Kids Can Sew! A New Sewing Machine

As Christmas approached, my husband and I realized we didn't have a "big" gift for our oldest daughter. We debated a bike, but opted to save that for her birthday next month. One night while falling asleep (when all my best ideas happen) it came to me--a sewing machine! So obvious, right?

I remembered reading a review from Amy at Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, after she had bought her daughter a machine. We ended up going with the same one, this Janome. This is a half-sized machine and is basically the cutest thing ever. It comes in a variety of colors, you don't have to pick pink ;)

One thing I read was to avoid toy machines, which are usually chainstitch machines and won't really sew real seams. This Janome could be a kid's machine, or a good compact travel machine for simple projects. It has 10 stitches, reverse, and a unique pressed foot that prevents anyone from sticking their fingers under the needle. AB is turning five next month, but she can be a bit absentminded, and I feel better knowing the presser foot is guarded.

The biggest con you'll see about this machine is the lack of a light. For the price, especially not knowing how much she'll sew, I can live without a light. I just put a lamp next to her. One other thing to note is that it only works with a certain size needle (it's escaping me at the moment but it was a size 14 I think). Obviously, it's not going to sew 10 layers of denim or anything, but I have other machines for that purpose.

I did thread the machine and bobbin for her, those things might be too tricky for a 5 year old. But once we were set up (which didn't take long) AB sat down and sewed her first item without much trouble. I sat with her and helped her guide the fabric properly and place her hands in the right place. We made a simple flannel blanket for H's new baby doll.

Normally AB gets easily frustrated or bored with new things. I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to sew this blanket together without either of us devolving into tears. I can't quite explain the feeling of sharing something I love so much with my own offspring. It was kind of surreal and amazing and I hope it's something she continues to like as she gets older. If not, that's okay too, I do have two other daughters behind her ;)

My new toy!

Please everyone don't hate me for this purchase...I know I feel awfully jealous whenever I read about someone buying one of these!

You're looking at a Brother 2340cv, better known as a coverstitch machine! Now before you get TOO jealous, I'll let you know that I haven't sewn anything with it yet. Long story short, when it arrived there was a broken piece.

It's the plastic thread tree, which holds up the thread while you sew (like a serger). Kind of important. I'm waiting on a replacement and THEN I'll be gushing about sewing with it, I'm sure.

Half of you reading this probably don't know what a coverstitch machine is, which is understandable! I still feel a little guilty for buying one, since it seems to have a reputation for being a "luxury" purchase. Basically, a coverstitch machine sews hems. "What? A whole machine for hems?" you say. Well...yeah. If you happen to be wearing a t-shirt, look at the hem. On the outside of the shirt are two parallel lines. On the inside are a bunch of messing-looking threads. Now pull the hem. It stretches, right?

That's what a coverstitch machines does. It makes two (or three) rows of stitching on the outside, and produces loops of thread on the inside. The loops ensure that the hem stretches, as well as provide a finish to the raw edge of the hem. This kind of hem is not possible with a regular sewing machine.

Whether or not you "need" a coverstitch machine probably depends on your sewing habits. I sew garments almost exclusively, and 75% of my projects are with knit (stretchy) fabric. Coverstitched hems are the most professional for knits. Frankly...I was at the point with my sewing where I couldn't stand messy hems anymore. It sucked to spend time on a project, get to the end, and be unsatisfied with the hem. Of course there are work-arounds, but I hated all of them. There. I said it.

I've been saving money for a while (more on that here) and ended up going with a "barely used" model on ebay. Even though I was a bit nervous, I saved a ton of money by purchasing used and it came with most of the extra feet that can be quite expensive alone. Time will tell, I suppose, if buying used was a bad idea, but for now I'm pretty darn happy. By the way, the thread tree was obviously broken in transit (thanks for nothing USPS) and the seller refunded me the cost of the part. I ended up paying $275, which included shipping and the extra feet. The machine alone, new, retails for $349 on Amazon. I've seen package deals with the feet for $499. For $275 I'm willing to take a risk on used :)

Lots more to come as I actually use the machine! The amount of information online about coverstitch machines is limited. Most of it is about the Janome CoverPro, not the Brother. I'd love to be able to provide some more information as I learn my way around it. Wish me luck!

Happy Sew-versary to me!

Today marks one year since I received my sewing machine, on my first Mother's Day, 2012. Oh, and how was my second Mother's Day, you ask? Nice weather, good times with my daughter and husband, and what was that other thing that happened...OH YEAH!

NBD. Just that my husband bought me the serger I've been saving up to buy for the last three months. YES! And remember that I already had a present, in my new sewing workstation, so I wasn't expecting anything other than a card and getting to pick where we ate lunch. My husband is the best gift-giver I've ever met!

Brother 1034D

I've already taken it for a spin (but first I read the manual and watched the instructional DVD!!). I had some double bamboo french terry wipes cut (probably from 9 months ago) and sitting in my UFO pile. They were perfect for practicing:

My first try was pretty bad:

But by the fourth or fifth wipe, they were looking much better:

And seriously, I'm already in love. I'm headed to the library today to pick up a book about serging (I like to be over-prepared!) but I've already played with the differential feed and seen results from small adjustments there. SO. HAPPY!

But I'm getting sidetracked. Today (this week) is about celebrating a year of finding a wonderful...hobby? naw...I'd rather call it a passion, that more accurately describes how I feel!

To kick off Sew-versary week, I want to focus on my regular sewing machine, my Brother CS-6000i.

I should go back on Amazon and leave a positive review, but there are already a zillion others, plenty to convince any beginner to purchase this machine. I would say, as a former n00b, that it was perfect for me. The quick-start guide helped me thread it and be off sewing in no time, and the manual is clear and precise. After a year, I still turn to the manual often for all kinds of things and can quickly find answers.

There are a ton of fancy stitches, an automatic needle-threader, and an automatic bobbin-winder. I've never touched the tension on it (never had a reason!) and I think it's fairly quiet (now that I have a serger to compare it to, it's definitely quieter than that!). The only thing I find myself missing is control over the pressure in the presser foot. Since my walking foot started freaking out on me, I tend to use my regular presser foot for my knits, and it would be nice if I could reduce the pressure of the foot to help the fabric slide through. However, it's not something I noticed as a beginner. One of these days I'll figure out what's wrong with my walking foot and it might not be an issue ever again (I used it on a few projects involving faux fur, and it was never the same after that...probably my fault!).

So. It's been a year...and I haven't named my machine. At first, I just wanted to get to know it and see what worked. And then a few months ago I decided I definitely wanted a serger, likely another Brother, and I realized that if I had two Brothers, they should probably be named after brothers. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong. Try thinking of famous brothers that aren't named Cain and Abel or who aren't sports stars. Or have lame names. It's harder than you'd think! But anyhow, I pulled from my British heritage (my grandmother moved here from England) and decided on...William and Harry!

Source

There you have it, two happy Brothers and one happy mama (me!). I'll be back tomorrow with a list of some of my favorite projects from the last year...if I can narrow it down!