Electronic foot controlers and vintage free arm machines
04-07-2015, 10:33 AM
#21
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
I have several of those blind hem attachments. Both Singer and Greist. I've yet to be able to get one to work. They are supposed to hold the fabric and move it back and forth like the button holler, but they don't and then they don't sew straight. I'm probably doing something wrong, but so far no go with them. Joe
04-07-2015, 03:20 PM
#22
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
[QUOTE=Cari-in-Oly;7156573]
Don't shoot me Cari. She hasn't even tried it out yet (kids). I'll put it through it's paces after dinner tonight. Elayne just gave Olivia a different free arm (a newer Singer) so I'll give yours back next time I see you.
I was going to mention the 401A too but then I remembered that whole free arm criteria and that kind of shot that idea down.
I just gave it away but my daughter's Monkey Wards machine from the early 70s to one of her friends. It was all metal with a built in blind hem stitch. Sorry I don't remember the model number. If they made a free arm version that might be an option too.
Joe, you're probably not doing anything wrong with the blind hemmer. From what I've seen on the yahoo group for Singer attachments they're finicky to set up and apparently there's a rubber part for moving the cloth that hardens up or wears out and doesn't grip right. I'm working from memory here and don't actually own one so I might be wrong about the rubber part.
I see commercial blind hemmers come up around here fairly often and in a wide range of prices. If your wife is doing a lot of mending for others it might be a good investment both money and space wise. That, and they're pretty cool looking.
Rodney
I was going to mention the 401A too but then I remembered that whole free arm criteria and that kind of shot that idea down.
I just gave it away but my daughter's Monkey Wards machine from the early 70s to one of her friends. It was all metal with a built in blind hem stitch. Sorry I don't remember the model number. If they made a free arm version that might be an option too.
Joe, you're probably not doing anything wrong with the blind hemmer. From what I've seen on the yahoo group for Singer attachments they're finicky to set up and apparently there's a rubber part for moving the cloth that hardens up or wears out and doesn't grip right. I'm working from memory here and don't actually own one so I might be wrong about the rubber part.
I see commercial blind hemmers come up around here fairly often and in a wide range of prices. If your wife is doing a lot of mending for others it might be a good investment both money and space wise. That, and they're pretty cool looking.
Rodney
04-07-2015, 07:21 PM
#23
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: chicago, IL
Posts: 9,589
My wife does alterations on clothing. Right now she's got 30 pair of pants to shorten the legs on. She wants to use this type of stitch: ___/\___/\___/\___/\___ . I don't remember what it's called. She also needs / wants a free arm type machine. We have a few but all of them have plastic gears and innards.
The best of the bunch is the Bernina 930. The rest are Singers, the newest from around 1990 ish.
Now my question is, can some one(s) suggest an older free arm machine with this stitch built in or available as a cam that is both all metal inside, and affordable?
Joe
The best of the bunch is the Bernina 930. The rest are Singers, the newest from around 1990 ish.
Now my question is, can some one(s) suggest an older free arm machine with this stitch built in or available as a cam that is both all metal inside, and affordable?
Joe
04-07-2015, 07:22 PM
#24
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Rodney,
I don't remember a rubber part on those things so I'll dig out my examples and see.
There is one thing I have learned about the Singer ZZ and BS attachments. If you use them on a machine with a needle bar stroke shorter than the Singers, you won't get as wide a stitch.
Joe
I don't remember a rubber part on those things so I'll dig out my examples and see.
There is one thing I have learned about the Singer ZZ and BS attachments. If you use them on a machine with a needle bar stroke shorter than the Singers, you won't get as wide a stitch.
Joe
04-07-2015, 07:50 PM
#25
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,867
Elna 62C from 1973 has a blindstitch built in and will sew through anything. It is a free arm, but I haven't use as such since I stopped making very little girl's dresses. Those little puffed sleeves needed the free arm. Adult pants don't, IMO.
04-08-2015, 01:58 PM
#27
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Tippy-top of a ridge in WV
Posts: 6,355
My old free-arm Elna from 1964 did it by a cam. That machine was a revelation to me in her day and still, if I have a really heavy-duty job, I haul her out and rev her up. I will never part with that machine. It has never been in a shop or needed any repairs and she sewed all the kids clothes that formerly were done by treadle until they were in high school and some beyond.
04-09-2015, 06:56 AM
#28
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Larimore ND
Posts: 256
I don't think this will help with knit slacks, but it might come in handy if she's hemming jeans.
If you're hemming denim jeans, here's a couple You Tube videos that I've found very helpful.
This is about 7 minutes long, and worth every second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJaTBqc2Kc
Combination of Euro-Hem techniques...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaoE5JuuZeM
If you're hemming denim jeans, here's a couple You Tube videos that I've found very helpful.
This is about 7 minutes long, and worth every second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJaTBqc2Kc
Combination of Euro-Hem techniques...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaoE5JuuZeM
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