Thursday, January 15, 2015

no threads

Brother PQ1500S


Oh brother!

Loving my new Brother sewing machine! Thanks Santa... and Amazon:

Brother PQ1500S High Speed Quilting and Sewing Machine

This new machine is a hoss, what does that mean? Looked it up - slang for horse, work-horse. Or it could mean strong like Hoss Cartwright…

My cousin said she got a new machine that was smarter than she was. I went in the opposite direction. Old school. No bells and whistles. No fancy stitches. It doesn't even zigzag… (which I admit would be nice)

My favorite feature is not old school, I call it the No Threads feature. There are no threads to cut when you finish a seam, at the end of the seam you push the 'scissors' button and it cuts the thread, BUT that is not the best part. There are No Threads at the beginning of the seam either. There are No Threads to pull up from the bobbin, and pull down from the needle making sure they long enough to pull through the foot and out the back. No Threads.

The bobbin thread stays underneath until you start sewing, never seen except on the seam. The top thread goes through the needle hole, it can be hanging out there in the mid air, you just start sewing and it all goes where it is supposed to. So there are No Threads to cut, No Threads in the wastebasket, or more likely No Threads on the floor. It is weird and wonderful all at the same time. 

No computerized lights and error messages to look up. A big knob to turn for the stitch length. A big lever to press for backstitch. Did I mention there are No Threads?

I was sewing binding on my recent quilt project, you know where half the foot is on the thick binding and half not, any other machine I have ever had it would be a problem, it would try to slip off, but this one no problem at all, it's all like, Bring It On! And fast too, 1500 stitches per minute! I think of Melissa's driving when I am sewing.

Oh and there are No Threads!  Yes, I am easily impressed.

But wait, another cousin sent me this, something to think about the next time I get ready to sew:

advice from Singer Sewing manual 1949


my latest project, t-shirt quilt!

t-shirt quilt

spring