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Interesting topic.I must confess I love sewing machines, loved them since childhood & I am now 80 years old.. I love vintage mechanicals, love inexpensive machines from big box stores & top of the line machines from dealers. I am fortunate to have some of each & use them all, depending on the project, my mood, my location. I take the lightweight plastic machines to Stitch Camp, always feel sad when the weekend is over & I have to pack it up. Recently I had right shoulder replacement surgery, am still in an immobilizing brace but I can sew pre cuts on my computerized machine that has a knee lift, auto threading, auto scissors, etc, I can't sew on my machines without those features for another 4 weeks.
We are fortunate to have so many choices. to my knowledge the only US made machines now are the large quilting machines, all of the regular machines are imported. |
Like Maire, I love sewing machines too. From the small little hand held items to the very large expensive ones. My DH thought I was crazy one year for Christmas I wanted this very small plastic sewing machine. It was advertised as a child's machine or quick use machine. It holds a bobbin for the top thread - but it is cute and fun to play with and very loud.
I fell in love with the FW and ended up buying three! Gave two away when I realized machines work best if they are used periodically and my sister was doing a lot of sewing and only had one machine, and my niece too only had one machine. But I have the machine my mother taught me to sew on - a Singer 15-91 in a cabinet. That's my favorite. But I bought the Janome MC6600P because it has the bigger harp, and then I got the Husqvarna/Viking Designer Topaz 20 because embroidery looked so much fun and discovered with a friend that it is! I have my great-great Aunt May's 1925 Damascus treadle machine - it is so fun to use. (And I read the Amish still consider an item made by hand if it is sewn on a treadle. So I have made a couple hand made quilts and used my treadle to put on the binding.) And one day I was watching HSN and they had this portable little machine which they called a "Quilter's friend" since it was light weight and came with the table - it was perfect to take to quilt group meetings so I had to have it. Still take it from time to time when I need more than a straight stitch from my FW. I stay away from thrift stores or antique stores because the machines want to follow me home. I really want to up grade but believe I need a real reason to do it since they are so expensive now. When people getting into sewing ask me what to buy I suggest they buy the most machine they can afford. A really good machine makes sewing more enjoyable and if it has more bells and whistles you are more likely to continue to grow. |
I have very expensive Bernina 880 upgraded to a plus with the embroidery module. My dealer is 1 hour away but their service department is fantastic! They have a program where they go through it thoroughly once a year then you get class tickets that equal the cost of it. They are pricey machines and many models are computerized but as far as I can tell are not “all plastic” on the inside. My 880 will last me for the rest of my life. I’ve already had it 5 years. We sell and service featherweights so they are also a favorite. I use them in the camper, at retreats and a monthly quilt group. I would never buy a machine without checking with others about the quality, responsiveness and attitude of their repair department. After using Vikings from a store for most of my sewing career, I switched to Bernina because the last Viking I bought wouldn’t wind a decent bobbin. It spent weeks in shop and then getting it back without solving the problem several times. The thing was a lemon and the store refused to stand behind it after all my years of patronage.
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Originally Posted by quiltingcandy
(Post 8355386)
Like Maire, I love sewing machines too. From the small little hand held items to the very large expensive ones. My DH thought I was crazy one year for Christmas I wanted this very small plastic sewing machine. It was advertised as a child's machine or quick use machine. It holds a bobbin for the top thread - but it is cute and fun to play with and very loud.
I fell in love with the FW and ended up buying three! Gave two away when I realized machines work best if they are used periodically and my sister was doing a lot of sewing and only had one machine, and my niece too only had one machine. But I have the machine my mother taught me to sew on - a Singer 15-91 in a cabinet. That's my favorite. But I bought the Janome MC6600P because it has the bigger harp, and then I got the Husqvarna/Viking Designer Topaz 20 because embroidery looked so much fun and discovered with a friend that it is! I have my great-great Aunt May's 1925 Damascus treadle machine - it is so fun to use. (And I read the Amish still consider an item made by hand if it is sewn on a treadle. So I have made a couple hand made quilts and used my treadle to put on the binding.) And one day I was watching HSN and they had this portable little machine which they called a "Quilter's friend" since it was light weight and came with the table - it was perfect to take to quilt group meetings so I had to have it. Still take it from time to time when I need more than a straight stitch from my FW. I stay away from thrift stores or antique stores because the machines want to follow me home. I really want to up grade but believe I need a real reason to do it since they are so expensive now. When people getting into sewing ask me what to buy I suggest they buy the most machine they can afford. A really good machine makes sewing more enjoyable and if it has more bells and whistles you are more likely to continue to grow. |
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