What is the average Sewing Machine Price?
That really depends on what you’re looking for. Sewing machine prices can vary from under $100 for a basic model to thousands of dollars for commercial machines. However for the average home user looking for a home sewing machine, the average prices would probably be in the vicinity of $200 – $600. You will often find with the more expensive machines that tools and extras are included that you would have to purchase separately with cheaper machines.
What is Automatic Threading?
Automatic threading is available on many sewing machines these days. It is where the machine automatically threads the needle for you rather than you having to do it yourself. This can save time for someone who does a lot of sewing and changes cotton regularly. This video will give you an idea of how simple it can be. Of course different brands of sewing machine will auto thread slightly differently having different technology and style, but you’ll get the idea.
What is the difference between an Electric and Computerized Sewing Machine?
A basic electric sewing machine has a motor that drives the needle and other moving parts of the sewing machine. They usually have a range of speeds and use a foot pedal that sits on the floor, as an accelerator to make the machine go faster or slower pretty much like the accelerator on your car.
A computerized sewing machine is controlled by a computer chip that adjusts the settings on the sewing machine – including the tension, the stitch type and stitch size. These machines are operated using a touch pad screen and can store hundreds of different stitches as well as memorizing past sewing work. You are also usually able to download more stitches and programs for your sewing machine from the internet, usually via a USB connection with your computer.
What is a Presser Foot?
A Presser Foot is the metal or plastic foot that holds the fabric down on the feed dogs while it is being sewn by the sewing machine. There are many different types of presser feet available that are designed to make doing specific sewing tasks easier.
When you are looking at buying a sewing machine, unless you are only buying the machine to do simple general repairs, the presser feet that are supplied with the machine is something to be considered. Some cheaper machines only come with a couple of the most basic presser feet, which means that if you have to buy additional presser feet separately this can increase the price of your machine quite substantially as individual presser feet can cost anywhere between $5 and %50 each! So as you can see, adding a couple of presser feet to the cost of your sewing machine can really bring the overall cost up and this is something to be considered.
These are pictures of basic presser feet. You will see in the picture on the right that the presser foot is what holds the fabric down while being sewn.
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What is a Feed Dog?
The feed dog feeds the fabric under the presser foot while you sew. They are kind of like metal ‘claws’ if you like that are directly below the presser foot. They move under the foot and cause the fabric to move forward while being stitched. The feed dog regulates the stitch length by regulating how much fabric passes under the presser foot with each stitch.
What is the deal with different styles of Button Holes?
Once upon a time there is was only one way to do a button hole on a sewing machine and it was a fiddly process that required you to turn your garment and change your zigzag stitch size several times and for all this work you only got one style of button hole at whatever size you decided to make it.
Now many sewing machines have various styles of button hole and they can often be done with one step. The picture shows a few of the styles that can be created depending on the sewing machine.
What is a Free Arm?
A free arm allows you to remove some of the flat sewing bed on your sewing machine leaving a narrower surface, with a space between the sewing machine and the table that allows you to sew around tube type shapes such as sleeves.
This picture to the right, shows a free arm on a sewing machine. You can see that there is a gap under what is left of the sewing bed, to allow the fabric to encircle the arm while you sew.
Whereas, you will see with the picture of the antique style sewing machine to the left, that the sewing bed is fixed level with the table and there is no free arm. This made it difficult to hem sleeves and trouser legs, so they were generally sewn by hand back when these sewing machines were the only option.
What is Zigzag Stitch used for?
Zigzag stitch can be used for a number of tasks and is very useful on a basic sewing machine. Zigzag stitch can be used to edge seams to prevent the fabric from fraying. Professional and more advanced seamstresses will generally have an overlocker that does this job very professionally and even trims any excess fabric, however the zigzag stitch will do the job very well for those who don’t have the luxury of an overlocker just by sewing along any cut edges of your fabric with a zigzag stitch.
Zigzag stitch is also used to make button holes. It is a very tight zigzag that is used, so that with each stitch, the thread sits almost on top of itself and makes a very tidy edge. A buttonhole presser foot must be used, and the zigzag stitch is used to go down one side of the buttonhole then is set at a wider stitch width to go across the top of the button hole. Then the fabric is turned and the narrow zigzag is used to come down the other side of the button hole and then a wider zigzag stitch is used once again at to close up the bottom of the buttonhole.
Scissors or an unpicker are then used to carefully cut the fabric between the two sides to create the opening (being very careful not to cut your stitching) and Voila! One buttonhole!
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