cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/2890733
I think I need a sewing machine that can do a variety of different kinds of stitches. One use case is to repair holey socks by cannabalizing fabric from other holey socks. Thus the stitch needs to be the kind that can stretch and ideally not create an awkward feeling on the foot.
Some sewing machines have a fixed number of stitches they can do. Would it make sense to get an embroidery machine and use #inkStitch (an Inkscape variant)? I’m not sure if that’s strictly for embroidery – or does that give the ability to do a variety of stitches using FOSS?
The inkstitch.org website steers people toward taking a basic sewing machine and modifying it using 3d printed parts. That’s too ambitious for me. I don’t want a hardware project. I just want to buy hardware that’s ready to go and use free software to control it. Is that possible with things that exist already?
I actually like stuff that is simple and repairable. My sewing machine is electromechanical and has no computerised operation. These machines are also a lot cheaper to buy second-hand, of course.
The only stitch types that you actually need are a straight stitch and either a zigzag stitch or a stretch stitch. The zigzag stitch is what it sounds like, and can be used for seams that need to stretch. The stretch stitch involves making 2 forward stitches and 1 backwards stitch in turn, this also allows the seam to stretch and it looks neater because visually the stitch is in a straight line.
The other stitch types that you typically find on a home sewing machine are really only used for decoration and are not essential.
Cheap dollar store sewing kits are great. Interested to hear other approaches though!
In fact I think you may have discovered the only pure FOSS solution.
So…the first thing you need to understand is that there are different types of sewing machines, as someone commented on your original post. There are:
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“Regular” sewing machines, which can be either mechanical or computerized. These are the type of machines virtually all hobbyists use and can handle a huge range of projects, from linen napkins to ballgowns. It’s important to note that either the computer or the mechanical system determines stitch length and width.
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Serging machines, which cut the fabric while sewing it, and make a single specialized stitch.
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Embroidery machines. These are similar to “regular” sewing machines, but with a wider table and extra parts for stretching out the area you’re embroidering. They also have a computer to track/calculate the stitches in a given embroidered image.
As far as I’m aware, software is only available for embroidery machines. The computers in anything less than the most expensive of home sewing machines are pretty simple, and I’m not even sure how you would access them. They don’t connect to wifi, and there are no ports in the machines except for power and the foot pedal.
For the use cases you listed, I recommend a basic “regular” sewing machine such as this one. Any regular sewing machine built in the past several decades will be able to use a variety of stitches out of the box.
For repairing socks specifically, I agree with the other poster who talked about zigzag and stretch stitches.
It’s important to note that embroidery (and the machines that do it) is fundamentally different from sewing. Whereas a regular sewing machine or a serger/overlocker will pull the fabric through the machine in a single direction and not allow the fabric to move from side to side, an embroidery machine is designed for the fabric to move freely in both axes (forward, backward, and sideways). (Note that on a sewing machine the zigzag etc. stitches are made by moving the needle from side to side, not the fabric. On an embroidery machine, either the needle or the fabric may move under computer control, or the needle will remain centered while the fabric is moved by hand.)
There are machines that are designed to do both sewing and embroidery, which allow the mechanism that pulls the fabric to be retracted and disabled to allow the fabric to be moved freely by hand. Even a simple machine that does not have this feature can be used for embroidery by putting a cover plate over the feed mechanism (there are generic covers available for many popular machines or these can be 3D printed) and setting the machine to the straight stitch setting (which leaves the needle centered). Of course, these require the fabric to be moved by hand to create the desired design.
You would need additional components to automatically move the fabric and start and stop the needle at the correct time under computer control, which will allow automatic embroiding of a vector graphic. This is what the more expensive dedicated embroidery machines do, and what the open source projects that you have come across are attempting to recreate using a regular sewing machine plus additional hardware. This has no relation to the different “stitch patterns” that you can find on a regular sewing machine, which simply involve moving the needle from side to side as the machine pulls the fabric in a straight line.
There were many 2nd hand machines at a swap meet I went to. One of them included a box of accessories & spare parts. I get the impression the parts are not standardized on any of them which leaves me wondering if Singer is the only brand where I can expect to easily find parts for. I saw these:
- Huskystar model 60
- Vendomatic 970 Super zigzag
- Riccar Offenbach
- E&R Classic
- Happy special edition
- Singer Concerto
- Lervia
- Carina
- Singer 1808
- Husqvarna 2000 (with extra parts)
- Dorina
- Brother
Lot of others were Singers. None of the used ones were computerized.
I get the impression two needles are useful. Most of the machines only had 1 needle but some had two spool holders which I think implies a 2nd needle can be added. But then I don’t know if that puts me on a hunt for hard to find parts.
The other thing is the stitch pattern symbols on the knobs are hard to understand. Are all the non-linear symbols for stretch stitches?
Singer is one of the most popular brands so will be easiest to find parts for. Husqvarna and Brother are slightly less popular but still pretty popular. I’ve never heard of any other the other brands you listed. Some parts, like needles, are standardized. Others aren’t.
You can’t sew with two needles at once, but there is such thing as a double needle that’s used for special cases. More than likely you won’t need one. The second spool holder is most likely for 1) use with a double needle, 2) quickly swapping out thread colors or 3) actually a bobbin/spool winder and not actually for holding a spool you’re using.
As for stitch pattern symbols, each symbol is supposed to look like the stitch it creates. I would recommend trying to find a video showing all the stitches for whatever machine you pick. If you can’t find such a video, you can experiment with some scrap fabric.
Singer are by far the best for finding replacement parts and repair guides, followed somewhat by Brother. I would recommend avoiding the others if you want to be able to maintain or repair the machine in the future.
The stitch patterns should be documented in the manual. Otherwise they are somewhat self explanatory. The symbol looks somewhat like how the stitch will look. Straight stitch is usually a straight line (possibly dashed or dotted), and is usually the first pattern listed. Zigzag stitch looks like a line that moves from side to side in evenly-spaced triangles and is usually the second pattern.
There may also be various asymmetrical variations of the zigzag stitch, or ones that get narrower and wider over time, these are probably what you’re referring to as “all the other symbols”. Most of these will function as stretch stitches but you don’t need to use or care about them unless you specifically want them for their appearance. They make no functional difference. Some of the more elaborate ones may not stretch evenly or adequately.
If the machine has a straight stretch stitch option (as I explained in my other comment) then the symbol for this may vary so check the manual. It’s usually some sort of a straight line with dots or dashes.
Some machines also have a button hole mode which is usually listed alongside the other stitch options. Again the symbol for this can vary but it is usually some sort of a rectangle with wavy lines, and it is usually clearly marked in a different color or with a border around it or similar to distinguish it from the others.
Regarding needles, spools, etc.: Needles are completely standard and replaceable and interchangeable on all machines except antiques and this should be the first thing that you do anyway. You can get a twin needle for specific tasks but generally you won’t need one, it is not “more useful” than having just a single needle (this is not a “two is better than one” situation). The most important thing to make sure that you have is the presser foot, there should be one attached to the machine and most machines are intended to include one or two other types that can be swapped out (e.g. a narrower one that is useful for particular types of fabric or for working in tight situations) and if these are missing then you will have to try to find replacements or do without as they are mostly NOT interchangeable between machines of different brands or families. Check the manual for what accessories should be included, and make sure to look for them in the accessories compartment. It would be useful if the machine included one or two bobbins so that you can get started sooner but these are mostly standard and easy to find online (there are a few different types so make sure you work out what type you need).
I would highly recommend watching a few beginner/introductory machine sewing tutorials so that you can learn about the various parts of the machine and how it is set up and used, even if you aren’t planning on doing any actual sewing from scratch. This will make it a lot easier to know what you need and understand what you’re looking at.
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