What don't you like about your sewing machine?

The one thing I don't like about my Husqvarna Designer1 is it doesn't have the 'bat out of hell' sewing speed that the old Singer straight stitch dressmaker machine had that I learned to sew on about 500 years ago.......I like to sew foot to the floor, full speed ahead.

Val

Erm, I can't think of anything really. The stitch designer is a bit hard to use but I think I need more time to figure it out.

It's a Brother NX-400.

Charlie.

I've got a 1475, too, and the buttonhole problem is notorious. It's not a machine that you can set the buttonhole and churn them out, but I understand it will do ok if you reset it for each buttonhole you do. The old "dino" page had buttonhole instructions for it, but it's a lost page now.

Ahh...Ann in Sarasota saved the instructions:

1475 Buttonholes

1. Program #150

2. push the + button under the ³0² of #150, as if you were bringing up #151

1. when you bring up #150+, you will see a square with

2 flashing bars appear on your display - one flashing at the top. the other at the bottom. these are indicators for you to 'tell' your sewing machine when to bartack.

1. Attach your buttonhole foot, making sure it is all the way forward.

2. Your fabric should be marked as to the length of desired buttonhole.

1. Start your buttonhole. When it has reached the length you want, press your 'tie off' button. It will do the first bartack and then proceed to stitch up the other side.

2. When you are at just about at your starting point, your s/m will slow down; when it has reached the top, press your tie-off button again, keep your foot on your ft control until s/m stops itself

1. You will notice on your display that the 'square' is no longer flashing. This buttonhole that you just completed is now temporarily stored in your memory.

2. Repeat the above procedure for each buttonhole, and each one will be perfect, If you are happy with the forward feeding, and it's just the reverse feeding that is giving you a problem, after you have done the first buttonhole, you can press the tie-off button one time; a flashing bar will appear on one end, indicating you only have to tell it to bartack at the finishing point.

Well, Miriam, I can understand your frustration. I own a few old Singer machines and I understand that others on this group have had a few problems with the very models I have; I've been rather happy with mine, though. I did have a Golden Touch and Sew, Model 778, and really disliked the buttonhole function. So I sold it and bought another Singer, a slant needle like the others, but a newer model that has more stitches that I like; it's a 9217, made around

1998? The buttonhole function on this machine is a dream. It has a special foot that you insert the button into, and a lever that you pull down, next to the needle clamp. Once you start the machine with the special foot, it moves forward to the lever and once it hits the lever, it backs up, doing the other side of the buttonhole. Really nice and no problems.

What I don't like about this machine is that it's noisy and it has one of those electronic foot pedals which seems to make it go slower. The noisy-ness has to do with plastic parts near the bed of the machine and probably inside, too. My other slant needle, a Touch and Sew, is much quieter because of its cast iron head. So when I have a sewing job, I have to decide which one I am going to use, based on how much time I have to sew.

It seems a shame your model can't do what it's supposed to. Maybe you might want to get it repaired? Or sell it like I did the one I didn't like and get something better?

like to sew foot to the floor, full speed ahead.

Another "metal to the pedal"er! I was told this had to do with the type of foot pedal; that the electronic ones are slower in the delivery but the stopping power is faster, and that the older machines and their "carbon contact" ones have more speed. Does anyone agree or disagree?

You're probably right, Beth. I know the electronic machines I have are much slower on the uptake than the mechanical ones, although they all seem to sew at pretty much the same speed.

I don't like my Viking Freesia not to work right now. My daughter tried to sew a patch on a blouse sleeve (uniform), and put the timing out. Grrrr.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I noticed this when the original pedal (a "carbon contact") to my 778 Singer was broken in transit back to me from a sewing repair shop--if you can imagine.... The guy that boxed it up didn't wrap it well, even though it got to him from me undamaged. I then had to buy an electronic pedal and noticed a tremendous difference in the way it sewed; as if the repair bill wasn't enough. At first I thought it was me, but your comment shows that I wasn't "crazy". "Slower on the uptake" is right on.

I have a Brother SuperGalaxie II 895. I don't like the fact that the computerised selection panel requires a replacement back-light after only 5 years.

I also don't like the very lightweight plastic type foot pedal. It moves further and further back and around all the time. I have tried velcro (but this damaged the carpet), and I have tried those new composition pads that are supposed to hold things in place. It didn't work either! One can hardly nail the thing to the floor!

Whatever happened to the sturdy really strong metal food pedals that came with earlier models? They stayed put ALL the time.

I would like to have a manual tension over-ride to cope with really difficult sewing projects. Some hope I guess.

Othewise I like the machine just fine.

Daisy.

Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.

What my grandfather did for my grandma was to mount the pedal to a piece of scrap lumber that was larger and heavier enough not to go wiggling all over the floor.

Rebecca

My Viking #1/1200 has a problem lining up the start and end of its big motifs. I should have got the 1100, which is the same machine without the Omnistitches.

Other than that it's perfect and I love it.

Sally

Have you tried a non-slip rubber door mat? That might work.

:) Trish

Daisy wrote: I also don't like the very lightweight plastic type foot pedal. It

If the floor under your sewing machine is carpet, glue a piece of velcro (the hook half) to the bottom of your foot pedal. Tacky cement or contact cement works fine. The velcro hooks will grab the carpet and no amount of kicking will dislodge or move the controller. If the floor is hardwood or tile or such, lay a section of bathtub mat on the floor to make a non-skid surface for the pedal. Wetting the suction cups of the mat will make it hold to the floor. Good luck.

Ray from Washington state, USA

When I rearranged my sewing room to accomodate my industrial machines I stashed a box of stuff under my machine for storage. It keeps that slippery little foot pedal from making it's exits. It's inexpensive, moveable, and doesn't damage carpet or (in my case) hardwood flooring.

Gail

I, too, want my machines to sew FASTER! This is one feature I so love about my industrial machines, but when I go back to my household machines, it's so like they're stuck in the mud. In fact, that's why I bought my industrial machines - for the speed!

Gail

Same here. When I was working for people who had only industrials I got used to sewing at top (and I do mean top) speed, about six times faster (or more) than home machines. Then when I had a chance to get a brand-new Singer 20U for a very good price I jumped at it. It has a speed of 2500 spm (as opposed to the typical household machine's 700-800 spm), and sews a nice, straight stitch. It wouldn't work for doll clothes, of course, and would be a waste for making anything tiny, but for doing home dec projects and gowns it's the best.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I'm replying to my own post to add that a true industrial machine, by contrast, sews at between 5,000-10,000 spm. The Singer 20U is not a true industrial, but rather what I call a commercial machine. True industrials do one thing only, and commercial machines like the 20U are more versatile. This one can be switched over to do zigzag stitch, a very wide 9mm one, and in fact, it's often used to do tackle twill work, and freehand embroidery.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I have a ~30 year old Montgomery Ward machine, & am *SO* happy with it! The only thing I wish it did better was buttonholes. I get a better result from manually setting the width/length of the stitch myself, than just using the buttonhole feature.

Kyla, I laughed so hard when I read your signature. Such a good one! I recently heard one that goes "Sometimes in life you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug".

LOL, glad you enjoyed it! :o)