Long Time No see....

It has been ages since my last blog!  The reason is I've kind of been in transit. 

 

My life has suddenly become split between the UK and the US and on Tuesday I will be making my fifth trip across the pond this year!  Phew!! that's a lot of air miles and do I wish I had been collecting them! Also had a couple of weeks in the beautiful virgin Islands...

for a spot of snorkeling.  Met one of these beauties...

 

AND ONE OF THESE!!

 

I didn't realise he was a STING RAY at the time....just as well else I would not have spent the wonderful moment with her/him for irrational fear of being you know what!  They're beautiful elegant creature and swim through the water so gracefully and peacefully.

My jet hopping has also explained why my Etsy Shop and Website have also been opening and closing rather randomly over the past few months.  But to solve this I have now decided to bring some stock over to the US on my trip on Tuesday, this will allow the Verity Hope dresses etc to remain available AND at US shipping prices!  Well, that's when I work out the adjustments which may take me a week or so once I've sorted myself out. 

There are going to be lots of changes ahead this year for the MALPHI range.  The signature Verity Hope Dress is staying along with the Bloomers and Dana Ashley Dress but I'm sourcing a new wonderful fabric (secret for now) which I'm very excited about!  It will allow for lots of flow and will be extremely comfortable and adaptable.   Along with the new fabric the dresses will also be made up in slightly larger batches, no more being  OUT OF STOCK constantly hurray!  It's been wonderfully challenging to keep up with demand particularly with all the different colours and sizes so I'm really looking forward to having the range made 'out of house' and be able to provide more. 

Back to the short term...I will be bring over to the US the last rolls of the current Linen/cotton fabric and make up the last dresses and bloomers in that line.  I hope I have enough fabric left to get at least one colour in each size (S M L XL) out over the next month both on the ETSY site and www.malphistyle.com.

One thing I cannot bring over is my beloved Bernina 950 sewing machine as seen here....

 

It's a beautiful robust industrial machine which has different stitch adjustments unlike regular industrial machines which usually only have straight stitch and zig zag.  The machine and I have had our ups and downs at times, particularly when trying out new threads....My Bernina is extremely choosy about thread but over all we've worked well together and have become understanding friends.  Maybe I may be able to bring it over to the US eventually but I'm not sure about the voltage and how that would work...any advice there?  Maybe I can get some sort of UK 240v to USA 120v transformer but the motor is so huge I'm not sure...duh? 

Anyway.....I DO NEED SOME ADVICE ON A SIMILAR MATTER...PLEASE?!!  I'm going to have to purchase a temporary sewing machine to keep me going in the US just so I can finish the current batch of dresses and get them out as soon as possible.  I'm not looking to spend huge amounts of money because of already owning the Bernina 950 but I do need a portable machine that is ROBUST and HEAVY DUTY.  There are so many Singers, Janomes etc to choose from but I'm worried I may wear out the domestic motors too quickly as I sew a little beyond the hobby use.  What I have spotted is this machine...

 

It's an Omega 7142.  Now I haven't really heard of this make too much but I'm guessing it's from Asia and I think it's connected to Necchi, MORE INFO HERE.

I'm interested because there is a seller on EBAY who has been selling these machines for around $300. They're a Power Seller with 100% feedback and have sold hundreds of them.  What I like is the fact that it seems to be a heavy duty domestic machine, able to sew through multi thick layers including leather...

 

Has all these features:

• Solid All Metal Bobbin Hook Drive (no plastic gears)
• Powerful 1.1 Amp Motor (Canada & USA, 120 Volts)
• Easy to Operate Color Coded Stitch Selector Dial
• 108 Stitches Capability
• One Step buttonhole
• Sews with One or Twin Needle (included)
• Traction Motor Belt Drive (avoiding slipping)
• Free Hand Quilting & Monogramming
• Case Cover Included
• Patchwork Quilting
• Sewing on Buttons
• Sewing in Zippers
• Satin Stitching
• Straight Stitching
• Zigzag Stitching
• Appliqué
• Bar Tack
• Top Stitching
• Zigzag and All Stitch Width Control Dial
• Stitch Lenght Control Dial
• Upper Tension Control Dial
• Presser Foot Control Knob
• Needle Threader
• Built-In Fold Away Carrying Handle
• Snap-On Accessories For Fast Feet Changes
• Bobbin Winder with Automatic Stop
• Instant Reverse Lever Easy to Access
• Feed Drop for manual Embroidery and Monogramming
• Convenient Built-In Light
• 2 Spool Pins
• Thread Cutter
• Free Arm Sewing
• Flat Surface Sewing
• Convenient Accessories Compartment

And apparently offers an ALL METAL (Japanese made) BOBBIN HOOK SYSTEM driven by METAL GEARS:



Sometimes lesser known brands we see in the West are HUGE in Asia aren't they and other BRANDS only seem unknown to us because they haven't been marketed in the west. That doesn't necessarily mean they're not as good as Singer or Brother etc.  I wonder sometimes if these brands saturate the market too much and perhaps little lesser known treasures might be just as good or even better but just don't get a look in?  I have contacted one lady who wrote a wonderful blog about purchasing her Omega 7142 from the same Ebay seller, she seemed really delighted so a few months on I've contacted her to see how she likes it now.  Read her lovely entry here: BASED ON A TRUE STORY.

Oh boy! it's going to be a big decision but I am always drawn to 'out of the box' marketing and just feel that just because some goods have less 'brand awareness' in some parts of the world doesn't mean they must be inferior, it just means the advertisers haven't decided yet that we 'need' that brand. I'm sure Singer's advertising budget must be huge!

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated?

Love Susannah x

Comments

[Virginia in NC]

Contemplating the purchase of a new sewing machine is so exhilirating and yet daunting, I agree! I have three Berninas (801, 1000S and 160) and I just recently added a very vintage Necchi BU to the stable. How do I love it? So very many ways. It's absolutely my favorite machine now. It has only straight stitch and zig zag and no automatic buttonholer (an attachment can be used, and I'm looking for one). There is no plastic at all in this machine! I don't know anything at all about the Omega, sorry to say. But I would highly recommend a vintage Necchi in good condition, and a Supernova or a Julia would have lots of fancy stitches. Price could vary between $80 to $300. I would recommend avoiding the Lydia or the Lycia, as those came a bit later and are prone to a couple of problems related to having plastic stitch cams. Wishing you luck in the hunt!

[Tracy M.]

So nice to hear from you, and good luck in your great new adventures here in the US.
Can't wait to see what new things you have.
Cheers,
Tracy M.

[Abigail]

The company that I work for is running a tour for Husqvarna. They are touring the country and at each stop there are huge deals on machines.

Here is the tour site.
http://www.sewwithviking.com/viking/pd/ProductDetail.aspx?id=10

[Estee]

Your jet set ventures sound exciting! Good luck with all things new and looking forward to hearing all about them.

I've also never heard of the Omega,but as you say, its probably not been marketed over here. It a reasonable price for what it does and I'd probably go for it. I've never used anything other than a Singer, to the point that I'm actually intimidated by anything else.

[Stephanie Newman]

Hello! Just found your blog and love it.
You could consider a semi-industrial like the Husqvarna Viking Mega Quilter or Pfaff Grand Quilter, straight stitch only machines which are all metal inside and weight a considerable amount. Really nice straight stitch. Just wondering about your Jones hand crank, I just won a cs family model on ebay and am trying to figure out if the bobbin winding mechanism can be disengaged for regular sewing? Any thoughts greatly appreciated as the manual doesn't mention how to do this. Please email me with address supplied below!
Cheers, Stephanie in Australia.

[Lisa @celebrate CREATIVITY]

Lucky you. The travel photos look wonderful.

Congrats on all the great success of your shoppe. Your aprons are so beautiful and unique it's easy to see why they're so popular.

Hope all is well!

[SafePetHaven/Susan]

Hello! I found your lovely website while searching for any info on my newly acquired CS Jones (badged "Federation") treadle machine; so intimidated by the bullet-shaped shuttle & long bobbins!

How can I help you in your search for info to decide on another machine?

Is there a way to private email message? There are U.S. regional "preferences" w/regard to brands & strength of availability of supplies, parts, etc.

W/b happy to discuss these details based strictly on my experience; I have nothing to sell you & no reason to try to influence you toward one brand over another.

SafePetHaven/Susan

[Sandra Evertson]

Your travels sound so fun!
And how lucky to have a chance encounter with those wonderful creatures!
Wishing you well!
Sandra Evertson