Mini sewing machine?

Naio wrote:
Do any of you folks travel with a sewing machine? Maybe a small and light one?

I brought my mini ultra with me this year, and it's been great to have. But, at nearly 14 lbs, it is a lot of weight for how much I use it.

I have just found the super lightweight (under 2 lbs) battery and AC machines on amazon. But the reviews seem to be mostly from people who are new to sewing, which makes them not very informative. When they have trouble with a machine I don't know if it the machine or the user that is the problem ;).

This one, in particular, intrigues me. Have any of you tried it?

Let me start this way........what type of sewing do you prefer to do? Decor fabrics, machine quilting? Repairs? Something else?

I have missed my machine while traveling the past five months. A small, functional one would be nice. If you decide to try it, please come back and share your thoughts.

Seems to me that for a mere $20 it isn't much of a risk to try it for yourself. Then you can be the one providing the review! :)


-Speak

I'll go along with the idea to try and what's $20. I do however know that you will get what you pay for. I typically pay about $250 for old Singer Featherweights and go through them and fix anything that needs repair and do a complete maintenance and adjustment for ladies in my wife's quilt guild. Many of these ladies take their Featherweights everywhere they go by plane, train or automobile. They are the perfect carry on and as seldom as you have to get it out and use it on a RV roadtrip, that el cheapo is not really a sewing machine it's a little girls toy.

D.E.Bishop wrote:
I'll go along with the idea to try and what's $20. I do however know that you will get what you pay for. I typically pay about $250 for old Singer Featherweights and go through them and fix anything that needs repair and do a complete maintenance and adjustment for ladies in my wife's quilt guild. Many of these ladies take their Featherweights everywhere they go by plane, train or automobile. They are the perfect carry on and as seldom as you have to get it out and use it on a RV roadtrip, that el cheapo is not really a sewing machine it's a little girls toy.

My wife has her mother's Featherweight and it is a great machine for basic sewing. Worth investing in if you only need basic stitches. If buying new, spend a few bucks and get something that will work and be durable.

Another recommendation here for the Featherweight. Mine has traveled a lot of miles with me. If I know I will need more in the way of stitches, feet, etc., I bring along my Sears Kenmore. It obviously weighs more than the Featherweight, but sometimes I just need the extras it provides. My heavy machines stay home.

It states in the Product Description:

Occasionally, the bobbin case may become loose and move freely within the throat of the machine, or it may pop out. This can be remedied by re-aligning the bobbin. The repositioning of the bobbin can be done by hand by turning it and gently shaking back and forth. If the bobbin is stuck and you are not able to turn it or reposition it by hand, a screwdriver can be used gently to lift it in order to reposition correctly and place the black knob to the left side of the white plastic edge. Please be careful to gently lift the plastic edge with the screwdriver, applying too much pressure can make the plastic edge break.

That would make me hesitant to buy it - if they have to explain how to fix a defect with the machine in the actual product description, then that bobbin is going to be popping out every time you use it.

Toed, I had the same reaction!

What do those lovely old Featherweights weigh? I love my full sized Singer blackhead machine (electric motor added in the 1950s).

Naio wrote:
Toed, I had the same reaction!

What do those lovely old Featherweights weigh? I love my full sized Singer blackhead machine (electric motor added in the 1950s).

Mine is 12 pounds, not including the foot pedal. It came from the factory in 1938 and was handed down to me by my mother's oldest sister. It still runs like a champ!

My wife tried one of the Amazon types. It barely had the strength to sew together two thin cotton sheets. Almost nothing she wanted to sew was that lightweight. That's all those machines are designed to handle.

She ended up buying the Mini Ultra.