Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Lexsomnia BearsOk so I have a cheapish Brother sewing machine and I never machine sew my bears. I have thought about it a few times and even threaded the machine with Guterman and then chickened out numerous times. So this time I take the leap of faith and I bend my needle and then snap it within minutes! UGH! I used the needle that came on the machine. Now do I need to change my needle? Is there a bigger needle I need? Do I need to change the tension or something else? Is my Brother just not equipped to handle mohair or synthetic? What should I do?
Also as a side note- To those of you that machine sew can you list the name and model of your machine? Many seem to use Janome, Bernina, Singer, etc etc etc except I never know which models to look up that will handle this fur!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Past Time BearsMore than likely, Alexis, the needle that came with the machine was not sturdy enough. I use at least a size 16 and prefer a size 18 when I'm sewing mohair. Your Brother probably had a size 12, maybe a 14 on it. I would try the bigger size needle before deciding to buy a new machine. I sew on a Viking 1+ which is about 12 years old.
Alexis,
Today many brands of sewing machines come out of the same factory. Manufactures give their requirements, i.e. number of functions and appearance. So you might find we are all sewing on exactly the same type of sewing machine except it carries another brand name.
Very few countries produce their own sewing machines- Elna sewing machines are no longer manufactured in Switzerland.
Breaking needles can happen for various reasons. Some sewing machines struggle to sew over thicker areas i.e. where two seams meet and here you need to slow down and almost turn the flywheel by hand till it is over the thick part.
Tugging at the fabric as it feeds through from the back can also bend the needle which will then snap.
If the top tension is too tight you will also have this "pulling " on the needle bending it and causing it to snap.
If the bobbin case area is clogged up with dirt and not kept oiled this will again put a strain on the needle as it picks up the bobbin thread.
Even with the machines sold today that state you do not need to oil them, it is still important to keep the area where the bobbin fits oiled. If you remove the bobbin and turn the handle manually you will see where the two areas in the bobbin case "rub" against each other here you have metal against metal rubbing and this needs a drop of oil.
Also ensure that you clean the bobbin area sometimes removing the whole shuttle out as you will be amazed at how much fluff is trapped inside this area- especially mohair which tends to fly everywhere.Some manuals will show you where to and how to do this.
Today many needle are available for the different types of fabrics available fine needles for your silks, leather needles for leather, stretch needles for knit fabrics.
I normally sew with a Universal needle size 80 and have various sewing machines that all work.
Also when replacing the needle remember to put it in the right way- I often had to deal with customers who would call irritated as their new machine I had sold them was not sewing and that I had sold them "junk"
Lynette
desertmountainbearDear Alexis, I have had the same Brother machine for the past 20 years. I hand stitch bears now, but I have stitched every kind of fabric, and even leather on that thing. I use a size #16 needle on heavy fabrics. I think you just have the wrong size needle. My machine is just a plain (cheap) one, and it is a work horse
Joanne
Lexsomnia BearsFantastic! I am so glad to have this place to come! What a relief! Ok I will be off to try and find a new and thicker needle for it. I havent had the machine but maybe 6 months as I never machine sewed before that time. All of my bears are/were handstitched so I never needed the machine but needed one to make clothing for my son when he was born. I also cloth diaper him and I use the machine to make those too. Anyway, I will be out looking for a new needle, I will be sure to oil it and make sure that I dont have any fabric or anything stuck in it. Thank you SO much for all the information! It's so nice to have people understand what I need to know and be willing to help. :hug: Now if only I could figure out how to post pictures I would be all set! HEHE! :redface:
Jare Hares & BearsI don't care for Brother machines myself. They punch hard into the fabric when you are sewing and I find that disconcerting. I have an old Dressmaker form the 50s. When I can I get my hands on unclaimed sewing machine repairs. Here in IL after 30 days any unclaimed repair can be sold to whomever wishes to pay for the repair costs. That is how I got my Dressmaker. In fact, there were 2 other Dressmakers that were available too, but I just didn't have the money to buy them. Now, I wish that I had bought them. My machine is a workhorse. I usually use a size 14~16 needle. The only time I have a problem with breakage is when I am sewing the ears on my bunnies and I forget to adjust the stitch length so I don't hit the wire.
Does anyone know how often you should replace the needle on your machine. I had one that I used for over a year. Then I realized one day that it wasn't sewing as well so I figured that I should change the needle.
I do have a less expensive Singer that I use as my back up machine when I need to take my Dressmaker in for repairs. Right now I have the Singer set up with a ruffler attachment. I am making rabbits that are dressed in a ruffled pinafore, there is no way that I am going to hand gather all of those skirts. Not when there is a sewing machine attachment that will do it for me.
Mom and I just recently purchase a Sidewinder. Which is a God Send! It is very rude of a sewing machine to run out of bobbin thread. Now instead of un-threading my machine so that I can wind bobbins on it, I grab the Sidewinder and get another spool of the same color thread and wind a new bobbin. That means that I can leave the top thread in the machine and it does save time! Wal-mart just got them about 2 weeks ago. I found ours at a local quilt shop.
Can anyone explain to me why they don't make a sewing machine that could take a spool of thread on the bottom for use everyday sewer? I don't mind winding bobbins , but really I do have better things to do with my time.
Hobart BearsI hand sew all my bears and dogs but I do quilt so I own a few sewing machines. I know you should replace your needle after 8 hours or so of stitching. Just to make sure it stays sharp, will work much better and less likely to break. If your using differnet types of thread that also would determine what needle you use. And sewing mohair would be a lot differnet than sewing a nice smooth cotton, so again needle choice would be important. Someone at the fabric store where you would purchase your sewing machine needs should be able to help you with your choices. Hope this helps.
Karne
Lexsomnia Bears*** Update*** Ok so I changed the needle and that did solve my problem. Not only that but I needed to make a net for my spool of thread. For some reason it kept curling underneath the spool and causing it to pull. Which also could have been the reason for my broken needle. Anyway, I am currently using the size 18 needle and I didnt have to change the tension much, added the net and I am good to go. I agree with Tim though that my brother really does punch hard into the fabric. Doesnt matter since it sews it but it does bother me to hear it punch through. For now my brother will have to work as I dont have the extra money to buy a new one. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, advice, and help. It was truly appreciated and so far so good with machine sewing! It certainly is a bunch quicker for me! Thanks! :hug:
I've only been doing this for about 10 years, but my mom has been sewing - and teaching sewing - for over 50 years. she swears that you should only use Schmetz (sp?) machine needles and Gutterman thread. I laughed at her until I bought my first spool of gutterman. . .it rarely snaps, even when hand sewing. she's right about the needles, too. they rarely snap, even when you accidentally put one into your index fingernail :crackup:
of course, she also swears Bernina, Bernina, Bernia, too, but I couldn't afford one at the time. I got a husquavarna 555 instead and I think it's fantastic. . .it sews through leather and mohair like butter with a #12 (schmetz) needle.. (I do as much as possible on a machine, I think sewing by hand sucks! it just takes toooo long)
now if only I could have that Designer 1. . .
