Choosing a Sewing Machine

Let's take just a moment and talk about choosing a machine.  I'm going to start with two assumptions.  First, if you're new to sewing - as in, just learning - that you're either taking a class where you can learn to use a machine or able to borrow one from a friend to learn on.  Second, if you're an experienced seamstress shopping for a new, top-of-the-line machine...  you probably know which gew gaws and gizmos are important to you and you don't need my opinions.

So we'll move on to "sewing machines for the rest of us."  How do you select the machine that's good enough to be your work horse while you go from novice to reasonably adept?  Or move to your next machine if you've outgrown a "beginner" model?

Rule number one:  You get what you pay for.  Which is to say, don't buy a cheap $100 machine from a mass merchandiser under any circumstances.  You won't be happy with it, and it will lead to enough frustration that you might start to believe you're "no good" at sewing.  When, in fact, the issue is a poorly built machine.

Rule number two:  Decide if you're going to go new or used.  For some people, nothing but new will do.  Viking, Husqvarna, Elna, Bernina, and Janome all make excellent work-a-day machines.  Don't expect to be able to sew denim jackets on one for 8 hours a day, months on end (even if it says "Jeans Machine" on the front).  Do expect one of these machines to willingly take years of hobby sewing, as long as you're careful about cleaning and maintenance.  I'm going to make a confession here:  I'm not a fan of Singer.  Some of the vintage machines are OK, but I've never been happy with the newer models.  You'll pay more for the higher end machines - but they'll pay you back in the long run.  I've had my current machine for 13 years.  It's going strong, with no sign at all of needing replacement.  When you factor the price of a machine over a 15-20 (or more) year span...  it doesn't look so bad.  Especially as they often hold their value quite well.  It's common for most sewing machine specialty dealers to accept trade-ins when folks upgrade to bigger and better models.  Keep this in mind.

When you go sewing machine shopping, start out by making a list of the sorts of things you do with your machine, and the sorts of things you'd really LIKE to be able to do with it.  As much fun as it is to drool on the top-of-the-line machine, if that doesn't fit your budget, don't torment yourself.  Find the machine that will do what you need.  Should you find, in the future, that you've outgrown your machine you'll find that most sewing machine specialty shops will take them in on trade.  You can upgrade AND still get something out of your old machine.

Which brings us to the other half of the equation:  The used machine.  This can be an excellent value to the savvy seamstress.  It can also be a horribly pitfall for the novice.  If you're new to sewing and shopping for a used machine, I strongly recommend that you go visit a sewing machine dealer.  Tell them what you want.  See what they have available - likely there will be a few older models that other patrons have 'traded in' for something with more bells and whistles.  A good salesperson will guide you to a machine that meets your needs.  Or let you know if nothing they currently have fits the bill.  An excellent salesperson will take down your needs, your name, and your number and call you when a suitable machine IS traded in.  If you're a patient sort, this is a wonderful way to buy a machine.  It's also a wonderful way to buy accessories - I spoke with the delightful woman who runs a local business and managed to purchase a walking foot for my machine at about 1/2 the retail price.

You can certainly also shop privately for a machine.  Craig's List, estate sales, and thrift stores are all rich sources of sewing machine possibilities.  But you need to be more careful.

First, make sure the machine has all it's parts, including the foot pedal.  If that's missing, you can't test it.  Walk away.

TEST it.  Make sure that the light comes on.  Ask for or bring a small bit of fabric and thread.  Wind a bobbin.  Sew a few test stitches.  Make sure the needles moves freely up and down and doesn't hit the throat plate.

Ask about it's history.  With any luck, it's a well-loved machine that's been maintained and has it's accessories - maybe even a manual.  Now, it's not a deal-breaker if it doesn't.  Do your research before you even go look at it, if that's an option.  Many vintage machine manuals and accessories are available on E-bay.  Just make sure you factor the cost into the price of the machine.

Many of the best options that combine ease of use with reliability are the vintage machines from the 1950's and 1960's.  They tend to have metal gears, motors that run forever, and often metal cases as well.  Try to find one recent enough to have buttons or wheels to select whatever decorative stitches it has - rather than one with cams that must be inserted.  Cams get lost or broken.  Put it in it's case and pick it up.  If you didn't nearly dislocate your shoulder, keep looking.  These babies are heavy, but they're also heavy duty.

There are lots and lots and LOTS of vintage machines out there that will suit.  You'll have to kick the tires, give them a trial run, and decide what features are or aren't deal breakers for you.  (Hint:  I have an automatic button holer for my Viking.  I never use it.  It's easier just to mark the little beasts than to use the wheel and worry about it slipping/etc.  You may not need all the bells and whistles on a modern machine).

From personal experience, the Pfaff 1222 is a good machine.  Google around a bit and you'll inevitably find some.  The 1222's contemporaries by Viking, Janome, Elna, and New Home are also good choices.

Many people are in love with Singer Featherweights.  They're cute machines.  Dependable workhorses. They are so popular that obtaining extra parts, belts, etc. is pretty easy.  You can even get them painted in custom colors.  Your sewing circle may envy you.  The other side of this coin is that demand often drives up the price.  Unless you're very patient and good at trolling estate sales, Craig's List, E-bay, and the like, you may end up paying $300-400 for a Featherweight.  Which sort of defeats the purpose of budget shopping for a vintage machine.  If that's what you want, have at!  There are probably less popular, equally good machines available for half that price.

If you've got your own suggestions for a favorite vintage machine, please leave it in the comments!  In fact, share a picture and I'll add it to the post!

Summer Sewing on the Lake

Hello, and welcome to my little cottage on the lake. "Cottage" because my house is a tiny little Cape Cod - about 1200 square feet. And it sits in a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. No, I can't see the Lake from my windows. Though if the breeze is blowing, I can smell it. And on misty nights, sometimes I can hear the fog horn.

 One bright spot in my little cottage is that the former owners knocked out a wall of what was once a bedroom, creating an alcove off the main area of the house. It's too small to be of much use, so I've been able to turn it into my sewing nook. I can't compete with some of the lovely studios we've all seen on Pinterest, but it serves the purpose. It holds my regular sewing machine (A Viking #1+), a Damascus treadle machine that I plan to get into working order, a workbench, a sewing/cutting table made by my father, and my ironing board. I can't have them all out at once, mind! I'll share pictures when I can.

 I'm a bit of a rare bird in my generation. My mother actually DID teach me to sew. And she taught me the vintage tailoring tricks that SHE learned. Cotton organdy to stiffen cuffs and collars, silk organza sleeve heads - Those little touches that you don't find in "Quick 2 hour Skirt!" patterns. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like a quick sew as much as the next girl. But there are plenty of places around the web for you to go find those projects. And most of the creative souls who put them out there are doing a better job than I could.

 What I'm going to show you is how to sew, vintage style. (Mind - NOT to sew Vintage Style. We're not going to throw together a 60's cowl neck dress in an hour) I'm going to share my vintage sewing goodies with you, including new acquisitions as I find them. And my opinions, of course. We can't escape that! I think we'll start with this little gem:

I found this little gem in a local antique store.  Copyright 1926, it's still a gem of a booklet, with lots of tips as useful today as they were when they were first written. 

Before we just jump right in, though, let's go over the basics that you should have on hand.

1.  Sewing machine

- this is a given, unless you've really got the patience of Job.  And lots of free time.  In a later post, we'll talk about sewing machine selection.

2.  Ironing board

- the one thing you can do to make your sewing better (other than sewing better) is to press well and press often.

3.  Measuring devices

- A tape measure, ruler, quilting rulers.  It's good to have at least one good tape measure, preferably 120" long and at least one good straight-edge ruler.  Frankly, you'll find it easiest if you have several in multiple sizes.

4.  Pins

- Get the best pins you can find.  I prefer fine glass head pins.  Yep, they're more expensive.  But you can't melt the heads with your iron like you can the plastic kind.  And they don't leave big holes in your fabric.

5.  Needles

- sewing machine and hand.  Don't think for an instant that because I said you need a sewing machine that there will be no hand sewing.  There will be lots of hand sewing.  Don't worry, the more you do it, the faster you'll get.  And it might even become a soothing activity - something you can do on the couch while your husband rents that latest explosion-packed movie that's a little thin in the plot department.  Remember, too, that needles are a renewable resource.  That is, they have a fixed life span.  About 8-12 hours of continuous sewing for a machine needle.  Hand needles will vary.  But if you're starting to have to push, change needles.  When your needle has reached the end of it's useful life - Throw.  It.  Away.  Your sewing will improve when your tools do.  Make sure you always use the right needle for the job, too.  More on this in a future post.

6.  Marking pens and pencils

- This is sometimes a personal preference.  I have a blue water soluble pen, some chalk pencils in multiple colors, and a Frixion pen.  The blue pencil is nice, as the marks wash right out - IF you don't iron them first.  They sometimes heat fix, so be careful!  The chalk pencils come out nicely, don't heat fix - but aren't as fine a point and can be brushed away inadvertently.  The Frixion pen is my new love.  This one erases with a pass of the iron.  But the marks come back when you put the fabric in the freezer (not as dark, but legible).  Given my difficulty in making up my mind, this is a great feature.  I do wonder if they'd become visible again if I made a garment and wore it outside in the winter, though.  Tailor's chalk is handing for marking things especially when they're on the model and you need to make adjustments.  I found a whole box of vintage commerical chalk in an antique store.  I love it!

7.  Good scissors

- I can't stress this enough.  Buy one pair of really good dressmaker's shears.  Care for them.  Love them.  And never let anybody (yourself included) cut paper with them.  I recommend Ginghers.  They're a bit of an investment, but they'll pay you back for it over the years.  You can even return them to the factory for sharpening for a very small fee (basically postage).  Have a second pair that you can use on paper, as well.  You'll use these to cut apart paper patterns or trims you'd rather not use your good scissors on.  It's very useful to have a sharp pair of embroidery scissors as well, for trimming threads, etc.

8.  Pincushion or other device for securing sharp objects

-  Get a fun little pincushion.  And consider also getting a magnetic pinkeeper.  When you drop pins, you can hold the magnetic pinkeeper over the floor and pick them up without hunting for hours.

9.  Cutting Board

- mine is just cardboard.  It gives me a large surface for cutting out fabric, it's marked in a 1" grid, and it has some helpful curves and scallops drawn on it.

10.  Seam ripper

- You will make mistakes.  As ye sew, so shall ye rip.

Nice to have but not absolutely necessary:

A mini iron for small projects

A seam roll, tailor's ham, and pressing board - for getting into tight places

A rotary cutter and mat - speeds up some jobs

Thread spool holder

Various bodkins, turners, or forceps - for turning bias tubing or other small pieces, threading elastic, etc.

Next time, we'll discuss sewing machine selection.