Originally Posted by
sewbizgirl
I'm not sure we have the same definition of "techniques".... Features are what comes on your machine. Techniques are what your hands do with those features.
I have several vintage machines, and a Juki 2010Q and also a Juki long arm. I am happy to sew on my old Singers that only straight stitch, but do love the features on the Jukis... the auto thread cutters, the needle up or down features, and the awesome throat space.
You put the basic definition of features and techniques far more clearly than I did in a more roundabout way. Direct hit!
Originally Posted by
feline fanatic
It has been my experience that more often than not (which means not always) you get what you pay for. For decades I sewed on my JC Penny branded machine circa 1978. I still have this machine but I never use it and really should get rid of it but I want a backup. Was this machine fuctional? Yes by all means it was. It sewed a decent stitch or so I thought. I decided I was worth an upgrade around 2000. I actually posted on an internet forum back then about it and everyone said "get a vintage machine". Well I had a vintage machine I wanted something better. I had heard of Bernina and decided to check them out. I bought my 153QE which was considered a mid-range Bernina and at that time they still manufactured them in Switzerland.
As soon as I got it set up and could really play with it I was amazed at how much nicer it was to sew on. Getting a perfect 1/4" was a breeze. Having a foot with 1/4" markings both in front and behind the needle made doing set in seams a walk in the park. Stitch quality was great and what a wonder to have a machine that didn't bog down when having to go over multiple seam allowances. The foot controller was so responsive. The knee bar for the presser foot is now a feature I can't live without. Same with being able to set the machine so the needle always stops in the down position and if I forget just tap the foot pedal once. Sewing on my Bernina as compared to my "vintage" 1978 all metal, all mechanical JC Penny machine was a dream! My enjoyment of sewing in general and quilting specifically increased exponentially and I could not for the life of me figure out why I waited so long. Not only did my enjoyment increase but the quality of my workmanship improved, greatly. I was empowered to try even more difficult patterns and techniques.
Do I use the fancy stitches or computerized features? Nope, hardly at all. 99% of my sewing is straight stitch. Occasionally I will do a ziz zag or a blanket stitch and very, very rarely will I use any of the fancy stitches. I have a longarm for quilting so I rarely use it for FMQ but I did before I got my LA. A quality machine with a price tag that is several hundred dollars to a couple of thousand, is not necessarily just fancy stitches and computerized embroidery. You have to also look at what the machine is capable of doing for the purpose it was originally designed to. Make a quality straight stitch and power through several layers. I can and have sewn leather on my Bernina. My JC Penny would bog down and skip stitches. I suspect some of the low end big box machines would as well.
A couple of years ago I went to visit my mom in Vegas and brought a quilt top to work on. She had a no name QVC el cheapo special of a sewing machine. I suspect when she got it she paid maybe $125 to $150 for it. I had been spoiled on my Bernina. When I sat down at that machine it was a nightmare. Now my mom doesn't sew really at all so I have no idea why she even bought this machine. Maybe to hem some skirts or something but IMHO she may as well have flushed what she paid for it down the toilet. Getting an accurate 1/4" seam was a nightmare. Getting two layers of quilting cotton to feed evenly was a constant battle. I told her sewing on my machine was like driving a fully loaded Cadillac while sewing on hers was like trying to drive a beat up jalopy that skipped gears and was out of alignment.
So what all this is meant to point out.... It isn't always fancy computerized features and fancy stitches that drive the cost of the machine up. Quality parts, engineering (no matter where it is manufactured, the manufacturing process has to follow the designs of an engineer), quality of materials that go into it all factor in. If a manufacturing facility in Taiwan is not outputting the machines to Bernina's high standards (or Janome, or Juki or whoever's name is going on the machine) they certainly won't keep the contract to do the manufacturing for long. Or the named company won't keep customers long.
While working in the highly industrialized fashion industry using the sewing machines available there, I formed a more unique outlook on what works. Did you know they use only 2 basic types of machines? Industrial ones that performed a specific (usually a single type) of stitch or function (i.e. sewing on pockets. sleeves) over & over again semi or completely (less or more human input or guidance) automatically while sewing at very high speed or 2. Domestic ones manufactured for the home environment that do a multiple types of stitches options/functions. These home sewing machines (the same ones most here use) are used in sample rooms sometimes mixed with basic one/two stitch industrial machines making one or two offs limited sewing products like garments. These are proposed test samples or prototypes are created to see if the ideas(s) and sewing production methods/techniques are good enough to go into production.
IMO, the best machines for sewing the most accurate stitch and durability/reliability are the ones intended for industry use. Most homes do not want a probably more high noise generating hard to move or even hide sewing machine or worse a sewing machine that literally sits on a possibly leaky oil bath within their homes as they do not fit in so well in these er, more refined environments where people actually live. So I do as I did while employed there. I use basic sewing machines hovering not much more than $100 dollars, sews as few stitches as possible, keep them up by practicing good maintenance habits (cleaning & adjusting on schedule), and keeping them in hard cases to protect them from accidents (like cat puke) or dust/grime when not in use. Stitch quality? What's good enough for industry is good enough for me. I really do miss those industrial sewing machines though. I live in a 100% home environment now & an industrial machine would not get on very well here.
The Cheapo inexpensive ones seem to be good enough for the sewing project I just completed shown here in
Pictures:
The Star Trek Delta Insignia Applique Final (For Now) Block Is Ready!
The Star Trek Delta Insignia Applique Final (For Now) Block Is Ready!
In the end, whatever works for you!