The Hand Held Sewing Machine: Pros and Cons

Hand-held sewing machines are very popular on TV shopping shows, eBay and Internet malls. It's tempting to want one for such simple sewing chores as sewing on a button or repairing a few loose inches in a seam. There are very small and inexpensive sewing machines that call themselves "hand-held" because no set up is required. A genuine "hand-held" machine can truly be held in the palm of your hand and is more the size and shape of a very large stapler.

Before spending your money, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of such a tool.

Virtues Of The hand-held Sewing Machine:

1. The most obvious virtue is its portability. If you want to sit in the den and watch TV with the family, or sit out on the patio to keep an eye on the kids, the hand-held is perfect. The standard sewing machine cannot be easily transported while a genuine hand-held sewing machine can go anywhere.

2. They need no electricity. If you are camping or vacationing in a hotel, this is clearly a huge plus.

3. The price is extremely modest, especially when contrasted with top-of-the-line specialty sewing machines which can not only cost thousands of dollars but are definitely 'overkill' for mundane sewing chores. You can usually buy a hand-held for under $30.

Disadvantages Of The hand-held Sewing Machine:

1. A regular sewing machine is quite stable, since it always sits on a flat, hard surface. A hand-held sewing device is not, and the result can be some pretty awful looking stitches, with uneven tension, that can be easily pulled out.

2. They aren't as easy to use as a regular machine. It takes some practice to get the hang of making flat, even stitches and even many experienced needlewomen find themselves stymied.

3. The tension cannot possibly work like a more expensive machine, so the result is often very inferior stitches that are uneven, look sloppy and are less durable than a regular sewing machine.

4. Because they are cheaper and therefore of less quality, they are very liable to break easily and many owners have reported strange phenomena, like their hand-held turning itself on unexpectedly.

5. The feature that hand-held sewing machine users dislike the most is that, unlike a traditional machine, you can't pull the threads at the end of the stitching when you're finished. Instead, the user must keep running the machine in mid air until there is enough thread to tie off the stitches.

As with so many consumer choices, the buyer must choose between a low price and portability on one hand or a higher quality result, and more expense and trouble on the other side. Be sure you know your options before making your own decision.
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Used Sewing Machines

Sewing machines are expensive. It's no wonder so many people search for used sewing machines. Demand for used sewing machines is popular these days. There are a variety of used sewing machines of various brands and capacities available. Buyers can choose from a simple basic machine to a fully featured sewing machine with embroidery unit.

Buying a used sewing machine is a good alternative. They are an inexpensive option for low budget buyers. Buying a used sewing machine could save money. When buying a used sewing machine look out for standard features like the button sewing attachment, a tension dial, an auto bobbin winder, a built in light, reverse sewing, variable speed foot control and a soft cover for storing the sewing machine.

Most of the used sewing machines are reconditioned and are sold after cleaning and oiling and restoring missing parts. It should not take much time to repair or recondition. It has to be determined if reconditioning will work out to be cheap or not.

Buying factory reconditioned machines is another great way to get used sewing machines. Factory reconditioned machines are machines returned to the Factory by the original customer due to various reasons. These factory reconditioned sewing machines are rebuilt by Factory in-house technicians. The machines carry complete warranty. So before buying a factory reconditioned sewing machine, always read the instruction manual and any additional inserts to make sure that the machine comes with all its original accessories. Sometimes factory reconditioned products don't include accessories. It is wise to check the specifications personally before placing the order.

Used sewing machines can be found at auctions, secondhand and online stores. There are numerous online sites selling used sewing machines. Of them, Ebay is the largest dealer. Sites like Overstock.com and Sell.com operate online market for such machines. Epinions.com has the best shopping information on used sewing machines.

Sewing Machines provides detailed information on Sewing Machines, Industrial Sewing Machines, Embroidery Sewing Machines, Antique Sewing Machines and more. Sewing Machines is affiliated with Portable Steam Cleaners.

The Secret Behind How Wholesale Sewing Machines Work

If you're looking for a wholesale sewing machine, there's almost as many available as there are tailors. Nowadays wholesale sewing machines have numerous features that can suit every budget, skill level and profession. You can pay anything from $50 to $5000, and can choose a specialty machine for one particular task, or a more general machine that perform various different functions.

When you consider that wholesale sewing machines were created back in the mid-1800's, they really are an amazing feat of engineering and technology. Take the loop stitch as an example. This is very simple to do by hand. You tie the thread onto the eye of a needle. You then push the needle and thread through the two pieces of fabric you want to sew together, pull it out the other side, turn it around and push it back up through the fabric again. The thread loops in and out of the fabric and holds them together. And yet trying to duplicate that stitch on a sewing machine is almost impossible. You'd have to work out how the machine could push the needle through, let it go, turn it around, and push it back again. Then the machine would also have to pull the full length of the thread through the material as well. It doesn't sound as simple as doing by hand, that's for sure!

So the only solution was for the sewing machine to perform the stitch in a slightly different way. A sewing machine needle has the eye at the point of the needle instead of at the top end. A needle bar holds the needle, and is driven up and down by the motor. The sharp end of the needle passes through the fabric and is then brought back up through the fabric again. In the process it leaves a small loop of thread on the bottom side of the fabric. Underneath, another mechanism grabs the loop that's left behind. It then wraps the loop around another piece of thread, or makes another loop in the same piece of thread.

The good thing about wholesale sewing machines is that they don't just do loop stitch. You can use one to perform lock stitches, chain stitches, and basically just about any stitch that would normally be done by hand.

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Interesting Facts on Cross Stitch Embroidery

What exactly is cross stitch embroidery : Cross-stitch is one of the oldest forms of embroidery and is famous amongst enthusiasts across the world. Many folk museums show examples of clothing decorated with cross-stitch, especially from continental Europe and Asia. Cross-stitch is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches are used to form a picture.

There are two different stitching techniques commonly used in Cross Stitch Embroidery.

The first, the "stab" method, is used by most beginning stitchers. The stab method involves moving the hand back and forth from the front of the fabric to the back of the fabric. The needle is "stabbed" into the front of the fabric, left there, and then pulled through from the other side. The second, the "Sewing" method is a favourite of stitchers who prefer to hold the fabric in the hand instead of hoop.

Each stitch technique has unique characteristics. The stab method is effective when using a hoop or frame. The stab method of stitching does not distort the fabric. It is easy to make certain that the stitch is placed properly. In the sewing method, the stitcher's hand and needle stay on top of the fabric, except when securing floss. The needle scoops under the weave of the fabric. Since this requires practice, the sewing method is not the best for beginners. It is more difficult to ensure stitch placement, and the fabric can be distorted by the scooping motion. For more experienced stitchers, this sewing technique is preferred for some projects because a hoop is not required and the speed is considerably faster.

Some forms of Cross Stitch :
Here we introduce you to some of the common and famous forms of cross stitch : Counted cross-stitch is unique since this involves actual counting of each of the stitches. Cross-stitch is done on designs printed on the canvas, showing every single cross (stamped cross-stitch)."

Two-dimensional (unshaded) cross-stitch in floral and geometric patterns, usually worked in black and red cotton floss on linen, is characteristic of folk embroidery in Eastern and Central Europe.

Multicoloured, shaded, painting-like patterns as we know them today are a recent development, deriving from similar shaded patterns of Berlin wool work of the mid-nineteenth century

Cross-stitch is the most popular form of hobby embroidery in the western world. It lends itself well to recreational use, as it is easy to learn and very versatile.

In the United States, the earliest known cross-stitch sampler is currently housed at Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts (Pilgrim Hall).The sampler was created by Loara Standish, the daughter of Captain Myles Standish, circa 1653.

Traditionally, cross-stitch was used to embellish items like dishcloths, household linens, and doilies (only a small portion of which would actually be embroidered). Although there are many cross-stitchers who still employ it in this fashion, especially in Europe, it is now more popular to simply embroider plain pieces of canvas and hang them on the wall for decoration. There are many cross-stitching "guilds" across the United States and Europe which offer classes, collaborate on large projects, stitch for charity, and provide other ways for local cross-stitchers to get to know one another.

Embroidery Designs Guide

Hand Embroidery Designs

Amazing Embroidery Designs

Whats Easier? Manual Or Computerized Embroidery Digitizing

Embroidery patterns used to be set up manually. You would draw the picture you wanted to embroider, poke little holes in the paper with a pin, and then you would use charcoal or chalk to mark the fabric through those little holes. This process was very time consuming and the result was never so perfect.

With the advent of computerized embroidery machines, a whole new world of digitized embroidery patterns has opened up. If your pattern isn't already digitized, you have several choices. You can send it to any of a number of companies that specialize in digitizing embroidery, or you can digitize your own pattern.

Sending your artwork to a company that specializes in digitizing embroidery is the easiest way to go. However, you may decide that you want to learn to digitize your own embroidery patterns.

To digitize a pattern, you need your own artwork in either a vector based format or a bitmap, such as you would get with CorelDraw or Adobe Photoshop. For your first design, your best bet is to start with something simple. A good choice would be a monogram, or a two color design such as a football or baseball.

Once you have chosen what you want to digitize, the next challenge is to create a map with a starting point, ending point and the paths the stitches will take along the way. This part can be a little more complicated and is by far the most challenging part of the embroidery digitizing process. You need to decide which stitch types, stitch directions, and densities go in each area of your design. If you leave spaces for jump stitches and the need to reposition the needle, you may end up with broken thread.

Next you will actually digitize the pattern. Whether you are using a digitizing tablet with a puck, or a computer and mouse, you would enter the coordinates for each stitch change.

Just when it seems like you're actually finished with the work, you need to verify that the embroidery pattern that you just digitized is going to work the way you had planned. Test the pattern on a piece of fabric similar to what you will be embroidering the final design on. With the test, you will be able to see whether the stitches are positioned the way you want them. Plus, you will be able to tell whether the pattern works the way you expected it to.

If you need to make adjustments, now is the time. Go in and make changes with the digitizing tablet or computer. Save the adjustments and stitch another test run. This is the time to make all those adjustments that need to be made.

Don't be disappointed if the pattern doesn't turn out the way you want it the first time. Just keep adjusting it until it matches what you want. Digitizing embroidery is an art form. Just as you wouldn't expect to be able to paint a masterpiece or play a Beethoven Concerto the first time you tried, you need to expect to have to practice the digitizing too.

Although after reading this article you might feel that computerized embroidery digitizing is more hard, but it is really less time consuming and give you outstanding results.

Sahel is the Sales/Support representative of Cheap Digitizing. You can find more information or ask him questions about Embroidery Digitizing on www.cheapdigitizing.com

Applique Tutorial for Machine Embroidery

Machine embroidered appliques are not only fun and easy, they also allow you to really get creative by using up any stray pieces of fabric you've kept around. No leftover fabric? Then you can have even more fun by grabbing your scissors and cutting up those clothes you still have but haven't worn in years.

Use appliques to embellish an inexpensive gift or to create something unique for yourself very quickly. Try it yourself and see how much fun it is. Here's how:

1. Of course, the first thing to do is load your applique design into your embroidery machine.

2. Next hoop the material your finished design will be on. Be sure to stabilize it just as you would for any kind of machine embroidery.

3. When you push the 'Start' button the outline of the applique stitches first. Because it's going to be covered later you can use any thread color you want but it's a good habit to select a thread color close to the fabric color.

4.Once the outline is complete your machine will stop. Place a piece of your applique fabric over the outline. Make it large enough to adequately cover the outline but not so large as to be cumbersome. You can safely remove the hoop from your machine if you want to position your fabric but don't unhoop!
You'll need to hold the fabric in place over the outline so it doesn't pucker or bunch up on you. You can try using double-stick tape but usually it's just as easy to hold it down. Watch your fingers!

5. Now the tacking stitch will sew, tacking the applique fabric down.

6. Then remove the hoop from the machine but once again, don't unhoop yet. Cut away the excess applique fabric from around the tacking stitch. Get close to the tacking stitches but take your time and try not to cut too many of them.

7. After most of the fabric is cut away it's easy to trim off the stray pieces.

8. Put the hoop back in the machine and push the button one more time.

9. Your machine will now run another tacking stitch around the pattern. It's usually a V stitch or an E stitch and is like a double check in case you cut a stitch or two while trimming your fabric.

10. When the second tacking stitch is complete your machine will apply the final outline stitch, usually a satin stitch, putting the finishing touch on your applique.

11. You're done already! Now unhoop it, admire your creativity, and do another one using a different fabric and create something entirely different.

See how darned additive machine embroidered appliques are?

Deb Schneider is an embroidery design digitizer offering her machine embroidery designs, Redwork designs and appliques on her website: WindstarEmbroidery.com.