Broken Needles. or Using the Straight Stitch Foot. or What a Difference a Good Machine Makes. or Linings - argh!

This post is having an identity crisis.

Let's start with The Difference a Good Machine Makes

I sewed my second garment with the new Nora. (I'll post about the first when I take a photo of it - a knit top which I didn't like at first, but which is growing on me).

This is the second.


Next time I use a bold floral, I'll pay more attention to the placement of motif.


Those Necchi's are amazing. What a difference in so many ways:
Speed. Finishing raw edges goes so much faster. I didn't realize until today (working on yet another skirt), that I've been sewing on high speed.

Neat even stitches.

Easy and even feeding of fabric under the feed dogs. On my Kenmore, I had to fight to keep straight seams. Now I can *almost* let the machine sew by itself. I had no idea!

Strength. Those intersecting seams? The machine didn't blip nor blurp.

Precision! Topstitching? Wow!


Broken Needles!!!! Good Grief!!!
I have discovered that using the straight stitch foot on the Necchi is phenomenal.

At first, I was switching out the plate as well as the presser feet - using the straight stitch plate rather than the zig-zap plate but it got to be a bit much switching it back and forth.

I kept forgetting if I was on zig-zag or straight stitch, causing me to break 5 or 6 needles over the course of two days. You'd think I'd have gotten my act together after one. Maybe two. Sigh. A couple of times I DID remember to change my setting to straight stitch, but had the needle in the centered position, but come to find out that the straight stitching is done in the left needle position. Good thing I've stocked up on needles, eh?

Ah, but I have found a solution!!!!

A dedicated machine just for straight stitching. More on that later this week - - - (I am sooooo excited!)


Linings. Aggravating Linings.

There must be secrets I don't know.

Ok. This skirt has things: pockets, a fly (my first and backwards - don't know how that happened. It was my third attempt and somehow...who knows how these things happen.). But the construction was easy enough.

And then I decided to add a lining. Oh.my.word. You'd think it would be simple enough. But those little details - like how to manipulate a lining around a zipper. I ended up whip stitching. Looks ok. Homemade. And what to do around a slit? It's all quite a puzzle.





Sorry for that blurry last photo. It's the best I have at this point.

If you don't have a better quality machine, I highly recommend you look for a vintage. They are relatively inexpensive but may require you to clean and work with it a bit. If I can do it, surely you can as well. Just remember: Triflow Teflon Oil. I should write a separate post on cleaning and oiling Nora.