I Sew

I think just about everyone knows about the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog...right? They do a great job with their monthly themes and this month is Sewing Machine Month. Cool! I've got 3 sewing machines so I'm all over it. Anyway, they've got a little meme going on and I thought I might join in on the fun. I love to gush about my PFAFF (no one in my house wants to hear about it, haha).

The Sewing Machine meme

What brand and model do you have? My main workhorse sewing machine is a PFAFF Creative 2144 (it's no longer available, but I think it's most like this one.)

How long have you had it? I've had it just about 3 years now.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Ouch, I hate to say it, but I paid around $4,000 for it + another $2k for the software. (Keep in mind, there was a real estate sale involved in the purchase of this machine.)

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I sew pretty much everything. Most of the time I'm making quilts, handbags, zipper pouches & that sort of stuff. I used this machine to make my wedding dress and I've also used it for curtains, pillows & such. This machine is also a full embroidery model, but I haven't spent a lot of time on that.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew quite a lot, it's my full time gig. I don't use it every single day right now, but I definitely have in the past.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I really love this machine. When I first got it, I was about 3 months away from moving to England. I quickly took every class I could to get myself up to speed, and then left the country with my machine safely crated and on a ship to join me. I had a few problems with it at first because it had been a demo. Once I got it serviced, it ran like a dream. No name, sorry.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I love, love, love the needle up/down feature, it's by far my favorite thing. I use it constantly. This machine can also tie off and cut the thread when I stop sewing, that's a real help. The built-in walking foot works great too, PFAFF calls it IDT. My wedding dress would have been a bear without that. There are so many great features, I could go on all day...adjustable needle positions, the touch screen, being able to raise and lower the feed dogs, an alert when the bobbin is getting low. Like most nice machines, there are way too many stitches ( I think I use about 3 regularly), but what's cool about this machine is that I can program them myself. I can combine decorative stitches, create my own or add stitches to existing ones. The possibilities are awesome.

Another great feature is that I can upgrade. When PFAFF makes an update to the operating system, I just sync my machine with my computer and I've got new stitches or features. That's a big benefit.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? When I turn it on, the machine goes through a little startup routine and puts the foot down. I know it's not a huge thing, but it does bug me to have to lift it back up every time (am I spoiled?).

The other not-so-good thing is the software that works with the embroidery part of the machine. I'm reasonably competent on a computer and have found this software to be very counter-intuitive and difficult to use. I've spent a lot of time working with it and for the most part have avoided using it. I'd always wanted an embroidery machine, so it's a little disappointing. The embroidery is great, the software is not.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! My great story relates more to my other machine, a PFAFF Tiptronic 6270. When I got this machine it was a major upgrade for me. I had been sewing on an $89 Brother from Costco for many years before I picked up this machine. The features blew me away and I wanted to put a sticker on my car that said, "Ich liebe mein PFAFF" (I love my PFAFF). I was beside myself. What made that machine even more special though was that my grandpa lent me the money to buy it (about $1,500). My grandpa passed away not long after I got it, so it means a lot to me. I don't think I'll ever part with it. Thanks, Grandpa!

Behold, PFAFF #1

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I would if they wanted to spend a lot of money and were planning on using it a lot. It's a lot of sewing machine. I'd definitely recommend PFAFF, though I don't really think any of the higher end brands are any better than another. I just happen to have PFAFFs.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Price, reputation, features, how easy it is to thread and change/wind a bobbin. I think it depends on what the machine will be used for and how often.

Do you have a dream machine? I believe that I currently own my dream machine, but I used to dream of getting an overlock/serger.

Then I became the proud owner of this Huskylock 905 from Husqvarna Viking (they're actually the same company as PFAFF now, I think). This machine is such a time-saver, I love it. It was an incredibly generous gift.

So, that's it for my sewing machine collection. I hope I haven't talked too much about my babies. hehe

Lets Talk About Feet

The other day I was working on something and noticed my favorite presser feet (That's a weird thing to say, isn't it? Presser feet?) sitting to the side of my sewing machine. Naturally, the first thing that pops into my head is, "I should blog about that!". So I've decided to share my presser foot collection with you today.

Let's start with my tried and true favorites. I use these 3 almost exclusively, even though I have a lovely collection of the fancy ones, I tend to stick with these guys most of the time.


The Standard Presser Foot. This came with my machine and I love that it's clear on the end. I use those little lines & grooves all the time. That's how I stitch those even lines around bibs & such. My PFAFF comes with a feature they like to call IDT, it's basically an integrated walking foot and it's awesome, just sayin'.

The 1/4" Quilt and Patchwork Foot. Okay, so this foot is great for making quilts because it's exactly 1/4" wide on either side, and also has handy 1/4" marks at the front & back. That's a really great feature when you're coming to the end of a seam and you want to stop 1/4" away from the edge. Very handy indeed, and not just for quilting.

The Zipper Foot. Obviously.

Click the image to see it larger.

Now for the less used and much more specialized presser feet. I keep the majority of these in a box with miscellaneous hardware & spare rotary blades. When I bought my latest PFAFF, I diligently took every class I could in order to get the most out of my machine. Unfortunately, if you don't use that knowledge regularly, it kind of fades away. I had to actually look up some of these on the PFAFF website {blushing}.

The Roll Hemmer actually came with my machine and it works really well if you can manage to keep the fabric inside the foot. It tends to pull out and be a little tricky. When it works, it works well. I used it recently to finish the edge of the sash on this dress. An excellent tool to have if you've ever hemmed organza, yuck.

The Blindhem foot would have been a complete mystery to me if I hadn't taken a class to learn how to use my machine. It's another tricky one to use, but brilliant once you get it. This foot also came with the machine.

The Stitch-In-Ditch is another quilting foot. It's great for stitching right in a seam line.

The Beading Foot is pretty cool, and difficult to photograph. It's got a great big groove on the bottom so you can sew down strings of pearls & such. You just set the machine to zig-zag and run the beads through the groove.

The Braiding Foot is used to stitch down narrow things like cord or yarn. You just feed the trim through that little loop in the front and the foot guides it right under the needle.

The Gathering Foot does exactly that. You just run one fabric through the slit in the foot, and the other fabric stays underneath. Sew with a zig-zag and it gathers your fabric for you. Just adjust the size of the stitch to adjust the amount of gather. I love this foot when I can remember to use it.

The Decorative Trim Foot is really similar to the Braiding Foot, but it's for flat trims like ribbon. It's surprising how much motion you can get just by having a foot to guide your trim. You can stitch in circles with perfectly stitched trim if you remember to use a foot like this.

Last but not least, the Pintuck Foot (sorry, I know it's hard to see in the picture). When I took the presser foot class I was blown away by this one. I've never used it, of course, but it's fantastic! You have to use a twin needle with this foot, which opens up a whole other world of possibilities. Just stitch your first pintuck, then run it through a groove on the bottom of the foot to sew your next one. It makes nice, evenly spaced tucks.

Now you know some of the tricks of the trade, eh? I think the trick is to know how to use all of the features of your machine, and the tools available with it. This post should be a good reminder to me to use some of these fun feet next time I'm making a new handbag or zipper pouch. It also reminds me that I want a non-stick foot, for vinyl & other hard to feed fabrics! Better run to the sewing shop....

The Monkey Bunch CONTEST!

So I had this idea to take a bunch of images of my little gadget monkeys & put them into a Brady Bunch type background. I know, I know, I'm supposed to be moving in a few days, but a girl needs a break every now & then. The thing is, I made 7 new monkeys over the last few days & I wanted to find a cool way to show them off. Besides, Nick doesn't like to see himself on my desktop. This will definitely make him smile when he sees my computer & these smiling faces are staring back at him. lol
I've actually been making good progress in the packing department. I don't have to pack much myself anyway, the moving guys will do most of it. I spent most of today sorting through the wardrobe in my sewing room to consolidate all the small stuff. I've got a diaper bag & 3 handbags cut out & bagged up so I can do some sewing in the new house before our shipment arrives. I get to use my old PFAFF again, that'll be fun!

I'd also like to announce my first Contest!
I currently have 3 monkeys for sale on iSew.biz and in my Etsy shop. Only 2 of them are seen in this picture. Send me a message through Etsy or my Blog with what their names are and the name of the 3rd monkey that's not shown here. If you answer correctly, your name will go into a drawing for a custom gadget monkey. Don't put your answer in a comment or you'll give it away! I'll choose the name on Friday, April 20th. Good luck!

Yet another

So I've just listed my 3rd Catie Diaper Bag today, both on Etsy and iSew.biz. I got a chance to use my long awaited Dick & Jane fabrics, and I still have enough left over to make a few bibs, hooray! I'm pretty happy with this bag, you can't say it's dull, it's really bright! A lot of mom's don't seem to want the baby pastel stuff these days. This one will appeal to them, it's downright loud. It'd be great for a baby shower gift for someone who doesn't know the sex of the baby yet too, it's pretty gender-neutral. I enjoy using lots of fabrics to make these bags, but it takes ages. The cutout time is way longer because of the multiple fabrics. It's a different look compared to most diaper bags so I think it's worth it.

In other news... I've been having a lot of trouble with my sewing machine lately. Well, let me rephrase that, it's been a real pain in the neck since I got it. I find this particularly disturbing because I've only had it a year, and it cost a fortune. It's a PFAFF 2144, a very nice machine. It does embroidery too, or it would if I could get the software to work for me. Don't get me started on that. Anyway, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I can't seem to get this machine to do a simple straight stitch sometimes. This is rediculous! Every time I go to topstitch something, or stitch up anything on the small side, I get all worked up because I know the machine may not do it. Sad, no? My old $89 Brother that I got in like 1989 was better than this. Even more frustrating, is the fact that I was absolutely in love with my last PFAFF. What the heck is the deal with this thing? I'm looking forward to going back to California so I can get it serviced. It's not like I can just go without a sewing machine, it's kinda what I do.

What I'm trying to say is this... I would have had another bag done today if I hadn't had to pull the topstitching out 4 times. I ended up taking part of the machine off & cleaning it out as much as I could (this includes a good swipe with the vacuum). It seems to have helped, but I'm still not impressed. Even a less AR (anal retentive, as my boyfriend calls it) person would not accept the stitching my PFAFF is doing these days. It's criminal what I paid for this machine, it should work properly.