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Reviews (15)
Jul 18, 2016
Excellent guide to sewing machine basics, general machine service & repair information covering a broad variety of machines, great for collectors too!
If you are looking for a good general reference manual about sewing machine buying, with repair & service information, this is an excellent source for that kind of information. It covers home, or domestic sewing machines, as well as some industrial machines.
Of course, no manual can have the specifics on every single sewing machine, there simply wouldn't be room in one book, except perhaps an electronic book, to store all of that information. For computerized, or specialized information on very complicated machines, or for information on special features which are proprietary, you would still require a technical manual for that specific machine, but for the majority of mechanical sewing machines, but you can figure out the basic operations of stitch formation, timing, feeding system, specialty stitch selectors & controls, motor & electrical systems, with this manual, & a little ingenuity & mechanical aptitude.
I have not seen the electronic version of this manual, only the printed manual, & I have heard that other people say the electronic one is missing photos, so if you need the photos, the printed manual would be your best bet, assuming they were correct, & their electronic reader wasn't malfunctioning!
There is an enormous market for used mechanical sewing machines, with social media driving a group of serious sewing machine collectors, some of whom are actually starting their own museums, often owning 40 or more machines, hoping to save vintage mechanical sewing machines from being recycled back into basic metals, or being otherwise wasted or destroyed, as waste, particularly in landfills. As collectors learn of models with special features, particularly the heavier duty mechanical machines, the demand for those models increases, as do prices.
Many serious sewing machine collectors enjoy servicing, maintaining, & even repairing, or completely making over mechanical sewing machines, even stripping them down to bare metal, & repainting them, as is popular among many Singer Featherweight 221 & 222 fans. This manual could be of help to most of these collectors, particularly if they collect more than one model of sewing machine.
Some special features of specific models, is not included in this manual, so you would need to acquire the technical service manual for specific machines, if you need detailed information about those features unique to that company, or their special models. For example, it states that class 15 bobbin system sewing machines, with the side facing bobbin system, cannot sew with twin needles. However, the vintage Necchi Supernovas, Mira, Nora, & other Necchi models, were designed to use twin needles, one in front of the other, instead of the typical side by side needles, but a special throat plate, special presser foot (with two zigzag openings, one in front of the other, with a thin wire of metal between them) are required for this special feature. At this time, these are the only sewing machines that I am aware of, which do offer this special feature, so it would be nice if this were added at some time, to future editions.
One item I would like to see added to this manual, is the information in the section about sergers mentions that all sergers have tension knobs which must be adjusted, to set the serger for each stitch, but there are now various brands & models which have done away with tension control knobs on sergers, such as the Babylock Imagine, Evolve, Evolution & Ovation. A simple switch, or one control knob can be set to whichever stitch, without requiring individual thread settings to be dialed in, making these brand & models of sergers immensely easier to master! They are expensive, but to those who enjoy sewing, who can afford it, the time & frustration saved, can add up to many more successful sewing projects, in much shorter time of sewing!
I will try to add more as I have more time, but I do highly recommend "The Sewing Machine Master Guide from Basics to Expert", by Clifford L. Blodget, to anyone interested in either fixing up & selling, or collecting vintage sewing machines. It has so much very good information, which isn't broadly available, except in this manual, or in online sewing machine collector groups.
Dec 04, 2015
Dritz Point Presser & Pounding Block great for pressing sewing projects
Dritz's handy point presser & pounding block allows you to easily & neatly press collars, cuffs, & seams as you sew, helping your sewing projects look professional. Without these special pressing tools, it is common to see seams pressed so that you literally see the shape of the seam edges, pressed into the fabric, so it makes it look cheap & homemade. Using this wooden pressing & pounding block, helps you to press & build shape into your tailoring & other fine sewing, while keeping it looking neat & perfect.
The pounding block is used after steaming a garment section, you hold the flat pounding block part against the freshly steamed seam, & the wood pounding block helps force the hot steam to stay in the fabric, without the risk of overheating it with the iron. It helps the shape you are pressing your project in, stay shaped the way you want it to.
Oct 19, 2016
The Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts, by Claire Shaeffer, is one of the best sewing books ever written, to learn everything about sewing!
Claire Shaeffer's Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts, has almost everything you ever wanted, or needed, to learn to sew! It literally could be used to teach students who want a career in the fashion industry, as well as home sewers! From a sewing glossary, to choosing the correct type of needles & thread, & manually imitating the effects of what differential feed, by "crowding", "crimping", & using taut sewing methods. You will learn how to prepare your fabric, before cutting it out, you will learn various hand sewing stitches, as well as how to find the correct presser feet for your machine, & for the specific sewing tasks you need. Lost your pattern instruction sheet? No worries! Professional sewing order for the various clothing styles are illustrated, as well as carefully described, to ensure the best professional results! Why would it be called a book of sewing shortcuts? Maybe because learning the best way to do something, is also the best shortcut! If you want glossy photos, they aren't here, but there are many excellent illustrations, which highlight the specific details you need to know, to accomplish your sewing in the most professional way, which is much ore important, helping you stay focused on the important sewing details, not getting distracted by pretty colors & photos. I highly recommend Claire Shaeffer's "The Complete Guide of Sewing Shortcuts", both for home sewers, & for those who want a career in fashion & textiles, as well as all of Claire Shaeffer's other excellent books. I can see why her sewing books are also recommended for college level sewing class manuals & reference books for professionals in the sewing field!