears or yucky stuff (excluding spam)

Michelle Giordano

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Melinda Meahan - take out TRAS 21 years ago

A former neighbor of mine (who passed away 10 years ago) used to sell sewing machines and said that the biggest purchase times and therefore the biggest sales were Christmas and Mother's Day (believe it or not). So maybe a good sale is coming soon.

I was sewing in earnest at age 13, having gone through three years of home ec sewing classes and not learning much, but when I started to make the same pattern more than once in a row, I could learn from my mistakes and start really learning instead of just going through the motions.

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Kate Dicey 21 years ago

I have two button hole makers and a device for pinking that work on my treadle and hand crank Singers...

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CNYstitcher 21 years ago

see what happenes when you can't get to newsgroups until odd hours of the day?? (like when you haven't finished your first cup of coffee, or when you've been up too long)

L, who will do some hunt> CNYstitcher wrote:

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CNYstitcher 21 years ago

yeppers....really onlu bought it for the buttonholer and the decorative stitches, *not* really planning on it being my primary machine because my Kenmore is a wonderful workhorse...just have to get it in for a cleaning and tuneup...hasn't had any attention in the entire time I've had it (18 years).

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She who would like to be obeyed > In article , CNYstitcher of Road

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She who would like to be obeye 21 years ago

In article , Kate Dicey of Customer of PlusNet plc

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uttered>>I have two button hole makers and a device for pinking that work on my >treadle and hand crank Singers...>

I have a variety of buttonholers, rufflers etc (no pinker, so if you come across another ...?). They also work on my modern Janome and brother (hence previous comment about going for a basic low-shank, not a manufacturer-specific daft-shaped one).

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Viviane 21 years ago

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Seeker 21 years ago

Am I mistaken, or is there only one machine to have this feature (Bernina?)? I think this would be a tremendous feature. Is there a patent for it? If so, can't wait until it expires. Oh, forgot - I don't buy new machines. I may have had to retire the sewing by then. (Sigh.)

Sharon

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Seeker 21 years ago

Now I'm really curious. What does a pinker do? Is it self-explanatory? How does it look? Sharon

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Kate Dicey 21 years ago

It pinks! :) Like pinking sheers, only continuously.

It's on my web site, on the gadgets page... Hit the URL below:

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Angrie.Woman 21 years ago

Well, how cool is that? Where did you find that pinking foot?

My Mom has a few of those keyhole buttonhole doodads you've got there. I don't think I have ever seen her use them. I'll try to remember to check with her about possibly giving them up. She probably won't, as she is a packrat like me, but I'll ask. :)

Do you use your hand crank and treadle machines? I have one that was my great-great-grandmothers, but I have never used it. She did though, well into her 90's when she died in the 70's. I guess she never saw any need for a newfangled electric machine.

Angela

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Kate Dicey 21 years ago

It was sent to me from the USA. I swapped it for some William Morris Liberty type prints for patchwork.

Worst she can say is 'no', and you'll be no worse off than you are now! ;) She might just say yes...

Yes, I use the machines. The Spinning Jenny was the first I bought, back in '76. I have made so much stuff on that machine over the years... I used the 1909 Mrs Jones just a week or two back to piece a quilt for one of my cats. I did a pile of Christmas stockings on the treadle... I've also made a jacket on it. Need to do a quilt for the lady who gave it to me.

I also use the Featherweight, and used my Elna Lotus to make some trousers for a customer yesterday, and fix a pair for a friend today.

I need to get my Cub 8 fixed and back in working order...

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