If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by J.Lef on January 16, 2008, 3:46 pm
Hello:
Sorry for the intrusion, but I know absolutely nothing about
sewing(except what I learned in the marine corps), and my spouse has once
again got the urge this summer to dedicate it to sewing(Machine sewing).(she
has entire summer vacation)
She has tried this before, in previous decades, and has never been
happy with the machine, and they have all been given away.
There is a sewing store not too far away, that dedicates itself to
sewing and has group lessons all the time, including lessons on machines
purchased.
They sell mostly the viking/huskryvana line.
When looking online, I see a hesitance to discuss prices and
details, and see that you cannot mail order a viking.
I need some help(other then store salespeople) to steer me in the
general direction first.
She will not be sewing new clothing, (but mending I guess), but
looking to do other household projects. (slip covers, draperies, etc)
Now I asked her what she needs in a machine, and she said nothing too
fancy or expensive. I am looking to get away with less then seven hundred
dollars.
Some of her needs are(and sorry if they are meaningless)
zipperfoot, french seams, easy buttonholing, ability to work on heavy
fabric, such as adult denim(jeans), also light weight fabrics such as silk,
and spandex type materials.
What I want in a machine for her, is a machine thats easy to operate
and figure out.
She has always had problems with bobbin tensions, and always blames
it on machine. LOL
In other words, I need a machine that she will actually not get
frustrated with, and has some level of clearness and dependibility.
She will take initial lessons at the shop on use of the machine.
Sorry if I am confusing, but I am out of my league with sewing
machines.
I researched on the net, but the specifics on the various vikings and
huskystars are confusing to me.
Please help a guy out, and any input would be appreciated
Much regards Jerry
|
|
Posted by Juno on January 16, 2008, 4:22 pm
J.Lef wrote:
> Hello:
> Sorry for the intrusion, but I know absolutely nothing about
> sewing(except what I learned in the marine corps), and my spouse has once
> again got the urge this summer to dedicate it to sewing(Machine sewing).(she
> has entire summer vacation)
> She has tried this before, in previous decades, and has never been
> happy with the machine, and they have all been given away.
> There is a sewing store not too far away, that dedicates itself to
> sewing and has group lessons all the time, including lessons on machines
> purchased.
> They sell mostly the viking/huskryvana line.
> When looking online, I see a hesitance to discuss prices and
> details, and see that you cannot mail order a viking.
> I need some help(other then store salespeople) to steer me in the
> general direction first.
> She will not be sewing new clothing, (but mending I guess), but
> looking to do other household projects. (slip covers, draperies, etc)
> Now I asked her what she needs in a machine, and she said nothing too
> fancy or expensive. I am looking to get away with less then seven hundred
> dollars.
> Some of her needs are(and sorry if they are meaningless)
> zipperfoot, french seams, easy buttonholing, ability to work on heavy
> fabric, such as adult denim(jeans), also light weight fabrics such as silk,
> and spandex type materials.
> What I want in a machine for her, is a machine thats easy to operate
> and figure out.
> She has always had problems with bobbin tensions, and always blames
> it on machine. LOL
> In other words, I need a machine that she will actually not get
> frustrated with, and has some level of clearness and dependibility.
> She will take initial lessons at the shop on use of the machine.
> Sorry if I am confusing, but I am out of my league with sewing
> machines.
> I researched on the net, but the specifics on the various vikings and
> huskystars are confusing to me.
> Please help a guy out, and any input would be appreciated
>
> Much regards Jerry
>
>
Okay, Jerry, Here's a the place to start. This was written by several of
us who post here.http://www.cet.com/~pennys/faq/smfaq.htm
I have a small mechanical viking and love it. It doesn't mean your wife
will love it but it's dependable and will probably last me many years.
Most viking owners love their machines. Having said that,I still
strongly recommend that you read the FAQ we have written.
Juno
|
|
Posted by Kate XXXXXX on January 16, 2008, 6:50 pm
Hi there and welcome. J.Lef wrote:
> Hello:
> Sorry for the intrusion, but I know absolutely nothing about
> sewing(except what I learned in the marine corps), and my spouse has once
> again got the urge this summer to dedicate it to sewing(Machine sewing).(she
> has entire summer vacation)
> She has tried this before, in previous decades, and has never been
> happy with the machine, and they have all been given away.
> There is a sewing store not too far away, that dedicates itself to
> sewing and has group lessons all the time, including lessons on machines
> purchased.
> They sell mostly the viking/huskryvana line.
> When looking online, I see a hesitance to discuss prices and
> details, and see that you cannot mail order a viking.
> I need some help(other then store salespeople) to steer me in the
> general direction first.
> She will not be sewing new clothing, (but mending I guess), but
> looking to do other household projects. (slip covers, draperies, etc)
> Now I asked her what she needs in a machine, and she said nothing too
> fancy or expensive. I am looking to get away with less then seven hundred
> dollars.
> Some of her needs are(and sorry if they are meaningless)
> zipperfoot, french seams, easy buttonholing, ability to work on heavy
> fabric, such as adult denim(jeans), also light weight fabrics such as silk,
> and spandex type materials.
> What I want in a machine for her, is a machine thats easy to operate
> and figure out.
> She has always had problems with bobbin tensions, and always blames
> it on machine. LOL
> In other words, I need a machine that she will actually not get
> frustrated with, and has some level of clearness and dependibility.
> She will take initial lessons at the shop on use of the machine.
> Sorry if I am confusing, but I am out of my league with sewing
> machines.
> I researched on the net, but the specifics on the various vikings and
> huskystars are confusing to me.
> Please help a guy out, and any input would be appreciated
>
> Much regards Jerry
>
>
You have come to the right place, as we bandy those odd terms about here
all the time! And we swap reviews of our beloved machines...
Now, I'll admit from the off to being a very keen Husqvarna user. I sew
professionally, making gowns and costumes, and I sew fabrics from
whisper fine silk chiffon to denim, spandex swimsuit fabric to Polattec
Windbloc and beyond... My Husqvarna Lily has coped well with all this
and more since October 1999.
To have ONE machine that copes with all these different fabrics requires
a certain degree of power (for the heavy stuff!) coupled with a light
and delicate touch. What you need for that is to find a machine with a
good motor and an adjustable foot presser pressure. You should find
something within your price range with those essential qualities.
Husqvarna will certainly do that. So will other makes. If she doesn't
need a whole slew of fancy stitches, she may also like to look at the
Bernina 1008. The IMPORTANT thing is that not only does the machine
handle all the stitches, but also SHE likes the machine! Buy it for her
by all means, but don't buy it before she tests them all thoroughly and
chooses the one SHE likes.
The other thing she might like to consider is a serger or overlocker:
this makes the kind of tidy seam you get on T shirts, wimsuits, and the
like, and is great for stretch fabrics, piled fabrics, ravelly fabrics,
and almost all others!
Take her to test a few machines, and come back and ask about specific
ones you like.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
|
|
Posted by Kay Lancaster on January 16, 2008, 10:42 pm
> She will not be sewing new clothing, (but mending I guess), but
> looking to do other household projects. (slip covers, draperies, etc)
> Now I asked her what she needs in a machine, and she said nothing too
> fancy or expensive. I am looking to get away with less then seven hundred
> dollars.
You should be able to get a very nice Viking electronic for about that that
will do most of those things.
> Some of her needs are(and sorry if they are meaningless)
> zipperfoot, french seams, easy buttonholing, ability to work on heavy
> fabric, such as adult denim(jeans), also light weight fabrics such as silk,
> and spandex type materials.
Yup, my almost bottom-of-the-electronic-machines Viking can do all of
those easily and well.
> What I want in a machine for her, is a machine thats easy to operate
> and figure out.
> She has always had problems with bobbin tensions, and always blames
> it on machine. LOL
Here come the warning sirens!!
Unless those machines were rescued clunkers that hadn't been cleaned and
oiled in the last 40 years or so, or sold in boxes from the back of a
truck, I suspect an operator error problem. It's pretty rare for a
"regular user" to have to adjust bobbin tension unless you're switching
back and forth from running very thin or very thick threads in the bobbin.
However, there are a number of problems with other parts of a machine that
can make people think the bobbin tension's is out of whack, including
threads too heavy for the machine (home machines don't like heavy upholstery
thread!), wrong size or type of needles for a project, and a machine
in need of a thorough cleaning.
Other easy to screw up machine adjustments include threading with the
presser foot down so the thread doesn't enter the top tension and you get
loopies on the bottom of your seam, or the needle's in backwards (skipped
stitches if it'll sew at all), or the bobbin's in backwards, or the bobbin
thread isn't in the tension, or the tension is dirty (don't use linty thread!),
or you're sewing over lumps in the fabric (like jeans side seams) or..or..or...
All that said, I've never had someone who has used my machine swear at it
or have trouble with it that wasn't immediately attributable to major
user error.
The bobbins drop into the bobbin case and only go in one way (they're not
symmetrical). The stitches and stitch adjustments are clearly displayed
on the screen, and it tells you usual upper tension settings and what foot
to use with what stitch. The sewing hook is terribly hard to jam... I've
managed it once with a piece of chiffon, but that's my own foolishness.
The feet snap on easily and securely. It doesn't need oiling by the user.
It's pretty easy to clean out the bobbin area and under the needleplate.
It's happy with just about any thread, but the good stuff is better for
the machine. The new Vikings I've tried (mine's now
about 10 years old) are just about as bombproof. Nevertheless, you can
make it sew badly if you work at it (dull needle, really bad thread,
needle in wrong way, improper seam starting).
And I say that as someone who has sewn on some difficult machines over the
years... one that used to spit the bobbins into my lap, one that was made
of such poor metal it couldn't stay in time, one that went casters up
after a year (yes, it was a cheapie). I've also sewn on machines that
had to be coddled, cleaned every 10 minutes, and some that just plain
seemed possessed, like the one with faulty pedal contacts that sewed on its
own now and then. <g>
Suggested reading for you two, beyond the faq already posted:
Carol Ahles. Fine Machine Sewing. Taunton Press. Pay special attention to
the first few chapters on how choice of needle, thread and fabric all interact
with machine adjustments, and to the last chapter or two on selecting a
machine. (This book is commonly available in public libraries -- any
edition will do just fine for your purposes.)
Viking is a good brand, but there are others that are as good. If Viking's
don't "fit", keep looking. But a little user education beyond "this is
how you wind the bobbin", "this is how you thread the top", "this is how
you change the needle" sounds like it might be in order here.
Oh, most of the "better brands" with captive dealers do not advertise prices
nor can they tell you on the phone -- contractual issue with the manufacturer.
Nevertheless, it sounds like you're more likely to need dealer support, at
least at the beginning, and it's best to "buy a good dealer" as well as
a machine.
More reading:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/333j5z which is: http://sewing.about.com/od/sew
ingmachineindex/SEwing_Machine_Information_and_Buying_Advice.htm
<http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa102100a.htm>
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17206792 (some photos I
took comparing various sizes of needles and point types, as well as
a fair look at the anatomy of sewing machine needles)-- useful for understanding
how needles affect sewing results.
Also try checking reviews places like
<http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingMachine/Reviews>
Good luck!
Kay, who's thinking about putting up a web page with photos of what happens
with maladjusted or misthreaded machines and what caused each problem.
|
|
Posted by J.Lef on January 17, 2008, 9:00 am
" Wow, thanks Gals for all the help and the time you spent in
answering my questions. I have read a lot since yesterday, and next week I
will go down to the sewing store and do a little advanced looking, and
narrow it down to a few machines.
Then I will ask the group, their opinions of these machines,
and then I will bring the better half, to do a hands on experience on those
machines you dont rule out.
I think this time, I will stay on for a lesson, so if
adjustments need to be made, I will know first hand on how to do it.
An ex marine, taking sewing machine lessons. I just didnt
see this coming. LOL
But my grandfather was a tailor in nyc, and was a hand and machine tailor,
making the one of a kind dresses for modeling, so maybee its in my blood. :)
Hes gone over 30 years now, but I remember going to work with him once or
twice when I was about 10 years old, and all I remember was this big
factory, and him by himself sewing.
I guess it was on a sunday , when factory was shut down, but
they needed him to do some fine things for them. He was semi retired all
ready by them.
Much regards
|
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 > last >>
| Similar Threads | Posted | | half-moon windows | July 28, 2006, 9:59 pm |
| Canvas half-life? | September 26, 2006, 7:56 am |
| cutting curtains in half & I just cant do the math!!!! Help Please!!! | November 30, 2008, 4:47 pm |
| Half slip waistband / lingerie elastic / mystery stitch | July 18, 2006, 5:16 pm |
| Machine Embroidery - Free Hand or Totally By Machine? | January 1, 2006, 10:26 pm |
| Machine happy dance; let no one say machine snobbery is alive and well... | August 25, 2006, 12:49 pm |
| Why isn't there a compromise between a long arm machine and a traditional machine??? | September 3, 2005, 11:46 pm |
| Need a manual for this machine! not sure what the machine is though... | April 19, 2008, 1:54 pm |
| Re: Need a manual for this machine! not sure what the machine is though... | April 20, 2008, 1:11 am |
| which machine | February 6, 2006, 5:27 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap