Fursuit Making: Sewing Machines (Choosing One over Another and Why)

 
(Crossposted from http://beetlefursuits.tumblr.com/post/36823513188/fursuit-making-sewing-machines-choosing-one-over)

   In this industry, there are a few 'common knowledge' answers to common questions and one that comes up often is that new fursuit makers need to buy an old sewing machine (ie one that was new right about when you were born). The reasoning given is that old machines are built to last (hey it made it this far right?) and new machines are made from plastic and are cheaply built. The advice itself is fine but a bit oversimplified - there is a lot more to the story and I'm going to explain when and when not to apply this advice.

   What makes me qualified to talk on this subject?

   Well nothing more than anyone else I suppose. It's probably common knowledge that I still consider sewing a necessary evil of the job :p Still I've been machine sewing fursuits since 2004 or 5 and begrudgingly sewn simple items way before that. I've been through 4 sewing machine (3 old. One new) and this is my experience.

   My first sewing machine was a 1970's Kenmore (yup they made sewing machines too) that was handed down from my mother who had bought it as a young woman. I only retired that machine last year which speaks well for my experiences.

   Yes it was simple. Yes it did the job and it never broke on me even though the only maintenance I did was oiling it once in a blue moon, vacuuming out the fur clogs, and replacing the needle plate. It was an extremely good machine full of those coveted metal gears and it might just run forever.

   But here comes the 'however'. It was *finicky*. Some days I spent more time babying that machine than I actually did sewing. It  was also pretty tiring to use since the feed dogs were just not built to today's standards and I had to manually push *all* of the fur through the machine which caused my stitching to vary in length and I broke a hellish number of needles. My stitching in general was adequate. I sold these costumes and nothing ever fell apart to my knowledge though I DID sew over my own stitches a few times just to be sure.

   My point is that I still used this sewing machine for a good 6 or 7 years while sewing professionally. There IS value in an older working sewing machine.

   (a note that I tried out two other older sewing machines at various times (both 'buy before try') and both failed horribly. But since I never took them in to be repaired I have no idea if they could have been made to work or not. Still be prepared that chances are with any 'newly obtained' old sewing machine you will have major problems and need to be seen by a professional. Negating somewhat their inexpensive prices and causing a lot of hassle)

   I bought my first actually new sewing machine in 2011. A Memory Craft 6600p by Janome. It cost me $800 from a local dealer. I was in there looking for another machine that he did not have in stock. He asked what I wanted in that particular model, then sat me down at the floor version of this one and said he could make me a deal.

I tried it and have never looked back. I want to emphasis that I LIKED my Kenmore. I originally nearly had to wrestle it out of my mother's arms just to have it because SHE liked it so much too. But the new machine was a whole new type of animal. My production speed and quality skyrocketed. I no longer had to triple stitch anything and sewing became almost ..fun.

Here is a list of thing that I think fursuit makers should look for when buying a new sewing machine:

1. The foot needs to lift HIGH. As high as possible. Old machines are generally great at this but new ones need to be watched for this quality. You need to be able to fit layers and layer of thick furs under the foot.


2. A long arm and a large workspace. Costumes are large and unwieldy and trying to cram it all into a tiny space is impossible.


3. Strong feed dogs to pull the heavy fur in evenly and consistently. A walking foot is great though, in my particular model, the regular presser foot is designed to feed from the top as well. I cannot emphasis how important it is to have a machine that does not pull the top and bottom materials at different speeds.


4. Some weight behind it. Unless you plan to sink it into a table, you need the sewing machine to not get pushed around on the table by your projects.


5. Is it marketed towards quilters? You may laugh but the home quilting industry is huge and coincidentally some of the things they want in making those huge thick quilts are almost exactly the things we want in making costumes. (though still make sure you try before you buy to make sure it can handle layers of faux fur too)

Things that are just kinda handy:

1. An automatic thread cutter. Omg what a time saver when sewing a lot of small seams and plus now I don't have to search and search the insides of my bodysuit for little thead ends to cut off before I ship :p


2. A knee lifter. This raises the presser foot using your knee (rather than the lever at the back). This saves time by letting you keep both hands on the material to hold it in place. This is perhaps not a big deal to folks who use pins but it's very useful to me.


3. A separate bobbin winder so that you do not have to unthread your main needle when you want to wind a new bobbin.


4. Some folks love the automatic needle threader. I will say that I don't actually use mine as I'm just not in the habit of it but if you hate threading needles then there IS salvation.


5. The automatic 'needle down' button. I just like this feature.

TL;DR

Old machines are very cheap to buy (around $100) but cost a lot in TIME. They are finicky and not equipped with the new technologies. Like everything else, sewing machines are constantly improving to be more and more user friendly. Quality new machines have a lot of time-saving features that are rather fun! They come with very clear guides on what everything does and maybe even lesson packages.

Buy a budget new sewing machine and expect budget results. Don't expect to spend $100 on a brand new machine and then expect it to work flawlessly.

Buy a sewing machine that is not suitable for what you want it to do and likewise expect poor results. This not because all new machines are bad. Just the one you bought was. They are all different. Know what it is you want it to do and purchase accordingly.

Sewing machines have personalities. Just like newer machines (but without the warranties or money-back guarantees), you may end up going through a few older machines until you find one that really works for you.

Unless you were able to try before buying, Do not expect to use an older machine right out of the box. They may need repairs to put them into proper working order. Risk that they may not be fixable.

Bottom line:

If you are someone who wants to start making fursuits and has easy access to an older working machine, then grab it! It will serve you well for a very long time and you can't beat the price!

I am on the fence about suggesting someone buy an older machine without a chance to use it (such as off eBay) as that did not work out well for me. When you are new to sewing is when you most need a machine that will not frustrate you and has automatic safeties to prevent you from destroying it. But I also cannot suggest buying a cheap new machine as they are almost universally meant for tiny delicate things and fur would destroy them.

Go to a dealer. See what they have on the floor. Try them out and ask about older cheaper machines and refurbishments. They hate having old stock around as everyone loves the new shinys so chances are you can get quite a deal with a little footwork and bargaining.

If you are a professional, I assume you already have a newer sewing machine. If you don't then I just have to say that you will never ever look back once you discover automatic thread cutters and knee lifters.

Industrial Machines?

Some folks recommend you buy a real industrial sewing machine. I have no personal experience with them but I think that is overkill for a simple home business with none or few employees but it depends much you sew, what you sew, and how big your business is. But don't worry about it if you are just starting out - you will know if you get to the point where you need to switch.

An Overlock machine?

Buying a serger is a personal preference. They are handy for some things but not really designed for all aspects of fursuit making. They can be cheap or expensive.

Most newer sewing machines come with a overlock stitch that mimics that of a serger (but without the automatic cutting of the seam edge).