Zigzaggers

Husky 160

by Robbie Brewington, one of zigzaggers' most faithful (and productive) friends. Check out her blog!

Love it, hate it, or something in between?  Something in between, actually. There are certainly things I like about it, but there are others I definitely don’t like. The down sides have been outweighing the up sides.

When did you buy this sewing machine?  I’ve had her a little more than two months. That’s not a long time, but my #1 machine has been down most of that time so the Husky has had a real workout. 

When was it manufactured?  I’m not sure. Information about this model is really hard to come by. Viking did send me a pdf of the manual, but no manufacturing date. I’m guessing she dates to the mid-1970s.

Where did you buy it?  My favorite thrift store in Alvin, Texas.

How much did you pay for it?  Well, I bought the Husky and an old Wizard (that I’ll probably sell for parts) for $50.00. The thrift store made me a deal so I would take both of them. Since I’ve had no luck getting the Wizard up and running yet, you could think of it as paying $50.00 for the Husky and getting the Wizard free; or $25.00 each; or $35.00 for the Husky and $15.00 for the Wizard…

How many projects have you done on this machine?  Lots — everything I’ve made for the past two-and-a-half months (except what I did on the serger).

Describe the kind of work you've done with it.  Let’s see. I’ve made clothes for myself (pants and tops, mostly) and the ladies I sew for, loose jackets (using a rolled hem foot, which worked beautifully), free-motion quilting, piecing quilt blocks, a couple of tote bags, a denim vest made of recycled blue jeans, and a couple of other things. Plus I used it when my granddaughter wanted to learn to sew.

What do you like and what do you hate about it?  This is a real workhorse of a machine. She goes over multiple layers of denim like nobody’s business. I love that she uses the big Class 15 bobbins which hold a lot of thread. I really like the reverse lever (over other machines’ buttons). She has the basic utility stitches, nothing fancy. I also like that she uses snap-on pressure feet, which are so easily interchangeable with a whole range of low shank feet. I can use all the low shank feet I’ve accumulated over the years, plus the snap-on feet from my much newer Kenmore and Brother machines. 

I’m not too fond of free arm machines in general, but other folks really like them. Also, the threading ‘feels’ backward (for instance, the take-up arm is to the right of the tension assembly) but that’s no big deal. The biggest thing I dislike about this machine is that in order to oil her, you have to completely remove the entire back of the machine! It’s easy to keep the bobbin area cleaned out, but that’s only part of the job, and oiling this machine is at best inconvenient. At worst, it’s a real pain.

I’m not sure what I’m going to end up doing with this machine, but I doubt she’ll ever be a go-to machine once Miss Sophia is back up and running. Still, she does go like blazes and doesn’t blink twice at going over seams in blue jeans.

Husqvarna 21

by EmilyKate, who collects and sews in Australia and posts about her adventures at her blog, here. (I love the bell-bottom jeans, blogged about here, that she made on this gorgeous Husqvarna!)

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I pretty much love everything about it, from the retro-tastic styling to the performance. It's such a happy shade of grasshopper-y green!

When did you buy this sewing machine? Two months ago.

When was it manufactured? The Class 21 series of Husqvarnas were made from 1955 until 1966, and there were 3 versions that I know of, called 21, 21a [ed note: see Jessicah's review of the 21a here] and 21e. In North America they are branded as 'Viking'. It was touted as having the world's first 100% jam-proof hook. So far that's proved true in my use of it. It also has a reduction gear that allows the machine to run slower but keep the full piercing power of the motor, which is great for sewing heavy or thick material like leather or denim.

Where did you buy it? I scored it at a local opshop -- that's a thrift-store to North Americans, or a cancer shop for Brits. I have another Husqvarna from the 1970s and it's a dream machine, so as soon as I saw the magic Husqvarna logo I knew I should snap up this one too. I didn't even try it out properly before I bought it, and the handwheel actually felt a little stiff when I tried to turn it but the ladies at the shop assured me it had been tested, and once I got it home, I opened it up along the arm and took a vacuum to the bobbin race area, and brushed out the feed-dogs -- there was what looked like decades-worth of compacted fabric-dust and oil in there. Once that was gone and a few drops of oil were administered, all the parts moved freely and the stitches were perfect.

How much did you pay for it? $50 Australian. There's NO WAY you would be able to purchase a new machine of this quality and with as many features at even quadruple the price. Plus they just don't make machines this cute anymore.

How many projects have you done on this machine? One so far- a pair of jeans. It handled the denim beautifully, and actually, even though it has the special reduction-gear for denim, I didn't need to use it -- it just went through like butter.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. Aside from making the jeans, I've had a bit of a fiddle-around with the various bits and bobs it came with. It can do embroidery stitches by inserting cams into the back of the machine. As it didn't come with a manual, I've been experimenting and making notes about what combinations of settings make which patterns.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? There's nothing I hate, but in a perfect world the Fates would have put a stitch-length DIAL on my machine rather than the lever-type selector -- later versions of these models do actually have the dial. It does an absolutely beautiful buttonhole, but it's not automatic, so it could be a bit of a pain to try and get all your buttonholes the exact same size. But if you get an old Singer mechanical buttonholer attachment off ebay that problem is solved! The motor makes a nice little hum, and because it's an all-metal machine it's nice and solid-feeling, not clattery or shakey.

Husqvarna Automatic 21A

by Jessicah, whose blog, Spinning a Yarn, has luscious photos; she's got a tutorial up right now showing how she dyes wool with food coloring

Love it, hate it, or something in between? Definitely love it!
 
When did you buy this sewing machine? I was given this machine for my 16th birthday from my parents. I'm now 21, so I've had it 5 years. Mum bought it from her mother's junior bridesmaid. It used to be her mother's. I love thinking about the history this machine has -- the hours it has spent lovingly sewing clothes into the small hours of the night, and the children who learnt to sew on it. I like to think some of the skill and love from the hands of everyone who has sewn on it get sewn into the things I make too.
 
When was it manufactured? I have in my head 1953, but I can't actually find a date anywhere, and am not sure where that one came from! Similar machines (The US version) have 1959 attached to them, so sometime around then. Either way, it's still going strong!
 
How many projects have you done on this machine? Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I have sewn just about everything I've made since I was 16 on this machine! Knits, woven, polarfleece, wool, cotton, linen. You name it! I've made bedspreads, roman blinds, tee-shirts, pants, ball dresses, and a suit with waiscoat and tie for my partner. I even attempted a pair of jeans, and it was certainly not the machine's fault they didn't turn out right.
 
What do you like and what do you hate about it? I don't think I have any gripes about this machine; it's easy to use and never jams. It's a solid beast.

I love that the whole machine is made of metal (apart from a small piece of plastic that the arm of the bobbin case rests in) -- every moving part. There's something so solid about an entirely metal machine, which of course makes it heavy, but I'm not small and frail, and I don't move it about very often so the weight isn't a big deal. At the back it has a space for cams, which are cogs that dictate different stitch patterns. Mine has 3 removable cams to change the stitch pattern with. It also has two gears for fast and slow stitching. I also love the little green suitcase it comes in; the fact that it's green enamel; and the pictures, and expressions, such as "zigzag stitching is sheer fun!" in the instruction manual!

Viking 6440

by Amanda, whose blog, Red Jet Whistle, covers all kinds of craft and design stuff with a Boston focus

Love it, hate it, or something in between? I love it, it's the first consistent machine I've ever sewed with. It's all metal, quiet, simple to use, and dependable. My previous experience was all on Singers - my grandmother's and mother's 60s Singers, which were quirky but generally good machines, and then 2 current Singers from Sears and Target that were terrible pieces of plastic junk. After a lot of research on the web, Viking, Bernina and White were the highest rated. I chose the 6440 based on the simple controls, free arm, cams, and frankly - looks. It's very smart looking! I'm also happy that there are always cams, feet and replacement parts for the 6440 on ebay.

When did you buy this sewing machine? September 2007

When was it manufactured? Not sure exactly - late 1970s I think.

Where did you buy it? I purchased it on ebay. After watching quite a few good deals few go by, I got anxious and bid on a machine from a seller I should have guessed would be questionable by the way the listing was written and the poor quality photos. The listing stated that the machine ran and sewed well, but it was unusable when I got it - the presser foot was stuck in the up position. I took it to Sewing & Vacuum Center in Somerville, MA (a great resource for anyone in the Boston area) and had it repaired and tuned up. In the end, I'm incredibly happy with the machine, but I regret not buying it from a more reputable seller and avoiding the repairs. I strongly recommend only buying from ebay sellers that you feel comfortable with, who can demonstrate that the machine is in running condition - ask them to thread it and sew a sample for you.

How much did you pay for it? $170 + $40 shipping + $140 repair = $350. These tend to run in the $100-200 range on ebay.

How many projects have you done on this machine? Quite a few! Maybe 20-30.

Describe the kind of work you've done with it. I've made purses, curtains, pillows, clothes, all kinds of projects. I was really impressed when I sewed through 4 layers of vinyl, and it hems jeans beautifully.

What do you like and what do you hate about it? Loves: I know that if something is going wrong it's me and not the machine. I also love the simple controls that can produce a lot of sophisticated stitches. The cams are fun and easy to change, and the lower gear ratio has been great for sewing through vinyl and denim. The free arm is nice and small making sleeves and purse openings a breeze. It's really easy to thread and came with all sorts of feet that I'm looking forward to playing with. I also love that it's a colorful, sleek looking machine.

Hates: I'm not in love with the bobbin winder being located on the side of the machine, and I miss the built in thread cutter on my crappy Singer. No on/off switch - I dislike having to plug/unplug it all the time. Small complaints, it's really a great piece of equipment.

Soon after, I bought the Viking Huskylock 431 serger, and it's also a dream!