zozee

A strange (perhaps stupid) question just popped into my brain. Has there ever been a machine made for lefties, where the hand crank or flywheel is on the left, the spool on the left, the needle and feed dogs on the right side? I don't know enough to know if this is a silly question, but i figured if there are cars where the steering is on the right side, why not a sewing machine?

Prism99

I have never seen or heard of a lefthanded sewing machine. My daughter would love to have one, though!

dunster

This article claims that the sewing machine actually is a lefthanded machine. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...2102616AAUAJ4Q I tend to agree. On the other hand...http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...g-machine.html

acjacques

I am ambidextrous - I use my left hand for everything but writing; I have always used a regular sewing machine, and even on equipment that are for righties only, I always manage to use my left. I bought a rotary cutter that's strictly for left hand users only, but I can't get the hang of using it, I do much better with Olfa or Fiskar's rotary cutters. Same thing with scissors, I use Fiskars soft touch with either hand.

franc36

I am about as left handed as a person can be; but I've never had a problem with any machine but my featherweight. The needle threads from right to left and it took me a long time to learn to thread it with my right hand. All other machines have seemed perfect to me as a leftie. Now that I can thread the featherweight, I love that machine. I do use a left handed rotary cutter; but I have always cut with right handed scissors in my left hand. I had done that for so long that left handed scissors do not feel comfortable.

Bneighbor

Can you imagine the value of a true left-handed machine? Talk about trying to insure that baby on your home owners insurance! "Yes Mr. Insurance agent, I would like you to insure my machine for 1 million dollars...why, there are only 2 in existence and it may be worth more. Mr. Insurance man, did you faint?"

zozee

Dunster, interesting articles. Singer was a leftie, huh? Makes sense, come to think of it. All the fine motor skills (no pun intended) are done with the left hand at a machine. Looking at that museum SM Singer gives me the willies. Looks so....weird! Bneighbor, that would be quite the conversation with Mr. Insurance Agent. Franc, I am righthanded, but just got a 15 91 for the first time ever. It threads from R to L, and that took ME a while! I often thread with my L hand, eat with it, paint with it sometimes when the R is tired.

When I mentioned to my dr that my memory is giving me trouble, she suggested I use my non-dominant hand more.
I would guess ambi people have better memories. That would be an interesting study.

Greeter Eva

This thread is very interesting. My mom , me & 2 of my sisters are lefties. My mom was beaten in school for using her left hand , so she got next no education, but she & dad raised 8 children. She cooked & baked everything we needed & also sewed all our clothes. Very often when other people saw our clothes they would ask her to do thier sewing. I'm sure the sewing machine is made left handed.I sure can't complain about mine. That is one thing that has been made for us lefties. I have left handed scizzors, but only the handles are left handed the blades are still right handed.At least I don't get blisters when I have a lot of cutting to do.

DOTTYMO

I am ambidextrous and as stated before I have used many sewing machines and they are primarily left handed. I had my left hand in plaster last year and thought I would still be able to sew. Noooo way even on the machine. Even pulling my knickers down so I trained the dog to help. I can right with my left but was taught to use my right which is better. One other job I hate using right hand for is ironing, much better left handed. This is a family thing write with right but use left for loads of jobs. Painting etc.
I learnt to use a treadle seing machine and when using one it is definately all left handed although I never thought about it until now. Interesting thought.

quilts4charity

I'm a leftie too and learned to use my right hand for cutting when I was young so guess that would be ambidextrous??? Some things I do totally left handed like eating and brushing my teeth, but can use my right for lots of other things, sewing and quilting have never been a problem for me...cool seeing how others have coped, my friend who is a total leftie makes me laugh at the way she holds scissors to cut...hey it works, and she can't use the left handed kind cause she learned on right handed ones....