I finally stopped blaming myself for my sewing machine

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 9

I finally stopped blaming myself for my sewing machine

Sewing... I med to hate it. Mainly became my sewing machine .mJ 1 juvt didn't get on. I used to lose my patience, give up, throw i lie material in a corner and forget about it. It took me two years to make a skirt once. So you can understand why 1 was just a littleskeptical, when a friend of mine took me along to the House of Sewing to check out the new Janome 6418. I must admit ■ —■ that machine is incredible! It's so simple to use — esen I can handle it. All the Stitch instructions are printed on the iron: ot the machine and colour coded. It's really easy. (It beats looking back into an instruction book every time you want to use a different stitch.) Anyway, we asked one of “The House ot Sewing demonstrators to show us some of the stitches. He did the button hole stitch first. Select the appropriate colour on the Selector Dial . (that's easy enough),,fhen sew the length of the button hole and change the selector to the bar tack. Sew the bar tack, then back to the button hole stitch again and finish off with a bar tack. 1 ou then have yourself a button hole. Next. we were shown the repairing stitch. .Again, select the appropriate colour on the dial . . . and sew. That's all there is to n. And the result.’ 1 he closest thing to an invisible scam I’ve ever seen. 1 his stitch is ideal tor sewing on patches. Abu don't even need to unpick seams to repair trouser legs, sleeves etc. because of the,tree amt. The overlock stitch seams iznd overlocks simultaneously. You don't even have to change the foot for this one. It’s ideal for putting necklines into T-shirts, or any knitted fabric for that matter. You get a strong seam and cutout a lot of extra work at the .same time.

The straight stretch stitch is easy too. With this one. he I iabnc will actually fail ba,k ; into place and lie flat. It's strong as well a- stretchable. The feature stitch (ot the Double Joining Ovet lock as it's sometimes called) will join any two materials together anJ is ! vtriuallv invisible. It lucks j away any bitsol hayed material and it's .stretchable too. Also good tor sewing hems. The blind hem stitch is vet yimpressive. It can >ew a hem so that the smelting doesn't show on the outside Of the material. I his is what you do: Fold the material where the ‘ hem should be anJ then drop n i back to the edge. Then sew. There is a special guide and instructions on this one. (It’s included tree when you buy I your Janome 641 B). The blind I hem flitch is particularly uselul ! for the turn-ups of trousers, i hems of skirts etc. There is no I need for tension adjustment I when used on most fabrics, j Have you ever tried to sew j eight thicknesses of denim.’ 1 Normally, it's not a very easy

I task. But with a MIR — n I problem! It will even .ontinu | without tension mituonicnt. | incredible Janome MlB I It. 1 sewing machine that include • \ • I .. i tions on front of machine. • l I (makes threading the nccJl, child's play i. • Easy tsv clean. • Free arm converts to Hat be. tor extra sewing area • Needs very little oiling. AnJ what's mote. 1 h Houseot Sewing are selling tht ; machine at just $259 — That' i value and an investment I n ( happy to make, it vou haven' already got voutsell a Janom 6418 from' The Hou-.- o Sewing, get one now ttom?' Main \otth Road Papanut Phone SJTs’S. — or — f.s Worcester Stree I in wood. Phone X 99966. Believe me . . . sewing ha never been so simple. - ADMKIIsI Ml M