sewing machine

[insomb]

im interested in buying a sewing machine. anyone have any informative sites/books that can instruct me on how to best go about choosing one to meet my needs? or if there are any designers out there willing to talk me through some of the basics it would be appreciated. mostly i do fashion illustrations but i'm feeling like the time has come that i get down to business.

-thanks

[fndmybetterhalf]

what are you mostly interested in sewing? I would say invest in a nice sewing machine (Juki is a good brand i hear) if you want to constantly sew heavy things (leather, denim). As for me, i'm not all that serious about apparel design so i've been using a cheap sewing machine, Shark Europro, that'll sew through a good 8 layers of denim, given that i replace the needle. But if you are really serious about doing apparel design, i really suggest investing in a nice one. Im not too familiar with many industrial sewing machines out there but you can find some great ones off ebay or craigslist.

[fndmybetterhalf]

eh, computerized embroidary and such is kinda getting ahead of yourself i think. well embroidary in general...for me, i dont use an embroidary machine often at all, and if i DO need to use one, there are plenty of places around Seattle atleast where i can get hold of one. I would just stick with one sewing machine for now and just get the basics down as far as sewing in general. Overlock (surging) machine, etc you can worry about later but if you just want to get a good hold on sewing, invest in one that you can use over and over and over for years and years to come. For a nice heavy duty sewing machine, you're looking at anywhere between 500 to God knows how much. I would definitely check otu some stuff off ebay or craigslist. Now if you wanna go the cheap route for now to develop some skills in sewing, you can goto your local Target or Walmart or something and the basic home sewing machine will be able to sew through most things, given that you do replace the needle appropriately. But i mean, the life span of a cheap sewing machine WILL be much shorter and you just wont get that same power to sew through layers and layers of denim as you will with a heavy duty machine. If you have the money to invest in something nice, i would say do so...if not and you just wanna get a basic start on things for now, just stick with a cheap one.

[kauflust]

why would you want compturerized embroidering? i'm sure you could do interesting things with it, but for the most part i always think of those shitty personalized baseball caps or some floral pattern for a handkerchief.

there was a similar thread earlier: http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=20972

if you want to spend some money, pfaff, husqvarna, and juki are great. however, you'll probably want to get an industrial sewing machine. much more expensive but built like a brick. check out local dealers; used machines will be cheaper but refurbished so you're still getting a quality machine.

[ilovespaz]

if i were you, i would get a single needle juki ( you can get one used for around 800 bucks if you look hard enough), and a cheap portable surger. and really thats all you need to sew denim to a couture dress -

[mr fluffernutter]

I was looking at vintage union specials... Does anyone know if all union specials are capable of chainstitching?

[insomb]

i guess your right. i don't see where i would use it. i was reading up on them and noticed that a lot of the machines now offer that as a feature but personally no i guess i don't see myself using it enough to have it. im not really sure about the computerized stuff. i mean i don't know where the standards start. really i'm just trying to get some more information on the features that i would need to last me a long time(definitely through art school). what kind of price difference is a there for a regular sewing machine versus a good industrial machine? i will definitely check out some refurbished ones and this thread, thanks for the idea.

-thanks everyone

[insomb]

is a single needle juki an industrial sewing machine? i'm real brand new at this shit and apologize in advance if i'm asking annoying questions.

much thanks

[poly800rock]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Union-Special-Chainstitch-w-puller-1-inch-gauge_W0QQitemZ270086456580QQihZ017QQcategoryZ3118QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

when they auction for "Machine head only" what exactly does that mean? Does it mean you get the machine? This talk is confusing

[kauflust]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Union-Special-Chainstitch-w-puller-1-inch-gauge_W0QQitemZ270086456580QQihZ017QQcategoryZ3118QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

when they auction for "Machine head only" what exactly does that mean? Does it mean you get the machine? This talk is confusing

Industrial sewing machines have two major components:

1. Machine head, aka, sewing machine

Many industrial units have much fewer functions than household machines. You won't find 50 different stitches and a button-holer. But then again, what you lack in fancy, mostly useless things you gain in a powerful, steady stitcher.

2. Power stand, aka motor

Household sewing machines house the motor inside the machine itself. This limits the speed at which you can sew at, usually around 800 spm. Household machine motors are only 1/10 horsepower while industrial machine motors are 1/3 horsepower, or thereabouts. With industrial machines, the motor is nearly as large as the machine head and located under the special worktable. With such a motor, one can sew up to 5000 spm. Some motors will allow you to sew a steady number of stitches per minute, as opposed to relying on the pressure from your foot with household sewing machines.

You typically buy them together, but you can also buy each part separately.

A little more about shopping for industrial sewing machines: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/industrial_sewing_machines.html

[kauflust]

I was looking at vintage union specials... Does anyone know if all union specials are capable of chainstitching?

No. Union Special manufactures all sorts of industrial sewing machines for various purposes, ie blindstitch, coverstitch. If you want a US chainstich machine, make sure it says it does chainstitching.

[mr fluffernutter]

No. Union Special manufactures all sorts of industrial sewing machines for various purposes, ie blindstitch, coverstitch. If you want a US chainstich machine, make sure it says it does chainstitching.

Thanks very much.

[insomb]

fantastic! thank you for the response. these links you guys are posting are very helpful.

[mizanation]

not all Union Special chainstitchers do the type of double-lock chainstitch (or "jeans chainstitch") that is necessary for jeans. so, just because it's a Union Special chainstitcher, doesn't mean it does the right chainstitch.