Vintage machine that does a blanket stitch?
 

For some reason I find myself wanting a machine with a blanket stitch. Perhaps it's the applique I saw a little while ago that made me want to try it... I don't really know.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The newest machine that I have that does decorative stitches is the 411G but it doesn't have a blanket stitch.

I'm not a complete purist (as many of you know by the how old to be vintage thread. ;)), I'm also OK with a somewhat newer machine but am on a strict budget. There are 5 Smarter by Pfaff C1100 machines about 2 hours from me for $225cdn each that I'm tempted by but I think I'd be better off looking for something more trusted. Similar budget though - maybe a little higher.

My preferred brands are Pfaff and Janome for the newer machines and I don't seem to get along with Bernina at all for some reason.

Can you look for a good used Pfaff? You might get more stitches for your money. I love mine and both of them have the blanket stitch. Call the nearest dealer and ask if they have one available or if they know anyone who may be wanting to sell their machine.

It's snowing outside, my brain is in lock down ............... what does a blanket stitch look like?

Joe

I like Bernina, but I don't think any of the vintage machines has the blanket stitch; not until the 930 eighties model (I think it has it, but I can't confirm it atm). 1980s is sort of border line vintage, maybe if you are 16 years old it feel like that lol. I would expect any QE version to have this sitich, most current models in general?

The Elnagraph has a blanket stitch disk, I think it's No. 146 (I'm on the hunt for it). The Supermaitc is in my mind true vintage, and I suspect this is the only 1950s machine with back stitch patterns. I don't even know of a 1960s model who has it, though I suspect there are the odd exception, the Japanese jumped for the cam technology around that time. I have next to no knowledge of vitage Japanese brands unfortunately, though I have noticed a few nice machines and interesting features a few times.

If I rememeber correctly, you have some traumatic memories of a Supermatic giving you truble at some point. I can let you know, mine is working fairly well, maybe not fine tuned to your standards, but I managed to get the metal pulley with O-rings on!!! Still a bit on the noisy side, but compared to industrials it's really not (pedaling for some arguments in it's advatage). I'm keeping this machine for the time being, I think I might grow to like it. I just can't see me doing any free motion on it yet. If a later model happens to land on you, I think they were driven by two belts and no pulley.

If you are open to different techniques there is a blog devoted to vintage macines and very true to the techniques at the time. It's a bit cumbersom to maneuver to the correct pages, but the result is quite nice. It feels a bit advanced too me, I have read it several times but I don't quite get it. It looks like it's all done by hand, but from what I read she only talks about free motion and how to get the blanket stitch done on machine? She often uses a treadle model 15 and a 66 if I remember correctly.

I have been. ;) Pfaff machines seem to keep their value here,which puts the models I'd be looking at in the $500+ range. I love my 6122 - completely mechanical and all utility and stretch stitches. This is the only stitch I wish it had.

I made a big mistake the day I sold my Kenmore 150. It had a blanket stitch but I had so many machines, it was a plastic fantastic, I'd just gotten my embroidery machine and was feeling broke....

No sympathy for you on the snow thing! We get it worse and longer, I'll bet. ;)
http://www.singerco.com/sewing-resou...tch-detail/217

If I recall, most of the QE models have many different blanket stitches. Had a 2027 in here this morning... it would be fine and less than a QE. A less scrupulous tech would have told her it was un-fixable, since I know that she wants an excuse to get a new machine with a bigger throat... ;)

I've had a lot of dealings with those pulleys and the one I removed to make a video on replacing them caused bloodshed and a re-shoot. And then that pulley ate itself within a day of use. We're not currently friends, no. ;) Yes, the later models did go to belts. They saw the flaw in the design finally. How do you like the metal pulley versus the old rubber one? Where did you source it?

All of the pages I saw on Muv's site were for hand stitched blanket stitches. I think she's great and way more co-ordinated than I am - FMQ on a treadle would result in many grievous injuries to me.

I found myself in the same boat. My wife wanted a machine that would do the blanket stitch. With all of the vintage machines that I had stashed around, not one of them (that was serviceable) would make a blanket stitch. And I couldn’t find anything much in my online search either. It would have to be a newer machine that reversed the feed (or stopped the feed, if you will), and the good old metal machines didn’t have that function. I was searching for about 3 years.....

Then, in a stroke of good luck, she entered a drawing for a sewing machine at a Quilt Show, and won. It’s a Singer 5400 Sew Mate, and it has a blanket stitch on it (60 built-in stitches). Thanks for miracles, because she has now done several projects with it (just the blanket stitch) and is tickled with it. I don’t think that she’s ever used any other stitch on that machine, including the straight stitch. She folds her Singer 301A down in its cabinet, and puts the new 5400 up on it to do her blanket stitches. It’s been going strong for several projects...

CD in Oklahoma

So then in your opinion, it might just be worth driving a couple hours to go look at these? http://www.kijiji.ca/v-hobbies-craft...ationFlag=true

If you’re talking to me.....I wouldn’t recommend ANY used sewing machine of the newer type. You’re a tech. You know how people (techs and users both) jack around with machines.

And I don’t know anything about Pfaffs or other brands, just the Singer 5400. I would buy a brand new Singer 5400, if I were you. Disclaimer: We’ve only had our Singer 5400 since May of 2014, so I have no long-term information on its longevity.

CD in Oklahoma

The ONLY reason I'm interested in the one I posted is that there are 5 of them and it looks like 4 of them haven't been out of their boxes. No jacking around. ;) Pfaff, Janome and Brother are the main machines that I service. I've never had one of those "Smarter by Pfaff" machines on my bench though. The reviews are mixed. Most issues seem minor and that they get fixed other than the one that said it was "un-fixable". I'm wondering if it's the same as the Bernette machines...

I did struggle a bit with the pulley, even the clip on the hand wheel was a bit stubborn. I ended up cracking its' bakelite inners and it came of in pieces. The metal pulley was a bit tight, I hammered it on. It works very well, and I don't regret it at all. When the old pulley came off I could not see much of a dent in it, at least not compared to the tutorial pictures on the web, still in runs noticeably better with the new pulley. The noise is another thing though, it's not quieted down to 201 levels. The Elnagraph her self is a noisy thing, and have used lots of the best teflon enriched oil on it. The motor runs with out much noise, so it's not the cause of it.

As you mention the pulley thing not a perfect solution mechanically; it can slip a bit, especially when the first few stitches when the machine has newly been taken out to sew. If I run it full speed a bit it's like it warms up for the run. The motor might need tending to, it runs fine but it probably could benefit from cleaning and new grease after 57 years. I'm not sure how much care a motor needs. I'm keeping it, I think I will both use it and like it. I am on the hunt for more cams :- )

Regarding new pulleys wearing of the rubber: I just read on the Yahoo group it could be caused by an Elnagraph with too much play on some parts, it puts an over load on the rubber and tearing it off.

It was through the Yahogroup I sourced the pulley. I had been cleaning oiling and being very interested in my new machine. I posted a lot of qestions on how to sort it out. After a bit of back and forth it looked like the only good source of worth while pulleys come from (Ray) White Sewing Center, and he doesn't ship outside US. A guy on the Yahoo group took mercy on me and offered to drill out an aluminum pulley. Of course I jumped at chance and I think it's the ideal solution, one I recommend if the opportunity is there. I have been sewing on mine and I can't really complain on anything, it's a fast machine. It still needs some fine tuning, it's not easy for an amateur to sort it all out in one go ;)

How about an early 70's Kenmore? I only have half the cams for mine, isn't there a blanket stitch? My machine is 158.18130.
Third row from the top, on the right.
http://mysewingmachineobsession.blog...continued.html

I have to admit, I cringed a little with the hammer use but if it's working, that's great. ;) I don't think you'll ever get an elna supermatic to quiet down to 201 levels. 201s are amazing in their sound levels. I have a HC 201 I got around Christmas last year. After a good cleaning (and some body restoration) the only thing you hear when you crank it is the HC, not the machine. It obviously changes with thread and fabric on it, but not much. (At the time, the shellac was still too wet/fragile/new for me to run fabric on it.)

I don't remember what that motor was like. I'm sure it's got brushes though based on the carbon I found inside - so those should be check and the rest of that maintenance. I don't think it's a greased motor though. There may be a few bushings that would enjoy a single drop of oil though.

I think the pulleys warm up just like the tires on a race car, then they have great traction. The machine that ate that pulley didn't have an elnagraph. It was the mystery machine with the swing needle and no zig zag control.

The aluminum pulley thing looked like the best way to me too. I'm glad it worked for you and that someone made one for you. :)

I've never had trouble with the speed of the Elnas, it's just that I don't like the pulleys or that bobbin case (did you follow that YouTube video with all the stills? It's unreal what you can find in there! That will contribute to noise too - not all lint is sound deadening material! Then some of the tuning to get bobbin tension just right after that is a little bit of a pain but once it's there, it's got great tension. I also don't like their tendency to bite me. Once they're set up though, they're nice machines. I guess I just find them high maintenance.

It sure looks like a blanket stitch, you're right! Does your machine take the same cams as the 1914?

These ones:
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I didn't see anything that looked like a blanket stitch in it. If it's the right one for your machine, it's yours.

At a distance it could resemble a blanket stitch, but to me it is a blind stitch that has been monkeyed with.

Which would explain why I didn't see a cam if it's the same set. I had thought that it was a little too "old" for a true blanket stitch. It's possible that it's as lose as they could come before the pulse motors could stop the dogs completely and start them again...

I checked out google for blanket stitches on sewing machines and they show pics of many different blanket stitches, so I guess it depends on the type you are looking for. I have one that goes 2-3 stitches straight then stitches over 2 stitches like a hand done blanket stitch, sort of and it is on a Janome 8900. Not much help.lol

That has to be it, I didin't think of it like that. I did wonder what it could be, one less unknow factor is one less worry when sorting issues out. .

I was very lucky there, and by a guy who has made quite a few of them. It's something I could not do on my own, and finding someone with the right machinery and willing to do it is easier said than done.

I don't mind the pulley as much if it works, it should be less of a maintanance problem with the O-rings. Yes, I did follow that still picture video, and had to watch it over and over. It was full of lint and fluff dow there, major thread mess, everthing was jammed, but not worse than the neglected machine in general. Previous owner used class 15 bobbins and had needle in the wrong way. I did find it a bit cumbersome to have to loosen two screws to take out the bobbin case though, but after the initial cleaning I hop I can manage to maintain it with q-tips, tweasers and a brush.

Compared to the 201 I find it the Supermatic bit abrupt, everything feels "thightly fit" in a way, but it's much faster, speed and swing needle movment are very different. The easy feel when maneuvering fabric on those old straight stitchers is one of their advatanges. I am getting used to the bobbin case; I had problem with the thread jumping out of the bobbin tensioner until I figured out how to pull it down correctly. I am getting better at lifting up the bobbin too, it has to be a light finger in just the right place for it to come out smoothly. I'm getting more into this macine as I gradually become familiar with it's quirks.

My Elna Carina has a couple disks, 150 & 152, that might be considered to be a blanket stitch. One is straight and the other has a slant to it. I bought it last summer - it was in need of some bobbin area adjustments. It is one nice machine though. Igor's wife, Igora, may have taken it apart and reassembled it wrong. The slide show guy on Utube to the rescue and bobbin carrier is good to go. I'm finding myself using that machine a lot for appliqué. I'll have to try the disks out some time.

Miriam, does the Elna Carina take the black plastic type disks same as the Supermatic? If these stitches aren't any good there's no point in me hunting them down. Blancket stitchesof are often just as much for the decorative as the functional aspect of it though. I am looking for a couple of stretch stitch disks and #146 I thought was pretty close to a blanket stitch. Lock stitch machines will never have a real blanket stitch anyhow.

My Go TO machines for blanket stitch are my Elna's. Typically I use my SU Air Electronic only because it's my baby but the Supermatic or the Elna Super would do it too-just pop in the disk!

Yes it takes the same disks as the Elna su I've had for 40 years. I don't know of any home sewing machine that would do a true blanket stitch either. There are some things that just look a lot better done by hand.

Believe me, if a 8900 was in the budget, I'd be all over it. :)

I think that warm up and extra stick once it's warmed up is also how you can tear a pulley off the machine too. I have photos of the pulley after an hour's work and I didn't think that was even possible but I've seen it. I was the one who ran the machine and tore it off but I believe them based on the time frame in which it happened.

When I'm just operating a Supermatic or similar, I really don't mind them. It's the opening them up and having to jump through all the extra hoops that makes me grumble. ;) Once they're dialed in, I think they're really neat little machines and make great stitches.

The 15 bobbin is weird. I thought that would be too tall and probably too much drag with the plate closed. I've seen 66 bobbins in them though, almost every one I've come across in fact.

I have that slant stitch on my Pfaff, I think. It's a stretch stitch of some sort. I do have one of the white cams for one of the "newer" (i.e. 630, 758, etc) Singers but I don't know that I want to have one sitting around for just a blanket stitch. What stitch are you using for the applique? I've promised myself I'll learn to use my embroidery machine for some applique too. I know I don't have the patience for handwork, so this is the only way I'll do it even though I love the look of applique.


Some of the high end computerized machines do what I think looks like a nice blanket stitch. I just can't currently justify that sort of buy in for what amounts to one stitch (and a knee lift, needle down, speed control, start/stop button... ;)) that I don't have currently.

The Bernina 930 Record owners manual does not list a blanket stitch per sae. The stitch it has that looks like the one pictured in the link is called the stretch stitch.

So for those that do use the Bernina 930 for blanket stitch, which stitch do you use? What number on the selector is it?


Joe

I don't get professional, computer machine results but I just use a zz stitch, which that little Elna does beautifully. A couple months ago I bought a cheap plastic wonder machine because it had a kit and some appliqué scissors. The scissors are German made and were a true prize. I would recommend getting a pair if you do raw edge appliqué. I had some fabric with HUGE flowers so I cut them fussy and appliquéd them on totes. The first couple I did were on a Montgomery Ward machine. I can't say I was thrilled with the results but the main reason was I didn't think much of the presser foot on that machine. The Elna had a nicer stitch and I liked the foot. I've never use a blanket stitch for appliqué but I just do raw edge. I'm not sure how a blanket stitch would do on raw edge. I can think of other reasons I'd like a blanket stitch or a button hole stitch but I just do them by hand anyway. I like the hand done look better. One of the things I like about the Corina Elna is the foot control can go slow. I like a slow speed for appliqué. It is easier to go around curves and get the details crisp. I've often though a hand crank with fancy stitches would be nice for that but I haven come across anything I wanted to use or would work. I've seen some that could but didn't like the machine.

I think all these Kenmore cams that come in the books fit a variety of machines and probably would fit in mine...... if I didn't have it buried in the basement..... for emergencies. I like that machine, but it's left homing and I'm not comfortable with it.

We should probably build some sort of list of those cams, unless someone has one. I couldn't google one and my manual only lists a small amount of the options.

Blanket Stitch
 

My Janome Horizon does blanket stitch. Perhaps they have other models that do as well.

I have a Janome 2160DC that has a blanket stitch listed as "Applique", page 38 of the manual. This machine was "retired" just about the time I bought it. A review speaks highly of it and says the 3160QDC replaced it.

I have a 70's Kenmore with cams, and it has Blanket stitch. Also an old dressmaker...I think that is just a name some store gave to it..look at the old machines and keep your eyes open at thrift shops.

It looks like a blanket stitch but the side fed stitches are slanted? My Pfaff calls that an open overlock stitch.

Oh! A satin stitch for the applique. Of course. That's the way I first tried machine applique. It's also how I overheated my pedal on the 403 and learned to take apart the pedal and clean all of the disks and how that couple of posts came to be on my site. LOL! These days, I'd still try my 411G but it would have to be with an electronic pedal for the same reason you mention - being able to go slowly.

I picked up a grab bag a couple of months ago at a thrift store that had a pair of Italian made Gingher Duck bill applique scissors in it. I agree, I love them for the delicate work. As best I can tell, blanket stitches are for turn under applique and largely decorative. You can ladder stitch it otherwise and have it invisible.

Treadled 401G/411G might do an interesting job of a satin stitched applique. ;)

I feel like a fish out of water with left homing machines too. It's just weird, I keep wanting to align the needlebar. ;)
I'm quite sure that there's a cams thread here somewhere. I don't remember who started it though.

Janome has a number of models that will do it. I might just break down and get myself a "new" machine while they're on sale this month at the dealer I like. I'm just scared it will go from a $500 machine what will "do" to the one that has all the bells and whistles that I'd like to have. ;) I guess I better pick a couple of my machines to purge to make space. And cash.

The dealer nearest me has most of the Janome line on sale this month. The 2030QDC looks like it has it, as does the 4120QDC. I'm glad to hear you like the 2160, it's probably quite similar to these 2.

Thanks Donna! I've been prowling the shops and the for sale lists. ;)

Rodney has a thread somewhere about pictures of machines and the cams that go with them. I know, he hounded me to put mine up there.lol :)

That's the sizes of the cams and which machines they go with, I found that one. I skipped a lot of pages though.

I was thinking one just for the Kenmore cams with the part number and the stitch it does. There seems to be a LOT of them.

That would be tough for me - I fix more than I sew, so I'd have to look up most stitch names! As it is, half the time I end up using stretch and utility stitches as decorative stitches. :o

The Bernina 1031 has a stitch that kinda looks like a slanted blanket stitch. I used it for machine applique for years.
Sharon in Texas

Elna cams 148, 150 and 152 (slanted) make a decent blanket looking stitch. I often use the built in blind hemmer and run the fabric through the machine with the bulk under the arm. It looks like a blanket stitch if you you aren't too particular. Miriam,I used it on raw edge applique by using Wonder Under first. The flowers on my daughter's quilt have not frayed and it gets heavy use and laundering. I'm using the built in blind hemmer now on fleece blankets and people are liking the slightly scalloped effect. I've also done scarves that way with good results.

Isn't there a ducks one? I could identify that one.

And the dog one! ;) Though I'm out of luck if they were specific about breed...

IrishRose2, I will keep an eye out for an elna then. I do like their stitches once they're cleaned up and properly maintained.

And the boat one

Okay I'll play. I can't remember what machine it is but there is one that has a cam that makes a rat or mouse.

Cari

Sharon,

The 930 has that one too. We'll probably give it a try.

Joe

A nice satin stitch zigzag often as good as any ;- )