Date: 11/1/09 11:56 PM

Hi, I'm new! Thanks so much for the wealth of information here--how generous you all are with your time and knowledge!

I've been sewing (I sew clothes for myself and my sons) for 20 years on a 12-stitch mechanical Kenmore, which has been fine, but I'm wanting to overcome a few limitations. First, a needle threader, for my aging eyeballs. Second, a one-step buttonhole (preferably in several styles). Third, an adjustable presser-foot pressure thingy, to facilitate sewing with knits. I'd like a terrific straight stitch and nice even tension. I also want a free-arm and a blind hemstitch (both of which my current machine does have). This is a great leap forward for me technologically, and I'm not sure what other features might even be useful--there are things out there I didn't know existed, I'm finding out--is there something else that would be good to have for someone in my situation?

While I am sure lots of people find a lot of stitches to be both exciting and useful to have (and I love to look at those people's work!), I know myself well enough to know that I will be totally overwhelmed by having a huge number of stitches that I am not interested in using, and I will wind up being too intimidated to sew at all, so I want the features above in tandem with a limited number of stitches. This seems to be the hard part with most of the machines I've seen here so far (though the selection in our town has been limited)--to get the adjustable pressure part, particularly, one seems to have to move up to a machine with at least a couple of hundred stitches. (I've seen a mechanical machine that I like with adjustable pressure--the Emerald 118, but it only has one style of buttonhole.)

I'd like to keep this purchase in three figures (I live in Canada, by the way, and our prices seem higher across the board; our dollar is currently about 93 cents).

We have two very nice friendly, helpful, long-established dealers here in town; one carries Singer and Husqvarna Viking, while the other carries Bernina, Janome, Elna, Pfaff, Singer, and Baby Lock. As I am sure is the case at many small-city dealerships, there are only a few models from each company's range at these stores; store #2 carries only one Elna, for instance, and store #1 has only one Singer.

The machine closest to what I want that I have seen in the flesh, as it were, is the Baby Lock Crafter's Choice, which I am heartened to see gets pretty good reviews here; it has a lot more stitches than I want (80, plus 7 buttonholes), but I may be able to cope with that many. Closest of all to what I want I've only seen online: Elna USA lists the 5200/5300 (30 stitches, 3 buttonholes; 50 stitches, 6 buttonholes), but unfortunately, Elna Canada does not list this machine. The sales rep didn't know if they could get a machine not listed by Elna Canada (I've emailed Elna myself to try to find out); she said the Elnas are all just rebadged Janomes anyway (which seems to be not quite right to me--I can't find a single Janome machine that has the same combination of features--but the Janome Canada machines look different and are numbered differently from the Janome USA ones, too, so that may be my problem; I'm enormously confused by the Janome Canada lineup, I must say). Of course, if I have the dealer order something in especially, then I'm committed to purchasing that one, so it's a bit tricky.

I guess my question is am I missing anything? Are there other machines in these lines that will do what I need? I've also wondered about Jukis (though I find their site not as informative as some), though a Juki would involve a journey that would cost around $200, which seems like too big a chunk of my sewing machine budget!

Thanks for letting me lean on your shoulder; my husband and sons are getting a bit tired of hearing me talk about it!


-- Edited on 11/1/09 11:57 PM --
-- Edited on 11/1/09 11:59 PM --

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Date: 11/2/09 0:03 AM

The Janome Threadbanger 30 is very similar to the Elna 5100, but it has adjustable presser foot pressure. costs between $400-$600 US dollars.

It's packaged for young people, hence the "goth" graphics on the machine. Other than this, it seems to have everything a garment sewer would want, except an eyelet.

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Date: 11/2/09 0:08 AM

Thank you, Soolip--the Threadbanger is one of the ones that Janome USA has that Janome Canada doesn't (at least under that name). The closest-looking Janome Canada machine to the Threadbanger looks to be the 4030QDC, but it has no pressure adjustment.

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Reply to gloucester
Date: 11/2/09 0:30 AM

Well then, the 4030 is the same machine. On the US website it has adjustable pressure foot pressure. This feature is not listed on the Canadian website, so check with a dealer.

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Date: 11/2/09 0:42 AM

Thanks again for your help! I did try this one at the dealer, and sadly, it does indeed lack the pressure adjustment feature (along with a couple of other things the US 4030 has--I don't understand why they use the same number when the machine is not quite the same!)--I double-checked with the rep, just to make sure I wasn't missing seeing the control, and she confirmed that it does not have this feature.

The Crafter's Choice is starting to look better! (Or a trip south across the line...)

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Reply to gloucester
Date: 11/2/09 1:31 AM

In my opinion, sewing machines seem to have gone the way of kitchen appliances given the marketing ploys used to make buyers spend more money. They've zeroed in on the most fundamental features that the vast majority of consumers really need but only put the combination of those features in the higher priced machines. You may find each feature on various lower priced models, but not in combination. In order to find them all on one machine, you're forced to pay a great deal more and get other features you'll rarely, if ever, use.

An extended, exhaustive search for a purely mechanical machine to stand in for my most-used machine, an almost 30 year-old Bernina 931, failed recently. Almost all machines are computerized now. While these machines can do some amazing things, they often have poor warranties, are touchy, can put out a lot of heat, need frequent calibration and adjustment, require software updates, and cost an arm and a leg to repair. I saw a lady pay over $500 for a new logic board recently. Computer and electronic parts are very expensive so, when faced with such costly repairs, many people will simply get a new machine--- just what the manufacturers seem to want. How very wasteful!

I almost bought an industrial (and mechanical) Bernina 950 but, since I already have a very nice cabinet for domestic machines, I really could not justify the additional expense of an industrial stand. I also looked at the mechanical 1008 Bernina, an extremely reliable machine often used in schools and shops. But it lacks a critical feature I've come to rely on with the 931. The 1008 is, essentially, the same as the 930/931 except it does not have the needle-up feature on stopping. That feature is electronic and does require a circuit board--- but it is a far cry from the complexity of a computerized machine.

What boggles my mind, especially in view of the energy crisis and need for greater sustainability, is the fact that no "new and improved" mechanicals are on the market. I want to spend my time sewing--- not doing software updates or wrestling with stupid software designed by some geek who, knowing absolutely nothing about sewing, thinks I need an "alert" sound every time I lower the presser foot, relentlessly nested menus, or that I should pick up a stylus every time I need to use the "touch" screen (imagine... an iPhone with a stylus.... LOL). I could write a little novella about the stupidities of sewing machine software.

No doubt I probably sound kind of Andy Rooneyish but, honestly, can't someone design a good, reasonably priced, mechanical (sustainable) machine anymore?

------
When most I wink do mine eyes best see
~ Shakespeare

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Date: 11/2/09 1:55 AM

FWIW, I have the TOTL Emerald, the 183, and I *love* it. It has all the features you're looking for, but not (IMO) an overwhelming number of stitches. I would recommend it over the other two Emeralds (the 118 and the 122?), since they seem to be probably too limited for your skill level and interest (based on reviews from friends, as well as poking around the Viking literature). I believe I paid $699 for mine a year ago, and it's been a total joy to stitch on. I upgraded from a bargain basement Brother workhorse I'd never even changed the foot on! :)

You've done the right first step: making a list of what you absolutely want and don't want in your new machine. Just keep trying models out until you find the right fit! (It took me the better part of a year!)

Good luck!

edited to correctly identify my machine. Sheesh!
-- Edited on 11/5/09 6:50 PM --

------
~Gem in the prairie

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Date: 11/2/09 7:56 AM

Personally I would stick with the older mechanical machines especially if you plan to do a lot of sewing.. They are easier to fix, are more forgiving and tend to have metal gears which don't wear out. I use a magnifying glass to thread my needles. Older Necchi's, Vikings, Pfaff's and Elna's are great machines before the conglomerates took over. They are all metal, weigh a ton and never quit. Most will sew through 7 or 8 layers of denim, soft leather and canvas with the right needle. Toyota has moved into the home sewing market and their machines are good too. White used to have a very good machine until they went to plastic. Janome makes the Kenmore machine from Sears and they just bought Elna a short time ago. Janome still uses metal gears.

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Reply to Natalie D.
Date: 11/2/09 9:27 AM

Thanks for your reply, Natalie! A part of me--a big part, the Ned Ludd part--agrees with you completely; we've had electronic bits go haywire on both dishwasher and washing machine in their first five years of life, and the repairs were almost as much as new machines, which makes me crazy. I did ask about the 1008 at the dealer with this in mind, even though it is missing some of the things on my list; hearing that they didn't have one, but could bring one in if I committed to buy it for $1500 (plus 15% tax) put a slight damper on that idea, though I haven't totally relinquished that idea yet. I also pondered a Pfaff select 4.0, which they did have, though it too is missing one or two features I'd like.

Thanks for your help--I appreciate it!

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Reply to stirwatersblue
Date: 11/2/09 9:31 AM

Thanks, SWB! I had a look at the Emerald 183, as well as the 118; I'm glad to hear that you like your Emerald. The dealer that carries them is really nice (I've bought fabric there for years), and I would have a lot of confidence in after-sales support.

Thanks for your help!

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