Cecilia S.

I know someone who is sewing animal blanket/pads; they are quite thick, (upholstery, batting, and cotton fabric sandwich) and then also have a binding sewing around the edge.

They have been managing on a home Kenmore, I think possibly a Plastic Fantastic, but as they are selling the blanket pads and expect to be making more, they wanted a more sturdy machine, also one with a binding attachment.

They are considering a Sailrite, which also has a binding attachment;I think this is it:

http://www.sailrite.com/Binder-1-Swi...t#.UtF-cbQYpdg

I was suggesting that they might consider a hearty old Singer or Old Solid Kenmore.

I am a keen tinkerer, but still know relatively little about this all, including what to look for in a machine when you have a specific task in mind. Could anyone help me with a recommendation for my friend? (ThayerRags, you sew heavy stuff, yes? )

Sailrite may well be the way to go, but they are many hundreds of dollars, and if an inexpensive solid vintage machine will do, then that seems wiser. Also, if anyone could speak as to the usefulness of certain binder attachments on the older machines, (Macybaby?) in a practical sense: Are there easily available, user-friendly binder attachments that will help this person sew binding onto thick animal blanket/pads?

Very much appreciated in advance if anyone can help out here. Feel free to ask questions if I have not described thoroughly enough. Thank you!

ThayerRags

While we do sew some thick items at our shop with our compound-feed machines, we’re doing mending and repairs, not fabrication. We don’t do anything using a binding attachment at all, so I have no experience with them. I think I have one or two for a Singer 31-series machine in a box somewhere, but I’ve never used one.

I think your friends are following a normal path of cranking up a small business by using an inferior machine to test the market, and now they’re ready to “gear up” so to speak. I like to hear about folks becoming entrepreneurs from scratch. However, I don’t have a Sailrite machine, so I don’t know if it will do what they need or not. They should ask Sailrite, and tell them exactly what they’ll be sewing. I think they’ll get a straight answer, even if it’s not the one that they want. Most manufacturers hate the flack that comes from unhappy customers, and try to avoid “over-selling” their products for the wrong application.

Sorry, but I haven’t been much help it seems.

CD in Oklahoma

Cecilia S.

Thanks, that is a good answer to start with! I hope others will chime in as well. All opinions will be SO appreciated, if anyone at all wants to comment!

I think it is a case of, she knows -nothing- about machines, and is vulnerable perhaps in over-spending because it could well be that a$50 solid machine could do her well for a year or more, and if the business goes well, then she can shell out hundreds for a more industrial one. (But, to spend hundreds now would negate all of her start-up profits, if there are any to begin with.)

(My hunch is that a hearty old Singer or Kennie will do it, but I also do not want to lead her astray.)

J Miller

I would suggest either a mid 70s Kenmore 158-xxxxxx series machine or a Singer 201. For what your friend is doing I'd lean more to the 201 than the Kenmore if she doesn't need ZZ or decorative stitches. Lots of work room under the arch, a good strong running machine that will do most ( not all, but most ) anything needed.

Now, if your friend wants to drop the coin on a Sailrite and can afford it .... she should go for it. I have read several reports on them are all were good. I want one for myself, and have bid on two on GW auctions. Was outbid every time though .

Now as for the binder attachments, I have several we've bought and they are far easier to use than doing binding the old way. Those I have are designed for industrial machines, but will fit any domestic machine with two mounting holes in the bed.
We talked about them here: { http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...s-t230501.html }
And Vridar can tell you and your friend about the walking foot machine he's got. Not a Sailrite, but it's kin.


Joe

Daylesewblessed

When my nephew was looking for a Sailrite (he is on year 4 of his trip around the world in a sailboat), I posted here for more information and someone on the board said they had used a Pfaff 130 for making sails several years ago and found it to be successful.

GreyQ

A good sturdy machine is important but home machines are designed to handle 2-6 layers of fabric, even denim but have trouble with 8 layers like the crotch seam on pants. They may want to look at industrial machines which even on CL can run into real money but are durable. A solid home machine should handle a blanket but the absolute must have is a good well oiled Walking Foot. A walking foot makes all the difference in sewing layers such as quilts.

Vridar

My walking foot machine is a Reliable Baraccuda 2000, the generic to the Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1. However, the LSZ is much more refined than the Reliable. When I purchased my Baraccuda for $499 the Sailrite was selling for $899. Sailrite currently is listing a basic LSZ-1 for $699. See this video for a closer view. My Baraccuda is not as polished and I have already replaced a needlebar and a pivot because I overloaded it with a boat towable strap too thick for the machine. The Sailrite probably will do what you would like but for what you described I use a 201-2 with a walking foot attachment.

I would not have purchased the Reliable or Sailrite knowing what I know now. I will use my 201 or 403 and a 29-58 for most of my heavy sewing. But, like CD, I do mending mostly as opposed to fabrication. The combined price of those three were purchased for approximately the price of the Baraccuda and will do everything I need. Best of luck.

Cecilia, if they're pursuing a business venture, I'd advise them to look into used industrial/commercial walking foot/walking needle machines.

Ron (Vridar)

manicmike

Ron thinks like I do here industrials are purpose-built for this sort of thing.
If they want to use a domestic in the mean time due to financial constraints, I'd use a 201 with binder. I've heard that domestic walking foot attachments aren't much good but don't have experience using one.

cricket_iscute

Some of the quilts I make for homeless families are used in shelters with no heat at night, and the quilt might serve the whole family, in one bed, as their only quilt or blanket, so it needs to be very warm and very big. They are often thick and heavy. I sometimes use upholstery fabrics, fleece, wool, and other heavy fabrics. I sometimes also make sleeping bags for those outside. I've been doing this for some time, and from my experience, here are my recommendations:

A Sailrite machine would do the job just fine. If they are going to be doing a lot of this type of work, the Sailrite is a good bet. Otherwise, an industrial machine would be good.

My Pfaff 130 can do it. It is the only Pfaff I would try it on. But the Pfaff 130 is a precision machine, also, and I would spare it from a lot of this heavy work; once in a while might be okay.

My Singer 401 can handle thick quilts and does not even need a walking foot.

I recently got a Singer 500 and have not tried it for this but think it could handle it.

My gear-driven Singer 201 is good for some of them, but the others (above) handle thicker quilts. I wouldn't pick a belt-driven Singer 201 for it, though. There is such a thing as a Singer 1200, which is the industrial version of the Singer 201 and might be a good bet. It won't cost that much.

My Viking 6000 series (6040, maybe? I forgot) and my Elna Grasshopper have true low gears and either of them can power through these, and the Viking has a choice of decorative stitches.

My Singer 301 might be able to do this since it is gear driven, but I usually do not ask it to. It's my favorite, and I baby it.

I don't know if my Kenmore 158.xx could do it or not; I haven't tried it. My guess would be that the Kenny could not handle this day in and day out.

There are industrial binding attachments and I've used one but was not impressed enough to keep using it. It basically sews one seam, two threads, top and bottom threads, on a binding and I don't think that is enough to stand up to the abuse bindings can take.

Hope that helps!

Cricket

Cecilia S.

Such great information you all have given! This will be very much appreciated.

This all leaves me with two questions:

1) The binding apparently is rather wide; 1"5/8. So the binding attachment will certainly have to be a biggie. It seems as though people here had suggestions for binding attachments, but nobody is too thrilled with the binding attachments' efficiency. Have I misunderstood?

2) Singer 201 seems to get mentioned frequently as a good Starter Machine for this venture, and if the business takes off, then consider an industrial. So, would any Singer clone do, as well? Also, is the 201 gear-driven while the others are belt driven? No wait, the 15 potted motor is gear driven... now I am confused! When I do a google image search, they appear the same at a glance, but clearly people rave about the 201 more so than other machines for power. As we would be looking in want ads for a machine, we will have to be good about distinguishing by a photo. Can anyone give tips and hints as to how to pick a 201 out by a photograph?


Thank you all again so much!