I Love This Fun Sewing Machine - Window Shopping

      While I was shopping for my vintage Singer Model 221, I saw this cute little machine.  So sweet.  I've heard a lot of people say that they wouldn't buy a new Singer sewing machine because they are worthless, but this machine has a really sweet shape (kind of like the Model 221) and I could totally see myself using this for a lot of craft sewing.

    This is a Singer One, it has 24 stitches including buttonholes and 4 stretch stitches.  It comes with an all purpose presser foot, blind hem foot, satin stitch foot, zipper foot and buttonhole foot.  The base on the left side slides off for free arm sewing and there is also an accessory storage box there. It's so adorable and it's on sale all over the internet.

    The best deals I saw were on Amazon and Walmart.  Amazon had it for $179.00 with free Prime shipping  and Walmart had it for $179.00 at Walmart with free shipping or free site to store pickup.  Overstock advertises it at $179.00 as well but they are out of stock.

    There is also a Singer One Plus that is a little more expensive because it has loads of features like the needle up and down and 231 stitches.  The Singer One Plus is also on sale all over the internet.

Here Comes The Machine Parade!

     I'm having a sewing, embroidery and serger machine parade today.  Well, not really a parade.  I'm rearranging some furniture and I wanted to put all my machines in one place to take a group photo but I didn't have a table large enough for all the machines together.  So here they are individually.   All of these machines work and I have used every one of them except the hand crank (the black machine).  That one has not been used on a project yet.  All of my machines have names.  I started naming them when I adopted the Bernina and Singer 401A.  I named them after their former owners.

   I keep a current inventory document with each machine's history on it.  I note the machine make,  model number, the serial number, when I bought or received it, how much I paid, where it came from, when it was last serviced, what each machine does the best and how I use it.  I also note what accessories I purchased for the machine and how much they cost.  I also note whether I have an owner's manual for the machine.  I love owner's manuals, they are the best resource for learning your machine.  I refer to this inventory quite often and I hope my daughter will find the inventory handy if she ever has to downsize the collection.  

Here they are in order of acquisition:

Singer 3400XL- Vesta.  Acquired in 2002.  This machine is great for regular sewing and straight line quilting with a walking foot.  I cannot free motion quilt with it because the feed dogs do not drop.  I know I can cover the feed dogs with an index card but I'm just not comfortable doing that so I got another machine for free motion quilting.  This machine is great for garment sewing and quilting.  I use this sewing machine when I'm inserting zippers and making button holes.  I also use the buttonhole stitch for machine applique.  

Bernina 1530 - Martha.  Given to me in 2010.  This machine is great from free motion quilting, straight line quilting and regular straight sewing.  There are lots of specialty stitches on the machine, but I only use it for piecing,quilting and applique.  I have two patchwork presser feet, a zipper foot, a general purpose foot, a hopping (darning) foot, and a walking foot for this machine.

Singer 401A -  Elsie.  Given to me in 2011.  This vintage machine (manufactured in 1959) came with some cool presser feet.  I have not done a lot with this machine because I don't usually have time to experiment with it, but I love the ruffler foot that came with this machine.  I played with the ruffler foot a little last year and really loved the ruffle created with that foot.

Juki MO644 D - Browyn.  Serger - I bought this serger in 2013.  I wanted a serger to make scarves and finish seams, but I'm not loving this serger.  The stitching is off on it and I have been trying to fix it.  I have to check out some of the youtube videos on tension and see if I can get it working right again.

Singer Model 15 hand crank -  Black Beauty. I bought this from an ebay seller last year.  I've not used this straight stitch machine much except to test it when I first got it.  I just love the look of it and I love the wooden base.  I'm thinking about painting the base.

Brother 770PE - Myrna.  Embroidery Machine.  This is the most recent acquisition.  Given to me as a birthday present last December.  I'm enjoying playing with this machine.  I wish I had more time to play with it.  I will share a recent project with you after it is gifted tomorrow.

    Oh, yeah, and I'm also storing a Domestic (White Sewing Machine Company) Model 801 from the 1970's.  It was inherited by my daughter from her Grandmother.  It sits in a rickety cabinet that needs to be replaced but I tested the machine when it came here a few years ago and it seems to work okay.  It probably could do with a servicing, but with the cabinet it's hard to get that done.  Her name is Carolina (after the former owner).  She does straight and zig zag stitching, button holes, came with a zipper foot, a darning foot, a seam guide, a cording foot, an extra needle plate.  I don't have any pictures of her.

Twin Needle/Stretch Stitch Research on My Sewing Machines

    I pulled out the owner's manual on my Singer 3400 XL (computerized, 2001) and the Bernina 1530 (computerized, 1992) this morning so I could research twin needle stitching and stretch stitches on these machines.

    I read a LOT of quilting, sewing, and crafting blogs and lots of those blogs are about garment sewing, which is something I did when I first started sewing in my teens when I was taking a sewing course almost every semester in high school.

     All the reading about garment sewing reminds me of the first sewing machine I ever owned.  It was given to me for Christmas or my birthday (my birthday is a few days after Christmas so they kind of run together) when I was about 15 years old by my oldest brother.  It was a Singer (I don't remember what model) that did twin needle stitching and it also had a stretch stitch which was super cool.  I wish I still had that machine but I don't.  I lent that machine to someone who broke it and I couldn't afford to get it fixed so I threw it away.  Shame on me.

   My brother did have an ulterior motive for giving me that sewing machine.  He wanted me to make a few things for him.  I made curtains for his room, I made curtains for his van, and I made his girlfriend a really cool stuffed teddy bear made from fake fur.  He supplied the money for all the materials and I did all the work, measuring, shopping, cutting and sewing.  It wasn't a bad way to spend my free time in high school.

   So, back to the research on my current machines.  My Singer 3400 XL doesn't have anything in the manual about twin needle stitching, but I may try it after I check my needle plate to make sure I have enough room for the twin needles to pass through.  The Singer does have a lovely stretch stitch as well as an overcast stitch and and an overcast foot.  My Bernina 1530 manual does not mention twin needle stitching, but after I check my needle plate, I may play with this carefully.  It does have a couple of stretch stitches.

   My hands on research will continue this evening and I'll give you results tonight.