a non-photo update
So, on Saturday, I decided to buy a Husqvarna/Viking Sapphire 870 Quilt. Stupidly, and because "there was a sale" last weekend, and the price was a lot less than the MSRP, I took home the floor model.
It was fine on Sunday, when I finally had time to take it out of the box and try it out on some scraps.
On Monday, I sewed for a couple of hours (about 2) - doing some free-motion quilting on a placemat, which is my project for practicing my free-motion quilting. And it was doing OK - not great, but OK. Some skipped stitches here and there, and the tension was not adjusted right, so the lower thread wasn't getting pulled up into the fabric sandwich. I can live with that - I figure that's fixable with some adjustments that I can make.
However, after 2 hours, the bobbin went crazy. I took things apart. I re-threaded the machine. I changed thread from a cotton/poly "all purpose" blend to a heavy all-cotton quilting thread. I did up a new bobbin with the new thread. I changed needles. No matter what I did, the needle would lock up after 3 stitches, I'd get a "motor overheating" error and I'd have to cut the mass of bobbin threads under the fabric to free the needle, and start over again.
I was going to take the machine back on Tuesday, but when I got home from work, I decided to try it again, and it worked. I then took things very slowly, only doing straight stitches at the slowest speed setting, and increasing after sewing at test seam. I then started playing with the tension setting to get it correct. For the heavier-than-normal cotton fabric I was using, and with 2 or more layers, I needed a 6. When I attempted straight-line quilting (not dropping the feed dogs), I needed to up the tension to about 8.4. I managed to quilt another placemat and the matching table runner, using straight-line stitches.
After 2.5 episodes of Star Trek, TNG (about 2 hours), I decided to attempt to do a programmed stitch that said "Dec 2008" on my test fabric (because I wanted to put it on the table runner). The machine locked up again, with a repeat performance of Monday night.
Last night, I was too exhausted from work to deal with either the machine or the store, so I spent the evening watching cartoons and knitting. I am making this coat from the Twist Collective. I blame my office mate, who is a very accomplished knitter, who showed me this pattern. I am NOT an accomplished knitter, but when I start a craft I jump right in at the deep end (my very first quilt was a king-sized Radiant Star quilt, using the instructions in that book. I know how to knit, in general, and I can do a nice, consistent stitch, and I know how to read instructions, and my office mate is handy if I need her to show me a particular technique). I got the right cuff and part of the sleeve done last night.
I am debating today about whether I will give the store the chance to fix this machine, or if I'll just take it back. My husband is on the "take it back" side of the fence. Not helping matters is that I called another store, slightly farther away, and found out I can get a brand-new machine for less than 100 more than this floor model with 1 year of use under its belt. I guess first I'll call the store and talk to the saleslady and let her know of the problems I'm having with the machine and listen to what she has to say.
Edit: Just got off the phone with her, and I really wish I had spoken to her on Tues or yesterday, because her service guy was in the store yesterday, dammit. She wants to take a look at it. She is certainly leaning towards "warranty repair" than "return and buy a new one from someone else" and she is confident that this can be fixed. Whether the machine needs to be sent out to Ohio (!) for a factory repair remains to be seen. In the meantime, the Singer will come out of mothballs (figuratively speaking), get a new needle, and will be put back to work. And I am strongly considering getting my mother-in-law's antique Singer up and running again. That will need (at minimum) new electrical cables and I think a belt.
It was fine on Sunday, when I finally had time to take it out of the box and try it out on some scraps.
On Monday, I sewed for a couple of hours (about 2) - doing some free-motion quilting on a placemat, which is my project for practicing my free-motion quilting. And it was doing OK - not great, but OK. Some skipped stitches here and there, and the tension was not adjusted right, so the lower thread wasn't getting pulled up into the fabric sandwich. I can live with that - I figure that's fixable with some adjustments that I can make.
However, after 2 hours, the bobbin went crazy. I took things apart. I re-threaded the machine. I changed thread from a cotton/poly "all purpose" blend to a heavy all-cotton quilting thread. I did up a new bobbin with the new thread. I changed needles. No matter what I did, the needle would lock up after 3 stitches, I'd get a "motor overheating" error and I'd have to cut the mass of bobbin threads under the fabric to free the needle, and start over again.
I was going to take the machine back on Tuesday, but when I got home from work, I decided to try it again, and it worked. I then took things very slowly, only doing straight stitches at the slowest speed setting, and increasing after sewing at test seam. I then started playing with the tension setting to get it correct. For the heavier-than-normal cotton fabric I was using, and with 2 or more layers, I needed a 6. When I attempted straight-line quilting (not dropping the feed dogs), I needed to up the tension to about 8.4. I managed to quilt another placemat and the matching table runner, using straight-line stitches.
After 2.5 episodes of Star Trek, TNG (about 2 hours), I decided to attempt to do a programmed stitch that said "Dec 2008" on my test fabric (because I wanted to put it on the table runner). The machine locked up again, with a repeat performance of Monday night.
Last night, I was too exhausted from work to deal with either the machine or the store, so I spent the evening watching cartoons and knitting. I am making this coat from the Twist Collective. I blame my office mate, who is a very accomplished knitter, who showed me this pattern. I am NOT an accomplished knitter, but when I start a craft I jump right in at the deep end (my very first quilt was a king-sized Radiant Star quilt, using the instructions in that book. I know how to knit, in general, and I can do a nice, consistent stitch, and I know how to read instructions, and my office mate is handy if I need her to show me a particular technique). I got the right cuff and part of the sleeve done last night.
I am debating today about whether I will give the store the chance to fix this machine, or if I'll just take it back. My husband is on the "take it back" side of the fence. Not helping matters is that I called another store, slightly farther away, and found out I can get a brand-new machine for less than 100 more than this floor model with 1 year of use under its belt. I guess first I'll call the store and talk to the saleslady and let her know of the problems I'm having with the machine and listen to what she has to say.
Edit: Just got off the phone with her, and I really wish I had spoken to her on Tues or yesterday, because her service guy was in the store yesterday, dammit. She wants to take a look at it. She is certainly leaning towards "warranty repair" than "return and buy a new one from someone else" and she is confident that this can be fixed. Whether the machine needs to be sent out to Ohio (!) for a factory repair remains to be seen. In the meantime, the Singer will come out of mothballs (figuratively speaking), get a new needle, and will be put back to work. And I am strongly considering getting my mother-in-law's antique Singer up and running again. That will need (at minimum) new electrical cables and I think a belt.