When you enter the sewing machine section of a retail store, it can feel like you've stepped in a jungle. Surrounded by machines that tout features like ergonomic controls or 150 different stitches, you might wonder when sewing became so complicated. In an effort to clear up some of the confusion, let's look at a few of the features and see what they really do.
Adjustable Presser Foot
This is the piece of metal that holds the fabric in place as the needle stitches through. In old machines there were only two options, up and down but today many machines allow the pressure foot to be adjusted based on the type of fabric you are sewing from denim to chiffon.
Automatic Buttonholder
When sewing a garment that has buttons, you need a way to make neat and secure button holes big enough to slide the button through. Most machines have some form of buttonholing ability, but they are not all equally as simple to use. Automatic buttonholders use a computerized program to create a perfect custom sized button hole every time. One-step buttonholers have a dial on the side of the machine and a place for the button in the buttonholer attachment, where the sewer manual adjusts the size of the hole, and then the machine will sew it. The last and most difficult to use in the four-step buttonhole process which, as the name suggests, requires readjustments for every phase of the buttonhole creation.
Bobbin-Thread Lift
In the past, in order to bring thread from a front loading bobbin up through the metal face plate in order to sew, you had to stick your fingers under the presser foot and push the thread through. Bobbin-Thread Lifts brings the thread to the surface making the process easier.
Ergonomic Controls
This relates to the ease of running the sewing machine and the intuitiveness of the controls. Some machines can adapt to either a foot pedal or a knee pressure bar. The easier to read and use the display that controls the speed, direction and stitches the less often you'll have to look up from your sewing project.
Free Arm
When stitching small areas such as armholes, pant legs or even small doll clothing, a regular flat bed may be too wide. A machine with Free Arm capabilities allows a portion of the flat bed to be removed creating a narrower sewing surface.
Manual vs Computerized
Manual machines generally have fewer stitches and all of their components are controlled by hand. Computerized machines have touch pad controls, and recommendation for recommended stitches, pressure foot tension, and information like when your bobbin is getting low on thread. Stitches can be saved to memory and can often stitch patterns and letters on their own. Needless to say Manual Machines tend to be the less expensive of the two.
Needle Down
When sewing a corner, it's easiest if the needle is still down through the fabric, but in the past it was necessary to time the stitch just right, or lower it in to place with the wheel. This feature allows you to automatically choose the position of the needle quickly and easily.
Needle Threader
A handy feature for those whose eyesight isn't what it used to be. This gadget is located behind the needle and it pulls the through the needle eye in one simple movement.
Tension Adjustment
Sewing machines have always needed the ability to adjust thread tension depending on the type of thread used and the sewing project, but it was often a difficult process and relied heavily on trial and error to get it just right. New machines allow you to easily and quickly adjust for any tension necessary.
http://ireviewable.com/reliable-700sb-portable-blindstitch-sewing-machine-review/
Top Loading Bobbin
Traditional sewing machines kept the bobbin in a metal compartment at the front of the sewing machine. They were difficult to load and often had to be untangled. Top Loading Bobbins let you drop the bobbin into place and go. Some models have clear covers that allow you to keep an eye on how much bobbin thread remains.
Finding the right sewing machine doesn't have to be difficult. Find a store with knowledgeable employees and then ask as many questions as you like. Choosing the right machine for you will pay off in years of hassle free sewing.
Deanne Blackhurst is a writer for Discover Sewing, a fabric and sewing machine store with four Georgia locations and online. We carry a complete line of all the most popular sewing machines on the market today. Come by and visit us at http://www.discoversewing.com/ as see what our Daily Deal is today.
Adjustable Presser Foot
This is the piece of metal that holds the fabric in place as the needle stitches through. In old machines there were only two options, up and down but today many machines allow the pressure foot to be adjusted based on the type of fabric you are sewing from denim to chiffon.
Automatic Buttonholder
When sewing a garment that has buttons, you need a way to make neat and secure button holes big enough to slide the button through. Most machines have some form of buttonholing ability, but they are not all equally as simple to use. Automatic buttonholders use a computerized program to create a perfect custom sized button hole every time. One-step buttonholers have a dial on the side of the machine and a place for the button in the buttonholer attachment, where the sewer manual adjusts the size of the hole, and then the machine will sew it. The last and most difficult to use in the four-step buttonhole process which, as the name suggests, requires readjustments for every phase of the buttonhole creation.
Bobbin-Thread Lift
In the past, in order to bring thread from a front loading bobbin up through the metal face plate in order to sew, you had to stick your fingers under the presser foot and push the thread through. Bobbin-Thread Lifts brings the thread to the surface making the process easier.
Ergonomic Controls
This relates to the ease of running the sewing machine and the intuitiveness of the controls. Some machines can adapt to either a foot pedal or a knee pressure bar. The easier to read and use the display that controls the speed, direction and stitches the less often you'll have to look up from your sewing project.
Free Arm
When stitching small areas such as armholes, pant legs or even small doll clothing, a regular flat bed may be too wide. A machine with Free Arm capabilities allows a portion of the flat bed to be removed creating a narrower sewing surface.
Manual vs Computerized
Manual machines generally have fewer stitches and all of their components are controlled by hand. Computerized machines have touch pad controls, and recommendation for recommended stitches, pressure foot tension, and information like when your bobbin is getting low on thread. Stitches can be saved to memory and can often stitch patterns and letters on their own. Needless to say Manual Machines tend to be the less expensive of the two.
Needle Down
When sewing a corner, it's easiest if the needle is still down through the fabric, but in the past it was necessary to time the stitch just right, or lower it in to place with the wheel. This feature allows you to automatically choose the position of the needle quickly and easily.
Needle Threader
A handy feature for those whose eyesight isn't what it used to be. This gadget is located behind the needle and it pulls the through the needle eye in one simple movement.
Tension Adjustment
Sewing machines have always needed the ability to adjust thread tension depending on the type of thread used and the sewing project, but it was often a difficult process and relied heavily on trial and error to get it just right. New machines allow you to easily and quickly adjust for any tension necessary.
http://ireviewable.com/reliable-700sb-portable-blindstitch-sewing-machine-review/
Top Loading Bobbin
Traditional sewing machines kept the bobbin in a metal compartment at the front of the sewing machine. They were difficult to load and often had to be untangled. Top Loading Bobbins let you drop the bobbin into place and go. Some models have clear covers that allow you to keep an eye on how much bobbin thread remains.
Finding the right sewing machine doesn't have to be difficult. Find a store with knowledgeable employees and then ask as many questions as you like. Choosing the right machine for you will pay off in years of hassle free sewing.
Deanne Blackhurst is a writer for Discover Sewing, a fabric and sewing machine store with four Georgia locations and online. We carry a complete line of all the most popular sewing machines on the market today. Come by and visit us at http://www.discoversewing.com/ as see what our Daily Deal is today.
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