| Singer:Genie - 354 (Sewing Machine) | | Viewed 798 time(s) |
6 more reviews for this machine | Review rated Helpful by 2 people Very Helpful by 3 people | | Reviewed by: | GothDom | 
 | About GothDom | | OR | | Member since: 3/24/10 | | Reviews written: 16 | | Sewing skills:Advanced | | Favored by: 2 people | | sewing machines reviewed: 15 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 1/14/13 3:44 PM | | Had this machine for: | 2 weeks | | Recommended? | Yes | | Online Merchants: | Amazon.com |  | Features
- Drop-In bobbin
- Adjustable Stitch Length and Width
- Adjustable Needle Position
Find the right Sewing Machine with the Sewing Machine Search Wizard
Discuss Sewing Machines with PR members Sewing Machine Forum | | What GothDom likes about this machine
I found this puppy in a thrift store, and it was in fairly good shape.
It was intact at least, and from there.. I can do what I do.
It came with the snap on case and the foot pedal.
Luckily enough, in all my wheelings and dealings I've acquired a full set of feet and accessories for this machine, just waiting to be put to good use.
So, I stripped her plastic coating off, and what did I find?
Metal.
This girl has a solidly built frame under the playful exterior.
There's a limited range of stitches(3 in fact) but that's sufficient for this machine.
She's not built for decorative sewing, she's built to be useful in a practical manner.
The hook is belt driven.
In practical terms this means 3 things:
1. it's easier to knock the timing out(but it's a toother belt, so it's still not easy.
2. it's easier to fix the timing.
3. it's quieter
The clutch for the bobbin winder is the simplest ever.
She went through 8 layers of costuming pleather without whining, and I've been using her to make a silk blouse as a testing method.
Wonderful little machine! What GothDom does not like about this machine
The reverse mechanism is somewhat of a pain in the ass to work.
You have to really shoe the little button in there, and it doesn't lock in reverse.
Feed dogs don't drop, but they made a mending needle plate to counter that.
Without those 2 issues, this would probably my favorite utility travel machine.(the 222 is better/cuter, but this machine is lighter and zig zags) | *LOGIN to add a comment to this review
*Only registered members can post comments to the reviews. Membership is free. if you are not a member, please Sign-up now! |
|
9 Comments
Login to Add a Comment |
|
|Login|Help]
That's a Groovy Machine!!
1/14/13 5:31 PM
This is interesting. Do you mean to say it is metal what about the gears? I read somewhere these were a gamble due to plastic parts. Lots of them still in service tho and too, too cute.
1/14/13 8:14 PM
I had one of these! My husband gave it to me for our first Christmas together as a married couple....back in December of 1976!
1/14/13 11:13 PM
sounds like a very cool machine! I'm a big fan of the older Singers.
1/14/13 11:43 PM
The gears are plastic, the frame is metal. The gears are SUPER easy to replace, and they are still being made :)
1/15/13 11:23 AM
My parents gifted me one of these as a high school graduation gift in 1975. I stitched lots of college formals, repaired lots of jeans.... and sold it to a woman in Venezuela when my husband and I were living there. It was a great machine; thanks for the memories!
1/17/13 7:06 AM
Nice to see this machine reviewed. I had one but sold it as it didn't feel as well-engineered as the earlier black metal models. That said, it was strong (if a little loud).
1/17/13 5:36 PM
I just found one in a thrift shop for $5! No pedal or cord. Any ideas about where to find a cord and pedal?
3/11/13 8:50 PM
5/1/13 12:04 PM