O.M.G. I thought I was too old to fall in love all over again.
But THIS.
It had me at twelve layers of waxed canvas. Yes, I said 12 layers. This baby literally flew across my folded bag strap (did I mention it was 12 layers of waxed canvas??) without a hiccup. Without a skipped stitch. Without any distortion in stitch length. Wowzers!
I know. I NEED another sewing machine like another hole in my head. But just think of the bags I can make! Jeans. Top coats. The possibilities are so tantalizing!
And look at the cool feet that come with it! Walking, universal, rolled hemmer, topstitch, edgestitch, and two darning feet! Bwahahahahahaha! If those 2 feet weighed enough I would have myself 2 new pattern weights. Who in the Sam Hill darns any more? Yeah, I know, they are also used for quilting. And we all know how much of THAT I do!
This machine is kind of a cross-over; a little bit of a home sewing machine and a little bit industrial. It uses regular, home sewing machine needles, but has a beefy motor and speed more similar to a commercial machine. It weighs more than most home machines (38 pounds), but is still portable enough that you can take it into a dealer for servicing. It is a single function rather than a multi-purpose machine, specializing in a perfect straight stitch. Easy to thread, easy to operate, it comes with a large extension table and a knee lift—both features I love. It only took me about 30 seconds to get used to the foot control, which has a thread cutting feature that can be activated with a “heel tap” to the foot pedal. I have to say I haven’t made friends with the needle threader yet, but I imagine with practice I will conquer it. And it is kind of annoying that changing feet requires a screwdriver, but I can deal with it.
This machine is definitely not going to replace my Bernina 710, but it is an amazing addition to my collection. I might even try sewing shirts with it!
Do you own any single-function machines? Commercial machines? This is my first foray into the “industrial” realm, and I am wishing I had jumped in earlier!
Happy sewing!
Maris