Most useful features of a sewing machine to U?

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08-06-2010, 02:34 PM

#21

koipuddle

Member

Thread Starter

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: SE Kansas

Posts: 47

retired2pa; a fabric guide, is that different than the 1/4" pressor foot? I've noticed lines with measurements on the face plates below the pressor foot, is that what you are speaking of?
Thank you,
Jack

08-06-2010, 02:40 PM

#22

crafter005

Junior Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: California

Posts: 151

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lori S

Call me old fashioned but I love the good old knee control for speed. Too bad they do not make these anymore. I guess when the companies got away from putting machines into the cabinets whenthey sold them , that is when they dropped the knee speed control. And by the way I also miss buying the cabinet with the machine.
New options are :more in the feet , Free motion, 1/4 inch, walkingfoot, open toe applique, piping, cording, you just can not have enough feet.
A cabinet ( so the machine base is recessed) with a really nice big surface area around it would be a great. I would accept less options on a machine to get a great base cabinet. I would forgo a needle up or down for a great cabinet( but most machines have this as a standard unless a really inexpensive machine) . The surface area you have is so important. After that the biggest opening for rolling up quilts to do the quilting.

I miss the knee control too. I still have my mother's old White machine in the cabinet. I don't use it currently but I was taught how to sew on this machine and which the knee control would come back. I also like the wide area that you had for sewing. I made many drapes for my house using that machine.

Thanks for the drive down memory lane. :wink:

For me, the most important feature is a bright light.

08-06-2010, 03:09 PM

#23

Cathie_R

Junior Member

Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: NW Missouri

Posts: 140

Would hate to live without my needle threader. I also have a Clover needle threader for my hand quilting needles. Great time savers.

08-06-2010, 03:18 PM

#24

AnitaSt

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Marathon, Texas

Posts: 854

My favorite thing is a foot...my walking foot. I use it almost all the time and think I'd like to have a built-in walking foot (on my Bernina it's not built in).

I also miss the knee pedal. Like crafter005 I also learned on my mother's White (1947 vintage) with the knee control. I've had trouble learning to use the free hand system knee thing on my Bernina because I just revert back to moving my knee to make it go!!

08-06-2010, 03:34 PM

#25

MadQuilter

Power Poster

Join Date: Mar 2009

Posts: 15,639

Quote:

Originally Posted by koipuddle

Mad quilter; a cleaner stitch than a pfaff? Could you explain what to look for please? Not really sure what you mean, so not sure what to look for.
Thank you,
Jack

I tried a few of the fancy stitches and compared them. The Pfaff does a pretty good job on the button-hole (or blanket) stitch, for example, but some of the stitches were off. Not exactly skipped, but looser than the others. My older Brother used to skip stitches, so I know the difference. The Babylock keeps the stitches more consistent.

OMG - how could I forget the needle threader. The Babylock Espire has one of those "push one button and the needle is threaded" features. It's all still new to me but I lOVE it.