Vridar

Each sewer has little tricks they've acquired over time. I'm always interested in learning new ones and I'd hope others are also. I'd like to start a thread where these can be shared. Recently we learned on another thread how each has a trick to use CW cone thread with a domestic spool spindle. It was very interesting.

I'll start with a couple I referenced in another thread;

<A tutorial demonstrator wound thread around the bobbin tensioner twice in a video. I've been doing that since for added resistance.

In the same video, he positioned his thumb on thread as he pulled it though the upper tension. It loaded the thread through the tensioner, check spring and little teat guide on the tensioner in one sweep. Solved my seating of the thread in the tensioners. Little tricks come in handy.>

Rodney

I put my thumb on the thread that way too. It makes things much easier.
Rodney

oldtnquiltinglady

Some of the things we learn by accident--and never remember to point them out when we are "teaching" someone to sew. I just do these things without even thinking about them--I never realized that other sewers don't think like I do. Is that weird????? I've been putting my finger on my thread as I thread a machine for years--and don't ever remember reading it in the manuals.

cricket_iscute

I agree with the thumb on the tension trick. I've done that for years.

Here's a little trick that has helped me many times. I have quite the variety of machines, especially vintage machines, and rather than try to remember, for each machine, whether the flat of the needle goes to the left, right, or back, I have a tool. That tool is a dental mirror, which you can get at many drug stores. Just hold it under the empty needle hole, and you know immediately.

And speaking of needles, I find it most helpful to have a small plastic needle inserter to position and lift the needle into place and hold it while I tighten the screw.

If the dental mirror comes with a tool with a thin hook used to get between teeth, lucky you. You can use it to pull up the loop of the thread after inserting a new bobbin. It also works well when free motion quilting and you need to pull the thread to the top.

MarLeClair

Where would one get a plastic needle inserter. I have trouble changing needles on my Brothers.

cricket_iscute

Hi Marilyn,

I probably picked it up at Joann's, in the notions department. The one I like the best is bright yellow (it's visible) and ribbed so it's easy to hold. Some threaders have a small hole on the opposite end to hold needles.

This is not the one I use, but it gives you the idea:

http://www.joann.com/machine-needle-...serter&start=1

Cricket

Vridar

Another little trick you people have been keeping to yourselves, I'll bet Built in measurements on the 201 and 15 Singers. Left side of needle plate screw=1/4 inch, right side of screw=1/2 inch, left side of plate hole=5/8 inch. The only three measurements I need.

ThayerRags

Singer Handcrank Trick:

Some hand crank machines rotate so effortlessly that just the weight of the crank handle is enough to move the needle from a dead-stop. To help keep the weight of a crank handle from moving the needle when you’re stopped, flip the finger out of the wheel, position the needle in the full-up position by turning the balance wheel, and then move the crank handle (& finger) to the full-up position. Flip the finger into the spokes of the handwheel at that position.

Now, with every 3rd stitch, the needle and crank handle will both be at full-up. And too, on the very next stitch (and every 3rd stitch), the needle, finger, and crank handle will all be at full-down. This takes away the weight of the crank handle at least part of the time when trying to stop with the needle up or with the needle down.

The odds of it working out when sewing your project are increased, especially if you’re chain-piecing quilt blocks and can stop a stitch or two in either direction to add your next pieces.

The finger will have to be reset every time that you disengage the stop motion clutch to wind a bobbin.

CD in Oklahoma

ThayerRags

Singer Long Bobbin Tricks:

On the long bobbin Singer machines that have a thread guide that moves left to right and back and forth to lay the wraps of thread onto the long bobbin neatly, there’s a couple of tricks that will help when loading the bobbin into the shuttle. I’m talking mainly about the Singer 27 and Singer 28 machines.

When preparing to wind a bobbin, engage the BW (Bobbin Winder) without a bobbin loaded and rotate the BW until the movable thread guide is completely to the right side of its travel. Trick number one: Load the bobbin, and while doing so, trap the tail of your thread under the right end of the long bobbin when inserting it in the BW. Then, place the thread into all of the guides back to the spool, and commence winding the bobbin. Important: Always stop winding the bobbin when the thread wraps and movable thread guide are to the further-most right side of the bobbin.

Trick number two comes into play at this point. When loading your freshly-wound bobbin into the shuttle, make sure that you insert it with the right-hand end of the bobbin going into the shuttle first. It’s the end that your last wrap and thread tail is at. In this position, when pulling your thread through the slot to place it under the tension spring, the location of the first wrap of thread down in the nose of the shuttle helps to ease the shuttle spring threading process.

CD in Oklahoma

ThayerRags

The best “thing” to use for moving sewing machines from “Point A” to “Point B” is an old wheel chair. The youth-size chairs are the best, since they’re smaller and fit through doors and hallways better. Nearly all of them fold for transporting in vehicles.

With the increase in use of the electric-driven “mobility scooters”, it’s becoming easier to locate (and purchase economically) the old style wheel chairs at auctions and yardsales.

The chairs are designed to handle more weight than most sewing machines weigh, and the large wheels allow it to traverse lawns, sand, and gravel surfaces with very little resistance or difficulty when loaded with a sewing machine.

CD in Oklahoma