I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

[Babs quilts]

Back story....
My 20++ year old brother machine was having horrible issues with the bobbin. To be fair I have sewn a ton of denim on that machine.

My husband being supportive and kind bought me a brand new singer confidence quilter machine.

This machine has issues!
It fails to grab the bobbin thread often when changing bobbins, upper thread skips out of the guides, and it eyelashes on just about every decorative stitch it has!
The final frustrating issue is it stalls and just stitches in place when being asked to go across rows where 4 seams meet.

How on earth can I trust it to do actual quilting when it cannot even handle the blocks?!?!

I have rethreaded the machine countless times as the troubleshooting guide points to threading incorrectly for just about every issue.
I adjusted tension through the whole spectrum for every stitch it has trying to get SOMETHING/ANYTHING to work.

Yeah, I am pretty disappointed with that purchase.

I will take the old machine to be serviced and contact Singer about this machine.

So sad.

[LauraP]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

Ouch! I wonder if you take it in when you take the old one if a pro can make a hidden adjustment. Maybe somebody sneezed while they were tightening a screw.

[Carlie Wolf]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

Sometimes you just get a "bad" machine. I would expect Singer to replace it at no charge for another new one. My first LA machine had issues (it wasn't a Singer). The company replayed it rapidly, no charge right away with no issues. The new one works like a dream. If the replacement machine has issues too I'd want my money back to purchase something else.

It's so disappointing when you get a new machine and the issues just keep going on and on :-(

[Babs quilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

I will certainly ask.
It sure messed up my points today.

The old brother would have had no issue sewing through those seams.

I have 4 quilt tops waiting for quilting. I really hope the singer can be adjusted or whatever to actually work well.

[KPH]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

I was talking to someone at Quiltfest about my embroidery machine, telling what it was doing. She asked what brand. I told her a singer, and she just shook her head. That's your problem, it's a Singer. I'm wondering if Singer's lost it's edge in sewing machines.

[Babs quilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

Learning that singer may have lost their edge/reputation is both enlightening and sad.

I will be talking to the folks at the shop. They also sell refurbished and new equipment. Maybe they will have a refurb that I can afford.

[SuzanneOrleansOntario]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

That is so sad. When I got a new Husquarvana in 2011. I wasn't sewing much then but when I used it, I always had issues with skipped stitches and generally not sewing well. Fast forward a few years later when I wanted to sew again. I brought it in for servicing. They said that machine had a recall piece to add to fix my problem. I was a bit angry that neither the store, nor Husquarvana contacted me letting me know of recall. It works like a charm now, never had another issue.

This happened to DH when he bought his Pfaff Creative 1.5. He used it mostly for embroidering labels. It would work fine, then not. Then it started leaking black oil on designs. We brought it in. They worked on it. It still continued. Brought it in again. Turns out there was a recall on the first ones made, and it was replaced. I guess if we had not said anything, neither the store nor company would have contacted us. Again I was angry for him.

Go back to the dealer where you bought it, and get them to make it right.

[Claire Hallman]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

That is so sad. When I got a new Husquarvana in 2011. I wasn't sewing much then but when I used it, I always had issues with skipped stitches and generally not sewing well. Fast forward a few years later when I wanted to sew again. I brought it in for servicing. They said that machine had a recall piece to add to fix my problem.

I had some problems with my Viking, too, and took it for repair and cleaning. It took a second service call for them to replace the recalled take up lever. Very aggravating that it wasn't done the first time.

[grammaterry]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

According to Old man quilter on this forum, some conglomerate bought singer, pfaff and Husqvarna a few years back and now they are Chinese made instead of our old reliables.
Yesterday I didn't sew at all. I felt like I accomplished nothing. I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen and it took most of the day. Did a couple loads of laundry and read a little.
Today, I will go back up there and work on my multifaceted quilt. I'm liking it somewhat better since I got it on the design wall.
Need to go into town this week and pick up the rest of the Shriner quilts that are still in shops. Maybe ask for a donation or two.
Feels sort of damp out there again this morning but its not scheduled to rain I think

[oldmanquilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

For the record- I didn't actually report what happened with regards to SVP Worldwide. I was merely reporting my experience with other Husqvarna AB divisions when they were sold off. I wasn't actually aware of what happened to the sewing machine division until I read Terry's original thread. I did link to an article which provided the details.

[dwil23]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

Sadly, I have heard the same from more than one source. Hope it's not true, especially in your case. Good Luck with getting this one fixed or finding a suitable replacement.

If your old Brother can't be fixed (if its all metal inside I'm betting it can) you can find really great, strong vintage machines on ebay, craigslist, etc., even Goodwill and thrift shops for less than $50 that are real workhorses and will sew through anything! I picked up a "beast" of a Kenmore at Goodwill recently, in cabinet, for $12.50.

[Babs quilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

I got the old machine sewing! Happy dance!

It still needs servicing but not repair.

IMG_20180924_101909.jpg
You can see where it got all puckered.

IMG_20180924_102049.jpg
Same block different layout.

IMG_20180924_102226.jpgIMG_20180924_102234.jpg

A fun fish fabric spurred this small quilt. No the singer did not function properly on zig zag.

I really enjoy Jenny's tutorials! The first two are from the herringbone tutorial. My hubs wanted a smaller blanket so I split the blocks into 2 quilts.

[Babs quilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

So... A short update.....

The shop charges 100 bucks to service machines. My old machine is not worth much at all so wont be going in. I will figure out the oiling and such myself.

However......
They sell machines there too.
They have some fantastic machines!
I got to play on a long arm and now need to convince hubby that I NEEEEED one.

Such wonderful performance out of the long arm and other machines they carry!

They will e-mail me a list of what is in the used section.


OH and will discount any machine by what I paid for the Singer.

[Babs quilts]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

I found a wonderful used machine!
IMG_20180929_114955.jpg

It's a brother vq3000.
Much better deal than the stores could do.
I haven't had much time at the machine but so far I am very happy!

I will address the singer unit with Singers waranty department.

[KarenC]

Re: I lost all confidence in my confidence quilting machine.

Enjoy your new machine.