At Paducah in 2007, I bought a sewing machine. I didn’t need a sewing machine so I don’t know why I did that . . because my friend bought one and it was a heck of a deal I guess but anyway, I’ve never given it a chance. I set it up shortly after I got it but because Mom has a Bernina and I can use my same feet when I’m sewing at her house, and because different machines seem to have a different version of 1/4″ inch when it comes to those seams, I went back to sewing on the Bernina.
The Bernina has been in the shop for 2 weeks now and I’ve been piecing on a Singer 301. I love those 301 machines and do a lot of my piecing on them. I miss the needle up feature but thankfully, I’ve never gotten real attached to the knee lift, though both the Berninas and the Baby Lock have the knee lift. I pretty much keep the walking foot on the Bernina for doing bindings. The walking foot for the 301 doesn’t thrill me so the plan was to add the bindings when I get the Bernina back. By Sunday, I already had four tops needing binding so I figured I’d better get out the Bernina 930 or find the walking foot for the Baby Lock.
Though I can’t get an insert for this machine for my cabinet, it fits pretty nicely in there. So I set it up with the walking foot and sewed the binding on those four quilts. Then I decided to put the 1/4″ foot on and do some piecing on it. I think I might love this machine. That little button that cuts the top and bobbin thread . . that might just cause the old Bernina to become my backup machine!
Christine says
Isn’t it amazing how easily we can become accustomed to a machine and come to love it. My Pfaff has the built in walking foot, needle up and down, thread snips, knee lift, the works, and yet there are times when that old Singer treadle that I sewed on at Grandma’s makes me happy. Sometimees it’s the 30 year old Pfaff Triptonic or the Singer Featherweight. Machines are like our friends as they feed the different moods of our life.
Dawn says
Ahhhhhhhh new sewing machines……..Love them!!!!
Glad you have a back up…everyone needs a back up!! 🙂
dawn
Linda (Petey) Fritchen says
Judy,
Bet you were itchin to do some stitchin! Looks like a wonderful machine…I’ve never tried a Baby Loc, but I do like the ‘scissors’ on mine, too.
Could not live without the knee lift, though. Nice to ‘pin’ with both hands while lifting and getting the piece under there!!
Have a sewing day-maybe the cold ones are almost over…8 degrees here this a.m.
Mrs. Goodneedle says
New eyes to see those things we otherwise wouldn’t have prove to have 20/20 clarity! Good for you…
Jamie says
I have a Babylock sewing/embroidery combo and LOVE it!!! I have not used the embroidery module very much but as for the sewing capabilities, they are endless with my machine. Glad to see you brought yours out and dusted it off and feel in love with it. Happy sewing!!!
Evelyn says
My machine doesn’t have a thread cutter, but I sure would like one! Sounds like the thread cutter is winning you over on this machine! For charity quilts, have you ever considered 1st sewing the binding to the back, then flipping it over to the front and sewing it down by machine on the front too? I do that – I cut my bindings 2 1/4″ and use a 1/4″ seam… I use bobbin thread to match the back of the quilt and top thread to match the binding. The binding is wide enough that if you pull it over a bit and stitch close to the edge – it won’t catch the binding underneath. I have a friend who also uses this method, but she likes to use a 2 1/2″ binding to start – uses a tiny bit bigger seam allowance and feels like it gives her a little wiggle room when stitching down. Proabably not good for a quilt-show technique, but works really well for a quilt that will be washed many times!!!
Cheers! Evelyn