True DIY, or just crossing the line into stupidity???

[Boston]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Time is an opportunity cost only. There is no monetary cost to it, unless you'd be making money in the time you would be using to make the quilt (doubtful).

So: If you spent $90 to make the quilt, therefore saving $129 (let's assume ~$10 shipping), you made $129 for your time. If it took you 12 hour's, you made $10.75/hr - not too bad!.

[cmseeley]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Time is an opportunity cost only. There is no monetary cost to it, unless you'd be making money in the time you would be using to make the quilt (doubtful).

So: If you spent $90 to make the quilt, therefore saving $129 (let's assume ~$10 shipping), you made $129 for your time. If it took you 12 hour's, you made $10.75/hr - not too bad!.

This is also how I think of it!!! Time is only of monetary value to the point you are willing to sell it! AND as I am sure most of you feel the same way or you wouldn't be doing DIY... I sell my time to my employer for as much as said employer is willing to pay... but I will sell my time to myself and often times family and friends for money saved and the pleasure and pride earned of creating that needed/wanted thing.

Thanks

Chris

[cmseeley]

Thanks for all the helpful comments folks. I have been talked back over on this side of the stupid line.

I think I will get a new machine rather than a used one. Primarily thinking that it will have many more useful features in the long run. Also, it won't just be me using it. (6 kids ranging in age from 7 to 14).

What do you guys think of the SINGER 7258 Stylist. $159 on amazon shipped free with prime? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KK807M

Best,

Chris

Thanks

Chris

[Ramblinrev]

What do you guys think of the SINGER 7258 Stylist. $159 on amazon shipped free with prime?

Would you buy a $75.00 metal lathe? All it does is spin around. Sheesh, how good does it have to be to accomplish that? I apply the same reasoning to sewing machines. They are very intricate pieces of machinery with the need for tight tolerances and good high quality parts. While the plastics used in the gears have improved over time you still get cheap gears in a cheap machine. What features are you looking for? To be perfectly blunt, the cheap modern sewing machines are like fishing lures. The are made more useful for attracting the fisherman than the fish. 87 programmed in stitches may sound cool as a moose. But unless you want to be adding poorly executed duckies and chickies to your project you won't use more than 8 of them. IF you are planning on getting into the making of technical clothing by which I mean compression pants, women's lingere and lycra bathing suits you will only need about four stitches. Straight, zigzag, basic stretch and maybe a blind hem stitch if you do fancy stuff. Other than that they are going to be essentially useless. The "satin" coverage of the decorative stitches is not going to be good because the machine is incapable of the fine precision you need to make those stitches look decent. So all in all, there are good reasons to buy a new machine if that's the direction you want to go. But if you know machinery, and it sounds like you do, I would steer clear of the cheapo's.

The other problem with Amazon is you can't take it for a spin before you commit. If you go to a local sewing machine store you can test the machines and see exactly what I am talking about. You have a local resource who has a vested interest in keeping you satisfied as a customer. They can help troubleshoot and usually provide lessons for the beginners. Plus you can talk to the folks and get an idea of whether they know their stuff or if they are just a Big Box clerk working in a small shop.

Some folks will tell you they have had really good luck with a cheap machine. I say that's fine and I believe them. Until it comes to getting it fixed. Then it is a disposable. Not my idea of quality goods.

[lmoseley7]

I've been off the forum for a while but someone used to sell underquilt blanks where all you had to do was fill with down and close one end. I remember them being very reasonably priced and would be worthwhile to have a frame of reference before you get started on making gear for the whole group. The first underquilt I made took about 10 hours and I was not a sewing novice at the time and I had my mom helping. With an underquilt shell you could finish in way less than an hour I would imagine depending on how you fill the tubes with down. I just found the website it is underquilts.com.

[cmseeley]

Would you buy a $75.00 metal lathe? All it does is spin around. Sheesh, how good does it have to be to accomplish that? I apply the same reasoning to sewing machines. They are very intricate pieces of machinery with the need for tight tolerances and good high quality parts. --snip--.

WOW Ramblinrev!!! Thanks, and point taken!!!

Chris

[Macpaks]

My 2 pennies: I'm an all-round DIY guy too. The only thing I won't touch is an automatic transmission and I might be coerced to give that a go under the right circumstances.

I got into making my own gear about 3 years ago for hiking and backpacking. Started out buying a $50-75 Wal Mart machine. It was fine if I was sewing fabrics that your mom would make clothes out of (i.e. cotton), but when I tried to sew a Ray-Way backpack kit, the silnylon was a bear to deal with and sewing through heavier stuff, like webbing, was really hard on the machine. Several times I thought I smoked the motor on it. Thread tensions were next to impossible to control, the stitching looked terrible and I was frustrated from wrangling the fabrics on a machine not designed to be able to handle it.

I decided to get something better as I realized that I wanted to continue making DIY stuff for myself and I didn't want to smash my machine with a hammer out of frustration! I bought a little more machine than I needed, but I don't regret it a bit. I have an Elna 5300. Paid about $700 from a local quilt shop. Had SPECTACULAR service (with the sale), all the instruction that I could want on how to operate the machine and continued help since picking out needles and the like for my projects. I have never had a problem with the machine either. All that and I supported a local small business.

Since then, I have completed quite a few DIY projects with it, patched, hemmed and altered lots of stuff for friends and family and in the last few months, I started making bike packing bags and selling them. All of this because I decided to invest in a decent machine.

It's your money, so do what you wish. I'm sure there are good buys on Craig's List or Ebay for an old used machine, but a good machine is something you will be able to use a long, long time. Even pass it on to your kids so they can make their own gear.

FWIW

[stevebo]

I have only started DIY this year. The one thing I'd say is: don't make your own down underquilt to save money. If you add up the raw materials, you'll be pretty close to what a professionally sewn underquilt would cost you. With the difference, that the professional underquilt maker had lots of time and lots of underquilts to perfect the design. I have several underquilts, and in order to make something like the HG Incubator, I would need sew a lot of underquilts...

If you want to DIY because you like a challenge and have fun making things - go for it. Recently, my inherited sewing machine failed and I had to replace it. I did quite a bit research. On the German outdoor MYOG forums, two model series were highly recommended: the Pfaff 12xx series (e.g. 1209) and the Pfaff 36x series (e.g. 360). They are sold from 10€ up to 400€ here. Not sure what the prices are in the US. I ended up with a Pfaff 1475 because my mother had this machine sitting in the corner, collecting dust. I like the upper transport for thin fabrics. My old machine crumpled up the fabric a lot more than this one.

Excellent point! Make your own gear for the joy of creating something new--not to save money. Besides, a cottage made quilt is probably going to be better than anything you make your self--they've had lots of practice. Thats part of what you are paying for--their expertise and experiance.
One more point, although I enjoy making things out of cloth for my own use, I have absolutly no intrest in making things for others---it totally takes the fun out of it for me!

[stevebo]

I've been off the forum for a while but someone used to sell underquilt blanks where all you had to do was fill with down and close one end. I remember them being very reasonably priced and would be worthwhile to have a frame of reference before you get started on making gear for the whole group. The first underquilt I made took about 10 hours and I was not a sewing novice at the time and I had my mom helping. With an underquilt shell you could finish in way less than an hour I would imagine depending on how you fill the tubes with down. I just found the website it is underquilts.com.

I'm not sure underquilts.com is taking orders right now--at one time he was having some health problems and suspended orders. https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...nderquilts.com

[Boston]

I'm going to go ahead and offer an alternative point of view again: you don't need to spend $700 on a machine to make good gear.

Yep, some cheap machines are trash, but not all. And many expensive machines simply offer features you don't need for all that extra money. Realistically you don't need more the 4-8 stitches. Most machines that offer "100+" stitches are programmed with the basic 4-8 useful stitches, and a bunch of fluff you'll probably never need, or miss.

For reference the stitches I use most often: Straight stitch, Zig Zag, Button Hole. Actually those are the only stitches I use...

I've used a couple different machines in the last 2 year's of DIY. My favorite was a Pfaff Hobbymatic 955. My current machine, a Janome 128, sews just as well for all the material's I've used (0.67 Argon, 1.1 Silnylon, 1.9oz ripstop, 2.2oz ripstop, 200d Oxford, 600d Cordura, etc..). There are some convenience feature's I miss (like the even feed foot, needle position controls, and independent stitch controls), but not needed.

I guess all I'm saying is don't let people tell you you have to spend a fortune to get a decent machine. Buy a machine based on your intended use.