cashs_mom

I had to look up the Elna Grasshopper. Wow! Cool machine with the case the make a sewing table. I'd definitely pay $20 for it. Probably even $50

Kelsie

Mickey2: Thank you so much for the information about the Elna 1. That was exactly what I needed to know. I now know the difference between Elna 1 and Elna 2. I think it is a 1. I just might ask my husband to run down there tonight!

mindless

I have a grasshopper (Elna 1), and I love it. It sews a beautiful, straight stitch, and doesn't mind if I try out different kinds of thread. (Metallic, invisible, even glow in the dark & heavy duty denim threads). I don't use it much, because my leg gets tired. You have to push the throttle sideways with your thigh to make it go. After making my first quilt with it, I had one thigh in fine shape...but I walked with a slight limp. I was sore. I have not tried fmq yet. Maybe I will have to get it out again...

edited to add: I have a round dining table, & can't use the grasshopper on it. It doesn't fit the round edge. The case and machine require a straight edge to sit on. The metal throttle bar plugs into a hole on the front of the machine that has to be able to hang over the edge of the table to work correctly.

Mickey2

My Singer 99 and my Supermatic (Elna 2) have knee lever controller, I adjusted easily to them both and haven't had any complaints. I have a rectangular work table and as long as the machine and knee lever is in right position to my leg it all works effortlessly. The speed controller on my Elna is very responsive. I have to correct the price I payed for my Supermatic, it was $40 not $30.

Kelsie

I have been doing more reading and now don't know if it might be a 1 or 2. Mickey2 does the Supermatic come with the same kind of a case. I seem to be seeing things that look like a hybrid between the two.

Can anyone tell me if I can FMQ on either of these?

Mickey2

Well, I think some do. There is a skilled repair guy on a vintage Elna yahoo group, his wife has taken on a Supermatic and set up for quilting exlusively. A few on that group fmq on various vintage Elna models. As you well know, it has a lot to do with getting tension right and adjuting for the thread you use.

Yes, Elna 1 and 2 have similar cases, they all double as an extention table, but come in slighly different designs. I have the beige two-tone colored Supermatic, there are an all green and a two tone green Supermatic too. Again; all the Elna 2 are the same machine with just slight differences on some features (cam slot and satin stitch fine tuning knob differ a bit). My Elna has a two part case, and only one part turns into the extention table, on some the case is higned and the entire thing cleverly folds into a nice extetion table. Elna 1 should in theory be about the same as the Supermatic when it comes to free motion stitching. I don't free motion much at all, and I'm not the one who should give advice on that part.

Kelsie

I still wonder about the idea of FMQ but we drove down there and this particular machine is gone. At least I know more about them now and will be better prepared if I come across another.

leonf

[ATTACH=CONFIG]599580[/ATTACH]This shows a Supermatic using the case as an extension table. It is at the Sewing machine museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The SU's have a similar case but not quite the same and they aren't interchangeable.

My knee controllers for my Supermatics are barely visible in the pics above. I don't do FMQ either.

leonf

Oh and BTW Compaq made a copy of the grasshopper I believe.

Cari-in-Oly

Leon Portman made the copies. Also badged as Viking(sold in Canada), Montgomery Wards, and a couple other names. They're similar in looks but nowhere near the quality.

Cari