so! who sews?

[shugah]

i was gonna say "any sewers on DU?" in the subject line, but figured i'd get what i deserved for a question such as that ;-) . plus my sister pointed out to me that "seamstress" is the correct term, but i didn't want to risk any kind of "sexist" backlash (what do you call a man that sews? is it a tailor?)

anyway - before i get off on lo! these many tangents...

i'm not entirely sure that DU will be the place to seek answers to sewing questions, but i've been surprised by the vast interests, hobbies, pursuits, and areas of knowledge present in the DU community more than once, so i thought i'd throw this out there, to see if any one can help.

i'm looking for
a) help with an old (beautiful old) singer machine, circa 1940s, that has been working fine, but suddenly does not want to stitch. if anyone comes to my rescue on this thread, i'll be happy to elaborate. (if this thread dies a quick death, then i'll know i was out too far on the limb with this sewing shit, and won't feel all silly and such for TMI ;-) )
and b) i'm going to need a new machine. anyone have any recommendations? please elaborate! thanks! if there is a wonderful new machine that is as pretty as the old singers, that would be a definite plus!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Souix sews sue's shoes

who sews Souix shoes?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

27. I post a perfectly funny joke and no one thinks it is even worth a

chuckle? Man, you sewers are wound too uptight.

[MisterP]

2. hand-sew to mend only

[LiviaOlivia]

3. Check out Bernina"s

Everything is electronic now, so if you can't get yours fixed(try it)
then shop around. It's all about what you're comfortable with and what kind of sewing you do. I prefer something that can handle denim
and heavy fabrics.

[USAF Brat]

4. have you tried cleaning out the bobbin case?

sometimes lint and thread caught in it can cause the machine to stop stitching or to skip stitches. Just take a small brush and clean out the bobbin housing carefully and then check it visually to see if there are any threads caught in it.

It could also need oiling. The old Singer (one step up from pedals!) I learned on as a kid needed oiling pretty often to keep it running smoothly.

[USAF Brat]

5. oops, remove the bobbin before cleaning the casing. n/t

[shugah]

12. yes, thanks!

basically, i've done the troubleshooting i feel comfortable with - oiling, cleaning, and checking out the thread tension device (remove and reassemble). i did remove the bobbin case, and found a generous bit of lint (i've been sewing satin, and what a lot of lint that provides!)

how often do you think oiling is required? is it a time issue, or a usage issue?

thanks!

[Lars39]

6. Things to try:

new needle,
same thread on top as in bobbin,
the correct type of needle for the material you're attempting to sew,
lint in the bobbin area,
oiling the machine, do you have the feed dogs up?
Do you have the machine properly threaded?
Quit swearing at it! They have feelings, too, ya know! :)

[shugah]

15. feed dogs?

yes, same thread bobbin and top.
how exactly do you determine thread to fabric if you are sewing with an old machine?
(oiling and cleaning addressed)
most properly threaded!
i would never swear at this machine. i fell in total love with it. that's why i sew now.

thank you!

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Feed dogs are the little metah "teeth" that are under the presser

foot area -- they grab the fabric and feed it through. Old Singers are great machines; I have two old Featherweights (inherited from my mother-in-law and her mother) and one of the heavy old portables that have the bentwood cases -- those should be called LEADweights! I bought that one in 1967 for $20. And I have a Husqvarna Viking Lily with many nice features. Unless you want fancy stitches, you can get along fine with your old Singer, and I have heard many people say they wish they'd never gotten rid of their old Singer. They can be worth money, too. Featherweights are really in demand, especially with quilters, and can go for $1000 or more, yet you can still find them cheap some times.

[Lars39]

19. What type of material are you going to sew?

There are threads(and needles) better suited for polyester than for cotten, for example. Or too large a needle for the type fabric...like using a needle for denim on sheer cotten. I have had to just switch brands of needles, too.

[Jade Fox]

7. I have a circa 1930's Singer...

and as long as it get periodic maintenance it just keeps on going. They made
those things before the concept of "planned obsolescence" was perfected.
So take it to the shop.

Dang, I wish I had more time to sew!

[shugah]

16. try to make time!

i've found that the ability to make (manufacture) something is, at the moment, a really good feeling!

"planned obsolescense." grr. i far prefer the method of purposely including a flaw, because only god can be perfect. d'ye suppose that's what GM was after? ;-)

[Jade Fox]

20. Yes, I've been a needle jockey since I was a pre-schooler

playing with those old threading cards they made (make?) for kids.

[Mz Pip]

8. Sewing machines can be about as

complicated as cars these days and nearly as expensive. If you want a machine that embroiders fish designs then there are machines out there that will do just that.

I remember my Mom's old Singer. I made so many of my clothes in high school on that machine. I made my Prom dress on that machine and it never gave me grief. It did forwards, baackwards and zigzag. Good enough for me.

I have a nice portable that I borrowed from a friend so I could make some curtains. It's simple: goes backwards and forwards, does zigzag and button hole and that's about it.

You can probably got a used refurbished machine at a fabric/sewing store that will do just fine.

MzPip
:dem:

[USAF Brat]

9. hmm, another thing to check is the throat plate...

if it's not seated properly or loose in any way the machine won't stitch.

Someone else posted about the feed dogs, which reminded me that there could be stray thread caught there too, which would also prevent the machine from stitching.

Does your machine have a rubber belt on the right side (sorry can't remember name of the wheel), and if it does is it loose? If it's loose then you can use a screwdriver to loosen the bottom pulley that it goes around, move the pulley down to tighten the belt and re tighten the screw.

Thinking about that old Singer sure brings back great memories! It was my grandmother's machine that my mom inherited. Only straight stitch, and reverse while holding a button in. No zigzag stitch at all! No foot pedal either, just a lever to push with your knee to make it go! Ah, the things I made with that machine all through junior and high school.

[mykpart]

10. I'm just beginning to learn.

I got a portable machine last October. It sews forward and back and zigzag. So far I have only made decorative pillows (guess what everyone got for Xmas!), and curtains, but I'm going to tackle a blouse next. I bought my machine from a sewing center that sells refurbished machines and also repairs them. If you can't get yours going again, try to find a sewing center near where you live.

How I envy all of you who learned to sew young! I'm 56 and just beginning. I took chemistry, physics and trig in high school instead of home ec. My mother loved to sew, but never taught either my sister or me how. Guess she like being the only one. Anyway, good luck.

[Another Bill C.]

11. The old machine may be fine.

My area is shoemaker's machines but the principles are the same.
Make sure the bobbin case is clean.
Make sure all the oil points are lubricated.
Check the tension on the sewing thread and on the bobbin case.
Make sure the channel on your needle is facing the right direction.
Make sure the thread isn't binding somewhere.

If you follow the sewing action, you might be able to figure out what's wrong.
When the needle goes through the fabric, the tension relaxes at just the time when the hook on the bobbin case (shuttle) moves by the needle.
This should make the thread relax enough to move slightly away from the needle.
The shuttle case hook grabs the thread and causes the thread to move under the shuttle and back up on the opposite side of the shuttle.
The tension on the thread is increased and the stitch pulls up tight.

If the timing on this isn't right, you'll need to have it adjusted. It's hard to wear these old machines out. Mine are almost 100 years old and working fine.

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. Re: - what do you call a man that sews - it's simple - "DESPERATE"

.
.
.

Sewing on a button,

Putting a messy looking patch on the butt of my favorite jeans,

Is that "sewing" :shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. I took some classes about 10 years ago

at G Street Fabrics. They had beautiful Bernina machines that ran soooo smoothly! At least once a year, they sell their 1 year old classroom machines at a fraction of the cost of new ones. The warranty isn't as good, but the machines are terrific...It's not likely that anything would happen to them anytime soon.

You might explore this as an option. :-)

[Red State Rebel]

18. I use 4 different machines....

Sewing Machine - Singer - one that does auto bobbin refill without having to take the bobbin out and rethread the machine. It is fantastic!

Serger - Bernina - It's a workhorse, but I am looking at updating to the ones that have auto tension setting.

Embroidery - Brother 8500 - Too much fun! It also converts for use as a regular sewing machine, but I've never used it for that.

Johnson Ruffler - Does ruffling only - great for home decor projects and dresses for my grandaughter.

Home sewing is becoming a lost art!!

[DemBones DemBones]

21. Hi, shugah, I'm a sewist!

:hi: Why do you think you need a new machine? If your Singer was working perfectly, what does it NOT do that you want a machine to do?

Have you looked at any online sites about sewing or about old Singers? There are LOTS of sewing sites and quite a few about old Singers. Try doing a search. I have some bookmarked but they are mostly Featherweight links -- do you know if your machine is a Featherweight?

This page will answer that question for you (photos of Featherweights) and check their links, too, as they look promising.

http://home.cfl.rr.com/featherweight/standard.htm

if it's not a Featherweight (and maybe if it is) definitely try

http://www.needlebar.com

Through some sites, you can order copies of the instruction manual for your type of antique Singer, if you don't have one.


You should match your thread to your fabric, which generally means you sew synthetics with polyester thread, cottons with sotton thread, silks with silk thread. But there are people who will tell you differently. Thread weight is important, too, and using the right kind of needles (most sewists look down on "universal" needles today and there are good reasons for doing so.) But, again, there are people who are happy sewing with one kind of thread and one kind of needle, and if that works, why change it? Usually, people agree on using different threads and needles for machine embroidery from what are used to sew seams.

Web of Thread has lots of threads, needles, and more, including info about choosing needles and threads that you can download.

http://www.webofthread.com

Oh, BE CAREFUL about sewing machine repairman. The Singer man near you could be great, or he could be AWFUL like the one here. I've never known anyone who took their old Singer to him who didn't get it back in worse shape! He screwed up the tension on one of mine and I couldn't fix it. Finally, after I joined a quilt guild, I learned about a retired dealer who still repairs machines -- he's who everyone takes their old Singers to. So ask around to find a good repairman. The old dealer who is so good with machines says the old ones are the best because they have metal parts and not much ever goes wrong with them.

[shugah]

22. i don't really want a new machine

i really love the one i'm working with. it's just that it's temperamental, and besides doing the maintanance and easy fix ups, i don't know what else to do to make it work. i've looked at the new machines - they look like all you have to do is push a button, and they will sew for you! but they don't appear to have the character of an old singer.

thank you for the links! i'll be checking them out today.

[Orangeone]

23. I love sewing

I'm addicted to sewing. I have an Alpha Sew sewing machine. It's a generic machine from China, but its really a great machine.

I recommend patternreview.com. It's a great site for people who sew. They also have sewing machine reviews.

[shugah]

24. thank you all!

DU is such a great place! there are always people who can answer questions - about anything!

[blondeatlast]

25. I love to sew.

Can't help with A, but for B: I have a lower model line Bernina that I just love. I bought it in 1979 and it just whizzes along. All the stitches, perfect tension (automatically set!), no problems.

I sometimes use my grandm's Singer machine, though, When doing heavy work like curtains, it's a real gem.

It was the FIRST electric machine on the market!

[shugah]

26. working again!

well, i just re-did everything i've already done, and went ahead and oiled it, even tho i did that just last week, tightened up this an that, tried a few different needles, and my machine is humming along nicely once again! oh, and i changed bobbins. this seems to be a quirk - my singer only likes two or three bobbins. :shrug:

yay!!

just wanted to give this thread a kick to let you sewists know (i like that - "sewist.")

if i ever decide on a new machine, i'll let you all know what it is!

thanks!

now, it's time to get back to sewing. :hi:

[DemBones DemBones]

29. Great! If you keep having trouble, and don't

know anyone to ask about local repairmen, try finding out if there is a quilt guild, sewing club, homemakers' club, etc. near you and you're bound to find sewists there who can tell you what their experience has been with various local repairmen.

It's a shame that someone trained by Singer can be a lousy repairman but it happens.

Just out of curiosity, are all your bobbins the same type? If so, and your machine only likes a couple of bobbins, it's weird but just go along with what the old dear wants! We all develop more quirks as we get older, right? ;-)

[arwalden]

28. I Do! Home Dec Stuff Only... Pleated Drapes, Valances...

table runners, seat covers, placemats, room dividers.

-- Allen

[DemBones DemBones]

30. You sound like you might like quilting, Allen,

have you ever tried it? More men are doing it now, some of them very, very well. Most men seem to go in for machine sewing their quilts together and machine quilting them but at least two very well-known male quilters likes to quilt by hand as much as by machine. It's kind of funny because one of them, John Flynn, invented a gadget to enable quilters to use their regular sewing machine like a long-armed quilting machine (at a fraction of the coat of the long-arm machines, which also are so wide you pretty much have to give up half a room to them.)

[Chovexani]

31. I sew too

I've got an old singer from around the same period, and I would stick with it if I were you...I just don't like the newer machines, they're not as well made IMO. I do everything from Goth/Renaissance outfits to dork costumes on it and it works like a charm.

BTW I love the pic in your sig, do you cosplay by any chance? :)

--C