Pfaff So Far
Alternate titles for this post, courtesy of Ruggy, none of which jive with the proper pronunciation of Pfaff, all of which give me the giggles:
Bigger, Louder, Pfaffter.
Pfaffter than a speeding bullet.
Pfaffter Pussycat.
Pfaffter is the best medicine.
Phonetics aside, all of these titles are true. And we all know IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE IT'S TRUE. When my Ricky went on strike, I went on the hunt for a Bernina-- and was left unimpressed. Several of you chimed in with your love for Pfaff, and several more asked to have an update after really trying her out. It's been nine months since Lucille Tiptronic Baller landed in Kalkatroona, and it's high time we talked. Before we get down to the nitty gritty, here's what me and the girl have made so far:
Plus the black quilty Valentine's vest and a host of yet to be blogged items!
I love her. I kiss her several times a week. Literally. Right on her flip up top. Okay, let's get down to it.
Let Your Pfaffer do the Walking
First up on the hit list: The IDT system. It is a wonder. If I'm careful with my cutting, pins are an afterthought, as there's simply no seam slippage. None, nada, zip. Sometimes I forget to re-enage the IDT when I change feet, which causes a string of colorful language. Leaving the IDT off is like drinking grape juice when you could be having bordeaux. It's possible that disengaging isn't necessary, but with no manual, I play it safe. If I'm doing something cray cray, like sewing four layers of wool, basket weave silk, leather, and plastic, sometimes the little IDT foot will catch on the uppermost layer at the start of a seam, like this:
See the little lip of leather curling between the feet? I just I disengage the IDT, lift the presser foot, re-enage, and go to town. Sometimes you have to take a few stitches without the IDT to get going, but it's really no biggie. I will say that I wish there was more real estate under the presser foot at times, especially for winter sewing.
Subbing for My Serger
You know that my maniacal Elna serger has been plotting to kill me for years. Well, several months ago, I banished her from my desk and let my Pfaff take charge of my knits. The stretch stitch (which I think is akin to the dreaded Lightning Stitch on other machines) is amazing. In fact, there are times I like it better than an overlocked edge-- it produces less bulk and flatter seams. I made the Bombshell Bathing Suit completely on my Pfaff, and the guts are beautiful.
However, I know I'm going to need a a serger solution eventually. Sweater knits that unravel, for one. And although my Pfaff does twin needle stitching, I have to put the tension all the way up to eleven to get a good result. (I lie, she doesn't go to eleven. But everything in life should.)
She Likes ALL OF THE FABRICS
Man, she likes all of the fabrics. Which is especially wonderful for someone who likes to MIX ALL OF THE FABRICS. Pictures will say it better:
fringed madness with three kinds of leather (coming soon...)
Extra, Extra
You can read all about the included items and setup here in my introductory post, this is more about how she's held up. But the extras continue to charm me-- buttonholes are beautiful, all three needle positions working like a boss, as are the host of stitches that can be made using the push button system.
Whatever machine you're looking at, be it vintage or new, let me say this: GET A NEEDLE UP DOWN OPTION. I never knew how useful this feature was! I used to hand crank away on my older machines at the beginning and end of every seam. That adds up. And this feature doesn't just save you time, it saves your hands. While you're at it, consider saving your eyes with a needle threader, something I also scoffed at until an activity that took me 30 seconds started taking 3.
Vintage Pros Have Their Woes
It's fantastic to have a vintage machine. Especially if you are into tinkering. I found the service manual for my model, and have opened her up completely. I've gazed at her innards, adjusted the needle thread tension, and oiled her (if you're afraid of that, you must at least give a drop of oil in the bobbin case area after every project!). Ruggy has come to the rescue as well, opening up and fixing the foot pedal (which took the both of us to hold all those springing parts closed. Open with caution, my friends). It feels great to fix your own machine, it feels substantial! It has stood the test of time.
That said, time is not the vintage lover's friend. As a matter of fact, whenever I shout about how great my vintage machine is, it seems to want to give up the ghost. Yesterday, as I filled a bobbin (from the needle--you can fill from the needle as well, another how did I live without that feature) my machine suddenly made the jump to lightspeed and kept merrily racing along after I took my foot off the pedal. I raised an eyebrow, set everything back to zero and tried again. Same maniacal blur of speed...but only when filling the bobbin, which leads me to believe it's something up with the machine end of that function, and not the pedal. The helpful bobbin sensor works intermittently, only flashing when I've cleaned the bobbin area and never when actually sewing. Possibly, the problem is within, dare I type it...the circuit board. And the older a machine gets, the harder it is to find replacements for those types of woes. One day, it simply might be too vintage to fix.
And that is most definitely the worst con about owning vintage! Still, after nine months of stitching on her, I can't see wanting to stitch on any other brand.
Hope this was helpful to those of you looking into a new, or a "new," machine. My opinion is of the vintage persuasion, though you up-to-date Pfaffers seem to adore yours as well. I've had tweets & emails asking for advice on making the jump to Pfaff, and if you did, I'd love to know if you're digging your machine! ETA: and by the way, not to exclude the non Pfaffers out there, I'd love to know what you love about your machine. Everyone has their favorite, non?
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