This machine &amp; package sounds great, I'm almost convinced, but as my first serger I am concerned about the threading over an air jet system. My eyesight &amp; patience are not what they used to be, realistically, how difficult is this machine to thread ?...
591130
Yes, it will drive you crazy! It is very difficult to thread!!! I am a professional seamstress and have had many sergers before this one! I sold it to a friend who has worked with these machines before. Go with the one that air threads itself, and you should be fine!
2200126
It is my understanding that the Singer is an American made machine and the Brother is imported so this could fit into your decision? I have read many reviews and the Singer is a sturdier metal frame and components compared to Brothers which have more plastic parts. I do read that the weight of the Singer is heavier which would validate its metal composition vs the lighter machines, however I don't know that this determines what one wants out of their investment. Yes the Brother seems to have extra bells and whistles which are desireable but what are the main components that are needed for your long term projects. My decision is between the Singer 7469Q and the 7470 which has extra features like the alpha/numeric stitching and more stitch choices and costs more. My primary focus will be for occasional sewing and repairs but primary on my bucket list is to make several quilts for a sense of accomplishment. As a reitred dude I guess my sewing machine has to be as cool as the rides I have had which required performance, reliability, coolness, and finally I did take into consideration whether it was American made. Yes I did buy some beautiful Japanese vehicles which served me well so I guess it all comes down to what is important to you at this moment in making these decisions. Currently my main objectives in choice are being as green as one can be to help Mother Earth heal from the destruction we have inflicted on her.
1501587
I've had this machine for about a year. I've made many quilts with free motion quilting and a few garments so far and have not had any problems. It is fairly simple to learn to use and has many features that a new sewer could "grow into" as they improve. It comes with many attachment, a nice money saver. It is a fairly heavy duty machine--I have sewed denim and twill. My opinion is it would be a good first machine because it has enough features and attachments that you would not need to upgrade to a more complex machine for quite a while as you learn sewing. It however only has one stretch stitch and doesn't embroider if these are important to you.
2067992
yes i've sewn denim with this serger before..it was a medium weight denim..this serger is the bomb...my favorite serger ever!
1531696
You can basically do either. I have done both and either works OK. It is easier of course to get the pre-wound factory units and they do package them in such a way, that they do not become unwound during transit, unlike the unit I received, the spool was unwound to start, so I had to redo it anyways. I'd say try both and see what you prefer, but both apply in any case, just depends on the individual I would say. The factory does do a good job and getting them wound perfect however. I suspect a machine does this by the perfection of the winde myself.
789042
You might talk to your local dealer if possible, or try googling "sewing machine insert." I did and there was quite a number of hits. I really like my lift. I use it with my serger and don't have an insert, although it would be helpful if I got one. I may have to check it out.
1909348
I have been working with this machine for about a week, and really like it for what it can do. However, it does have a bit of a difficulty getting over thick portions of the fabric.....where two seams intersect, etc. For this reason, I would assume that it might have a difficult time with thicker fabrics. I've learned that when I must sew over the intersection of seams, I must go very slowly. Then, it's pretty good.
40068
The thread is very thin and difficult to work with. I could not get it to work in my serger and I can get a lot of different kinds of threads to work in my serger but this thread was a no go no matter what I did with the tension. I would not recommend this thread.
23834
Your machine should be adjusting tension automatically....I would check your needle versus type of fabric you're sewing/embroidering, check to see if you have a piece of thread broken apart in the head of the machine that could be catching on your sewing thread. You can manually adjust tension by running the thread back and forth at the top rear...then, Thread the machine. check your manual or on-line for the description. If you are embroidering, be sure you are using quality thread. I've used less "expensive" & paid for it in breakage in the middle of the piece. Try slowing down the stitching speed & make sure you are using the proper backing for your fabric. You could still have thread caught in the bobbin case which could be exerting too much pressure on the top thread. I would try a thorough cleaning, vacuum.....your machine out....never blow it like a computer. The sewing machine has oiled, moving parts & blowing the dirty, dust, lint pushes it into the machine and eventually causes a sludge..... Check to make sure you haven't knocked the timing out.....if the machine increases in frequency of breakage, look at your bobbin case...make sure the needle isn't hitting the plastic instead of the hole ...sliding off into the bobbin. Goodness, I hope this helpS!!! All else fails, call Singer support...they are easy to work with...I've called them in e past. THey will walk you through maintenance to get you up and running. I love my 400!!! Use it all the time....one of three sewing machines.....I have a 43 year old brother I can't part with as well.. Good luck MMh
2236478
Yes, you must thread it yourself the old fashioned way! I have three sergers, an Elna and two brothers and I have never seen a conventional needle threader on a serger. It's probably because it would be difficult or impossible to make one that would thread two needles next to each other. There are some sergers, (high end Brothers, I think) that claim to thread themselves using some kind of air puff system, or something, but I've never seen one in action and I don't know if even they thread the needles, or just the loopers. This is a very nice serger by the way, and I use it in preference to my higher end Elna all the time.
144502
No, mine worked fine. But I found out after that my machine has this built in. I thought it was more like what a serger would look like.
1008116
I had a super cheap Singer when I first started dabbling in sewing over a year ago. I enjoyed doing little craft projects but had never taken a lesson. My Singer would constantly lock up, unthread itself, just overall bad. When I decided to start taking lessons I researched a little about machines - I wanted one that would last, that would run smoothly and one that my sewing class instructors recommended. This was on the list as a nice entry to mid level machine. They also recommended the magnolia, which would have probably been enough for me. I sew a lot in the winter, working on mostly purses, bags, cosmetic bags, etc. Occasionally I try some other projects. I really like the machine - it has given me no trouble and I would definitely recommend it. It you don't plan to sew often, I would look into the Janome Magnolia.
528716
i agree, it needs supervision if she has never sewn with a machine before.....but this is a very good machine to begin. Our adult daughter has this and she has taught herself to do some very involved sewing with this but took almost no time at all to familiarize herself with this machine and had only about 3 other experiences with a sewing machine before that. I think she would do well....with some instruction.
537674
I have both the 1034D and the Designio. The machines are mechanically identical. The only differences are cosmetic. They thread exactly the same way, and the user manuals are identical. I most often use thread made for sergers, but you can use any thread you like on a serger. I have used embroidery thread, for example. A very thick thread might not work as well, but it depends on what you want. Always test on a scrap of the fabric you plan to use, because you sometimes need to make a few adjustments to tension, stitch length, etc. for different fabrics to get a neat result.
930448
It took me a few hours over a couple of days to really get comfortable with the threading of this machine. I ended up watching a You Tube video to figure out a problem that I couldn't figure out with the manual alone. Now after a couple of months I would say it takes less than five minutes max for me to change the threading. Even though the threading is a bit fiddly, I am very happy to own this machine and use it regularly.
132916
I haven't had any problems, however, I'm very careful when sewing with fabrics such as heavy denim, using extra caution when sewing over the multi-layered seams. The machine does not skip stitches and I am very happy with the quality of the stitching.
1481186
No, not really. This machine is really limited and not worth purchasing. Go the extra money and get a real serger. I learned the hard way == you get what you pay for.