Two Machines Find Their New Home

J contacted me about a machine I had listed on Craigslist.  She was interested in the Dressmaker SWA-2000 to replace her machine that had recently been in for repair.  J had been using her machine regularly to make bags and now rag rugs and her Brother could not keep up.  When she took the machine in for repair, the repair man suggested she look for an older machine that was all metal and would be able to handle the extra thick fabric.  I think she got good advice there.

Everything is blue, even the foot control

When J came to look at the machine, she brought along her current project so that she could see how each machine worked with it. It's always a good idea to bring along a swatch or two of material that you like to sew on so you can get a feel for how a machine handles the fabric. J was finishing putting together a rag rug and she was looking for something that could handle sewing through very thick braids. I had four machines out to look at and we worked our way through each one.  Originally, it looked like none of the feet would lift high enough to clear the braid. That was a disappointing start. While we were talking though, I tried out the darning foot on one of my Berninas and saw that it provided more clearance between the foot and feed dogs. When I tried pushing up on the foot bar, I found that there was another 1/4 to 1/2 inch of play in the bar too, so this would definitely clear the braid. We went back and tried lifting the foot bar on each machine and 3 of the 4 gave us enough room to get the rug braid under the presser foot. Fortunately, the Dressmaker was one of the three and J was happy it could be her top choice again. She didn't want to pass up all that lovely blue and the notable chrome dials.
After she had decided on the Dressmaker, J mentioned that she would also be in the market for a free-arm machine.  I brought out a couple and the first one she tried worked well. It was a New Home machine that came with its own manual and its own suitcase.  It has a few decorative stitches and a built-in buttonholer.  J was planning to use the free arm for sewing bags and linings.

Packed snuggly away

So, when J left we carried two machines out to her car.  I asked her to let me know how things work out with the machines.  I always like to hear what projects people are working on with their new toys. Later that afternoon, J sent a pic of the Dressmaker at home in its new cabinet.  I think it looks very pleased with its new surroundings.

Already hard at work on that rag rug

Happy sewing to you J!  I hope you enjoy both machines.