Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Hi Suzi! Two of them are for historical re-creation events. I had a great time at one San Jose Historical Society event sewing up a simple apron with my 1890s hand cranked luggable Amazon machine. Zillions of boy scouts, little girls, curious parents had to try it. I'd let people crank and I'd sew simple straight seams. Little boys are speed demons like to crank really fast... when they start competing, time to switch to lecture mode... or distract them by asking if they can figure out how the machine works. And of the rest, yes, the sturdy Singer is for leather, kevlar, canvas; the Viking embroiders; the Babylock overlocks, but the 1940s machine is just charming. No special or unique features. --cin Cynthia Barnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Suzi - wasting time 'cos I hate the current job! Suzi, Suzi, Suzi Some of us like to have different machines for different projects. Some of us collect them for their beauty. Some of us just can't decide which machine is best. I just think that they are really cool! Anne (Singer treadle, 2 hand crank machines, a Featherweight, my mother's old Slant-O-Matic, my Singer Fashion machine bought 40 years ago, my newr Singer with free arm and stretch stitch capability and my battery operated lock stitch machine for camping) No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1430 - Release Date: 5/13/2008 7:31 AM ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Tee hee - sewing machines are like cars, and it's all a matter of how you buy them. Some people upgrade every few years, others get something for it's reliability and use it for decades. A few years back I had my machine serviced (cleaned oiled). The rather opinionated repairman said he first learned on that machine, and exclaimed that he wouldn't give me $5 on a trade-in. I said why would I get rid of a perfectly good machine for only $5? There are other machines that are are kept because they are sentimental, perhaps inherited. -Carol ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
Anne Moeller wrote: Some of us like to have different machines for different projects. Some of us collect them for their beauty. Some of us just can't decide which machine is best. I just think that they are really cool! I buy machines because they're good at something that my other machines aren't. I very rarely think in terms of replacing machines, because at this point I've developed a collection of machines, each of which is the best at a particular technique and which I wouldn't consider substituting with something else. andy ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I only have a simple Janome sewing machine and a basic Janome over locker (Serger), they do me well. I imagine as my skills increase I will look to better machines, but it would be logical to keep the existing ones as back ups. Sidney On Mon, May 12, 2008 at 10:03 AM, Dianne [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I, for one, collect them. I specialize in old treadles and handcranks. I make mine fully functional. I have found the old Singers, prior to the 600 series, can sew through almost anything without a problem. Amen! My little Singer 99K is a gorgeous machine. The two Brother machines (one sewing, one embroidery only) are functional, and look it. They create beautiful things, but they aren't beautiful things in and of themselves. Of course, I still want a treadle machine, and a handcrank, and a Featherweight, and ooh of course that shiny Duetta with the HUGE embroidery field. :-) Dianne ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I am fascinated by the fact that some people have many machines. I have only two plus a serger, and I sew professionally. I only need one, as long as it works - the other is in case anything goes wrong with the main machine. So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Suzi - wasting time 'cos I hate the current job! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
Speaking just for myself, I taught my kids to sew. Snarling was heard over some people hogging the machine. Then I had one croak in the middle of a major project, and I vowed never to be without a backup again. So I have my main machine, and my backup, my son has a machine, my daughter has a machine, and I have a backup for THEM to use in case one of their machines goes down. I also periodically help or teach other people to sew who are just learning, and it's easier for me to set up a spare machine than for them to haul theirs around in the car. Sewing machines and stock pots. Got a bunch of both of them. :-) LuAnn Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 09:06:45 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines I am fascinated by the fact that some people have many machines. I have only two plus a serger, and I sew professionally. I only need one, as long as it works - the other is in case anything goes wrong with the main machine. So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Suzi - wasting time 'cos I hate the current job! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _ With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you. http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008 ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
From: LuAnn Mason [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines SNIPPED Snarling was heard over some people hogging the machine. Then I had one croak in the middle of a major project, and I vowed never to be without a backup again. SNIPPED FOR BREVITY AND THOSE WHO GET THE LIST IN DIGEST FORM Sewing machines and stock pots. Got a bunch of both of them. :-) COMMENT GenTLes of the List, When our little group of living history enthusiasts were starting the Company of The Duke's Leopards in old Jersey in 2003, - one of the issues was costumes for those who hadn't already gotten them from previous involvements elsewhere. Only three of the original lady founding members had sewing amchines. Though other newbies wanting to join had probably learned to sew in Household Economics Classes in their schooldays, - in their modern married lives and our disposable society they had never needed to buy sewing machines of their own. Cheap sewing machines were needed to loan out. So I took to visiting the local Charity [Hospice} Shop warehouse, and buying every discarded older sewing machine that came in for possible sale - concentrating on good reputation Brand names, and those with metal gears. The average price I paid before I stopped buying was £5-00GB per machine. Then I took the machines to our local indepewndent Sewing machine Engineer [ also a re-enactor of Napoleonic Wars WW2, so he understood our problem of DIY costuming and lack of funds] and he did me a good deal on overhaul prices. The end result, when I left the Duke's Leopards, was that I had 11 secondhand but fully-overhauled sewing machines of varying ages and makes, - ranging from hand-operated Singers to high-end Berninas of the 1960's/70's - up in the loft. 2 of them [Singer Fashionmates with the same Model Number] I gave to our grand-daughter when she joined the SCA in the South of England. As she lives in a village in the middle of the open countryside of Salisbury Plain, miles from any sewing machine engineer, I gave her both Fashionmates so she'd have a standby one, if one broke while she was in the middle of making some garb for herself. Since those of us who are SCAdians in old Jersey are hoping to recruit others and found a Shire local to our island - I'm going to hang onto the remaining 9 machines - since I foresee the DIY-costuming problem arising again in that situation. I don't know how widespread charity shops are in the USA [here in old Jersey we have OXFAM, MENCAP, and one for the Jersey Hospice and a couple of others that I've never visited; most Uk towns of any size have at least one charity shop] - but if you want standby machines, try haunting your local charity shop [do you call them Thrift Shops in the USA?]; - or what you call yard sales - [our UK equivalents are car-boot sales] - and try to pick-up secondhand sewing-machines that way. It's worked for me. In Service, Matthew Baker --- On Sun, 11/5/08, LuAnn Mason [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: LuAnn ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I, for one, collect them. I specialize in old treadles and handcranks. I make mine fully functional. I have found the old Singers, prior to the 600 series, can sew through almost anything without a problem. The newer plastic ones can have some real problems with multiple layers of denim and canvas and leather, for example. I do keep one modern machine (a Janome 4800) and a serger, but the rest of my machines are rescues. They are pretty, they sew a better straight stitch than the new ones, and it is difficult to harm one. Unlike the new ones that go out of time alot. I just picked up an industrial machine, sews perfectly, for free because the owner died and the son-in-law couldn't keep it. Sews like a dream, now I have one real industrial treadle (Singer 31-15) and one electric (Singer 95-40) plus a multitude of machines originally designed as home machines. I guess I just like preserving some history. And as an added bonus, I can sew a tent if I want to g. One of the other machines, a 201, was my grandmother's machine. And it still works as well as the day she bought it (well, it got rewired once for safety). It was the one I learned on. I'm sure there are a few more on this list who also collect and appreciate the old ones - I sometimes recognize a name or two from the treadle-on list. Sure, some of the features and stitches are nice on the new ones, so I keep one just in case I need it, but I find the majority of my sewing is straight stitch, and any of my machines can do that. -Megan On May 11, 2008, at 4:06 AM, Suzi Clarke wrote: I am fascinated by the fact that some people have many machines. I have only two plus a serger, and I sew professionally. I only need one, as long as it works - the other is in case anything goes wrong with the main machine. So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Suzi - wasting time 'cos I hate the current job! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I have 18 sewing machines in my house; two on loan making a whopping 20. Four are treadles, two feather weights, and the earliest dates (that I can tell) from 1919 I may have earlier models but I cannot trace them. This also includes my one lone serger and my industrial machine. My main machine is my Singer Stylist c.1969 My favourite is my hand crank portable c.1920 that save my bacon back the year we had Hurricane Juan and we were without power for over a week and I had sewing to do; sad irons, a hand crank and oil lamp...somehow fitting in my c1870s house Sarah Paterson Great Village, NS Canada - Original Message - I am fascinated by the fact that some people have many machines. I have only two plus a serger, and I sew professionally. I only need one, as long as it works - the other is in case anything goes wrong with the main machine. So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? Suzi - wasting time 'cos I hate the current job! ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
Suzi Clarke wrote: So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? The first machine was one my boyfriend bought at a charity sale, a 1940's vintage machine in a beautiful cabinet, with all attachments. It sewed well, but it has a rubber wheel thingy that moves it instead of a belt, and it got hard to find the part after the local shop sold us the 3 pieces they had. About that time I inherited my grandmother's 1960's Kenmore and cabinet, and switched to that, but the old machine was so pretty I kept it. When I went on to grad school I decided I needed a newer machine that did buttonholes, so I bought a cheap Elna. I kept both machines out to use since I often worked on different projects concurrently, and didn't like to constantly re-thread the machine throughout the week. I kept the Kenmore out of sentimentality. I wanted a cabinet for the Elna, so I bought one at a yard sale, promptly took it apart and began to refinish it. That was 15 years ago, and it still isn't finished. It's in pieces in my garage. So I bought a 2nd cabinet, but this one came with a White in it. The White is in a box in the garage and I had the Elna in that cabinet for several years. Have never used the White except to test it, and it works beautifully. I keep it because it is the machine that the cabinet was built for, and if I ever get rid of them it will be as a set. (And because I can't find it it the garage). Then my husband decided that I needed a nicer machine, and took me to buy a top-of-the-line Viking after we got married. Now the Viking is in the cabinet and is my main machine, while I keep the Elna handy for traveling with, as it is more portable (and if it should get stolen out of my car I won't care as much). My grandmother's Kenmore is in my sewing room with notions piled high on the table, and I use the vintage machine in the nice mahogany cabinet as an entryway table. My husband inherited his mother's 60's era machine a few years ago, but we decided to sell it to a friend's mother who needed a backup machine. Dawn ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I have a Singer 20U commercial machine, a basic 4-thread serger, and a White Jeans machine for when I need a portable or free arm.I also have a 20 year old Viking I 've been carting around with me for years because it's too good to get rid of and too expensive to fix, sigh...and an older serger which I'm giving to a friend. I'm hoping to investigate embroidery machines soon, but for now what I have does fine. Margo ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
On 11 May 2008, Aylwen Garden wrote: I've held off because all our computers are macs, but I've now got a laptop with windows xp on it, so might be able to use the software. That's a problem I have, too. I have an ancient DOS machine that gets dragged out to run the embroidery software, but I really need to find a more modern solution before the ancient computer finally gives up the ghost. I'm looking at windows emulators for my Mac, and will probably get a USB card reader. -- Chris Bertani www.goblinrevolution.org/costumes ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
On 11 May 2008, Suzi Clarke wrote: I am fascinated by the fact that some people have many machines. I have only two plus a serger, and I sew professionally. I only need one, as long as it works - the other is in case anything goes wrong with the main machine. So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? My wife and I share two machines and a serger. The theory is that the fancy embroidery machine is used for fancy embroidery and as a backup, while the simpler machine is used for most sewing to keep the mileage off the expensive one. Both are Husqvarnas, so they share feet, bobbins, etc. -- Chris Bertani www.goblinrevolution.org/costumes ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
Suzi Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? I have 2 that I use on a consistent basis - the old Viking (because it has embroidery stitches) and the EuroPro because I love its button hole foot. The foot, unlike the one for the Viking, has small grippers that keep the fabric from sliding around. The JC Penney machine was a backup, but now should probably go to a good home. That is, as soon as I can find all of its attachments. My daughters tidied up and I can't find anything now! The 2 antique machines I have are mostly because I love their appearance - and the treadle machine is the one that I used to make my wedding gown. The other is electrified, but it has a stunningly beautiful bentwood case. I also have a small EuroPro that is dual powered - either batteries or AC - so it goes with me to SCA events (like Pennsic or Gulf Wars) for those uh-oh repairs (fixing an entire seam for example) that need to be done quickly. It's nice and does a regular lock stitch instead of a chain stitch. It's packed in its own carrying case along with thread, extra batteries, pins, scissors, and needles. Kate ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
Suzi Clarke [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? Do you have machines that do different things? I have 2 that I use on a consistent basis - the old Viking (because it has embroidery stitches) and the EuroPro because I love its button hole foot. The foot, unlike the one for the Viking, has small grippers that keep the fabric from sliding around. The JC Penney machine was a backup, but now should probably go to a good home. That is, as soon as I can find all of its attachments. My daughters tidied up and I can't find anything now! The 2 antique machines I have are mostly because I love their appearance - and the treadle machine is the one that I used to make my wedding gown. The other is electrified, but it has a stunningly beautiful bentwood case. I also have a small EuroPro that is dual powered - either batteries or AC - so it goes with me to SCA events (like Pennsic or Gulf Wars) for those uh-oh repairs (fixing an entire seam for example) that need to be done quickly. It's nice and does a regular lock stitch instead of a chain stitch. It's packed in its own carrying case along with thread, extra batteries, pins, scissors, and needles. Kate ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
So why do people have so many? Do you not trade in the old one when buying a new one, which is what I do? I forgot to answer this part. The last couple of machines that I bought were from Target and they don't do trade-ins. The Viking was from an estate sale. kate ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Number of machines.Was Sewing and Embroidery Machines
I, for one, collect them. I specialize in old treadles and handcranks. I make mine fully functional. I have found the old Singers, prior to the 600 series, can sew through almost anything without a problem. Amen! My little Singer 99K is a gorgeous machine. The two Brother machines (one sewing, one embroidery only) are functional, and look it. They create beautiful things, but they aren't beautiful things in and of themselves. Of course, I still want a treadle machine, and a handcrank, and a Featherweight, and ooh of course that shiny Duetta with the HUGE embroidery field. :-) Dianne ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
