designcat

FlatLock Funkiness

Got a new serger/overlock machine. This time its a PFAFF Coverlock 3.0. Much better than the old one but also more complicated. Since the machine can do more stitches there are more setting and threading paths to be learned.

One of the features I wanted was flatlock  for seaming knit garments. After getting the machine set up for 3-thread flatlock I practiced on some scraps of old t-shirt and worked on adjusting the tension. Nothing came out flat. Something wasn't right. I set it up again for 2-thread flatlock and discovered a missing set of instructions. The last step in threading the lower looper is through the 2-thread converter of the upper looper. Even with this correction it still wasn't flat.

I tried one last time on a piece of woven scrap and voila! it went flat! This isn't really a success story. While flat, the threads were uneven and the flattening process was not "pull gently on the two pieces of fabric." It required a lot of effort, little pops could be heard as the stitches were jerked through the needle holes. I went back to the scraps of jersey. No amount of pulling made them pop into place.

It was time to look to the internet. Class materials for a course at University of Kentucky has good troubleshooting tips for decorative flactlocking but not as much for seams. Ms. Maddie's Serger Emporium blog recommends:

• low needle tension
• normal upper looper tension (if using)
• tight lower looper tension

We'll see how that goes.

I hate my Brother (Sewing Machine)

I hate my Brother sewing machine. It is a Pacesetter PS-21. It is plastic. It has been checked out and tuned up by a qualified repair shop and there's technically nothing wrong with it. I bought it for doing alterations, piecing together non-glued artwork and general usefulness. I don't use it much and whenever I do I'm reminded how much I hate it.

I'm always fighting with my brother over the same things:

I originally learned to sew on a set of Singers and the differences are just part of the reason I hate this one. I know it is unreasonable for two different manufacturers to have identical user interface. From several different accounts singer has a history of patent litigation. Are my issues with Brother issues proprietary components of the equipment ? Or are these basic design flaws?

• bad presser foot lift lever placement
• main thread path quirks
• doesn't do thick fabrics
• doesn't sew in a straight line
• difficulty with edges

That's quite a lot without even filling in the details in one post so I've split it up. I know things can be done better so I hesitate to start or continue working on projects which have been in queue for a while. Maybe I should cut my losses and get something else.

Bad Presser Foot Lift Lever

Part 1 of 5 on why I hate my Brother sewing machine.  

Bad Presser Foot Lift Lever Placement

On the Brother the presser foot lift lever is on the right, under the arch of the machine. It must be lifted by the right-hand. On a Singer the lever is on the back and can be lifted left-handed. Normally when you're ready to lift the foot your right hand is on the wheel putting the needle into position for what you want to do next.  I get tripped up because the movements need to be done in sequence on the Brother, rather than simultaneous and ambidextrously, making it feel like it takes longer. That may seem like a nit-pick but the position also means the lever sometimes gets lifted by folds of fabric in the middle of sewing. 

Additionally would be nice to be able to sew using just the zipper foot, rather than having to switch back and forth and be reminded that the lift lever is in the wrong place each time.  Unfortunately on anything other than a zipper the bottom thread tension is messed up.

Main Thread Path Quirks

Part 2 of 5  on why I hate my Brother sewing machine. 

Two things bother me about the Brother thread path.  First the spindle is not cushioned or fit-adjustable. If a spool of thread has a larger hole it can bounce around with regular to fast sewing. Not only does it create a noisy rattle, it draws attention to how much the machine moves.

This leads to the second problem: the machine's handle is in the way between the school spool and the first tensioning clip.  Get a little extra play in the thread coming from the spool and even with the handle folded down thread can get caught on it. At best it causes thread breakage on a seam where stopping and starting won't show. At worst the work needs to be torn out and done over due to a tangle.

 

Correct bobbin (SA156) on Right

Bobbin winding is less likely to hit the handle snag because the needle and feed dogs are disengaged  at that time. The motor is only driving the bobbin spindle, not the main sewing mechanisms.

 

Indirectly related is bobbin type. There are at least two kinds of bobbins which appear to be the same size. Both of them fit the winder and the bobbin cage.  One of them works properly. The other moves through the machine and appears to work but messes up the tension. Either the stitch line looks like all the stitches are a varying length, the bottom thread catches or you flip the work over to reval the backside all in tangled loops instead of straight stitches.

 

Thick Fabrics

Part 3 of 5  on why I hate my Brother sewing machine. 

Thick can be relative and for some reason home sewers don't tend to provide empirical measurements for fabric thickness. Things get counted in layers and by referring to tough fabrics I've put  together a  table of some common fabrics and their thickness (omitting leather and vinyl since they come in a variety of gauges and typically its their stiffness that's the real issue.)

The Brother emits an audible thunk crossing four layers of jersey or oxford cloth: just 2 mm.  At  3 mm the lower plate and/or feed dogs score the fabric,  leaving a visible mark that may or may not disappear when washed.  Run thicker than that for any length of time and the stitches become uneven and machine will ultimately need service. Pins need to be removed  just prior to reaching the presser foot which is not always convenient or optimal to the construction of the seam.

Doesn't Sew Straight

Part 4 of 5  on why I hate my Brother sewing machine. 

Unlike Singer, the Brother does not have a plate between the front of the presser foot and the front of the machine. On Singers this plate covers the drop-in bobbin and conveniently has lines which match up to the seam allowance markings on the plate under the needle. On my Brother there is nothing to help guide the fabric until it is just about to be sewn. The sewer has not very much time to make corrections.

Any garment or piece of fabric that hangs over the edge of the machine will pull the seam line askew. This may be a good argument for having an extended bed or mounted-in-cabinet model, but I am not sure that would help.  Other machines can be steered one-handed or at least with one hand behind the work and the other in front. This machine works best with both hands on the project, palms flat on either side and just in front of the needle. With straight and relatively narrow pieces this is doable. Lengthy projects with more than 6 inches off the side of the machine require the left hand to adjust the fabric periodically. Every time the left hand leaves its position at the front of the machine the seam tends to get a little misaligned. Since the right hand needs to periodically remove pins this also puts the seam at risk.  

The result isn't a profoundly crooked seam, its a gently wandering one. Its the kind of thing the eye notices but the brain can't immediatly pinpoint. Its what makes things look homesewn and cheap instead of handcrafted.

Special tools like the rolled-hem or turned-edge foot  require the hands to do different tasks. Because of the machines difficulty with edges the left hand needs to hold a guide thread taught to keep the material from being sucked into the machine.  Meanwhile the right hand needs to hold the turned edge in place for the length of the piece.  The edge can not be pinned because it needs to be nearly perpendicular to the sewing surface in order to feed properly into the foot. It makes this kind of finishing unless the piece is going to be cut and hand turned or sewn into a seam.

Difficulty with Edges

Part 5 of 5  on why I hate my Brother sewing machine. 

One would expect to be able to put fabric in front of the press or foot and sew right over it. If the leading edge of the fabric is too close to the thread feed hole in the bottom plate the machine will swallow it. This creates a dirty shredded tangle that usually has to be cut  free of the machine and then cut out of the piece. If that was an important part of the work: too bad. The problem can be partially avoided by leaving extra seam allowance and by starting all edge stitches by hand turning the wheel. This is a little bit tricky when anchoring the stitching by going in reverse. Letting the machine do it often results in the edge getting tucked up and also sucked into the machine. 

The side edge of the fabric isn't safe from the hole either. Even if enough room is left on leading-edge a mess can be made by the side getting too close, especially on an uneven or pinked edge. 

Yellow Roses

All along the driveway of my great-grandfather's house grew different shades of yellow roses.

33 Rocks

J says I am constantly moving 33 rocks, each a little bit, but making no overall progress.

32 felted rocks, the 33rd is still in progress, await their destiny.

 

Sewing Needles for Silk Purse, Sow's Ear and Sutures

Problem

Thinking about the difficulty in sewing up pigs this morning. In cooking stuffed meats and poultry often get sewn shut before roasting. In a recent conversation about this process I said "Medical students often use pigs feet to practice their sutures." Chef thought that was odd since pork skin in particular is rather tough.

 

Intuition/Inspiration

It may seem incongruous, but there is a relationship between meat, textiles and medicine. I made the connection while trying to stitch a piece of felt to a wool and silk handbag using a tapestry needle.

To prevent splitting the already-knit yarn a tapestry needle tip is blunt, no sharper than most knitting needles. The big eye makes it easy to thread all but the bulkiest yarn. For joining pieces of a knitted garment or bag I prefer a gently curved needle which helps find the opening in the knitted stitches.  This is great for hand and machine knits or crochet but the blunt point is a hindrance when it comes to stitching tight fabrics like denim or felt to a knitted piece. It can also be a safety issue: the needle doesn't move easily so we push harder. A bend, slip or break can result in an ugly injury.

We may be using similar techniques in sewing, cooking and surgery but are we using equivalent tools?

 

Analysis

There are many different kinds of culinary meat needles. Once the varieties used for tenderizing, injecting or larding are eliminated the trussing needles stand out as the obvious tools for sewing.

A trussing needle, such as this curved one from Paderno/World Cuisine is very similar to a tapestry needle but with a sharper tip for puncturing. This is fine for birds which have a thinner, more delicate skin, but not really the right tool for pork.

A barbecue or rotisserie trussing needle is a heavier guage and features a handle at one end for pushing. That's a big beast, better put your weight into it.  This tip has a small blade at the end, giving it the ablitiy to slice as well as puncture. Consider where the other hand is when the additional force is added: The thumb and next two fingers hold the flap of skin, leaving the palm and potentially the veins of the wrist in the path the sharp bits

 

When we suture for surgery the needle for skin has a cutting edge, not just a sharp point. Tapered needles, which are sharp only at the point, are only used on deeper tissues which are softer than skin. Surgical needles tend to be curved because the work can only be done from one side of the body, unlike textiles. The curved needle also has the advantage of requiring additional tools to hold both the needle and the tissue which make it less likely to injure the one doing the work.

Needle Holder

Forceps

Cutting Needle

Since pigs are often used as a human analog and clearly a needle with an edge is necessary for skin why wouldn't we just use surgical needles? There's a guage problem. The thickest suture material is usually only as heavy guage as fishing line (apx .7 mm). Cooking twine is significantly thicker at 2mm.

 

Solution

Finding a source for a trussing needle that is guarunteed to work is tricky. So far Mound is the only manufacturer I've found specifically advertising sharp edges on a straight trussing needle, without the handle.  I'd want to pair it with a set of long curved forceps or Long Sponge Forceps , just to keep away from the veins of the wrist.