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Question for the ladies......

Kato

Well-known member
I have two Singers. One is my great grandma's and is over 100 years old. It still works! It's one of those old treadle machines, but I need a new belt for it. My other belonged to my grandmother. It's a 1950's model, and still works. It's my main sewing machine, and I use it to make teddy bears.

I'm not sure about the Featherweight ones in particular, but I can sure speak for the durability of the Singers in general.
8)
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
I have a Brother too.....and it'd be just as easy to do it by hand. I've had it for years and years, and it's been nothin but aggrivation. Clean it and oil it after every hours use.....per the instruction manual. It's now sittin at the repair shop.....with instructions from me, to NOT fix it. Not worth fixin. Can buy a new one for the price it'll cost to repair.

I have several old singer treadle machines. I just don't wanna work that hard while sewin. haha

Several years ago, mom gave me a Featherweight. I've heard wonderful things about them. They are highly saught after machines by quilters. I just haven't gotten it out and set it up to try it. I know it only strait stitches, and I think that's my hold up. Cuz I use the zigzag stitch alot too.
 

MsSage

Well-known member
Sorry I have the Singer Confidence which I have made quite a few quilts.
If your wanting to quilt I dont know how much use you will get from a straight only sticht machine unless your not going to do rag quilts or your own quilting......LOL Yeah I said I wouldnt do my own quilting either but I do all mine now.

As for straight only it would be great for repaires and simple work.
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Strait stitching is all I use when piecing a quilt. Unless it's denim then I will use the zigzag for strengthening the seams.

As for machine quilting the actual quilt, I don't. I either tack it, or set it up in the quilting frame and do it by hand.

All the rag quilts I've ever made I used nothing but the strait stitch to piece it.

I'm just goin into withdrawels....since the last thing I made was the black dress for Lil Lilly. And that's when my machine started actin so bad. It's a wonder I finished that dress. Now Christmas is comin and I gotta get busy with some things for gifts.
 

Kato

Well-known member
Here's an interesting thing I learned when I brought Grandma's sewing machine home. My Mom had said years ago that she couldn't get it to work, because there was something wrong with the tension, and no matter what she did, she couldn't get it to sew properly. So it spent years in her garage. I decided last fall to take it on, and brought it home.

Well well well, thank goodness for Google. I found that it is a common issue with Singers, and that, believe it or not, it's caused by the needle being put in backwards! I checked the machine, and sure enough, turned the needle around and had a brand new machine! With my old Brother machine, there's no doubt about which way to face the needle when you're putting in in, because it has such an obvious flat back on it. With the Singer, it's not so obvious, and you really have to watch it.

When my mother-in-law moved out of her home, her family threw her machine away because of the same problem. They couldn't get it to work either. I guess they should have googled!
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
Kato....I KNEW what was wrong before you said it. I don't know how many machines mom's bought at yard sales and such, and that's all that was wrong. The needle was in backwards.

But my Brother that's gone caput....there's no question as to what direction the needle goes in either. They said it's somethin to do with the bobbin case, and the deal it goes into needing replaced. $189 and the machine didn't cost that when I bought it new.
 
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