Snydermann

Sewing machines are the opposite of bikes. . . the heavier the better! There is nothing like sewing on an old tank of a machine, very smooth, you can hardly feel the machine work.

BikeKraft's machine, for those of you who don't know, is one of the few "valuable" old Singer machines, a 221 Featherweight. What Paramount is to Schwinn.

folder fanatic

Sigh, if only I can fit an industrial sewing machine into my overly crowded house. But I do take heart as I simply adapted some sewing techniques to best accommodate the thicker seams and stacked fabric that I commonly sew even at home. Below is the second completed sewing project sewn on Hello Kitty. It can be done-with some caution thrown in-sew a bit slower when sewing over seams or other thicker areas.

Agreed. That is why domestic household machines diverge to smaller, lighter with plastic parts thrown in. And the heavier machines need a special table and cannot be easily moved around-not portable for sure. Bicycles would not get away with that sort of weight issues as they rely on being transportation, not part of a home or factory.

Bags and covers are not the only thing I do for my bike or myself. Here is a quick look at my new Ragged Bicycle Hobo Quilt I completed on my new Hello Kitty Sewing Machine just last night. It took much detective work to locate the right fabric with bicycles on it-even though the bikes used on that fabric were a bit on the juvenile side for my taste. And on top of this, it had to be pure cotton flannel in order to be authentic that a real hobo would have used during the Great Depression Of The 1930s. Plus using the rather soft color range palette popular during that time. When it was sewed, I just had to remember to sew a bit more slowly through the denser seams. Enjoy!

longlong14

can i sew thick full grain leather with this baby?

robsta

The thought of men sewing....Silence of the lambs.

folder fanatic

I am going to make 2 bike leather saddle bags with Hello Kitty next week. Here are some of the the scrap leather hides pieces that was sold as "remnants" (generally leftovers from neighboring sewing factories' production runs). I selected these 2 somewhat matching ones shown below-plus a couple of blue ones. They are soft and very pliable-just perfect for some experimentation. I will post the results whether it actually could be done or not.

Peter_C

Just found this thread and am loving it~! I was lucky enough to get my Mom's 1960 Viking 6000. Took a couple hours cleaning, and oiling it (hadn't been used last 10 yrs or so), and it is working very sweetly! Has an *underdrive* for heavy work, shifts to 1/5 the normal speed - just right for me while learning.

Sixty Fiver

The Featherweight is a beautiful machine... but pricey when it comes to acquiring one and some of the accessories are also pricey due to the many collectors and users of these machines.

I am a fan of older Singers and my wife has a 503 which is buttery smooth and we are seeking a 431G which is a German made Singer with a free arm and one later model that can also be converted to use a treadle.

In the 50's, Germans and many Europeans were not guaranteed that they would have stable electrical service so treadle capable electric Singer machines were produced there until the 60's.

Some other models that you cannot go wrong with are the Bernina 7xx and 9xxseries machines as these are considered to be some of the best machines ever made although accessories are pricier (and proprietary) and Kenmore 10xx machines are also exceptionally well made.

graywolf

Older thread but interesting. I have 4 sewing machines around here. Most of them cost me less than $25. All of them needed some work. All are from the 1950 to 1970 period. Singer 301, a compact portable that is loved by quilters. Singer 337 a inexpensive zig-zag machine from 1965, Singer 750, I bought it for the library table cabinet; everything on the web said it was all nylon gears and not worth a darn; not so, the guts on this one are all metal, there may be later models that are plastic inside but I have not seen them. White Fair Lady straight stitch, this is a semi-pro machine with a big motor and a very strong chassis, I think that the only thing a real pro machine has over it is they stitch faster.

I actually have a sewing blog for guys https://tomrit.com/sewing/ called "A Guy and His Sewing Machine". Unfortunately some of the later posts have disappeared. I am trying to repost them but I am basically lazy (or old, or ill, or something). My post on setting tension has helped a lot of people.

badmother

I also tend to go back to this thread. I used to sew much more when I was young but still doing curtains and repairs but mostly heavy duty stuff like bikeluggage and cowers. I used to have four machines but gave a older (straight and zig zag) Bernina to two teenage sisters who wanted one but could not afford. Great machie but I do not need four!

So today I pulled out my 50`s? Janome (straight stitch only) in wery good condition to post it on the local craiglist. Decided to try it first (did not use it much) and discowered it is great! In a test it stitched trough six layers of that 1" nylon webbing i often use. How can I sell it now??

I need to take a closer look at the black (w gold ornaments) hand machine I used for anything from kites (beautiful stitching on light material) to bag for Dogbike2. Thought I`d newer get rid of it but I do not use it much now..

Guess I`ll just wrap it in a plastic bag and store it in a corner and get rid of some bikes instead. Got wayyy too many bikes.

I like your blog graywolf, I`ll read more about the tension later.

graywolf

Actually, a lot of people think the 401 is the best home sewing machine ever made. My mother had one. She had it long before most people think they were made. I finally figured that out, originally the 401 was a German made machine, and was sold as the top of the line most expensive machine in Singer Stores. Technically that would be a 401G which came out in 1951, the 401A which was made in North Carolina came out in 1959 or 1960. The 401A is much more common in the USA although it was only made for about 3 years.

The small portable I mentioned having, is a 301, also a German made machine that came out in 1949, and was the first of the Slant Needle machines (The 401 was a full size Zig Zag machine was a follow up two years later). I think it also was eventually made in the USA. I also have a 750 which, I believe, was the last of the slant needle machines. Every 401 I have come across has been so beat up that it wasn't even worth the typical $15-$25 price tag on it.

If the 401 was available new today it would probably cost something like $5000, I believe my mothers bought in about 1955 cost about 1/10th of that. Which I think explains why you do not find many of the German made machines; in 1955 $500 was an insane amount of money to pay for a sewing machine.

I would like to give a warning to beginners who see advice to buy a commercial or industrial sewing machine. It takes a lot of skill to run an machine that stitches at 2500 to 3500 spm (stitches per minute) instead of the typical 500 spm of the home machines. Sure one of those will run 12 hours a day for 20 years or so (with proper maintenance), but do you really need one that will do that?

Also, running a sewing machine is easy to learn. One of the reasons it is a minimum wage job. Laying out, and cutting are the skilled jobs. In fact in traditional tailoring the cutters are the highest paid employees. Seems strange that running a pair of scissors is so difficult. Not really when you realize that a mis-cut can ruin a piece of $200/yd cloth (tailors do not call it fabric), while a missed stitch can be pulled and redone.

Badmother: thank you for the compliment about the sewing blog.

fietsbob

Custom Auto Upholstery shop in East LA, it's not a neighborhood for the weak.

folder fanatic

I am pleased that this thread is periodically read and not forgotten in some back pages netherworld. I do want people to remember that it is not necessary the sewing machine brand or even type that is the most important ingredient in making cloth products. It is the people that do everything from designing the item all the way to packaging/shipping the finished products to the retail stores. I was lucky enough to live & worked in the fashion industry that once flourished here. (It is now a shadow to what it was before some 20 or more years ago as much of the work is now done overseas-like my former job ). I did it all so I feel confident enough to comment that one should not focus too much on any given cutting/sewing machines. It is the skill of the operator and the condition of the machine itself that really counts.

As for the heavy duty industrial sewing machines, I can say I do miss using them. Not just for speed (which is a big plus when you have to get the project done as soon as possible), but the nice balance of the stitch itself was so pleasant to use, not so much how many mostly useless stitches that a typical modern home sewing machine has. Not to mention the high mix of plastic parts that the now typical newer sewing machines have. I only have use for straight stitch, zig zag, stitch, and sometimes the buttonhole option either the manual 4 step or electronic one step (though very rarely). The rest just adds to the cost & maintenance/adjustments of the sewing machine. What most beginners don't know is that these industrial sewing machines sit over a oil pan-like it floats on it. These high power machines must keep oil on all the rapidly spinning parts to avoid heat damage and wear though friction. That means that the oil could either spill or leak on the floor. On a typical shop floor, it is no big deal as it is not a usual occurrence. The floor itself is concrete or tile, not carpet and just needs to be wiped. But in the home environment, it is another matter. Plus the large table it rests on, the large motor underneath, and the sewing machine itself (called the head) does stick out in someone's nice parlor, bedroom, or dining room where one usually sews. The electricity is usually grounded 3 phase (has an extra prong), and might not be compatible to an typical home environment's electrical plugs & outlets (220v vs. 110v in USA & Canada).

Industrial sewing machines cannot help but clash with the typical home environment (unless you go for the industrial look, don't care what your friends/family think, or live in a loft in the middle of an urban center). In my own home, I have smaller mechanical only portables with as few stitches as possible like the one pictured above. Both my present sewing machines are all permanently lubricated from the factory to prevent possible leaking oil from staining the furniture or myself from forgetting to oil them periodically as I did my former older domestic home sewing machines. They both sew about 500-700 stitches a minute, but that is fine with me as I am not in the industry anymore. I am no longer speed sewing like that. Plus these two don't have any electronic components as I found those parts are usually the first to fail as the sewing machine ages.

There are 2 type of fabric stores in Los Angeles. One is the suburban ones like Joanns, Hancock Fabrics, or generally smaller independently owned/operated stores like this one. The more serious retailer for the discriminating professional or hard core hobbyist is usually located in industrial areas. If I need to go to these areas, I don't go at night. Most of the fabric stores located in those areas close around 6:00 pm anyway.

darukhan

Hey folder fanatic...

Did you ever do anything further with those leather remnants and experimenting with constructing saddle bags? If so, got any pics of the results?

folder fanatic

Well, to tell you the truth, I am always experimenting with sewing techniques. Right now I had to switch from bag making to quilt/blanket making as the weather gets colder. My family always seem to need warm bedding. See my latest sketches below on a quilt in production right now. This is another bicycle themed quilt in my Bicycle Hobo series. I hope to complete this one by next week if I don't have any more interruptions. Don't worry, I will plan on resurrecting this thread again when I get a chance sewing up the leather scraps I have. I can tell you right now it's the needle used that's the critical part of sewing leather. The rest is pretty much the same as sewing fabric. Always practice on scraps left over from cutting out the bag when learning how to sew a new technique before sewing up the actual bag.

badmother

Needle yes, but personally I tend to struggle with the tension for the thread, especially when using heavyer thread. Need to sit down and really learn about that one day.

graywolf

I have a post about setting your tension on my A Guy And His Sewing Machine blog that many have found helpful.

https://tomrit.com/sewing/?p=40

phillybill

I think I am going to have to get myself one of those 'Hello Kitty' sewing machines..... my son would be speachless

folder fanatic

I am not a great fan of the little cat face and the flowers on the sewing machine. I do like the turquoise color and especially what's inside the sewing machine. That's what counts in any sewing machine of any decent caliber. I do recommend that if you do buy this sewing machine, buy it through Target if you live in the USA. Target has a very generous return policy along with a discounted price-even with online purchases for most products. The first Hello Kitty sewing machine was defective (it does happen) as the timing was out of whack and the thread tangled up in a literal ball before the 90 day deadline was up. I was able to return it in person at my local Target after repacking in it's box and shipping carton (do save them) and it's paperwork. I then ordered another one online. The replacement sewing machine has worked perfectly since I took it out of the box a year ago.

Don't miss my own review-along with many others-of this sewing machine model at the Target website:

4 of 5 stars overall
Hello Kitty Returns And Is A Charm!
Folder Fanatic Dec 5, 2011
from Southern California Region,CA
Easy to Use
5 of 5 stars Quality
5 of 5 stars Value
5 of 5 stars
This new one-the first one was defective-proved flawless in it's performance right out of the box. I needed no adjustments to the top or bobbin tensions. It sews nicely balanced, strong stitches every time. I really like and enjoy using it. I could live without the flowers and Hello Kitty. But I cannot live without a sewing machine that is well built and very solid in construction. And does not go overboard with offering too many stitches that will probably never be used. I should know as I am a professional seamstress for many years. I sew for my own personal needs and gifts as well as for a small business I established for myself earlier this year.

reply for Folder Fanatic's review |
helpful? yes for Folder Fanatic's review (7) no for Folder Fanatic's review (4) |
-https://www.target.com/p/hello-kitty-.../-/A-10094055#

badmother

I am back to this thread- again. I got rid of and bought several machines this last year. Sixty`s posting about wanting a German singer 431G confirmed what I discowered recently. I bought a almost mint 401G with a cabinet on a local flea marked recently. Payd Ł30. Came with some of the feet, the rest missing. Have started collecting cams and stuff for it. Did not find anything about the G and guessed it was produced in Germany.

Also bought a Featherlight locally. Great condition on machine and box, came with all it should come with. Said to not work at the moment. I am going to look at it during the winter. No rust so should not be a problem. Ł50.

Latest one is a Elna Supermatic. Great machine, cool design. Just reading the manual turn you on! Working on it now. need only cleaning plus the pully problem sorted. Has indexed adjustment of spool thread tension. Wow. Came in the special box/work surface thingy. Machine is Alu so lighter than many. Ł15

Got two newer plasticy ones for free at the dumpster. Kept one (sew fine after just lubing) gave a 722 away, needed too much work plus I like older machines.

Oh yes, a 1892 hand cranc, made in Scotland. Birthday present for myself.

Still has some of the old ones. Must get rid of some.

It all started this time with me planning some more bike luggage sewing projects and then started looking at my machines to find out what to keep and what to get rid of. Forgot the "get rid of" so far.

I may keep only one of the Elna or Singer. Do not need two with a lot of cams. I`ll play with them this winter. What I really wanted is a strong machine with only Straight, zigzag, three stitch zigzag and blindstitch. No more fuzz.

Found some blogs: https://mivintagesewingmachines.blogspot.no/ https://sewing-machines.blogspot.no/

Sixty Fiver

We recently united our collection of machines as my wife landed in Canada a week ago... the Rocketeer and Kenmore 3/4 machine we bought for my daughter now get to join my Singer here in our craft / sewing room.

badmother

Yay. Happy sewing !

BikeKraft

Hey Badmother, there are good videos on youtube on featherweight maintenance.
Get a new needle, as my mother-in-law told me (shows how little I knew).
I found my featherweight at an elderly lady's garage sale.
I thought it was a toy but was so taken by it's beauty that I bought it.
It was $35 and I didn't have that much cash so I told her if she would
take a check I'd give her the full amount. She snapped back that
"That's exactly what I paid for it in 1951, and I won't take a penny less!".
She took the check and I took the machine.
It wasn't until my mother-in-law stopped by a few weeks later that I
was informed that it "It isn't a toy, it's a featherweight".
Not long after that I was riding to a friends and saw a woman hauling
stuff to the curb. There was a little black box. I asked if it was a sewing machine.
She said yes and it was mine for the taking. So my second one was for free and
just as nice as the first. It went with my daughter when she moved out.

badmother

Thank you for sharing BikeKraft! I enjoyed the stories. I have been playing with the Elna these days but only a little. I have my car in pieces, needs new driveshaft, two new shocks and overhauling front brakes. Just found today the left brakecaliper is stuck so no sewingmachines and no sewing before I have it all back together again (actually there is more to do so I should wait until we have approx 1m of snow here). I am not really in "the wrenching sone" these days so I am slow.. .