For the sewing machine ignorant

[Red_Raven]

ok, got to chime in on this one. I just picked up my phaff 2027 from the repair guy. it was a trade in for the newer model (the lady does costom quilting and needed the newer functions) so I picked it up for $400.00 and he let me put it away on layaway as well. The phaff machine will sew through 15 layers of denim and sew lead weights to a 1/4" leather belt with no problems. My singer would have died with either one of these operations. The 2027 is built for quilting, but is rugged enough to do heavy work including kilts etc with multiple layers. I specifically asked for a machine that would handle leather, this one fits the bill short of buying a comercial machine for leather work.

oh it also comes with the walking foot set-up so it will move both top and bottom fabric at the same speed.

[James MacMillan]

You guys must make some really interesting projects...... sewing through plywood, sewing quarters, and sewing lead weights on leather has me scratching my head... .......

[McClef]

My Mother had an old Singer and I used to love playing with the treadle but that was as far as I got!

[Dixiecat]

but I dont have the time to hand sew

ummm, what?

Making the finished kilt may take you longer when hand sewing, but the actual time YOU have available to sew will not change whether you are sewing your kilt by hand or by machine. Anyway, figuring in the time you'll have to invest in finding a sewing machine, learning how to use it, you could be 2/3rd the way through hand sewing your kilt before you even start using the machine.

A hand sewing project is also portable. I took my kilt with me on business trips and would sew for an hour before bed, watching the news. It was also nice to sit with the family while I was sewing, a nice change from most of my sewing projects.

If you're so intent on a machine, go to Sears. They not only have a good price range, they also have a fantastic return policy and a 25yr warranty. These machines are made by Janome.