Another entry level machine – Singer Simple

June 3, 2016

yellow singerI was at Joann’s this week (putting a gift card to use) and stumbled upon this yellow machine. Tw0 students in previous classes used a top loading version of the Singer Simple with relatively good results (meaning I didn’t have to stop and rethread the machine every 5 minutes).   I thought the yellow color was better than pink or turquoise for the boys in my club, so the yellow one went home with me. It went back to the store the very next day – and not for the reasons you might think.

1) The machine went back because the white top thread was consistently gray. No matter how much I wiped down the bobbin case, bobbin housing or upper threading mechanism, I had gray thread. The bottom thread remained snow white. I used my good Aurifil thread, too!  The metal in the bobbin compartment looked like it had oxidized.

(2) The yellow color made it difficult to see things at night. The machine was the same color as the light put out by the sewing machine light. An LED bulb would probably make a difference.

It’s actually a decent sewing machine if you don’t mind a lot of plastic. Stitch quality was good, selector knobs turned easily without hurting my hand and the machine remained stable when I pressed on the gas. This particular machine’s motor had a higher pitched hum than what I’m used to – not necessarily nuisance level, but it took me a few minutes to learn to tune it out. It was also easy enough for me to thread the needle without my glasses and a needle threader.

It certainly gets the job done.  If you need a basic machine for less than $100 that is on the colorful side, then give this one some consideration. You might hold out for a machine with a 1 step buttonhole and built in needle threader if you plan to get really serious about sewing.

 

 

Should You Consider Buying Wholesale?

May 29, 2016

For me, the answer has quickly become a resounding, “YES” for 3 reasons:

  • My go-to Hancock Fabrics store near me is about to close.
  • Joann’s is consistently out of stock on bolts of SF101 when I need it for projects and online orders have meant Wonder-Under arriving at my doorstep instead of SF101. This is especially aggravating when it means approximately 1-1/2 hours of time wasted plus the gas to get to the store and back or time spent trying to educate the customer service rep on the difference between Shape Flex and Wonder Under.
  • When I reviewed my biz financials and saw the total I spent last year on supplies for t-shirt quilts, sewing camps/classes, and stitching club at school, I KNEW I could meet the annual minimums required by several wholesale sewing vendors.

Most wholesalers are geared toward retailers. However, if you look, you will find a handful of companies that cater to cottage businesses. EE Schenk and Checker Distributors are two that I suggest you try if you need a company that supplies a little bit of everything.  Should I decide to start vending sewing notions in my Etsy shop, it will be an easy transition for me as I already have a wholesale supplier set up.

Buying wholesale means you save on a per yard basis on the fabric you buy, but you are required to buy an entire bolt. That could be 10-15 yards of fabric, depending on the manufacturer.  That’s enough for  at least 2-3 quilts.

Will I buy wholesale for everything? Of course not!  My approach to fabric & notions purchasing will mimic how I spend the library budget at my day job. I often visit the local bookstore to preview unfamiliar titles before I commit to buying them with library money. I’ll likely by a yard or two of fabric from my LQS to see if it’s worth springing for the entire bolt.  Or I need a FQ of a particular college sports team to use in a baby quilt. Or I need a single spool of a particular color/brand of thread I don’t have on hand.  I’ll still support my LQS, but wholesale purchasing will allow me to be more profitable in terms of $$ spent on supplies and in time spent sourcing frequently used materials in my business.