New Toyota Sewing Machine
 

As part of my plan to learn to quilt, I got a new Toyota (STF 39) sewing machine for Christmas! My dear hubby researched it for at least 6 months and talked to the guy at our local sewing/vacuum store for a long time to find one that they both felt was durable and would do what I wanted it to do, and he got it on sale!

BUT . . . there's always a "but" isn't there?

There's not one word in the owner's manual about quilting. Not. One. Yet there IS a quilting table extension (purchased separately), so I know it can quilt.

There are pictures on the box of all these special stitches, and only the barest possible directions (and I do use that term loosely) in the owner's manual of how to actually perform those stitches.

It didn't come with a quilting foot, and since it's not a major brand, I have no idea what kind to even LOOK for!

So I went to the website, www.sewtoyota.com, and have never been so underwhelmed. There's like NOTHING there! Pictures of their two sewing machines, but absolutely no helps whatsoever.

I really don't know where to start. This isn't my first sewing machine - I've got my Mother's 1967 Kenmore and 1918 Singer, and have used both of them alot - but I feel absolutely lost here. :(

Anyone else own a Toyota sewing machine? Any hints?

Nancy

Looking at the machine it sounds like it is quite sturdy. Did you notice on their site there's a place to log-in, maybe if you register you can see more items from their sewing circle community? Just a thought for you to try. http://www.sewtoyota.com/login.php?a...rs%2Findex.php

Yes, that's just a place to "submit projects" - a picture of something you've sewed, for their gallery. No helps there either. Most unusual and puzzling website and situation! I'm really sorely tempted to look into returning this machine!

As far as piecing is concerned, it would be nice to have a quarter inch foot, but not necessary. You can always mark your machine base with tape etc. For FMQ, you would look for instructions on darning and a darning foot. For straight line quilting and attaching binding, look for a dual feed (walking) foot. There's really no need for any stitches other than straight. Check with the dealer, generic feet may fit or possibly ones from a different brand. I know Toyota makes industrial machines, and professional embroidery machines.

I had a quick look at your machine and it seems pretty straight forward.

There are two main types of quilting - one uses a 'Walking Foot', to stop the layers of your quilt sliding and is mostly for stitching in straight(ish) lines e.g. along the seam or grid pattern. You would attach this to the shank and there are instructions on YouTube how to do this. Some quilting machines, such as Pfaff have this built in, but most require the purchase of a foot.

The other type of quilting is Free Motion Quilting - FMQ - and for this you will need a darning foot. Thgis has an unusual 'hopping' action. When attached (and the feed dogs on your machine lowered), you will be able to meander across the quilt in any direction.

Most beginners buy a Walking Foot first and by the looks of it, your machine can use a generic foot that fits other brands such as Janome. You can now buy a Walking Foot that will accommodate the fancier, wider quilting stitches, so you may want to check that out too.
Happy quilting! :)

I bought the toyota quiltmaster as a cheap back up when my janome was in the shop. All my janome feet fit. I got it with the extension table. This is a smashing wee machine, I fmq a king size quilt on it. Its a great workhorse of a machine, I think its a similar machine to yours with different decal. I know in the uk they also market it as the oekaki free motion embroidery machine on create and craft tv. It stitches neatly and using the darning foot to fmq was straightforward. The challenge was getting the whole quilt through the throat, but it did it. My janome is a bells and whistles but I was impressed with this basic machine. It did what it said on the box as we say.

You can figure out what kind of shank your machine has with this info:
http://www.anniescatalog.com/pages/which_foot.html

Once you know what kind of shank it is, you can purchase generic feet with that type of shank to fit your machine. Generics are not always as good as feet made especially for your machine, though, so you may want to check with the dealer to see if there are feet made especially for your machine. As others have mentioned, you want a walking foot and/or a darning foot for quilting.

And just a reminder...quarter-inch feet don't always measure up properly with the default needle setting, even if it's a "name-brand" foot that comes with the machine. The quarter-inch foot that came with my Janome is off a bit; I have to remember to adjust my needle position to use it properly.

I just spoke with the dealer, and found out that this machine is a low-shank machine for purposes of a walking foot, but most other feet are the snap-on type. He does have a walking foot there, as well as a gatherer and a ruffler (Most men do try to be helpful. The key word here is "try". I don't recall seeing alot of ruffles or gathers on most quilts).

He also mentioned a shearing foot, but didn't seem to know what it was used for other than "shearing." (sigh) I'm quite sure that this is not a foot for shearing sheep . . . does anyone out there know what that is?

He probably meant a "shirring" foot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirring

I thought maybe he meant a shirring foot, but he definitely said "shearing". I've lived in Texas for 23 years and I'm still not used to the accents here, LOL! ;)

Wow, I thought I was the only Toyota sewing machine owner in this world. I bought one awhile back on eBay....this one is a small, sort of "traveling" one......it still sits in its box..........I will visit the website suggested

And I was beginning to think I was the only one too . . . ok, at least in the US. But I found out that Toyota bought out another company a few years back - trying to find out what company THAT was. Have you noticed that when you look up any list of sewing machines, Toyota is *NEVER* on it? :p

Blessings,
Nancy

so true & so important! as i finally figured out why my seams were ~ 1/32 of inch off on my fw recently. so, i used engineering ruler to measure distance from needle & placed small strip red electric tape on the needle plate only, so as not to have residue or damage to the enamel of the machine bed.

That's nice of your DH to do the searching but it's odd to find a Toyota brand even popping up in a search for sewing machines. Did you test sew on it first before he bought it?

My serger is a Toyota. I bought it many years ago and never used it a great deal. Once in a while I'd get it out and do a couple of things. I came with a decent instruction book.

get your dealer to help you, you bought it from him, and he should know the machine, how to use and service it. That is the reason you buy from a dealer, customer service.

European Website
 

Did you try visiting their European Website at the top of the page? I visited several of the countries listed and found different feet for purchase.

You may have a good sewing machine but if it was me as a quilter I would want a different one especially to get
the biggest harp/throat space possible. Something that has more obvious signs for quilting.

Yes, I thought about that. My Mom's old 1967 Kenmore had a much bigger harp/throat.

When I went to the European Toyota sewing machine site at http://gb.home-sewing.com/en_gb/, I was so shocked at the difference in machines. There's even a machine on that site named the "Quiltmaster" that even comes with all the quilting feet. I wonder why it's not available in the U.S.?!

I don't know a lot about Toyota sewing machines but if their machines are as good as their cars they are great...

I didn't even know Toyota made sewing machines until my DH mentioned it to me yesterday. I was thinking the same thing, mjhaess - if it's anything like their cars, it'll run forever.

Sewing Parts Online has a video about how to use a shirring foot, and the demo person, Sara, definitely pronounces it "shearing". As you say, they probably don't have any that shear sheep, but it might be a regional pronunciation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbyJxbv-D5I

You won't be needing it for quilting, but any question you might have about how to use different sewing attachments are probably answered by these videos.

There are a lot of excellent videos demonstrating both the basics and more advanced techniques, for example: https://www.youtube.com/user/lcvday

Toyota sewing machines have been made since 1946, according to their website, but it also says: "Now it's available in the United States," so I assume they were not available here until recently. Wikipedia has an informative article about the company, which started out making looms before making cars, and they still make looms, too!

Did notice at the top of the page it has a link to the European site & it says something about accessories? You might try that, also.

Two things Hubby and I would never buy without trying out. A car and a sewing machine. I would get the seller to take it back or at the least make him get answers for you.

My concern with this machine for machine quilting is the size of the throat. If you plan on quilting your quilts on it, you don't have a lot of space to hold your quilt. For straight sewing, this might be a good machine. Let us know how you like it after you have used it for a while.

Oh, I've already started pestering the dealer with questions! :p We met this dealer (sewing machine/vacuum shop) in a nearby town when he got my Mom's 1918 Singer treadle machine working again. DH has been talking to him for months about what machines are made best, since (according to the dealer) so many are made with "plastic gears" anymore. I'm a little concerned about the size of the throat, but I'll see how it works. If it's just too small, then (darn!) I guess I'll have a find a longarm friend, hmm? :o

Amazing how different companies are branching out in what they make.

Many of you will remember this discussion from last month.

I work full-time, so I don't have much time to sew. I did manage to sew one small project that used only straight stitches. I noticed that the machine vibrated A LOT and was LOUD.

I finally got time to sit down with the machine last week to create a "sampler" of all the different stitches the machine would do.

Oh. my.

It would sew awhile and jam. I'd clear the jam, taking out the bobbin & casing, clear any threads, re-assemble and try again. It would sew awhile & jam. I thought the problem might be that I'd threaded it wrong, so I re-did that. I thought the problem might be the tension, so I messed with that. I thought the problem might be that I'd managed to bend the needle, so I changed that out. It sewed awhile and jammed. Sewed awhile and jammed.

Until I was SO frustrated I finally had to quit sewing (or trying to), turn it off and go watch TV.

I'm taking it back to the shop today, and the dealer will have to do some FAST TALKING to talk me out of trading it for a Janome - probably a Magnolia 7318 or a Sewist 500.

I wish I still had my old Kenmore. :( But I already gave it to my DIL, so I know it has a good home.

Toyota made a lot of older machines, including some Kenmores. Jaguar also made some Kenmores. I'm sure like everything else the quality has gone down.
Maybe look for an older Kenmore with cams and attachments?

Found this on the web based on the serial # prefix-

Sears source #s for sewing machines:

117=White (Also 2 models from Gritzner-Kayser in Germany that White imported for Sears.

120=New Process Gear Corporation. (A division of Chrysler when these were made in the 1950s.

148=Soryu in Japan

158=Maruzen in Japan (later Jaguar)

385=Janome

Maybe you can still find a Kenmore made by Janome through the dealer? I don't know anything about current plastic machines.
I have an older Brother CS6000i which I like for fancy stitches, but it's a bit touchy about linty thread. All my other machines are vintage Kenmores or assorted treadles.

It turns out they don't carry anything BUT Toyotas (it's a vacuum/sewing machine sales & service place), and he flat refused to give us a refund. So we had no real choice but to leave it there & let them "tune it up". Whatever.

Then we went & looked at Janome machines - nice, but nothing really turned me on.

Then we looked at Brothers online, and even at some of the "throwaway" type machines at Costco online. Thankfully they don't carry them in the stores, or I'm afraid I would be swayed. Just use it till it croaks & toss it.

Thankfully, I remembered that some of you actually do sew quilts on your antique machines - and my mother's 1918 Singer 127 is sitting in our greatroom. So . . . . why not?

I'll give the Toyota another try when they "fix" it, and may or may not sell it on ebay or craigslist. I can always use Old Faithful to quilt with!!!

Thanks, all of you who sew on antiques, to opening my eyes!

:o

[QUOTE=His_Grace;6575743] he flat refused to give us a refund. So we had no real choice but to leave it there & let them "tune it up". Whatever.


Did you pay with a credit card? You can dispute up to 60 days after it showed on your bill under "quality of goods"

Oh, and you would love a Brother - I've had the walmart one which is a "project runway" and I have an advanced embroidery one. I also own a Baby Lock Unity (also made by Brother) which is a dream machine. The best part is that there are so many compatible things when you go with a big brand. I just got a magnetic hoop (snap hoop) for the BL yet my sister can't get one for her Janome.

Send a hand written letter to the president of the company (Toyota sewing) you can also send an email but many times they do not go to the head of the company.