[Nfb-krafters-korner] Friday's questions

[Blindhands at aol.com]

I think this is a great question and I hope you don't mind that I copied it  
for the Friday's Question.
 
B.Butterfly wrote:
I am looking for an easier to use sewing machine that does knits.   Any
suggestions of models are appreciated.
 
Also, what kinds of things do you do to make the machine more accessible  for
your needs, and ease of sewing?

Please explain one thing here for me, are you referring to knit fabric when  
you said  sewing knits?
 
I have a few sewing machines that I use and have used when I was  sighted.  
When I first sat myself behind a sewing machine in my totally  black world I 
chose my Featherweight Singer sewing machine that I had since I  was 16 years 
old.  I did not want any bells or whistles just straight  stitching and 
something I was familiar with.  OK after proving I could sew,  then I had to figure 
out how to sew a straight line and for that I came up with  the plastic 
creditcard taped to the bed of my machine.  I had my dh tape it  down with masking 
tape 1/4 inch from the needle and it poked forward toward me  about 2 inches and 
extended out the back maybe 1 inch.  I actually used my  credit union card 
that had no raised numbers on it.  I had him tape 3 sides  of the card down 
leaving the side running even with the foot not taped.  I  wanted to be able to 
feel the distinct edge of the plastic there.  Then I  started practicing.  By 
butting the edge of the fabric up against the edge  of the card I was able to 
make good 1/4 inch seams.  
 
I always used  the long quilt pins when I sewed to pin my fabric  together.  
The ones that have the good size plastic heads on it.  That  way they are easy 
to grab and pull out when you are approaching the foot.   This, too, took 
some practice without eye sight.  
 
OK quilting might be next week's question, back to this week's  question.
 
I still use my plasticc card to do seam allowances and I have sewn a lot  
since then from quilts to overalls and t shirts for my Grandaughters.
 
After I proved to myself I could do my sewing, I went out and bought myself  
a new Bernina sewing machine! It has a lot of bells and whistles that I have  
never used and actually I have gone back and forth using my Ellna sewing  
machines that have the disks that you put in for all the regular and fancy  
stitches.  At least I have them marked and don't have to figure out what  button to 
push and how many times to push it.
 
I recently got myself a Singer machine that has a one step buttonhole  maker. 
 I had one of these babies going back when my kids were kids and  found that 
they still have this feature on a few of their machines.  You  just drop a 
button into this special foot that you put on the machine and set  the machine on 
the buttonhole stitch[there is 3 dials that you have to turn] and  put the 
garment under the foot and walla it makes a buttonhole that will fit  perfect to 
that button!
 
I can give anyone more details on this if you would like.  
 
Joyce



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-------------- next part --------------
I think this is a great question and I hope you don't mind that I copied it for the Friday's Question.
 
B.Butterfly wrote:
I am looking for an easier to use sewing machine that does knits.  Any
suggestions of models are appreciated.
 
Also, what kinds of things do you do to make the machine more accessible for
your needs, and ease of sewing?
Please explain one thing here for me, are you referring to knit fabric when you said  sewing knits?
 
I have a few sewing machines that I use and have used when I was sighted.  When I first sat myself behind a sewing machine in my totally black world I chose my Featherweight Singer sewing machine that I had since I was 16 years old.  I did not want any bells or whistles just straight stitching and something I was familiar with.  OK after proving I could sew, then I had to figure out how to sew a straight line and for that I came up with the plastic creditcard taped to the bed of my machine.  I had my dh tape it down with masking tape 1/4 inch from the needle and it poked forward toward me about 2 inches and extended out the back maybe 1 inch.  I actually used my credit union card that had no raised numbers on it.  I had him tape 3 sides of the card down leaving the side running even with the foot not taped.  I wanted to be able to feel the distinct edge of the plastic there.  Then I started practicing.  By butting the edge of the fabric up against the edge of the card I was able to make good 1/4 inch seams. 
 
I always used  the long quilt pins when I sewed to pin my fabric together.  The ones that have the good size plastic heads on it.  That way they are easy to grab and pull out when you are approaching the foot.  This, too, took some practice without eye sight. 
 
OK quilting might be next week's question, back to this week's question.
 
I still use my plasticc card to do seam allowances and I have sewn a lot since then from quilts to overalls and t shirts for my Grandaughters.
 
After I proved to myself I could do my sewing, I went out and bought myself a new Bernina sewing machine! It has a lot of bells and whistles that I have never used and actually I have gone back and forth using my Ellna sewing machines that have the disks that you put in for all the regular and fancy stitches.  At least I have them marked and don't have to figure out what button to push and how many times to push it.
 
I recently got myself a Singer machine that has a one step buttonhole maker.  I had one of these babies going back when my kids were kids and found that they still have this feature on a few of their machines.  You just drop a button into this special foot that you put on the machine and set the machine on the buttonhole stitch[there is 3 dials that you have to turn] and put the garment under the foot and walla it makes a buttonhole that will fit perfect to that button!
 
I can give anyone more details on this if you would like. 
 
Joyce
Planning your summer road trip? Check out http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016 AOL Travel Guides
.