What Brand Sewing Machine Do You Prefer
 

I have a Pfaff Expressions 2.0 and I am considering replacing it after reading a post from one of our members stating that she purchased a bernina and there was a drastic change in the consistency and accuracy of her 1/4" seam. I try very hard to cut my material as accurately as possible and I have a built in walking foot, but I find my seams are constantly not matching up and it is very disappointing to say the least. I use pins to keep my fabrics from moving and I have grippies on my rulers to prevent them from sliding. So, my question is, are there machines that can help improve my accuracy and which ones can help me with this issue?

i've used a Juki, Brother, and Kenmore, all of varying ages. i can get an accurate seam on each

I have a janome. It took some trial and error some green painters tape and a very snippy warning to never touch my tape ever again to get a better 1/4 seam.

I have a Bernina 1230, which is now a vintage machine (15+ years old).

The 1/4" seam for me is totally dependent on how I set up the machine. I ***must*** have a physical barrier for the right edge of my fabric. Trying to eye it against a line on the machine bed or against a foot simply does not work well for me; the only way I can get consistent seams is by creating a physical barrier. I used to use moleskin, but now I really like this Dritz product:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085L2Y2I/
except it may have been discontinued. I like it because it is a little taller and firmer than moleskin. Dritz sells these adhesive strips in combination with a red ruler. Do ***not*** use the ruler to create your 1/4"! I measured it and it is a true 1/4" instead of a scant, so your resulting seam will be too big.

Because of the way my Bernina is constructed, I need to move the needle one position to the right so that I am not trying to put adhesive on top of the feeddogs. Here's what I do next:

I place my favorite ruler with thin lines (or you can use graph paper with 4 squares to the inch) under the presser foot of my machine. I lower the needle so it is just a little to the right of the 1/4" line. Then I lower the presser foot to hold the ruler in place. I check to make sure the ruler is running straight from front-to-back. Then I take a strip of moleskin (or the Dritz adhesive strip), remove the paper backing, and place it against the ruler's edge.

That creates a barrier of a scant 1/4" from my needle.

The other thing I do is use a fine thread in needle and bobbin. In my case that's usually Aurifil 50-wt 2-ply top and bobbin; sometimes I will use 60wt polyester in the bobbin. Many people do not realize that the size of their thread influences how their 1/4" seams turn out. This is because turn-of-the-cloth when you iron takes up some of the seam allowance. Using a finer thread allows a flatter seam with less fabric taken up in the turn-of-the-cloth.

I have done this so many times I no longer need to check it, but before sewing a quilt you should check the seam allowance. Standard method is to sew 3 2.5" strips together and iron. The measurement across these strips should be exactly 6.5" after pressing. If the measurement is less, your seam allowance is too big and you need to move the adhesive barrier closer to your needle (or move your needle more to the right if you have a machine with lots of needle positions). If the measurement is more than 6.5", your barrier is too close to the needle.

This is the ***only*** method that gives me consistently accurate 1/4" seams. If you haven't done it this way, I would suggest trying it before investing in a new machine.

I've had a Brother (XL-3010), a Kenmore (16231), and a Bernina (430). Hands down, the Bernina out-performs the others. But it isn't really a fair comparison, the Bernina cost 10 times more than the Kenmore and probably 20 times more than the Brother. I haven't had a higher end machine in other brands so I don't know what I'd truly prefer. When I tested a similarly priced Brother (Laura Ashley model) it seemed nice but didn't do embroidery and I just overall like the Bernina better for FMQing. I also LOVED the Janome (7700) I tested, though it was another thousand more than the Bernina, so out of my price range and didn't do embroidery.

So the best I can say is I am TOTALLY thrilled with Bernina, but I'd bet any major brand produces a great machine if you hit this price range.

I love my Pfaff!! I also have a small piece of painter's tape to help me along.

I have 2 Janomes and love them both.

I also have a Bernina 1230...bought it over 20 years ago. Love it and will sew with it until it no longer works. I also have a Brother PQ1500 machine that I both machines quilt on and will use when I am doing strip piecing...sews really fast!
ATTYH

I agree with this statement. What I read into it is that it may not be the brand of machine, but understanding how to achieve the correct seam. My accuracy didn't improve until I understood that that dang 1/4" seam needed to be tested and checked, and could be different from one project to another. I have to change the setting if I use a different weight thread or fabric (flannel for instance)
It can also vary a bit between individual machines. I have 2 Vikings, both the same model, one at home & one at the cottage. I only have one 1/4" foot, which I carry with me, so I'm using the same foot on both machines. One machine, I need to move the needle 5 clicks over, the other one 4, same fabric & thread.

I use the following technique to figure out where I need to put my seam:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ce-t89997.html

The one thing I will say is that I don't like piecing with my walking foot. Can you try piecing with the dual feed turned off?

I love my older Pfaff, bought in 1986 and sew on it everyday I sew. I have a Brother 1500D and it is a good machine also and has more features but I still go back to my Pfaff.

I have the Passport 2.0 and use a 1/4 inch foot and my seams all match great. I have pieced some detailed blocks and have no complaints about how they matched up. I also really like the 1/4 inch line on the bobbin cover that helps you guide the pieces straight.

I sew on a Pfaff. Do you use the Pfaff 1/4 inch foot with a guide? The guide really helps me keep an accurate 1/4" seam. I would recommend it if you haven't tried it. It is sure cheaper than a new machine.

http://www.pfaff.com/us/4136_14635.html

I have a Baby Lock and a Brother and do quite well with either.

I am a Bernina Gal for life. I too, struggled with my 1/4 inch seam until I discovered not to watch the foot but to watch a notch on my throat plate when I am sewing. My blocks are more accurate now. I don't think its the brand of the machine as much as it is finding the mark on your machine that works for you for an accurate seam, be it the foot or a spot on the plate.

I agree you should be able to do it on any machine, both my cheap brothers and expensive brother give me a great straight stitch , and a great 1/4 inch. I prefer my brothers over other brand. I have not sewn on a babylock, janome, pfaff or elna but have sewn on other brands husky, bernina, singer and I still prefer my brother or brother-made babylocks over all. love my dreamy and no other machine or brand can change my mind

Love my Janome 344 Ltd. Edition. Also have a Janome "Heart", but honestly, haven't taken it out of the box (2 years old)...I'm afraid of computerized machines! LOL

Anita

I have the 1/4" foot for my Pfaff and it works well.

I would NOT trade a Pfaff for any other machine.
Do you use the 1/4" Pfaff foot? 1/4" foot has a guide for good seams.

I love my Pfaff's. Yes, now I do use the 1/4" foot with flange guide due to arthritis. I used to just use the 1/4" foot. Either way my seam allowances were always spot on.

I also have a Pfaff Expression 2.0. My 1/4 inch seams used to always be just too big, even when I moved the needle in a notch. (It looked like I needed to move it in two notches, which would have the needle hitting the side of the foot.) I bought a new 1/4 inch foot and that fixed the problem. Maybe that would work for you?

It turned out that the one with the flange was wrong. The flange was just attached incorrectly. It left me with a seam that was too big. I am now using one without a flange, and it is working well for me. Probably it was just that one individual foot, and any other 1/4 foot with a flange would do just fine. (How do I know the flange was attached wrong...my husband told me after he compared the old and the new foot. He even said he could fix it, but I have a foot that works for me now. No need to mess with the other foot.)

Hope this helps....and I hope you solve your problem. It is sad to not get the seam right when you are trying so hard, and if buying a new foot might fix it, wouldn't that be nice.


Dina

Before you purchase another sewing machine, do you have a 1/4 inch foot with guide?It makes my piecing so easy and accurate. Another thing that might help, I bought a seam ruler with marks for a scant 1/4 inch, a full 1/4 inch, and other marks so that the sewer can have exactly the size seam that they want. I bought the seam ruler on e-bay. Another thing I found very helpful for cutting is June Tailor's Shape Cut Rulers. I cut perfect strips. Do you engage the built in walking foot when piecing? I, too, have a Pfaff and a Bernina and a couple of Brothers. I have the 1/4 inch foot with guide for ALL my sewing machines. Have you had your sewing machine checked over recently? Before spending thousands on a new sewing machine, I would take it in and make sure that nothing is wrong with it. If nothing is wrong with the machine, then getting a new sewing machine probably won't help.It's how you are either cutting or pressing the blocks. Make a simple 9 patch and then measure the block.If it isn't measuring correctly, it is possible that instead of making a 1/4 inch seam, perhaps you are sewing a 1/2 inch seam. As far as a sewing machine improve your accuracy, I think you are going to have to check your seams as you go along making the block. I think you will find out pretty fast what you are doing wrong. Good luck!

I have 3 Babylock machines and get consistent 1/4 seams when I set my machine up correctly.
Love my machines.

I have , juki, janome, singer, bernina featherweight, vesta. Viking ,brother looking for a pfaff next. Each machine has its own special features I a sure you they are all beautiful. Buy one you enjoy working on not that someone else likes. Go and try as many at dealers and friends. The pfaff was being used by a friend last week and she lives it.

Thank you all for the information and tips...I will work on them!:-)

Just to add. I have two 1/4 feet with guides. Neither of them give a 1/4 seam. They are off big time. Well big time in piecing standards. That's why I switched to using a tape line guide. I set mine up so I don't butt the fabric against the tape but so I line the edge of the fabric up with the edge of the tape. Zero issues unless I start sewing with neon green fabric lol.

If you use a 1/4 foot definitely check your seams. It wasn't till I joined this board that I realized my foot wasn't doing what I thought it was.

Dove, do you have the quarter inch foot for your machine? I've had my PfaffQE 2044 for about 11yrs and use this foot for all my straight stitching. Another thing you might try, spray sizing on all fabric before it is cut and or stitched. After reading about doing this for years, I got on the bandwagon, finally, and am having better results with my current quilt project. It takes a lot of sizing but the $1.25 a can is worth the price.

I first started out with the Singer than Simplicity, now my Latest is the Elna I love it bought it at the
Houston Quilt show 2yrs ago.My Singer & Simplicity had to have to use them on occassion can't
do without either one. By the way I also have my 2 girl's Singers which I use to keep them in shape.

I have been quilting since the mid 7o's. Started out on a Riccar. Have had a Kenmore, various Singers, Brother, Viking, have a Janome and 5 years ago bought a Bernina before I retired. I have to say the Bernina is the very Best. I love the 1/4 in. foot. I don't have to have any tape on my machine. You get a scant 1/4 in. every time.

Older Pfaff with vertical bobbin and PQ 1500. I measured the guide lines on the Pfaff when I bought it, they are spot on, so tape is good. If you want to piece rapidly, Pfaff does have a single stitch foot plate. For any other stitches, like a zigzag or blanket stitch for binding, I use the open toe foot. The one drawback to the 2100 series is no mechanical adjustment for foot pressure. That's where the 1500 outshines the Pfaff.

I've owned other machines - but for years, starting with the 1471 I had, only Pfaff let you do your own stitches. I'm not limited to what is on the machine.

I am one that does better with a physical barrier, too. I have a foot with the flange thing, but sometimes I use painter's tape, or else a short stack of post it notes. But they don't always stay stuck long. Also have a t-guage...I don't know which is my favorite method.

I just bought a Janome that came with a 1/4" foot for quilting. I love the foot and the machine! It sews beautifully.

I love my Pfaff!! Are you useing a 1/4 inch foot? Pfaff has two different types...one has a guide blade onit for strip peicing. I love my Pfaff!

I have Vikings, Brother, Babylock, a Singer 160 all give me good seams. My favoriate for piecing is my Viking Mega quilter 9in.

The problem is not your machine. It's your techniques. My suggestion is to go to a sewing or quilting shop and show them what happens so that they can help you obtain a consistent 1/4 inch seam. I don't ever use pins except for certain blocks and my seams match up easily manually. For those who use pins, there have been tips on this board on how to pin so you don't change how your fabric has matched up.

I have three Janome machines. I'm a loyal Janome gal.

That said, I have a brother embroidery machine. Janome was way over my budget for those.

What a great explanation, Prism99; I think you have covered all methods I have heard of to check 1/4"! It is so true from your post and others that every machine is definitely different and we have to adjust to it, not the machine to us and then we tend to expect different results! Thanks.....

I have a Bernina 1260, purchased 16 years ago, and use a 1/4" foot rather than depend on the line on the machine bed. The 1/4" foot is #37 and a 1/4" foot with a barrier on the right side is #57. Both work wonderfully as long as I do my job of following the edge accurately. As patchsamkin said "Love it and will sew with it until it no longer works."

The machine simply sews. It doesn't know if your seam is 1/4 " or not. You will probably benefit from a quilter's foot which gives you a quarter inch seam or maybe there is a mark on your soleplate that is exactly 1/4 " from the needle. Perhaps you can move the needle to the left or right to get an exact seam. Try some of the suggestions from this board and see if you can't get a better result. It's very expensive to trade machines if you don't need to do it.

I have used all of the machines mentioned here, except for Kenmore. A good quarter inch can be achieved on all of them if used correctly so I think you are wasting your money to trade it in on another machine as you possibly just need more practice with the one you have. Give yourself a bit more time and use the good tips suggested here and you should improve. All the best.