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Posted by Phaedrine on November 12, 2006, 2:31 pm
> > Draperies and upholstery require a machine with excellent penetration,
> > enough room to get the bulk under the presser foot, and a presser foot
> > pressure adjustment. Ordinary belt drives will not generally suffice.
> > A geared belt drive or a gear drive is preferable for these kinds of
> > operations. I recommend that you take some very heavy fabrics with you
> > and try sewing a multilayer seam on the machines you're considering.
>
> thanks for help/advice alot of these low end machines do not have adjustable
> foot pressure, as you no doubt already know, only the higher cost have this
> feature. Do you know of any lower cost machines / Brands with adjustable
> foot pressure ?
I concur with Kate's recommendation on the 1008 Bernina. It's a very
popular machine for use in schools so it can take a lot of hard use as
long as you have it serviced & clean it regularly. My nearly 25 year
old 931 Bernina came with a special foot for thick items like jeans and
upholstery. And I've used that machine to make all of my drapes,
upholstery and many other heavy items as well as all my normal sewing &
quilting for the same time period. It's still going strong. If you can
find a 930 or 931 used from a reliable Bernina dealer who will guarantee
it is in good shape, I'd also recommend them. They are electronic, gear
driven and have excellent penetration power. But be sure it has the
needle up/down stop feature as that is essential for precision sewing
and not all 930/931s have that feature. However, even a used one will
generally cost over $700. So a new 1008 with a full 20 year warranty
seems like the better choice if you can swing it.
My Bernina 200e and Janome 6500 also have adjustable presser feet and
neither is the so-called "automatic" type. The Janome sews fast but it
does not have the penetration power of the 931 Bernie--- probably
because it is not gear driven. Newer Elnas have adjustable pressure too
I've heard.
--
I fear me you but warm the starved snake
Who, cherished in your breasts, will sting your hearts. (Henry VI,Shakespeare)
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